Silenced in Salem

Nina Brown Mysteries #2

by Cat Green

Salem: A magical weekend escape offering a luxurious hotel, a psychic black cat, and a handsome “bad boy” chef who might just win the young foodie’s heart.

But when murder is on the menu, will she be the next victim?

22-year-old Nina agrees to review a new boutique hotel for her lifestyle magazine. Shortly upon arrival, her mouth waters at the sight of the hotel’s scrumptious chef.

As the sugar plum culinarian shows the superstitious scribe the “secret Salem” of haunted burial grounds and witches’ dens, mystery rustles through the crisp fall breeze.

At the stroke of midnight, a séance invokes the spirit of the hotel’s original owner. As the ghost swears revenge on his killer, guests laugh it off as Halloween fun.

But when the present-day hotel owner gets whacked, police blame Nina’s toque-topped lover.
Can the enchanting chef be the culprit?

Will Nina prove her creamy cuisiner’s innocence and discover the real culprit before it’s too late?

Silenced in Salem is a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny cozy mystery, packed with quirky characters, mouth-watering cuisine, and an adorable, clairvoyant black kitten.

You'll devour this delectable, cozy romantic mystery. Because in the black velvet Salem sky, love magic blazes bright.

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Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fantasy, Halloween, Paranormal, Cozy

214 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 20, 2022

About the author

Cat Green writes fun paranormal cozy mysteries set in exotic locales. She's visited most of them in her "day job" as a travel writer. You can find her walking in Manhattan's Central Park, dictation device in hand when she's not on the road.


Website: https://www.catgreenauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatGreenAuthor

Twitter: @CatGreenAuthor

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@sassgreenauthor

Mailing List: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/iwxq4sjfnk

Reviews

[Cat]

If you love quirky paranormal mysteries set in New England with cute animal side kicks then you will love Silenced in Salem. A story set in Salem Massachusetts on Halloween weekend, Silenced in Salem had me smiling and holding my breath waiting for the next surprise. Being from NH, I really connected with the characters and surroundings. You will fall in love with Jasper and his other furry and feathered friends. Keep your eyes open for Silenced in Salem by Cat Green

[Ann Birdgenaw]

Silenced in Salem is a bewitching cozy mystery that had me at “Ghosts be all over Salem this Halloween weekend.” Nina snags an assignment go to Salem to review the grand reopening of the Salem Heritage House as a boutique hotel for the travel magazine where she works, and hopefully impress her boss. But the hotel isn’t quite ready, the celebrity chef is still a mystery and they have a séance planned for All Hallows Eve. What else can go wrong? Murder and mayhem of course. Can Nina figure out the mystery of the dead Sea captain’s curse and prove her friend’s innocence? Grab your hot cider and pumpkin cookies and dive into this cozy, romantic mystery with a foodie twist.

[Merry Chapman]

An extremely enjoyable cozy paranormal mystery with great characters; a great setting in Salem, MA at a haunted house; a great time of the year, Halloween; complete with a seance, witchcraft, a strange portrait, ghosts a good bit of humor and of course a murder. Who could ask for anything more! The Main character, Nina Brown convinces her boss at the Travel! Food! and Wine! magazine where she works as an assistant to let her write an article about the newly renovated Salem Heritage House that can finally passed to Mr. Pinkley, Captain James Hawkins the sea captain owner's last heir. This is Nina's chance to be a real journalist and impress her boss to give her a chance to get ahead. Upon arrival, not only does she see the estate has not been transformed yet into a high end place to stay with a high end restaurant. Her best friend, Holly shows up with her fashionista dog, Jasper so Holly decides to make the best of things and although the renowned chef she was suppose to interview turns out to be her old boss when she worked in his restaurant in college, she goes ahead to make the best of things. Now many strange things happen a portrait that bears a striking resemblance to Nina, who seems to react to Nina when she walks by the portrait, a midnight seance where there is a murder and of course Nina and Holly and their new local best friend, who likes Holly, Noah, find they must investigate. We are also treated to Pyewacket who acts like a familiar and is very smart and intuitive. With so much going on, you are taken on a roller coaster ride with lots of twists and turns until the surprise ending in more ways than one! I loved this book and can't wait to read more. I received and ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Laura]

Halloween, a Seance, a haunted house (that has been vacant for centuries!) and Salem... all great, enticing elements for a super (natural) cozy mystery!

