Do you like cozy fantasy, murder mysteries, and wholesome witchiness? Then Murder for a Song by K M Jackways will bewitch you with its melody.
This book is a genre mashup between cozy mystery and paranormal romance. The setting, the situation, and the murder are all very ‘Midsomer Murders’-like, but the thread of magic weaves strongly through the story.
It’s also a family / found family story, and it has a light romance that looks like it will continue in future books in the series.
What particularly appealed to me about this book was the ‘cozy fantasy’ angle. Now, I love a sword-wielding badass as much as the next reader, but sometimes I’m not in the mood for that; I want something, well, cosier. I want to see more books in the genre with characters who deal with trouble by whipping up a batch of scones or muffins, who are always looking out for the people around them in a supportive and caring way.
Another thing I liked about this book was the sweet family relationship between the main character and her grandmother, who lives in a retirement home nearby. It’s not often that you see such a prominent plot line between an adult character and their grandparent.
I do think that perhaps the book could have been released later in the year, because it is set at Christmas time and so a Christmas release might have worked well. But since it involves witches and ghosts, a Halloween release is not bad, either.
Murder for a Song is a shorter read, for a nice cosy evening when the weather is bad outside.
Bewitching songs and small town secrets. In the quaint town of Ledstow, Esther lives a good distance from her nosy parents, talks to anyone who will listen about musicals, and jams on her ukulele. But when murder comes to her workplace, everyone is a suspect. When her best friend is taken in for questioning, it's up to Esther to prove his innocence. With her ukulele that has a will of its own and an uncanny gift to get people talking, she takes over where the police have failed. But the mystery becomes extra knotty, when she discovers something more magical than just caffeine flows in her veins. Can Esther clear her friend’s name, uncover the witchy family secrets and figure out why the police detective seems to be following her by Christmas? Murder for a Song is the first book in the delightful Musical Mayhem series. If you like witty female sleuths, ghost-hunting, freaky familiars and sweet slow-burn romance, you will love these magical cozy mysteries.
