This quick read by Melissa Erin Jackson was so cute! The small-town feel, the unique take on magic, and the characters themselves were all easy to connect with. The plot was fun and the mystery itself was a page turner. Pawsitivley Poisonous is a paranormal with a cozy atmosphere and just the right kind of book for summer reading. This is the first in the Witch of Edgehill series and I’m definitely looking forward to more of these characters.

I so enjoyed this story! I tend to avoid all mysteries but the premise for this was just too intriguing. I loved her characters and the way they meshed. I thought the author did a fabulous job of having her witch contain flaws and all human traits while still being extraordinary. I would definitely try her work again!

Not great but good enough that is like to see where member's relationship with the sheriff 's department goes and her relationship with Colunt. What new toys will she make? The plot was simple but interdisciplinary
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for allowing me this arc in exchange for an honest review

Pawsitively Poisonous is the first book in the Witch of Edgehill series by Melissa Erin Jackson.
Amber Blackwood, lifelong resident of Edgehill, Oregon, has earned a reputation for being a semi-reclusive odd duck. Her store, The Quirky Whisker, is full of curiosities, from extremely potent sleepy teas and ever-burning candles to kids’ toys that seem to run endlessly without the aid of batteries. The people of Edgehill think of the Quirky Whisker as an integral part of their feline-obsessed town, but most give Amber herself a wide berth. Amber prefers it that way; it keeps her secret safe. But that secret is thrown into jeopardy when Amber’s friend Melanie is found dead, a vial of headache tonic from Amber’s store clutched in her hand. Edgehill’s newest police chief has had it out for Amber since he arrived three years before. He can’t possibly know she’s a witch, but his suspicions about her odd store and even odder behavior have shot her to the top of his suspect list. When the Edgehill rumor mill finds out Melanie was poisoned, it’s not only the police chief who looks at Amber differently. Determined to both find justice for her friend and to clear her own name, Amber must use her unique gifts to help track down Melanie’s real killer.

Pawsitively Poisonous is an enjoyable read that manages to introduce a town full of interesting characters without making the reader feel overwhelmed with the amount of information. I thought Amber was a great characters, smart and compassionate with a past that promises to be looked at more as the series continues. I really liked the slow reveal of the characters involved in the murder and investigation- and seeing the relationship develop between Amber and the police was engaging. I feel like I have a good handle on the majority of the town, and some of the important connections or challenges between people. I thought the mystery elements were very well done, and had just enough twists to keep me guessing. I was very happy to see that while Amber certainly was aware of the guys in the town, there was no romance in this book. I love me some romance, but it is nice to be able to focus on the mystery and getting the lay of the land without hormones and whatnot taking over. I also liked that while there are plenty of things I want to know more about, and a little opps moment at the end that have my itching for the next book, that there is also a satisfying conclusion. The important bits of the story are wrapped up, and there is a resolution to the story without a huge cliffhanger to make me grit my teeth. I am very eager to see where this series goes from here, and I will be following this one.

Pawsitively Poisonous is a great start to a mystery series, and I look forward to continuing to read it. I recommend it to cozy mystery fans that enjoy a touch of magic in their reads.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ringtail Press, & Melissa Erin Jackson for sending me a free ARC copy of Pawsitively Poisonous in exchange for an honest review.

Pawsitively Poisonous is a delightful cozy mystery with paranormal elements that is perfect for a light, clean summer read. It’s an enjoyable, quick read with humor that was right up my alley. The characters & the town of Edgehill quickly grew on me, & the magic system Jackson introduced was new, but well thought out & I enjoyed its provisions & consequences.

One of my favorite elements was the cat-themed influences in the town. From the Purrcolate coffee shop to the cat breed street names, I found everything clever (& usually pretty humorous). I do wish that Amber’s two cats (appropriately named Tom Cat & Alley Cat) had played a larger part in the story & acted less like ordinary house cats.

At the beginning of the novel, I had no idea who the murderer was & I enjoyed how Jackson cast reasonable suspicions on multiple characters. I’m looking forward in future books to meeting more characters and spending time with the rest of the cast Jackson has introduced.

Pawsitively Poisonous is out now & ebook versions are available through Amazon. Thank you again to NetGalley and Ringtail Press for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.

4.5 Stars!

Want a Cozy Mystery with a touch of the paranormal? Then Pawsitively Poisonous is the novel you must read as soon as possible!

Amber Blackwood just wants a semi-normal life. Yes, she’s a witch, but that shouldn’t interfere with her friendships in the town packed full of cat lovers. Amber thinks dousing the items she sells at her shop, The Quirky Whisker, with a touch of magic is a simple way to expend the energy coursing through her veins. It is those simple ways that end up getting her accused of her best friends murder. With a suspicious police chief and secrets galore, Amber makes the best use of her talents to find out the secrets her best friend was hiding from the world.

