This is the weirdest day of my life. Honestly, it might be the weirdest day of anybody’s life.

I’m Chess, a nineteen-year-old orphan with no memory of my childhood. This morning, my black cat, Kafka, was meowing more than usual and casting me meaningful stares. Maybe he knew I was about to get laid off my job working for a private investigator, and arrive home to discover that my live-in boyfriend has been cheating on me.

No, none of that is the weird part. Here it comes:

I packed Kafka and my few belongings into my aging car. And then, my car kidnapped us.

It’s not supposed to be a self-driving vehicle. But today, it locked us in and took off from our ordinary town, through a misty barrier, and into a strangely familiar, magical village.

We’d been summoned by a lawyer with an eerie resemblance to an owl. He informed me that I’d inherited an incredible ancient library and some superpowers from my grandmother, who’d recently been murdered.

Did I mention that Kafka started talking along the way?

Now it’s up to me, with the help of a handsome, otherworldly detective and my know-it-all cat, to uncover the truth about Grandma’s death and learn to manage my newfound abilities… if someone doesn’t kill me first!

A Cat’s Garden of Secrets, A Forgotten Village Magical Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: December 2023
Format: Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

Awakening magical powers? Yes! Solving a murder, sure. But turning into a cat? Who, me?

On the weirdest day of my life, my cat starts talking, my car kidnaps me to a charming hidden village, and I inherit a mystical library. Plus, I discover I have superpowers!

As an orphan who grew up in foster care, I had no idea I came from an enchanted land full of furry shapeshifters, including—surprise!—me. Or that I had a gifted grandmother, who’s been murdered. Now it’s up to me, with the help of a handsome, otherworldly detective and my know-it-all cat, to uncover the truth… if someone doesn’t kill me first.

Enjoy cozy mysteries with talking animals? Love tales of awakening supernatural abilities and small-town bookstores and libraries? Share the excitement and the thrill of discovery in this endearing paranormal cozy mystery by Jacqueline Diamond, the USA Today bestselling author of Shadowlight and Yours, Mine and Ours.

Meet the author
USA Today bestselling author Jacqueline Diamond has sold more than 100 novels in genres from mystery to fantasy to medical romance to Regency. A former Associated Press reporter, Jackie lives in California with her husband of 45 years. Among her honors are a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and a Thomas Watson Foundation fellowship. A Cat’s Garden of Secrets launches her Forgotten Village Magical Mystery series. You can learn more about her and her books on her website, Jacquelinediamond.net.