Violet Waverly and her Grandma Daisy run Charming Books, an enchanted bookshop in Cascade Springs, a picturesque village outside Niagra Falls.

Local girl made good, celebrity sommelier Belinda Perkins, returns to her home town for a book signing at a local vineyard. After a very public argument with her estranged sister and Violet’s best friend , Lacey, Belinda is found with a grape harvest knife in her back.

Violet sets out to prove her friend’s innocence and soon finds no shortage of possible suspects with a grudge against the victim. And with the bookshop steering her toward Little Women for clues, can she unravel the mystery?

This is the first book by Amanda Flower I have read, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a quick, cosy mystery that ticks all the boxes.

The main characters and their pets, a talking crow called Faulkner and Emerson, a very cheeky cat, are so likeable. you feel like you have known them for years. The supporting cast of friends, neighbours and townsfolk for all occasions ensures there are plenty of mysteries to had in the future.

I’m not a lover of fantasy, but the magical elements of the book are charming and add some fun that makes the Magical Bookshop stand out from other cosy mysteries. I’m definitely going to be on the look out for the previous and future books in the series. I would absolutely love a bookshop like this in the village where I live!

Thanks to Amanda Flower, Crooked Lane books and Netgalley for this advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This book is an easy to read cozy. It is the third book in the series, yet my first book in the series. Happily, I was able to jump into the series without issues. The backstory and character information I needed were included early on, yet I didn't feel like the other books in the series were spoiled by the bits and pieces I learned. This was a huge plus. I often find it difficult to read mystery books in the perfect order.

The main characters are likeable, and the setting of the series, a bookstore with a magical tree at its heart, is unique. There is a solid cast of secondary characters, (including two darling magical pets) and a vivid description of the charming town and its surrounding landscape. I also liked learning a bit about ice wine, and wine reviewers, however, I would have enjoyed even more detail on the topic.

The book was enjoyable, but I prefer mysteries with more twists. Sadly, I figured out the killer before the halfway mark and I was waiting (and hoping) for a big clue to prove my guess wrong.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'd never read this searies before but the third book in I had a pretty good idea of who's who. I'm also pretty interested in reading the whole series so points for that.

The magic bookshop that provides clues in the form of literature is a really interesting idea and a lot of fun!

It was a good mystery and the clues we're really enjoyable.

I'm in love with this series. I enjoyed the mystery, the characters, and the location. I wish there was a bookshop close that would tell me what I want to read next.

This is the first book i've read in the series but it wasn't a problem following the plot.

Violet and Grandma Daisy own Charming books and they are employed to host Celebrity Sommelier Belinda's book signing at Violet's ex boyfriend Nathan's family winery. Belinda is found murdered and there are plenty of suspects. Violet's friend Lacey (who's also Belinda's sister) is accused of of her murder and Violet is desperate to prove her innocence.

With help from her magical bookstore Violet turns sleuth. The book is really descriptive and makes you feel like you know Cascade Springs. The characters are very likeable and the magical bookshop adds some fun the story.

I'm looking forward to reading the previous books in the series.

Murders and Metaphors by Amanda Flower is the best one yet in this series. I was immediately wrapped up in the latest visit to Cascade Springs.

Ms. Flower's writing is so descriptive that the setting and the characters come to life. Violet and Grandma Daisy host a book signing for a popular author/sommelier, Belinda Perkins, at Morton's Winery. Violet is not looking forward to the event as that means she must once again be in contact with her ex-boyfriend, Nathan Morton. As usual the matriarch of the Morton family is disagreeable but is resigned to Violet and Daisy's presence for the book signing. However, a murder disrupts the event and one of Violet's best friends is the number one suspect. Immediately Violet is on the case and with the help of the magical bookshop she might solve it before she's the next victim.

I love the characters in this series. Each one, Violet, Daisy, Lacey, Sadie,and David Rainwater are becoming fully developed now and I love the way they are evolving in this book. I also enjoyed meeting a couple of new characters in this book. I look forward to learning more about them as the series progresses. I heartily approved of the bookshop's apparent approval of David Rainwater. I'm intrigued to see how that will play out in future books. The plot is intricate and filled with devious twists and several suspects that might want the victim dead. I loved every second of my visit to Cascade Springs and am already wishing the next one was available.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own. I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read and review the book.

I will admit that I haven't read the first two books in the Magical Bookshop Mystery series but that is going to change now! This book was such a blast to read! I love the magical elements that are thrown throughout the story and I feel like I was a part of the gang! This is the perfect cozy for those who enjoy a bit of paranormal thrown in. Now I have to grab the first two books and see how this charming new series has started.

This series is always a fun read. I love the idea of a bookstore that always gives you the book you need (is it always the one you want though?) The characters are fun and are developing through the series. Ms. Flower always writes an interesting mystery and they are well written. Just to get the most out of the characters, I'd start at the beginning, but the mystery doesn't require it.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.

A magical bookshop is a book lovers dream! I loved this book and want to read the rest of the series. Murders and Metaphors is a great murder mystery that I could not put down. I am hooked.