From start to finish, I loved Amber and the cast of unusual characters that make up Edgehill. Jackson pulled me in right away with her first chapter full of magical toys and awestruck children. This fast paced mystery kept me guessing until the very end! With at least four more books planned for the series, I’ll be spending hours reading about Amber’s exploits in the quirky town of Edgehill!

I received Pawsitively Poisonous for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. Love the witchy touches, and loved the characters. Plot was interesting and enjoyable. Looking forward to more in this series and will be handselling this one!

Amber Blackwood loves running her shop, Quirky Whisker, in Edgehill, OR. She sells an eclectic mix of things -- healing teas, herbal remedies, even toys -- each with a bit of a magical touch. Nobody in town realizes she's a witch....and Amber wants to keep it that way. One of her friends has been ill for quite awhile and never seems to get better. Melanie drops into the shop for a vial of headache remedy....and is later found dead clutching the empty vial. Amber finds herself drawn into a murder investigation. She knows it wasn't her herbal remedy that killed her friend.....so what did? And why?

Pawsitively Poisonous is the first book in the new Witch of Edgehill series. I loved the quirky characters and the concept of a shop that sells magical toys and remedies. The mystery is cozy (no graphic descriptions of blood, sex, etc...no cursing, etc) with a light supernatural touch. I would love to own one of Amber's magical animated toys! :) The mystery developed at a nice pace, creating suspense with plenty of suspects and twists. The magical/supernatural elements didn't overpower the mystery plot, but just added depth to the characters.

I will definitely read more of this series. It was an enjoyable, light, entertaining read. I liked the mix of humor, magic and mystery.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Ringtail Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This book was pawsitively wonderful! Such a bitter sweet tail of love, loss, and a little bit of magic. Okay more than a little and Amber only uses it for good, she is a Blackwell after all. I a tell that her working relationship with the Sheriff is going to take some time to work itself out and I sincerely hope that we see more of Reporter Declan. Great character development all the way through and I adored all of the cat-chy names for both streets and establishments. Cannot wait for the next one to learn more about Amber, the mysterious fire that claimed her parents, and Quirky Whisker.

Intended as a cozy mystery set in a cat-centric town and featuring a magic user who invents toys and makes potions for the townspeople, this novel unfortunately leaves the cozy far behind when the protagonist starts using her magic to manipulate and force people into doing things against their will and without their consent. It’s a disturbing book, in which the central figure gives herself the rights to alter people’s lives to get what she wants, both inside and outside of a murder investigation.

This was a thrilling, enjoyable, and magical read!
Instantly, the title and cover captured my attention. It came across as quirky and unique and lately, I’ve been craving a fun, well-written book. Pawsitively Poisonous did the trick. Well, except that now I want a second book! Hopefully, it’s in the works!
Amber was a quiet, sweet, and mature individual with a huge heart. It was refreshing to have a main character who wasn’t a teenager and had already put down her roots. Another aspect that was different, was that there was no love interest. It seems like every book these days has to have at least some level of romance, so it was nice to have a break from that.
The writing was lovely but simple and the voice that Jackson used fit the story perfectly. I also need to mention the setting… Edgehill: A town obsessed with cats. Loved it! All the little shops (Quirky Whisker, Purrcolate) were adorable as well as the cast festival (Here and Meow Cat Festival).
Lastly, this was mostly a clean read. There were no sex scenes, but the mystery did sort of revolve around infidelity and there was some minor language.

This was a great read, though, and if you’re looking for a paranormal cozy mystery, this is the book for you.

“A deep-green tie lying across the cement walkway that led to the porch's steps, looking more like a slithering snake than a discarded accessory.”

“It wasn’t depressing, per se, but cheery didn't come to mind either.”

