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Melting Pot Cafe #5

A Deadly Disappearance Down Under

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Solving the disappearance of my best friends’ parents was NOT one of my New Year’s Resolutions…

A trip to sunny Australia in the scorching summer wasn’t in my holiday plans, but when Jordi rings in a state of utter panic revealing her parents failed to turn up at the annual Shapeshifters Conference held in country Western Australia, what’s a girl to do?

Despite having solved a murder or two in my time, I am completely out of my comfort zone in the harsh Aussie outback where not only the sun, insects, and snakes bite, but the locals do too.

The search is interrupted when the body of Harridan Reef local and chairman of the Shapeshifters Executive Council, Shayla Ramos, turns up dead in a sheep paddock at the local country show. I’m convinced her murder is linked to Jordi’s missing parents. But what if I’m wrong?

Forbidden to use magical powers in a town where the supernatural is concealed from view, it becomes apparent the locals have their own secrets. Secrets someone is willing to kill to keep hidden.

Together with Aunt Edie, Detective Huxton Harriet, Jordi, Tyler and my trusty furry familiar, Miss Saffron, we must all work together to uncover the truth. With a blazing bush fire threatening to destroy all in its path we must race the clock to unlock the secrets before Jordi’s parents pay the ultimate price.

If you like witty witches, talking cats, and magical murder mysteries, then step into the fun and flirty romantic paranormal cozy mystery world of the Melting Pot Café series where the spells are flowing, and the adventure is sure to leave you craving more.

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2022

55 people are currently reading
181 people want to read

About the author

Polly Holmes

60 books966 followers
Author also writes under P.L. Harris

Polly Holmes is the cheeky alter ego of Amazon best-selling author, P.L. Harris. When she's not writing her next romantic suspense novel as P.L. Harris, she’s planning the next murder in one of Polly's mysteries.

Polly’s award-winning Cupcake Capers Series is rich in storyline and location with characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. She publishes her cozy mystery books with Gumnut Press. Pumpkin Pies and Potions is the first in her new paranormal cozy series.

Cupcakes and Corpses was a finalist in the Oklahoma RWA’s 2019 IDA International Digital Awards, short suspense category. Cupcakes and Curses claimed second place and Cupcakes and Cyanide gained third place making it a clean sweep in the category.

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5 stars
147 (62%)
4 stars
63 (26%)
3 stars
23 (9%)
2 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
Profile Image for Louisa West.
Author 37 books490 followers
April 17, 2022
I received this book as an ARC for an honest review - and… honestly? It did NOT disappoint! Evelyn’s latest romp takes her to the Australian outback where the mystery is as thick as the accents. I won’t give away spoilers, but the writing was top notch and entertaining until the last drop - cannot WAIT for the next book in this series!
Profile Image for Dana Busenbark.
2,799 reviews30 followers
May 1, 2022
Where do we find Evelyn at the beginning? Who is Tyler to her? How does she know Harriet? Who is Jordi and what is going on with her life right now? Who all is with Evelyn at the beginning? What is happening with Edie and Saffron? I have to say I love Saffron! What has Detective Huxton done? Who are Vivienne, Olive, Aubrey, Eli, Bernie, Shayla, Beau, Desily, Rya and Set? How do these people know one another, if at all? What happens to Evelyn as she waits for the door to fully open? Where do we meet each of these people throughout the story? What do we learn about Shayla and Maxwell from Cindy and where? What phone call does Harriet make? What do we learn about Rya and Seth as the story progresses? What tragedy is narrowly averted? Read and see what mysterious things are happening in this murder mystery!
1,254 reviews5 followers
April 24, 2022
Experience a small slice of the Outback at a shapeshifter’s convention in Australia. Add to that missing relatives and a murder and you have an interesting read.
928 reviews9 followers
April 22, 2022
Evelyn, Tyler & several other friends & family are arriving in a private jet to help a friend whose parents have disappeared, along with another woman. There is a shapeshifter’s conference at a small town in Western Australia, Harridan Reef. One snag, the reef is nowhere near the sea. The various magical abilities of this close knit team are called into play. There is evil around. Then the body of the woman is found & it is obvious that she has been murdered by magical means. Meanwhile in the township there is another festival happening art shows, etc. It gets a bit frazzled towards the end, tempers get frayed, but, all does end happily except for the murderer!
28 reviews
May 3, 2022
'A Deadly Disappearance Down Under' starts with Evelyn, Tyler, Harriet, Edie, Micah and Miss Saffron arriving in Western Australia to help their friend Jordi locate her missing parents. Their cover will be as shapeshifters at the Shapeshifter's Conference. And they can't use their magic to help them. They quickly learn there has been another disappearance, the conference president, Shayla.

