If there's a magical cozy mystery formula it's this: woman in her mid-twenties discovers she has magical powers; goes home to aunt or great-aunt who knew all along; joins aunt's small business in a small tourist town; spends time with magical cousins/sisters; and then starts dating the local cop. I can think of at least five series off the top of my head that follow this and I'm here to say that I LOVE EVERY PART OF IT AND WANT MORE! This, the second book in the series that starts with "A Spell for Trouble" is a worthy addition to the cult of cozy.

A fascinating paranormal cozy murder mystery rooted in ancient mythology. Prepare to spend a few hours enthralled! The Sobieski women are mermaid descendants. Protagonist Alex, her Aunt Lidia, and her cousins, Minka and Kamali, prefer to be called healers, and run a popular herbal apothecary—Botanika. Kamali is a police officer and doesn’t normally practice magic. Detective Jack Frazier is Alex’s boyfriend, and doesn’t know she’s a Magical.

When bizarre events begin happening globally; a connection is made to mural artist, Neve Ryland, who’s just unveiled a new mural locally. The women must decide if she is friend or foe. Mythological weapons are tied into the clues for this mystery. Several wealthy, powerful, and dangerous men provide multiple reasons why they can be murder suspects. This is a multi-murder mystery and the author keeps the tension tight as she builds the clever story to a resounding climax of good and evil. Obviously, Author Addison spent a lot of time on research for this story. If you enjoy magical and paranormal elements, you’ll enjoy this cozy mystery.

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

Alex Daniels is at it again trying to solve yet another murder mystery in the magical town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina. This town is full of magicals and mundanes, mundanes are humans with no magical ability. I loved the setting and the magical elements of this story. This is a paranormal cozy mystery that involves mermaids, dragons, and water witches.

Alex must help her cousin Celeste out when Celeste is accused of murder all while helping out at her familys' herbal apothecary and dating Jack, the detective on the case. I found this to be very fast-paced with a lot of action. Alex is adept at sleuthing and asking the tough questions needed to find out who the murderer is.

The story takes many twists and turns with plenty of magical elements, red herrings, and drama to keep me turning the pages. As for romance, Alex seems to be torn between Jack and Dylan. I find myself rooting for Dylan, a love interest from the first book in the series.

This book delivered for me with a surprise twist at the end! I look forward to the next book in the series.

Having read the first book of the series, this second book seems a little disjointed. This one actually seems like the third book in the series. Diving in, Alex seems to be at a further point in her identity in town than I expected. She is now in a relationship with Jack when the first book ended with them barely at a truce. Her and Pepper also seem to have a Batman and Robin relationship I didn’t see coming. While the first book ended with signs that they were friends, I didn’t quite expect her to become Alex’s sleuthing buddy. As far as the plot goes, it needed some work. Some plot points seemed to be added in too late. Also, Alex’s role as detective didn’t seem to quite work. I didn’t understand why people were answering her questions when she interrogated them. She isn’t an established part of the community in the town yet, and unlike Dylan, these aren’t people from her past who would feel connected enough to work with her in the investigation. She was also throwing herself into the investigation before she knew that Jack suspected Celeste. Yes, we know that there is some sort of magical element included to make her fear for her family‘s secret, but it’s still seemed more like she was concerned more about the murder than the magical secrets Neve knew.

A Hex for Danger is the second book in the Enchanted Bay Mystery series by Esme Addison. The first book in the series is A Spell for Trouble. You can definitely read this book and enjoy it without having read the first book--but if you like to read Cozy Mysteries, why not read both, right?

The book takes place in the small Coastal town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina. Personally, Coastal Cozy Mysteries are one of my favorite types of mysteries. Something about a beachy small town on the edge of a continent--so cozy! My perception may be colored by the fact that I live in the landlocked Midwest so any coast seems romantic and magical. And this is most certainly a magical series. Alex is a descendent of the Mermaid of Warsaw and is learning the extent of her magical abilities while living with her aunt and cousin.

This book is a thriller of a cozy. The action-adventure is fast-paced and Alex is not afraid to ask too many questions while she is sleuthing. Unlike a traditional cozy, this book has corporate espionage and scheming governments. I enjoyed how Esme Addison has woven science and mythology together in her books and extended the environment of the small-town cozy. Best of all, at one point near the end, I thought the story was wrapped up with a pretty standard cozy murder motivation; but, that was not the end of the story, more twists and turns were ahead!

On the romance end, I don't know if I'm supposed to be rooting for Jack or Dylan to wind up with Alex. This subplot alone is enough to ensure I'm going to preorder book number three! As someone whose favorite genres are cozy mysteries, romance, and contemporary fantasy, I've found the Enchanted Bay Mystery series a very fun read!

A Hex for Danger will be out July 13, 2021, I received a digital ARC of the book from Net Galley, and all my opinions are my own.

