Occupation: Guardian of the Well
Most mornings in our small mountain town of Wishville,VT begin with bells chiming as businesses open around the square, but mine always start with Vex leaping onto my chest. He’s half-cat and half-Whispen—a magical creature of the wishing well. He claims he’s “keeping me grounded,” though I think his true purpose is making sure I never oversleep.
Nothing like a paw swat to the face to say good morning.
Once I’ve stumbled to The Twisted Loaf for coffee from Betsy Plum’s bakery, Vex and I take our usual walk up the hill to the well in the clearing of the woods. It looks ordinary enough: moss-covered stone, water shimmering beneath. But for me, it’s alive with secrets. I can feel the hum of wishes whispered into its depths, hoping to be granted. Having been the guardian of the well for the last century means I stand between two worlds, though no one in town quite realizes it. Well—except Vex. Annoying as he is, he’s the only one who truly understands what it’s like to be a half-blood.
Of course, my “ordinary” duties are far less magical than my Dweller duties. As chair of WishFest, I spend my afternoons wrangling vendors, juggling stage schedules, and convincing Gus the barber that no, he cannot have a beard-braiding contest right next to the children’s puppet show. WishFest happens every season—spring blooms, summer sun, autumn leaves, and winter frost—and it’s our way of binding the town together. Some say it’s just a festival. I know it’s more: each WishFest feeds into the ancient treaty between our world and the one below.
This week, though, festival planning has been overshadowed by something darker. Samuel Greer, our local antique dealer, was found murdered near the well. The town is buzzing with suspicion, and that’s where my unlikely companions come in.
Chief Holden Thorn, our human lawman, stalks the streets of Wishville with his usual scowl. He insists he doesn’t believe in “fairy tales,” but I catch the flicker of doubt in his eyes whenever the evidence bends toward the impossible. He’s infuriating—gruff, stubborn, and far too handsome for my peace of mind. Then there’s Chief Calderis, enforcer of the Dweller realm of Elarion below the well, all shadows and solemn vows. He speaks in riddles, moves like a storm, and makes me feel like I’m carrying a crown I never asked for. Together, they are oil and water.
As half-human and half-Dweller, I’m the bridge caught between them.
Our days blur into interrogations, whispered theories, and late-night walks through the Whisperwood. Holden demands facts, Calderis demands truths, and I’m left chasing both as I secretly transport between worlds while trying to keep the festival from collapsing. And always, with Vex at my side. Sometimes he curls in my lap, purring with warmth; other times, he flicks his tail and whispers through my mind how “mortals are hopeless” and “Dwellers are arrogant.”
So that’s a day in my life: a cup of coffee, a cranky cat, a festival to save, and two chiefs pulling me in opposite directions while a murder hangs over Wishville like the mountain fog. Yet even in the midst of it all, when the lanterns light up the square and the townsfolk gather with their laughter and their wishes, I feel the magic hum again.
And I remember why I stay.
THE WELL-KEPT SECRET — A Wishville Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Fantasy Cozy Mystery
Release: October 2025
Format: Digital, Print
Purchase Link
A Spring Festival. A Magical Murder. A Secret Buried Beneath the Well.
Wishville, Vermont looks like a storybook postcard—complete with forest festivals, quirky locals, and a centuries-old wishing well that allegedly grants one wish each season. But for Lyra Wells, the magic isn’t just folklore—it’s her full-time job. As the half-human, half-Dweller Guardian of the Well, Lyra must keep the peace between the mortal world and the magical realm of Elarion. That means overseeing every seasonal WishFest, keeping tourists entertained, and pretending her glowing cat sidekick isn’t judging everyone.
But when an all-too-nosy antique dealer is found mysteriously dead by the well—and a rare memory crystal is discovered at the scene—the fragile treaty between worlds begins to unravel, and the ethereal Dweller chief enforcer isn’t happy. As the townsfolk whisper about curses and coincidences, something ancient stirs beneath the surface—and it’s not ready to stay hidden.
Now Lyra must solve a murder, hide her magical identity, outwit the gossip-fueled “Wellies” (a trio of eccentric women with suspiciously accurate intuition), and work alongside a grumpy new police chief who doesn’t believe in wishes…or in her. Caught between two worlds and two men, everything is on the line and the clock is ticking.
Because in Wishville, even one secret can change everything.
About the author
National Bestselling Author, Agatha, RT Reviewers‘ Choice & Golden Duck Award Nominee. Kari lives in Central New York with her husband & Samoyeds. She’s a lover of wine & travel, obsessed with reality TV, and loves a good book with at least some mystery, romance & humor. Inspired by 80s TV shows, she writes paranormal & fantasy cozy mysteries & upper middle grade as Kari Lee Townsend, as well as suspense, romantic comedy & women’s fiction as Kari Lee Harmon. You can find her at karileetownsend.com.