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really love paranormal mysteries and crime procedure stories so I was interested in this book. I must have overlooked the fact that it was a cozy paranormal mystery. I don’t usually read that genre but I was willing to give it a try. The story is about Amber, who is a witch. She owns a shop that sells magical toys and helpful medicinal tinctures and salves that are popular with the people in her town. One of her friends, Melanie, is feeling bad and asks Amber for a headache cure. Amber gives it to her and later finds out that not only was Melanie murdered but she died after taking Amber’s potion. The police chief already dislikes Amber so it’s an uphill battle for her to try and clear her name and discover who the real killer is. For someone who was supposedly Melanie’s best friend, Amber really doesn’t know much about her. Also, Amber keeps saying she’s a good witch and will do no harm but she is constantly using her magic to manipulate people into revealing their secrets against their will. This story was an easy read and was just okay. The mystery is uncomplicated and rather simple. I was able to guess who the killer was almost immediately. The characters were rather shallow and the dialog was choppy. The whole cat themed town seemed rather silly to me and the pettiness of the people who run the town’s cat festival was ludicrous. I didn’t care for this book or for the cozy genre. It wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t really for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was so happy to find a new cozy mystery series to fall in love with! I adore my cozies with a bit of magic and I thought Melissa Erin Jackson had a great balance of reality/magic in her new series. Amber was such a interesting character and i'm excited to see how her powers develop, as well as how the mystery surround her parents death is revealed as the series goes forward. I find having an underlying/continuous mystery in a series adds so much depth to the individual books and creates a richer history/world. I enjoyed trying to figure out the whodunnit of Melanie's death and it was refreshing to see Amber working with the police in a more one on one way than you see in most cozy series. I found the outcome of the mystery was interesting/not totally obvious and I was engaged throughout. All in all, I can't wait for the next book in this series!

My full review can be seen at:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BybkZ-UgFY3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

If you are a feline 🐾 😻 lover, 'Pawsitively Poisonous' by Melissa Erin Jackson will be an extra special treat as it is set in a little town that is very much cat 🐈 obsessed. Even the businesses are all named with these furry fluffs in mind.

The main character in this whimsical murder 🔪 mystery 🔎 is Amber, a small business owner who is also a witch 🔮. When her best friend, Melanie, pops in to see if Amber can suggest any of her special mixtures 🥄 as a cure for her headache 🙆, Amber is happy to help out. But when Melanie is found dead ⚰️, clutching the vial Amber gave her, it doesn't take long for fingers start pointing in Amber's direction 👈. In a town as small as the one Amber lives in, these suspicions quickly become common knowledge.

Did Amber make a mistake with her recipe doses or did her magic ✨ go wrong? Perhaps she isn't to blame at all! It appears that if Amber wants to clear her name she will have to find the real killer 🔪. The more Amber looks 🔎 in to things, the more she questions how well she actually knew Melanie, after all.

With qwirky little touches and a small town atmosphere, this story 📖 has the same vibes as a made for TV 📺movie. It is a purrfect 😸 rainy☔ day read, snuggled under the duvet 🛌 with your furbabies 🐾 next to you as company.

Last year, I read Jackson’s debut novel, The Forgotten Child, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve been on the lookout since for the sequel. It turns out Jackson’s next book is the start of a separate series – this one a cozy mystery series with a paranormal element. So although that isn’t a genre I gravitate towards, I was curious about it and was able to get an ARC from Netgalley.

The biggest disappointment about Pawsitively Poisonous was the length. At a mere 201 pages, this is only a short novella. It was fun and easy to read in a day. But I really wanted more meat to the story. Both the plot and the character development could have used some fleshing out.

The story is about Amber Blackwood, a young woman who runs an odds and ends store called The Quirky Whisker. Amber is also secretly a witch – the good kind. But when her friend is murdered and Amber is a suspect, she decides to use every tool at her disposal – including her magic – to help solve the case.

The story is set in the fictional town of Edgehill which centers everything around its cat festival. Yes, really. The story is full of cat puns, so if the title made you groan then you might want to skip this one. All of the streets are named for breeds of cats. All of the businesses have cat pun names. It was an awful lot of cats. It was cute and quirky but also a bit overwhelming.

Another thing I want to mention was that for “good witch” meant to do no harm, Amber spent a ridiculous amount of time using her powers to manipulate people. She spent most of her time using potions and spells to get people to reveal information or do what she needed – obviously without their knowledge or consent. It was handled in an uncomfortable way. And Amber couldn’t even rely on the excuse of good intentions, because she admits in the story that her motivation is as much about clearing her own name as it is about finding justice for her friend.

The mystery itself was straightforward. I was surprised that there wasn’t much romance in the story, because that usually goes hand in hand with cozy paranormal mysteries. But it does set up potential romance for the sequel as well as leaving several other threads to be followed later on. The story also ends in an obvious set up for the next book. But although the story was cute and entertaining, I’m much more excited for the sequel to The Forgotten Child than the sequel to Pawsitively Poisonous.

Pawsitively Poisonous is a fun witch-themed cozy. It’s more along the lines of early-season Charmed than a paranormal-type story in that the witching is very under-the-radar and Amber keeps her magical and spells hidden in plain sight as a toy-maker and medicine-brewer.

I liked the small town of Edgehill — where absolutely everything it seems, has a cat theme to it — and I loved the scenes of the committee discussing the annual Here and Meow event. I’d really have loved to actually see Here and Meow because it sounds like the town really goes for it, but perhaps that’s being saved for a future book.

