#IrisBeaglehole – Rosepoint Publishing

Myrtlewood Mysteries Book 1

Book Blurb:

Welcome to Myrtlewood, a quirky town, steeped in magic, tea, and mystery…

Life’s a struggle for Rosemary Thorn and her teen daughter, Athena. But their regular troubles are turned upside down after Granny Thorn’s mysterious death.

Despite her cousin’s sinister manoeuvrings, Rosemary returns to Myrtlewood and the sprawling, dilapidated Thorn Manor. But there’s more to the old house than meets the eye, as Rosemary and Athena soon find out — in a whirlwind of magic, adventure, mystical creatures, and endless cups of tea.

Life in Myrtlewood would be bliss if Rosemary could only clear her name in a certain murder investigation, solve the mystery and stay out of mortal peril – for at least a little while!

A small town with endless secrets, strange activities, and a house with a mind of its own.

This book is for you if you love:

mysteries set in small magical villages
witches, fae, shifters mythologically inspired stories
the idea of a self-cleaning house which also renovates and sometimes does the grocery shopping
genuine magic woven into the story
whimsical world-building
paranormal women’s fiction
a midlife main character
queer-friendly stories
a big dose of humour!

WARNING: This book contains a somewhat ditzy main character (there are reasons revealed later in the series) and her rather stroppy teen daughter who has been having a hard time. If these things are triggering for you, please put the book down and step away. The author does not wish to inflict any stress or irritation upon you. You will also find magic based on genuine witchcraft and mythology in this series as well as a lot of UK spelling and diverse characters. If these are not your cup of tea then don’t worry, there are plenty of other books that will suit you out there in the world!

My Review:

I’m not above reading a good witchy story or paranormal, so when my daughter recommended this one, I went looking for it. Yes, it was right in my well-stocked library—an audiobook!

Also, score, it’s Book 1. I’ve managed to find a few lately and love that I can get in with the introduction to the series (in this case, nine installments). Rosemary Thorn and her teenage daughter returns to Myrtlewood following the death of her granny for the reading of the will and return to her childhood home, Thorn Manor.

Surprise! Her memories of Thorn Manor is not what she finds. Worse, there is a question of whether or not good ole Gran died of natural causes or was helped. It’s a small town, of course, where everybody knows everybody and the extended family is not exactly fans of Rosemary.

It quickly became apparent I wouldn’t be either. Go ahead, read that blurb again. There are trigger warnings, one of which is that Rosemary is a ditz (worse, actually) and her snarky daughter needs to be given some tough love. I can’t imagine a mother allowing her daughter to speak to her like that, much less in front of other people.

Rosemary is introduced to the magical side of the Thorn family and the quirky support characters in the little town. Also, the house is magical and, indeed, haunted. But can Gran talk some sense into Rosemary? Maybe not.

Guess I’ve just gotten tired of snotty little kids in the TV sitcoms who appear to rule the roost and have the laugh track hanging on every word. So, the slow burn with these two didn’t help what might have been an interesting, well-paced storyline. Also, I’m not a fan of cliffhangers and this one is a douzy.

Okay, yes, the blurb gives you a warning, but does this novel get better in subsequent installments? Will Rosemary ship Athena off to military school in Minnesota? If you enjoy those bullet points listed in the blurb, you will no doubt enjoy the banter between mom and daughter. I did enjoy the little ghostie things that popped up, and I do love the banners and the covers—way compelling! I may be forced to read the second just because of the cover.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Supernatural Thrillers, Cozy Mysteries, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Podium Audio
ASIN: B0C8ZQMJRN
Listening Length: 12 hrs 55 mins
Narrator: Lorna Bennett
Publication Date: July 25, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)