Despite the fact that I write murder mysteries, I’ve mentioned once or twice that I’m also a bit of a coward. Murder isn’t nice, but it’s understandable. The supernatural is a completely different ball game. Consequently, I tend to avoid all things supernatural and spooky, which includes the paranormal, even paranormal cozies. Esme Addison’s Enchanted Bay Mystery series has been in my mountainous To Be Read (TBR) pile since it was released in May 2020. A Spell for Trouble was recently nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Debut Novel for 2020 and I decided to screw up my courage and give this series a read. And, I’m glad that I did.
When Aleksandra (Alex) Daniels is passed over for a promotion on her job as a high-powered NYC risk management consultant, she becomes frustrated and resigns. On a whim, she accepts an invitation to visit family in the quaint seaside town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina to regroup and decide what to do with her life. She has fond memories of time spent in Bellamy Bay with her aunt Lidia and cousins Minka and Kamila when she was a child. In fact, while her mother was alive she spent quite a bit of time there. However, after her mother’s death when Alex was only 7 years old, her father broke off all contact with her mother’s family. It’s been twenty years since Alex’s last visit. Now that her father is gone, she craves contact with family. She isn’t in town long before she hears the town gossip that her family are descended from mermaids and possess magical healing powers which they use in their seemingly harmless herbal apothecary shop. According to the rumor mill, the Sobieski women aren’t just known for their exceptional beauty but are also believed to possess supernatural powers. Alex scoffs at these ridiculous claims of magical powers, but she can’t ignore the that her aunt Lidia has a terrible temper, especially when she sees it unleashed against a local businessman, Randy Bennett. When Bennett is later found poisoned, suspicion falls on Lidia. Alex sets out to clear her aunt’s name and uncover the truth about her family, and herself.
A Spell for Trouble is a fun read with interesting characters, southern charm, and a touch of magic. Buy Link
Fans of Ellery Adams and Heather Blake will be charmed by Esme Addison’s new Enchanted Bay mystery series.
Aleksandra Daniels hasn’t set foot in the quiet seaside town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina in over twenty years. Ever since her mother’s tragic death, her father has mysteriously forbidden her from visiting her aunt and cousins. But on a whim, Alex accepts an invitation to visit her estranged relatives and to help them in their family business: an herbal apothecary known for its remarkably potent teas, salves, and folk remedies.
Bellamy Bay doesn’t look like trouble, but this is a town that harbors dark secrets. Alex discovers that her own family is at the center of salacious town gossip and that they are rumored to be magical healers descended from mermaids. She brushes this off as nonsense until a local is poisoned and her aunt Lidia is arrested for the crime. Alex is certain Lidia is being framed, and she resolves to find out why.
Alex’s investigation unearths stories that some have gone to desperate lengths to conceal: forbidden affairs, family rivalries, and the truth about Alex’s own ancestry. And when the case turns deadly, Alex learns that not only are these secrets worth hiding, but they may even be worth killing for.