Audio Book Review: Murder's a Witch by Danielle Garrett

This is a fun, easy mystery with paranormal characters.

Murder's a Witch
Written By: Danielle Garrett
Narrated By: Amanda Ronconi

Duration: 6 hours 49 minutes
Release date: 01-30-18
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Paranormal
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Summary:
Holly Boldt has a secret . . .
Well, technically, she has lots of them. After a scandal uproots her entire life, she is forced to relocate to a halfway house for displaced paranormals. It's her last shot for a fresh start. But keeping secrets isn't easy in a town that goes through gossip faster than tissue paper, even for a powerful witch.
When a grisly murder rocks the small town of Beechwood Harbor, Holly finds herself unwillingly entangled in the investigation. With everyone watching, Holly must solve the case before she's forced to abandon her new-found home. But with a paranormal investigator tailing her every move, a civil war brewing between her vampire and shifter roommates, and her ghostly landlord on the edge of a breakdown, she can barely think in complete sentences. How is she supposed to track down a murderer?
Holly has to make it work, or risk losing everything . . . again.

Review:
Holly is a witch who apparently gets in trouble. This has caused her to be exiled from the paranormal realm to a halfway house for those like her – displaced paranormals. Holly’s house mates include the ghost landlady (Posy), a dog shapeshifter (Adam), a beauty queen obsessed vampiress (Lacey), and a new, mysterious man (Gary) who is rarely seen. They share an historic manor house set out on a bluff away from any close neighbors. They all try to stay ‘under the radar’ as required by the rules.

When Holly confronts a snooping man in the rose bushes, she meets Nick, a private investigator new to town who wants to arrange ghost tours of the old mansion. Holly quickly says “no” and sends him on his way.

Holly works as a barista in a local coffee shop. Her boss isn’t the most pleasant woman around and has a daily battle with the neighboring shop owner. Holly arrives at work one morning and stumbles on her boss’s dead body. When it turns out that Holly’s co-worker and friend is the most likely suspect, Holly is determined to find the real murderer, even if it means applying a few of her witching abilities.

Holly is able to get Adam to stop sparring with Lacey long enough to help her investigate. Meanwhile she is being dogged by a persistent Nick who is taking an interest in the murder, as well as an interest in Holly.

This is a fun, easy read/listen. There is light humor and a satisfying mystery. The paranormal elements add to the background as we wonder what type of creature Gary is. The quirky characters are nicely developed as the author lays out relationships that can survive to contribute to the next book. I recommend this to readers who enjoy cozy mystery with paranormals.

Audio Notes: Amanda Ronconi did a nice job with the narration. She applies distinct voices and appropriate energy. I enjoyed the listening experience.

Source: 10/2020 Audiobooks.com Mystery Audiobook Club. This qualifies for 2020Audiobook goal.