A book about a bookstore and books! What more can a book lover ask for? This was such a charming and wonderful story. The characters, especially Grandma Daisy, Faulkner and Emerson were cuter than cute!


Grandma Daisy ( isn't her name cute???) and Violet Waverly own a magical bookshop called Charming Books. Cascade Springs is a famous spring known for its magical and healing properties. There is a two-hundred-year-old birch tree in the middle of the bookstore and every alternate day, it is Violet's job to draw water from the Cascade Springs and water the tree.


The Morton Vineyard is hosting a book signing club - the guest is none other than the famous sommelier Belinda Perkins, a former resident of Cascade Springs. But things go wrong when Belinda is found murdered in the vineyard. Violet decides to poke her nose into the murder investigation and she unearths some dark secrets about the Perkins and Mortons.


What else does a cozy mystery need when there is a cafe that makes delicious baked goodies, a cute tuxedo cat, a pet crow, ice wine, snow, a tinge of romance and a murder? The bookstore is magical - it always gives clues in the form of unexpectedly dropping books out of nowhere- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott in this case, sometimes flips pages too so that Violet gets the clue that she's searching for.


I loved the tux-cat Emerson. Partly due to the fact that I have a tux-cat at home and partly because tuxedo cats are so adorable!! Grandma Daisy was adorable too, and so was Faulkner, the pet crow. Somehow, the four of them - Emerson, Faulkner, Grandma Daisy and Violet form a strong bond and always seem to understand each other.


There was even a local critique group called Red Inkers that held meetings at the bookstore every now and then. The other characters in the story included the Mortons (nasty ones, these!), Chief David Rainwater (Violet and he have a thing going on), Sadie (Violet's best buddy), Lacey and Adrien (owners of Le Crepe Jolie), Lacey's sisters - Belinda, Adele and Michelle, and Joel Redding, the nosy P.I.


The language is clear and simple. The story was interesting and entertaining. The ending was good and the identity of the murderer was a surprise. Overall, the book was a delightful read.

My Rating is 4.5/5 (rounded it off to 5)

This was a really fun cosy mystery.

It was a shame the murderer was so obvious which is why I am giving it 3 not 4 stars but it was a fun, easy read.

There were a number of errors through out which also detracted from the story such as called not call or when the author mixed up lacey and Sadie.

This is part of a series of books however I read it as a standalone and there was enough background thrown in that it wasn't an issue. An enjoyable read.

Fun and enjoyable, Violet and grandma Daisy were placed on the spot when the famous bestselling author Belinda died on the night of the book signing they were hosting. Belinda was not just any author she was a wine critic and she was also Violet best friend Lacey’s sister, with whom she had a very bitter relation. Finding out the culprit of this murder mystery before Lacey is charged with murder is crucial for violet. Following the clues from the magic tree in the middle of the bookstore was a mixture of frustration and stress for violet who was having a hard time grasping the meaning of what the tree was trying to say. To top it off her relationship with the chief of police was moving into newer territories. This book had a wonderful storyline with great characters, I especially like Chief Rainwater, I would say this is a definite must-read.

Oh, my goodness, what fun! I own, but haven't had a chance to read the previous entries in this series, so this was my first experience with Violet and crew. And I loved it!

I know that coming into an already-established series I missed a lot of the character-building that took place in the earlier books, but it's to Flower's credit that I didn't really feel lost. She recapped any pertinent facts nicely, without any info dumps, and I felt comfortably situated within the context of the story.

In this book, a wine critic with ties to Cascade Springs is murdered during a community event, and Violet has a personal stake in the outcome of the murder investigation. Grandma Daisy plays the sassy sidekick, and Sadie, Lacey, the Inkers, and Rainwater the supporting roles. It's a merry chase, and I was still guessing who the culprit was right up until the reveal.

Huzzah for the magical bookshop, and for this series!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the chance to read this book!

I did enjoy the story of the magical bookstore, and the legacy of guardianship entrusted to the caretakers. I liked the idea of the tree magic, and I really wish I could walk into a bookstore that knew which books I wanted. I would probably walk away with hundreds, but anyway.

For a cozy mystery I felt this one was a little off, and I didn't really like the reasoning behind it. I did however see a lot of potential in the setting and the characters and I'm happy to try some of the other books in the series.

This was an ARC, but there were many spelling and grammar errors that really need to be corrected before it goes to print too. Four stars.

