Murder at Astor Manor and Murder at the Bookstore

Happy Fat Tuesday, fellow readers! Happy March! Happy Mardi Gras! For my fellow Pennsylvanians, happy fastnacht day.

For those of us who deal with the time change, we'll be springing forward on March 9th. Hopefully that change brings on the better weather. I can't wait for it to warm up again. It's a good thing that I have plenty to read while I wait! This week's selection has us wrapped up in warm blankets, sipping a hot beverage, and putting on our detective hats. Please join me in checking out two wonderful paranormal cozy mysteries called "Murder at Astor Manor" and "Murder at the Bookstore" by Wynnie Harlowe.

We will start with the one I read first, "Murder at Astor Manor."

First the trigger warnings:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clean.

Trigger Warnings:

Murder

Poisoning

Witchcraft

Guns

This was my first book by Wynnie Harlowe, and I absolutely loved it! I am a sucker for witches and for a good murder mystery. This one was fun to read and had a nice sense of suspense.

Wynnie does a fantastic job creating a cast of interesting characters and developing the cute small town of Willowdale. I can just picture the gorgeous bookstore with Isobel's apartment above it, and the coffee shop, Coffee Milk Forever, just across the street. I can imagine the delicious scent of baked goods on the counter and the smell of the coffee as you walk in the door. It seems like a place I would love. This small town feel makes a murder all the more intriguing and I loved piecing the clues together along with Isobel and the other characters.

Oh, and I can't forget Isobel's white cat, Celeste. She is always around to lend her human some support. I always adore a good animal sidekick in a book.

Here is my official review:

A thoroughly satisfying cozy mystery.

"Murder at Astor Manor" was my first book by Wynnie Harlowe. I adore her style!

I enjoyed the suspense created throughout the first half of the book by the looming meeting at Astor Manor and the thrill of the second half. I liked how Isobel was playing detective and piecing clues together to solve the murder of a stranger, and how I was able to discover these clues along with her. It is a truly satisfying paranormal cozy mystery. I can't wait to go back and read the prequel.

This delightful smalltown witchy mystery just released on 3/1 and you can find it here: https://a.co/d/9F4yIxv

Now, about that second book. As I mentioned in my review of "Murder at Astor Manor", I wanted to read the prequel which is "Murder at the Bookstore." So I did, and that is our second book this week.

Of course we'll start with the trigger warnings.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clean

Trigger Warnings:

Murder

Witchcraft

As you can see, it's a clean one without many triggers. If you are a cozy mystery fan, you'll love it just like I did. Since I read "Murder at Astor Manor" first, I got to meet some of the characters already. However, the reading order did not spoil anything for me. I knew something happened with a murder in Isobel's bookstore but there were no details which is fantastic. So whichever order you read them in, I think it works great.

I loved getting to know more about Isobel and her sister, Freya, as well as getting more background on the other wonderful characters like Elory and Corrine.

The characters' assumptions almost threw me off the scent, but the clues were there, and I was able to puzzle it out. I love when I can play detective and not just be told everything in the end of a book. Wynnie Harlowe does a fantastic job with laying out the clues but not being so obvious that it is too easy to figure out.

I enjoyed filling in the gaps that I had from reading the other book and falling even more in love with Willowdale. Although, like most small towns, I wouldn't relish being an "outsider" when everyone else grew up together. I felt bad for Isobel in that aspect but it really seems like she's slowly finding her own place there and building friendships which is nice to read.

Here is my official review:

It is so satisfying!

I absolutely adored this book. Who doesn't love witches, a gorgeous bookstore, friendships, and murder? Oh, and don't forget baking, coffee, and a cute cat! I loved getting to know the small town of Willowdale even more along with it's cast of interesting characters. Wynnie Harlowe managed once again to do a marvelous job writing out a mystery that I could follow along and piece together. It is such a satisfying read.

Can I call a murder mystery heartwarming? It sounds weird, doesn't it? But, I think that is how I feel about these books. The cozy really comes through. I am definitely a fan.

If you'd like to check out "Murder at the Bookstore", it is only $0.99! You can find it here: https://a.co/d/1vC0Pyl

That does it for me for this week, dear readers. I hope that you enjoyed our cozy selections. Until next time, curl up with a good book.