This was a fun clean cozy mystery worthy of the title. Magic, shapeshifting, family, friends and not so nice people populate the story. Well worth the time.

I received an ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for Margie.
1,714 reviews26 followers
May 7, 2022
A Deadly Disappearance Down Under by Polly Holmes is the fifth book in her melting Pot Cafe series.
Evelyn Grayson is a little out of her element as she and Jodi have to travel to Australia because Jodi's parents are missing. They were supposed to be attending the Shapeshifters Conference being held there.I really like the characters in this series. Evelyn is fascinating to me. This is a fast paced story. I totally enjoyed this fun whodunit! I love this author's voice and look forward to more stories written by Polly Holmes.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
Profile Image for fred jones.
1,769 reviews11 followers
April 18, 2022
Really great paranormal mystery. The gang head to Australia to try and find Jordi's parents who have disappeared, then a body is discovered. A well written story with fun dialogue and great characters. I worked out the killer relatively easily but that did not affect my enjoyment of the book. The ending is great. I really enjoy Polly Holmes books. I received a complimentary copy from the Author and am leaving a honest voluntary review.
Profile Image for Misha.
163 reviews
April 27, 2022
I loved it. It was a mystery that kept you guessing until the end. Evelyn, Tyler, Aunt Edie, and the gang are all headed to Australia to help find Jordi's missing parents. Not only are they missing but so is the president of the shifters association. In this town full of unknown shifters, all attending the Shifters Convention, Evelyn must put her witchy skills to the test to save Jordi's parents before it's too late. Excellent!!
4,476 reviews38 followers
April 30, 2022
A Deadly Disappearance Down Under is an excellent, fast paced, cozy mystery. This well plotted book has a bit of romance, a touch of magic, strong friendships, the Australian Outback and more. Once I began reading, I did not get much else done before I finished this book. Evelyn, Tyler , ,Miss Saffron and friends arrive in Australia to help Jordi find her parents. The search and murder occur during a shapeshifters' annual conference. Will they find Jordi's parents in time?
71 reviews4 followers
April 30, 2022
Polly Holmes: This book has it all... everything a paranormal could want. There is action galore all through the story that keeps you wanting to know what is coming next.  You have to keep turning those pages. I was very bleary-eyed from lack of sleep. It kept me guessing almost till the very end.   
   Congratulations to the author for an amazing and entertaining story.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the author but the opinion stated here is my own.
Profile Image for Kris10.
231 reviews50 followers
April 30, 2022
This is the first book of the "Melting Pot Cafe" series that I've read...but it could totally be read as a standalone, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything, jumping right into the 5th book of the series. I loved this book! It was funny, action-packed and a real whodunnit! With plenty of mystery, magic and mayhem, what else could you possibly want from a book? A definite must-read!!