Nina is tired of being an administrative assistant, or secretary. She dreams of being a full fledged journalist. She has a history in the food industry so poses a story to her boss, a respected editor.
She travels to Salem, home of the famous Witch Trials to cover the opening of a new luxury motel.

Upon arrival, things are off to a spooky start, and the luxury seems to be missing from the house.
There are upside bonuses though -- her best friend and their shared dog join Nina on this working trip. Dog, Jasper, is a fashionista. Quite the character.
There are other animal characters in this book who add much to the story.
Also, someone from Nina's past is an important part of this project.
His part is also NOT exactly as either of them expects.

The story moves along at a good pace with enough twists to keep the reader curious, interested and guessing. I really enjoyed this story.
I also enjoyed the writing style, so went back to download the previous book in this series.

Thank you to the author and BookSirens for allowing me to enjoy this series.

[Mary Elizabeth Hughes]

I wasn't sure what to expect from a cosy fun mystery, and indeed, in Silenced in Salem, the whodunit part of things took a while to emerge.

The book is a fine piece of frothy fiction, definitely in the “chick-lit” box, but “cosy” may not be apt. The setting is Salem, Massachusetts with all its history of witches and certain nasty events, and it's Halloween weekend. Cat Green has crammed in just about every cliché of the ghost story genre, including portraits that smile at you, apparitions, a ubiquitous black cat named Pyewacket, a foggy night at the cemetery, witches, hidde treasure and secret passages. Then there's the gorgeous hunk of a chef with a complicated history. It's all rather fun and not terribly sinister or scary. Maybe that's what cosy means.

Twenty-two year old Nina Brown is the key player in this ghostly stew. She's a secretary for a travel magazine, a wannabe journalist who somewhat implausibly morphs into an amateur detective. As a journalist, Nina is woefully under-prepared. And she's oddly sanguine when she sees the ghost of Henrietta in whose bedroom she's sleeping. Later, a magnificent antique chandelier crashes to the floor, and no one is very upset by the disaster.

Nina is assisted by her good friend Holly and The Jasp, an extremely well dressed French bulldog. Nina has come to the recently renovated Salem Heritage House hotel seeking to secure a fat advertising contract. Naively, she's expecting the refurbished hotel to be “sleek and modern”, despite its name. But renovations have stalled, pending approval by the local Preservation Committee, a subplot which gives the story some gravitas.

There are romantic elements as well, as Nina falls for Brad, the hunky chef. And Holly's love interest, Noah, plays a helpful role. But it's the inexplicable presence of the paranormal that keeps you reading.

The writing throughout is fine, and the author skilfully evokes a sense of place by appealing to all the senses. The aroma of freshly baked cookies pervades the book.

[Dianne Williams]

Set during Halloween, "Silenced in Salem" by Cat Green is a fun, easy read. The characters are engaging and personable (I'm looking forward to learning more of Nina's backstory), and the setting is one with which I am personally fascinated. You can't set a story in Salem without witches and ghosts, and while paranormal is not my first choice when selecting a book Cat Green does a good job of giving us just enough haunting to make you wonder when the next spirit is going to pop up. I hope we see more of Pyewacket the cat as the series progresses. I mean, what is a witch without their familiar, right? This was my first book by Cat Green -- I think we are going to become good friends.

I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Beth Booklover]

I enjoyed reading this book. It’s not my normal style of story, but the author made it interesting with good descriptions and funny antics. The parrot was hilarious. I loved Pyewacket. There were twists & turns that kept me guessing. I liked that the epilogue helped bring everything to a happy ending.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Whittney Corum]

I love this book. It is a perfect mix of magic and mystery. I also love the how the mystery of the past adds to the mystery in the book.

[Julie Burnett]

A fun story, ready to read the next in the series.

