Audio Book Review: Moonshine & Magic by Bella Falls

This was a fun, easy listen which I really enjoyed.
Moonshine & Magic
Written By: Bella Falls
Narrated By: Johanna Parker

Duration: 7 h 59 min
Release date: 07-18-18
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Magic
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Summary
Magic and mystery are only part of the Southern Charms of Honeysuckle Hollow . . .
Charli Goodwin doesn't expect her homecoming to go without a hitch-after all, she skipped town, leaving her fiance and family without a clue as to where she was going or why. Now that she's ready to return home, she plans to lay low and sip some of her Nana's sweet tea while the town gossips come out to play.
Unfortunately, on her first night back, Charli discovers the body of her crazy great-uncle, and suddenly finds herself at the center of a mystery that threatens the very foundations of Honeysuckle Hollow and the safety of every paranormal citizen in it-starting with Charli herself.
With the clock ticking, will Charli's special magical talents be enough to save not only the town but also her own life?

Review:
Charli Goodwin is returning home on her father’s rebuilt motorcycle until the engine dies as she hits the wards of her magical community, Honeysuckle Hollow. Charli expects some second glances, if not hostility, after having left without explanation a year or so before. She didn’t exactly plan it, but she is just in time for the community’s annual celebrations. After getting help from a gnome and ‘fairy godmother’, the first person Charli runs into is her quirky great-uncle. Uncle Tipper is rather paranoid, but he holds Charli as one of his favorite people.

Charli arrives at the evening festivities to witness the engagement of her former fiancé to a not so pleasant cousin. As Charli backs away to go home to Nana, Uncle Tipper’s crow, Biddy, directs Charli off the path to find Uncle Tipper dead. Now Charli, believed to be the last to speak with Tipper, is caught up trying to solve the mystery of his death and trying to find a cure for the curse that she stumbled into. There are many questions. Who will benefit by Tipper’s death since it will open a seat on the town governing board which is filled by someone from each founding family? Where is Uncle Tipper’s Last Will? Who was he cavorting with before his death? Charli has special skills that can help with some of the questions if she can survive the curse long enough to save the town from a group seeking development and finding the cure to save her own life.

While dealing with these issues, Charli finds herself getting attention from the current investigation Warden (detective), her Nana’s were shifter handyman, and even her former fiancé. The confusion of her emotions only adds to the strain of the curse that is sucking her magical energy.

I loved the quirky characters, including some villainous relatives. The story is an easy listen with some good twists. This is my second book by Bella Falls and I do like her different characters and light mystery plotlines. I recommend this to fans of magical, cozy mystery.

Audio Notes: I quite like Johanna Parker as a narrator. I have missed her voice since finishing the Sookie Stackhouse series so I am always glad to find books she has narrated. Her voice fits this type of fantasy and charm. The narration increased my enjoyment of the story.

Source: 7/29/2021 Audiobooks.com 2 for 1 Credit Deal. This qualifies for 2023TBR, 2023Audiobook, and I am counting it toward a 2023Time of Day (or night) goal.