I also liked that Amber’s relationship with law enforcement is a little more complicated than we see in a lot of cozies. At first, the Chief suspects her, then distrusts her, then brings her completely on board, and then we end up back at distrust. Seeing Amber work so closely with the police that she’s actively involved in a surveillance operation was a nice touch too. I think watching Amber become involved in his investigations while also trying to keep all her witchy secrets under wraps is going to create a lot of tension as the series progresses.

The characters were a lot of fun and I’d love to see more of this setting, but I did feel the mystery and the murder culprit was a little too easy to spot. Overall though, Pawsitively Poisonous was a good story and a nice start to the Witch of Edgehill series.

Thank you @netgalley for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Pawsitively Poisonous is book 1 in the Witch of Edgehill series. It’s set to release 6.10.19!

This paranormal cozy mystery was a quick, entertaining read and a great start to a new series. Amber Blackwood is the proprietor of The Quirky Whisker. A store that specializes in healing tonics and toys that have a life of their own - with the help of a little magic. Amber is a witch who utilizes her powers to bring a touch of whimsy to her quaint Oregon town. Her ability has always been a secret, but when a friend dies with a vial of tonic in her hand, Amber must use her magic in a totally new way to carefully track down a murderer and not draw too much unwanted attention towards herself.

I love the cat obsessed town of Edgehill! I want to grab a scone / coffee from the brothers who own a bakery and check out all the fantastic shops. Amber’s store is such a fun setting and her toys are so imaginative. The mystery was really well done. There were a few suspicious suspects that through me for a loop until the very end! Especially once all of the secrets started to get revealed.

I loved watching Amber refer to her grimoire and use a few spells to help gather clues and insight into what happened. The fact that the police chief thinks she’s physic was perfect. A lot of their interactions were rather entertaining as you watched him trying to figure everything out. I look forward to seeing how they interact in future books after that ending!!

This is definitely a series to add to your list and keep your eye on. The characters and setting have great potential for many scenarios. I’ll be anxiously awaiting to hear about a sequel!!

I am a huge fan of cozy mysteries and cozy paranormal mysteries are my favorite. Full disclosure, I usually stick to the authors that I know that write them well. I took a chance on this new to me author and this new series and I am so glad that I did. Witches, cats, and a toy that everyone wants to play with.

This was a great cozy paranormal mystery and I WILL be looking for more in this series and from this author.

Definitely recommend this book.

Pawsitively Poisonous by Melissa Erin Jackson is the first book in the Witch of Edgehill cozy series – a series that is definitely off to a good start! This first book is interesting and fun, filled with cats of all types, has engaging characters and definitely keeps the reader guessing throughout. I enjoy a good cozy but am often frustrated by the overly-silly/naive main characters or the nature of the crimes but this was a solid mystery set in a quirky small town in Oregon.

Amber Blackwood, a lifelong resident of Edgehill, Oregon – and its resident witch – runs The Quirky Whisker, a shop full of novelties, “animated” toys and herbal teas and tinctures. Amber generally maintains a low profile in order to keep her witchcraft secret but, despite the care she’s taken, the Chief of Police has been suspicious of her since he arrived in the town 3 years ago. This all comes to a head when Amber’s best friend, Melanie, is found dead…with a bottle headache tonic from Amber’s shop in her hand. With his suspicions regarding Amber and the goings-on in her shop, Amber has just become the chief’s number one suspect.

When word gets out that Melanie was poisoned, the whole town begins to look at Amber with suspicion. Needing to clear her name, as well as find out who really murdered her friend, Amber begins an investigation using her unique gifts to guide her. Along the way, Amber discovers secrets about people that she thought she knew well and takes risks that threaten to reveal her biggest secret.

Thank you to Ringtail Press, NetGalley and Melissa Erin Jackson for providing this thoroughly enjoyable story in exchange for my review. I will be watching for more in this series and plan to check out Ms. Jackson’s other series as well.

Rating: 4 stars

Edgehill, Oregon was built around the stray felines that live there. All of the stores have cat-themed names, and one of those is The Quirky Whisker. The owner is Amber Blackwood and she has a secret..... she is a witch. She makes toys animated with spells, along with selling various potions and teas. When Amber's best friend Melanie is discovered dead with a vial from Amber's shop in her hand, Amber is the prime suspect. Amber must use her magical abilities to clear her name and find the real killer.
This book was absolutely delightful. Between the fun characters and the cozy mystery, this makes a great read. This is the first book in the Witch of Edgehill series, and I am already looking forward to book two.