[Cricket1327_Zmob King]

Absolutely frigging awesome book! Fun, interesting and really well developed characters, especially the lead Nina! Extremely well written storyline that grabs you from the first page and keeps you flipping until the last! I highly recommend this book!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Now I'm off to buy the first book in the series! ;)

[Coralie]

Silenced in Salem was a fun read. The heroine, Nina, is nice, though I think I fell in love more with the side characters. The whole book is fun to read and you can feel the author's love for animal throughout the book and their description. They are not just here for filler, they are their own larger-than-life characters!
The mystery comes late in the book, though bits and pieces appear early on, and it is resolved quickly. If you want to read a full-on mystery, this is probably too light for you. But this book is perfect for a light and cosy read in October... Enjoy!

[Angela Panayotopulos]

A cozy, fun, YA mystery, especially recommended for autumn reading (ideally around Halloween) with a hot cider or pumpkin spcie latte in hand! SILENCED IN SALEM follows the adventures of aspiring journalist Nina who travels to Salem to get the a first scoop on a mystical new hotel opening--and finds herself in for far more magical adventure, romance, danger, and surprises than she'd ever anticipated (and grinning dolls--that in itself borded on horror for me, but fortunately things don't go down quite such a dark route, though they easily could). The story is fast-paced and entertaining, the scene-setting and characterizations evocative, and the dialogue flows naturally and is peppered with humor. Extra kudos for adorable animal sidekicks. All in all, a charming novel that cozy mystery fans will enjoy.

[Delphia Von Heeder]

Silenced in Salem is Book 2 of A Nina Brown Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Cat Green. Although the book is set during Halloween in Salem, it is a read anytime story. Nina is trying to get an article published in Travel! Food! Wine! where she works for the editor. Nina is spending the weekend at the newly renovated Salem Heritage House once owned by Captain James Hawkins. Although the book is a paranormal, I felt that the blend of the story between regular cozy and paranormal cozy was perfect. I especially love Pyewacket the cat. I found the book to be interesting and fast paced. I am looking forward to reading book 3 to see what Nina us up to next! I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[laura8759]

My book review for Silenced in Salem: A Nina Brown Paranormal Cozy Mystery

Thank you so much to cat Green from the digital download of silenced in Salem this book flows Nina, Holly and Jasper on another one of their adventures this time to salem Massachusetts home of the witch trials. It all starts when Nina arrives in salem to try and get an advertisement deal with the salem heritage society house to impress her boss Ruth from travel, food and wine. Her BFF Holly and Jasper come along for the trip. In this fun adventure their are witches, ghost, history, good food and Jasper my favorite dog in his very cute outfits. I loved all of the characters they made the story great. Favorites are Noah, Brad, witch Wanda, Lillian and of course Moses. Blair was a good character also. The plot was fantastic I loved everything about it. An overall great whodunit, it had lots of twist and turns along way. Most of it was unexpected and very surprising. A great read for any time of year. I would recommend this to my family and friends love Laura8759.

[J Young]

Too many witches stirring this Halloween brew!

Once again, Nina is filling in for her boss and this time it's in Salem, Massachusetts. She desperately needs to write the perfect article for Food! Travel! Wine! Magazine to finally get a promotion and a large raise to pay for her ailing mother’s care. Holly and their fashionista French Bulldog Jasper are along for the trip and it is shaping up to be a perfect Halloween Night getaway, complete with a ghostly séance. But the ghosts aren’t waiting for the séance to make their appearance and Holly is caught in the crosshairs of dark magic.

I am really enjoying Nina and Holly’s adventures and who doesn’t love a dog who can choose its own wardrobe! The characters are relatable and their interactions add drama and a little romance to this cozy plot.

[Alice Hazelbaker]

Nina goes to Salem for the soft opening of a new boutique hotel and hopefully secure advertising for her magazine, Travel!Food!Wine! But the hotel isn’t exactly ready as the owner has had trouble with the Preservation Committee getting approval for the upgrades he wants. There’s a mystery chef, a slightly crazy cat named Pyewacket, an eerie painting, and it happens to be Halloween weekend! So, there’s a Seance at midnight to hopefully connect with the original owner of the house, a murdered sea captain, and maybe find his supposedly hidden treasure. This is a sometimes funny, sometimes eerie, but very entertaining cozy! I received a free copy of this book from the author through BookFunnel and write this review voluntarily.

