BW (Before Walter), life was pretty unremarkable. I’d wake up in my tiny studio apartment, scrounge around in my mostly-empty cupboards for breakfast, then pray my rattling Toyota Corolla didn’t break down or run out of gas on the way to my entry-level, uninspiring job. For decades, I puttered along that way. When I came into my legacy a few months ago, everything changed. My grandfather Walter left me his entire fortune, a massive house, a talking cat, and his hearth magic.
Now, I sleep on eight-hundred thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, in a suite that takes up the top floor of my three-story mansion. Pink—the cat—snuggles against my side until he sees I’m awake, then he acts like I’m in his way. When I rise, the sheets replace themselves, smoothing out wrinkles as if I was never there. After moving in, I spent about three weeks getting the place ready to open as a bed-and-breakfast: practicing spells, making towels that never get dirty, the usual. The one thing I haven’t done, sadly, is learn to cook. A slight problem for a B&B owner, unless I wanted to be known as that place that serves great Pop-Tarts. (Hey, don’t judge, they’re delicious.)
There’s a farmers’ market through the woods, and one of the vendors sells the most amazing baked goods. I was fine until they told me the place was about to shut down for the winter. Paying guests in a big fancy house expect a freshly cooked breakfast, though, and I didn’t want to poison anyone by doing it myself. Once everything else was in place for the opening, I had to find an actual chef.
There were only two candidates for the job, and I wound up creating a housekeeper position to keep them both. Unfortunately, the next morning, I discovered that the two of them hated each other. Even that was manageable until one of them turned up dead in the kitchen. The only thing almost as unsettling as stumbling onto Martha’s body was finding her ghost in the ballroom talking to my dead grandfather, with no memory of dying.
The police showed up in about three minutes—benefits of living in a small town. Unfortunately, they quickly zeroed in on two suspects. Me and Josie: my new housekeeper.
Here’s the thing, though. There’s no way Josie killed Martha. I know it. She doesn’t have an angry bone in her body. I just have to find a way to prove it before the cops take her away for a crime she didn’t commit. How hard can it be? I’ve got magic, a talking cat, and a ghost on my side. Finding the murderer should be a snap, as long as my faith in Josie isn’t misplaced.
Unfinished Witchness, A Haunted Haven Mystery Book #1
Genre: Paranormal, Cozy
Release: March 2023
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
Enjoy this highly-anticipated new paranormal cozy mystery series by Reader’s Favorite finalist Ada Bell.
Since inheriting her grandfather’s hearth magic, Emma ‘s chores have never been so much fun. Her house sparkles, dishes wash themselves, and her pancakes…Well, she’s a witch, not a miracle worker. Emma’s mansion would make a perfect bed-and-breakfast, if only she could deliver on that second “B”. It’s time to hire someone who can prepare a meal without burning the place down. Everything is going great until Emma’s new chef turns up dead and police shut the venture down practically before it opens.
Determined to get back on track, Emma takes the investigation into her own hands. With magic, a talking cat, and ghostly grandfather, solving the murder should be a breeze, right? Wrong. Being incorporeal and tied to the mansion makes Grandpa Walter less than an ideal partner. The cat is as helpful as, well, your average house cat. And local police don’t appreciate Emma’s assistance one bit. Can she find the murderer or will she be forced to start over yet again?
Unfinished Witchness is a paranormal cozy mystery set in a small town, with ghosts, witches, and a talking cat. Oh my! Fans of Angie Fox, Amy Boyles, and Annabel Chase will love this bewitching series.
Meet the author
Ada Bell is the award-winning author of the Shady Grove Psychic Mystery series, the Haunted Haven series. A life-long mystery buff, she has devoured everything from Murder, She Wrote to Nancy Drew to Psych!. In her free time, Ada love solving puzzles, visiting escape rooms, playing board games, and figuring things out. She lives with her family in a town with an unfortunate lack of magic.
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