Who doesn’t believe in Magic. The bookshop seems magical, the tree,the crow, the cat, and books, special books for each who come. They are also participants of a local author doing a book signing, who also a famous wine critic. Something went wrong and led to a murder and Violet investigates. The author has a unique way of drawing you into this story and helping Violet with another murder. Given ARC by Net Galley and Crooked Lane for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.

amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, magic, cozy-mystery, law-enforcement *****

Excellent! The specialty of the bookshop is providing the customer with just the right book, and in the case of the keeper, the book and pages that provide the clues to solving murders. Violet has returned to her grandmother and the hometown she fled some years before only to find out that she has inherited the position of keeper. That is a secret and there are other things involved, but the magic of the bookshop has proved very important in past murder investigations as well as the current one even if she can't tell the police chief who is her love interest.
There are problems with the town's prominent family that are related to the past, and that causes a lot of stumbling blocks in the investigation of the murder of a former resident who alienated everyone in her path. The investigation is well plotted, the characters certainly are, and the magic of the bookshop is craftily done. I really enjoyed reading it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is the 3rd installment of the magical bookstore series. I love this series and honestly, it just keeps getting better. It’s January and Violet and Grandma Daisy are hosting a book signing party for Belinda Perkins, being held at the Morton Family Vineyard during the Ice Grape Harvest. Belinda grew up in Cascade Springs and left many years ago and is estranged from her sister Lacey one of Violet’s best friends. Belinda is a famous sommelier who is in town for her book signing and to do a review on the Morton’s Ice Wine. The family is considering taking the wine national. Lacey and her husband Adrien are catering the event and Lacey attempts to contact Belinda so they can have a chance to speak. Belinda freaks out and causes a giant scene. Emerson the cat escapes Violet’s tote bag and she goes out into the Vineyards to search for him. After chasing Emerson and catching him on her way, back to the house she trips over what she thinks is a root and learns it is Belinda with a grape knife in her back holding a letter from Lacey. Lacey becomes the prime suspect in the murder and Violet is determined to find the real killer There were lots of people who had motive including an ex-husband and winery owner who her last review ruined and her other two sisters. The bookshop keeps sending Violet messages and dropping Little Women all over the shop. Violet is really trying to understand what the shop is trying to tell her. The clues are there but the ending is shocking. Love all the twists and turns in this story as well as the ending. Sadie has a possible new love interest and Violet finally lets Chief Rainwater know he is the one for her. I cannot wait to see what is up next for Grandma Daisy, Violet and everyone else in Cascade Springs. Cannot wait for the next installment.

This book was such a joy to read, I am having a hard time finding the right words to convey how much i truly loved it. The author wrote the mystery in such a way that you as a reader is totally emersed and invested in it and the outcome. Even though there is a touch of magic throughout the story, it doesn't deviate from the main plot line and the internal struggles the characters have. Although this is a cozy mystery, there are still heavy topics throughout which makes the story so real and relatable while still being able to get lost in the words. This is definitely a book to read again and again.

I don’t go into arc reviews expecting to fall in love. That expectation is simply too high and shouldn’t be a bar to hold books accountable to. It’s subjective. We all fall in love with different kinds of characters as well as different tones of writing. That being said, I fell in love with Murders and Metaphors.
At the heart of this book is a magical bookstore that helps its caretaker, Violet, solve her small town’s too frequent murders. The bookstore itself sounded like a level of heaven. It’s an enchanted bookstore fueled by an ageless living tree where whatever book you’re looking for or need will find you. I feel like I could sit there for weeks, a feeling I get at many a brick and mortar bookstore but few fictitious ones.
The murder itself puts the flavor of suspense and urgency on every page. As a reader, you’re never able to forget that there’s a broken family grieving, an unknown killer on the loose, and more suspects than a safe small town should be able to produce.
My final thoughts on the book? It’s delicious reading and a perfect weekend distraction.

The magical book shop is doing it again! Helping Violet solve another murder. When someone is murdered at a book signing Violet feels that she has no other choice but to help solve the murder in order to clear her friend. With the bookstore throwing copies of LITTLE WOMEN at her every time she turns around, Violet is having a hard time figuring out what the bookstore is telling her this time around. As always, Chief Rainwater is there to discourage Violet from snooping, but he knows it is a useless cause. Suspects seem to be coming out of the woodwork, but finding the murderer before Violet gets hurt proves to be a difficult task. Not only is Violet trying to solve a murder, but she is also trying to deal with her feelings towards David Rainwater. Having just taken over the Caretaker position at the bookstore Violet assumes that she is destined to be single the rest of her life, but is that really what is expected of the Caretaker? Can Violet trust David with the secret of the bookstore?



I really enjoy this series and am so glad that the author found a publisher to continue writing it! I love the uniqueness of the bookstore and how it helps Violet to solve murders. As always with this authors writing there are animal characters. And boy are they characters! Faulkner the crow cracks me up with his quotes and sayings and general grumpiness. And Emmerson the tuxedo kitty that seems to be an escape artist is entertaining as well. The town of Cascade Springs has many entertaining people characters as well. They keep the reader chuckling and trying to guess who the killer is. I love Chief Rainwater, but I do have a complaint. I wish that the author would decide what she wants Violet to call him. I find it very unromantic for her to constantly be referring to him as "Rainwater" or even "Chief Rainwater." I think to make their romance a bit more believable Violet needs to have a more personal way of talking about him. Either call him David or Chief. That's just being a bit nit picky maybe, but it bothered me while reading. The mystery was pretty good and had a few twists and turns that kept me guessing as to "who-done-it." I was pretty surprised when it was revealed! If you are a cozy mystery fan then definitely give this series a try.



**I received my copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own**