[Renate]

Another great read! This time Nina goes to Salem, Massachusetts just before Halloween, with the intention of writing an article about the opening of a luxury hotel but it's not near to being open. Along with Holly and Jasper they take in the local lore and sites while they wait for the Halloween night seance. There are ghosts, witches, Halloween costumes, and a murder mystery. Read to find out what happens!

[Kat]

Cat Green has done it again bringing forward vibrant, colorful and intriguing characters that bring life into her cozey mystery with a slice of murder. This heroine just wants to get ahead in her job and instead enters the world of witches, magic illusion and murder. Can she figure out what has really happened or will it become her own death that transpires. Acquire " Silenced in Salem " today so you yourself can enjoy it as much as I have. 🙂🤔😯😟😏😀 Kat

[Cozy Reader Lady]

"Nina Brown Mysteries #2: Silenced in Salem" By Cat Green is an interesting paranormal cozy mystery for the Halloween Season. First off, Charmed is not an accurate place to find your Wicca knowledge. I'm glad that was only mentioned once at the beginning of the book because that is not what is being described throughout the book. However, the rest of the book is very Charmed world mystery. It was also more of a ghost/hidden treasure mystery than a murder mystery. The murder that's actually being investigated (sort of) doesn't happen until about 60% of the way into the story.

I liked the introduction of the parrot Rico. I think there needs to be a Rico and Jasper story. That sassy bulldog pared up with a talking parrot would be hilarious.

[Robyn]

Silenced in Salem by Cat Green is the second book in the Nina Brown series. In this book, we follow Nina to Salem, Massachusetts, where she is trying to secure an advertising contract for the magazine she works for in New York. She is excited to visit the luxurious Salem Heritage House hotel. When she, her best friend, Holly Broad, and their adorable bulldog Jasper, arrive she realizes the hotel is not as luxurious as she was led to believe. She is intrigued though, when she finds out that a seance is going to be performed at the hotel the next night, by a real life witch. She is also excited to meet the celebrity chef that was hired to promote the hotel. It turns out that the celebrity chef is Brad Collins, a chef she worked with while she was bussing tables during college.

During the seance, tragedy strikes when the new owner of the hotel is

murdered. Now it is up to Nina to figure out who killed the owner before she becomes the next victim!

This book was appropriately spooky given that it was set during Halloween. I love that the it took place in Salem, MA since I am from Massachusetts

myself. My only complaint is that Nina seems to find romance in the first two books, but it doesn't seem to stick. I know that each of the books is set in a different locale, which makes it difficult to maintain a relationship. I think it would be nice, and add to the story, to see her meet someone and have an actual relationship.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Aimee Stark]

Nina Brown is back, this time in Salem, Massachusetts for Halloween weekend, hoping to write a piece on the opening of the Salem Heritage House as a luxury hotel. If her boss (Ruth Ross, editor-in-chief) liked the article enough, she would give her a feature article in Travel! Food! Wine! magazine.

She is met at the train station by a sea captain, who takes her to her car and driver. He joins her on the ride as he tells her part of the story about the former owner of the house, but disappears when they reach the house; she then sees his portrait when she goes into the house. Was it a ghost? Is she imagining things?

Between Holly and Jasper (a French bulldog) surprising her at the hotel, seeing another ghost in the steam, a reading by the local witch and rekindling her friendship with a chef she once worked for, Nina wonders what other spooky surprises may be in store for her. And she’ll find out at the midnight seance, where more spirits make their presence known and a man ends up dead.

But who killed him. I must say as I worked through the suspect list, I was surprised by the twist at the end. I was pleasantly surprised by each of the characters in this book, especially with the main characters: Nina, Holly and the well-dressed Jasper. I cannot wait to see what book 3 has in store for us! I received an advance reader copy of this book, but reviewed it voluntarily, all opinions are mine.