I received this book for free as an arc for an honest review.
Profile Image for Judy.
3 reviews
April 17, 2022
This was my first time reading a Polly Holmes book, but I will be reading more. If you enjoy a good mystery that is fun to read, I recommend this book. I was drawn to the characters after only a few chapters, and the story was easy to follow. The "camp" setting was a real surprise, and it was fun reading about the characters' Australian experience. Give this book a try - I don't think you will be disappointed.
Profile Image for Gina Maria.
212 reviews1 follower
April 28, 2022
Outback charm and scenery with shapeshifting magical beings made this a truly fun and enjoyable read. Another mystery solved by a group of characters who really know the definition of family, friends and love. I loved the Aussie glossary included in this book too. Definitely another good story by this creative author.
Profile Image for Lynda.
1,011 reviews8 followers
April 30, 2022
I received an arc copy of this book. This story was a fast moving wonderfully written book that a whole group of special people had to solve a disappearance and then a murder. It took a trip to the outback of Australia to help a family member find her missing parents. Everything quickly comes to conclusion with the help of a magic spell. Enjoyed reading this book.
Profile Image for Bev.
3,267 reviews97 followers
April 30, 2022
Evelyn, Harriett, Tyler, Aunt Edie and Miss Saffron are in Australia to help find Cam and Mick, Jordi's parents who went missing along with Shayla Rames. But there are magical powers set to impede their quest. Bernie, the owner of Cams Calla Liles, where they are staying insist NO MAGIC is to be used. Can they get the job done, seems that a magical force causes problems in their journey? How are they going to fight back? I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for Julie Houser.
260 reviews4 followers
May 1, 2022
A Deadly Disappearance Down Under (Melting Pot Cafe Book 5) by Polly Holmes is a cute paranormal with witches, shapeshifters, magic and even a talking cat. Jordi’s parents go missing in Australia and the whole gang goes down to look for them. This is a page turner with lots of action. I received this as a review copy from the author for my honest review.
Profile Image for Karen.
21 reviews12 followers
May 2, 2022
The friendship and camaraderie of the characters in the book are the most appealing to me. They fly across the world to help one of their friends and work together to solve the mystery. Unlike the other reviewers, I pretty much figured out "who done it" after being introduced to the character. A few grammatical errors, but not enough to impact the story.
157 reviews
March 11, 2023
Time is of the essence to find Jordie’s parents.
Coming to Australia with its harsh weather and cryptic language, proves difficult enough , but the conference rules are :No magic is allowed.
How can the crew from Saltwater cove find the missing parents and solve a murder without using magic , or do they?
If you like edge of seat mysteries then read the book.
288 reviews2 followers
April 20, 2022
This is an amazing intriguing mystery. The action never stops. The
characters are interesting and their interaction keeps the story moving to it's incredible conclusion. You won't want to put this one down.
Profile Image for Tricia S..
868 reviews14 followers
April 30, 2022
The gang has gone to Australia to find a missing person. This book was so relaxing. This light cozy was fun and easy to read. OMG a talking cat, I'm in love. The characters were very lovable. I hated to finish knowing the next book isn't out yet but I'll just have to start at the beginning. This book was well written, for me at least. A perfect cozy for a nice seat down in the backyard.
Profile Image for Tonya.
331 reviews2 followers
May 1, 2022
This is my first book by this author, but it definitely won't be my last! What a great page turner. You will want to read this in one sitting! Polly Holmes has a way of pulling you in right from the first page! I was grateful to receive an advanced copy from the author to read and review.
Profile Image for Brenda Ellis.
659 reviews8 followers
May 3, 2022
Another great book in the series.

What a way to start off a new year. A group trip to Australia for a kidnapping, a murder and a shifter convention. I enjoyed all the action and meeting new characters.
Profile Image for Nathan.
160 reviews5 followers
April 18, 2022
I received this book as an arc for a honest review. I loved the book and now I want to go back and read the others in the series.
Profile Image for Federica De dominicis.
359 reviews6 followers
April 23, 2022
The latest instalment of The Melting Pot Café series is a fantastic ride without stops!
While the mystery itself is good and nicely plotted, the strength of this chapter of the saga is in the development of the characters and the interactions going on on the page.
The added bonus of a sneak peek at Australia and the everyday life are a treat.

I received an ARC copy from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
41 reviews3 followers
April 28, 2022
A very good read. First time I've read this author. I will be reading more from her.
12.6k reviews189 followers
April 30, 2022
Another fantastic book. A Shapeshifters’ Conference and a already there’s a disappearance. Evelyn and the gang are on the job, this time in Australia. As always suspense to keep you guessing. Ready for more.
2 reviews
May 1, 2022
Brilliant read as usual. Enjoyed every minute . Couldn't put it down .
1,393 reviews5 followers
May 2, 2022
Another wonderful book in this awesome series
by author Polly Holmes. Evelyn, Tyler, Family and
Friends travel to Australia to help out in another mystery...Loved reading this wonderful book...
43 reviews1 follower
May 2, 2022
I loved this story. There was not a dull moment in it. My favorite character is Miss Saffron. She is just way too funny. I must say that I had no clue as to the killer was or why they killed.
Profile Image for JoAnne.
1,812 reviews97 followers
May 2, 2022
Intriguing paranormal mystery. Has action, romance, intrigue, twists, drama, mystery, and paranormal activity. Loved the friendship interaction and support throughout book. Loved the talking cat. I was captivated by the tale from beginning to end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews

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