[Susan Johnston]

This book had a lot of potential. A young woman who wants to get a leg up in her career arranges to cover the soft opening of super luxurious new boutique hotel in Salem. Unbeknownst to her, her best friend and roommate and their “influencer” pooch are invited as a surprise for her. She is met at the train station by a mysterious man whom no one else seems to see.

It appears she has psychic abilities thanks to a near fatal car accident. And once she is in the hotel, which is anything but near completed or luxurious, she starts seeing them a lot. And one of them seems to have designs on her. There are lots of quirky characters both living and dead and when things come to a climax at a seance in the hotel, our heroine feels obliged to solve a murder that a former friend, and now chef to the hotel, is accused of perpetrating.

Sometimes the story seems a little convoluted like a dogs breakfast. And said dog, Jasper, is a bit of a distraction from the main stories. I do wish, however, there was more of a delightful and magical kitty by the name of Pyewacket.

I wanted to have the characters more fleshed out but I suspect that it was done on purpose for future revelations in other books. I can appreciate the strategy but the reader needs enough grist to want to return for future enlightenment.

I am going to give it four purrs and one paw up.

[MJ Reads]

Spooky and perfect for Halloween

Nina gets herself invited to write a review for a boutique hotel getting ready to open in Salem. All she wants to do is write a good story and get an advertising contract for her magazine so she can prove her worth and get a promotion, which will enable her to better care for her ill mother.

But of course, nothing goes quite as planned, and as the odd and spooky events unfold we get to learn a bit more about Nina's unique gifts. Although she doesn't seem to view them as a gift as much as an inconvenient and unreliable party trick. Nonetheless, those gifts do help her uncover the truth about the murder that occurs during her stay. They do not help her understand some of the more unexplainable events, like Holly's apparent possession.

But there are plenty of lighter moments as well, often courtesy of Jasper, her and Holly's adorable and opinionated little bulldog. And it's nice to see the close friendship between the two girls, even when they disagree.

I received a free review copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Overall this was a fun and spooky read. For fans of paracozies, this is a worthwhile read. The series appears to change locations in every book, but I do hope we'll get to see more of some of the characters in this one, especially witch Wanda and the little cat Pyewacket.

[Shellie]

"Silenced in Salem" is the second book in the 'Nina Brown Paranormal Cozy Mystery' series and it certainly lives up to its promise of a thrilling, paranormal romp. The author seamlessly combines the rich history of Salem with an enticing murder mystery, peppering in delightful supernatural elements like a psychic black cat and a vengeful ghost. The vivid culinary descriptions are enough to tantalize any foodie's palate, and they work harmoniously with the book's underlying mystery.

The narrative excels in the pacing and arrangement of the suspense, ensuring the reader is always hungry for more. The lead character, Nina, proves to be a strong, independent woman, unafraid to dig into the truth. Her relationship with the enigmatic chef adds a dash of romance, creating a perfect blend of love and suspense.

The humour and wit are well crafted, often lightening the mood without undermining the core mystery. Each character, especially the clairvoyant black kitten, is unique and contributes significantly to the charm of the story.

"Silenced in Salem" is a delectable concoction of mystery, romance, and the paranormal. It's a must-read for those looking for a fun, yet engrossing, escape from reality. It will leave you yearning for your next visit to Salem.

[Pamela]

Yikes-- has the author ever been to Salem?? I guess is she even real- I would say this reads like an AI book but AI would get Salem more accurate. This was so very painful.

There were no witches burned in Salem (want to offend a Salem person? Where that stupid "Descended from the witches they didn't burn" shirt). Also-- even louder for those in the back- the people prosecuted in 1692 were innocent people, not witches. And they were prosecuted by Judge Hathorne- relation but different spelling than the author. V basic Salem knowledge.

The geography is all over the place in this (except an extremely accurate description of a pizza place and Red's- did she just google restaurants?). I love Salem- but no realistic person would describe it as quaint. The places tourists frequent are pretty modern and kinda ugly. And the harbor, while lovely has one historic boat that they have been working on for over a decade, sitting under plastic wrap.

Noone visiting on Oct 30th would have such a quiet visit nor would they see locals out in restaurants-- we hide.

And there's no small town charm here-- we are a city. That lost industry a century ago-- yikes, her history of tourism in the city was gag!

This book just made no sense and frankly, it just hurt to read.

[Rachella]

Overall, this was a really fun read. The spooky Halloween vibes are on point which makes it a perfect read for anyone who loves the holiday- either in October or those who celebrate Halloween every day- like me.

I loved the spookiness of the ghost and human dynamic. These ghosts have been around for a long time and seek to make their presence known through mirrors, photos and two of the characters who have seen them and are able to speak on their behalf.

What I struggled with was the overlapping of the ghost's stories/interaction and the mystery. It felt like they were almost two different stories, with the last 120 pages being solely mystery about what happens after the seance. While I enjoyed the build up to the seance and the ghost part, the mystery dragged for me.

Overall, I gave it a 3 because of the disconnect I felt between these parts of the story.

I received a free copy of the book from Booksirens. I want to thank the publisher, author and Booksirens for the opportunity to read. I am voluntarily leaving this review with my unbiased thoughts.

[Linda (ellsky) Jackson]

Not as cozy as I hoped. After immensely enjoying the first book in the series, Poisoned in Provence, I was surprised at the very different feel I got with this book. It did not feel as cozy, and I wasn't a fan of the ghosts / dark magic / possession storyline. The writing itself continued to be very well-done, and I will likely try another book by the author as a result, but this one was not a favorite, unfortunately. I also had a problem with the romantic plot between Nina and Chef Brad, due to their former boss / young employee history - it kinda felt a bit icky to me. I did like the cat character Pyewacket - the name was fun and he was a good addition to the group.

The first two books in this series are able to be read as complete stand-alone stories, with almost no continuity between them. I anticipate this will likely be true for the next book, which is why I will give it a try as well.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Amy]

Silenced in Salem is the second book in A Nina Brown Paranormal Cozy Mystery series.

At the start of the book, we find Nina just arriving at the Salem, Massachusetts train station on the eve of Halloween, where she will soon meet up with her friend and roommate, Holly, and their French Bulldog, Jasper. They are excited about attending the upcoming seancé and meeting the surprise celebrity chef as part of their visit to the Salem Heritage House, a luxury hotel. During their stay, Nina will also be doing research to write an article about the new hotel as well as the haunted happenings as a journalist for Food! Travel! Wine! Magazine. And it isn't long before Nina encounters some spooky situations!

With meeting new friends, their cute dog, an adorable cat named Pyewacket, witches, ghosts and a murder to solve, there was definitely something fun and exciting happening on every page! I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more of this series soon!

Thank you to the author and BookSirens for allowing me to read this title and offer my honest opinion.

[Brigitte]

It is the first time I read a book from Author Cat Green, and I liked it from the first page. I never read a "cozy mystery", so I did not know what to expect, but I can only say positive things about it. I liked the characters in the book, especially Nina and Brad, the cook she knew from years ago. It had something romantic, and you could feel the attraction towards each other, it was like 'electricity' in the air. I also liked the pets in the story, it made it extra cozy. Everything was so well described.
The story is set in a luxury hotel in Salem with Nina and her friend Holly, they are spending the weekend there. But Nina must also write an article for a famous magazine about it.
But suddenly somebody is murdered, and they start searching for clues. Who has done this? And why?
Well, it is up to you to find out….
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michelle ~catching up slowly~]

This book everything I could want in a cozy mystery… a strong main character, a dog who know what he likes (and isn’t afraid to flaunt it), and it’s set in Salem, MA, one of my favorite places ever.

This is the second book by Cat Green involving Nina, her best friend Holly, and a French bulldog called Jasper. Nina, on assignment from her magazine, is supposed to be reviewing a revamped hotel that is about to reopen, but things aren’t going as smoothly as she was expecting with the renovations. In fact, the renovations are far from being complete. She also finds that the head chef is someone she knew from her early days in the business and she may or may not have had a crush on him.

I enjoyed this much more than the first book. I’m not sure if it was because of the general setting or if the story itself was better, but I’m looking forward to number three.

Thank you to BookSirens for providing an e-copy of this book. My review is voluntary #BookSirens #SilencedInSalem #CatGreen