4 Stars for A Hex For Danger !!!!

Amid helping her family at their shop and settling into life as a mermaid descendant, Alex Daniel's is in for another mermaid-based adventure, this time to help clear the name of her friend Celeste.

This is the second book in the Enchanted Bay series. I like a refreshing change from witches to mermaids and the incorporation of a myth that does have a small degree of historical basis (the Mermaid of Warsaw). It's a light easy read, perfect for those who love the cozy mystery genre.

Alex Daniels is extra busy right now, between helping to run the family business (an herbal apothecary) and helping her friend Celeste plan the annual Mermaid Festival. Then renowned artist Neve Ryland, who is in town to paint a mermaid-themed mural in the park, is found murdered. Celeste is the prime suspect because Neve had been spending so much one-on-one time with Celeste's boyfriend, Jasper. Alex is determined to clear her friend's name, and uncover the true killer.
I realy enjoy this series. It is a fun diversion from the normal set of fantasy characters. Set off the coast of NC, and with a cast of mermaids and dragons, it adds depth to the normal magical element. This is a fun quick read with a great mystery, perfect for anyone who enjoys mysteries or books in the fantasy genre.

I mostly enjoyed this book. I found certain aspects of it frustrating. I liked the main characters. The mystery is interesting. I feel like the bad guys are still walking around. #AHexforDanger #NetGalley

Another favorite by a great author. The plot of the story was very well written. The author really draws the reader in as you read.

Not that it was not well executed, but the paranormal premise of 'A Hex for Danger' was a little much for me. It seemed as if a really nice person was murdered and there were many a misdirection and too many unanswered questions for me. I was surprised by the resolution of the murderer, but overall I am not attached to the characters and the subject.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Draft 1: A Hex for Danger

Book Jacket
“The small town of Bellamy Bay has its share of skeletons in its closet, but it isn't used to bodies turning up in the local history museum. After all, this coastal North Carolina town is much like any other...except, of course, for the mermaids.
Helping to run the family business, an herbal apothecary while keeping her supernatural secret hidden is no easy feat for water witch Aleksandra Daniels. But somehow she's still found time to help her friend Celeste, who has her own Caribbean mermaid heritage plan the annual Mermaid Festival. As fun-seekers throng the beaches, Alex gets to know and is intrigued by renowned artist Neve Ryland, who's in town to decorate the local park with a mermaid-themed mural. Celeste, however, is less enamored with the artist, as Neve has been spending entirely too much one-on-one time with her boyfriend Jasper, director of Bellamy Bay's history museum. Then, a reception for Neve ends abruptly when the artist is found dead in his office.

The police investigation nets Celeste who asks Alex to find the true culprit. With the help of her magically-inclined aunt and cousins, Alex dives in to clear her friend's name. But there was more to Neve Ryland than met the eye...and Alex fears she may be in way too deep. Will she catch the crook or be next on the hook?”
End of Book Jacket

******
I especially enjoyed A Hex for Danger because it is surprisingly realistic for a fiction book about mythological creatures. I didn’t need a lot of suspension of disbelief to get lost in it. Esme Addison, the author, has a gift for keeping the story moving and increasing the suspense without her style drawing attention away from the story.

Scientific study takes on its own role as it becomes more clear how dangerous it would be for the town if the plot goes against the need to keep the secret of the mermaids to remain unknown. Evolution continues to attract scientists writing papers and setting investors in motion.


A Hex for Danger, in my opinion, is for fans of cozy mysteries, intrigue, readers who believe in mermaids, and readers who don’t believe in mermaids.

I give it 5 stars.

This is the second book in the An Enchanted Bay Mystery Series. This is a fun mermaid theme which I haven’t seen much of. Fun characters and this does have paranormal aspects. You can read this one by itself however it will make more sense to start with the first.
#AHexforDanger #NetGalley

A Hex for Danger by Esme Addison
Book #2: An Enchanted Bay Mystery
Source: NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books
Rating: 2½/5 stars

**MINI REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: I can always gauge how much a book impacted me or how much I enjoyed it by how much comes back to me easily and readily when I sit down to write a review. In truth, not a lot came back to me about this book and that makes me sad given how much I enjoyed the first book. While I certainly don’t mind the paranormal aspects of this series (I do like it!) I think this book went a bit off the rails for me. At times, I felt the plot was a real reach and I just couldn’t stretch far enough to fall in line and enjoy the read. I also found myself becoming frustrated with the relationship between Alex and her boyfriend; when you can’t tell your significant other something so fundamental to your being, the relationship is doomed. I can’t complain one bit about the mechanics and technical bits of this book, but the creative bits left me a bit let down and wanting something more. Since I now seem to be one and one with this series, I think I’ll give book three a chance before making a final decision on my continued relationship with this series.

A Hex for Danger
An Enchanted Bay Mystery
by Esme Addison
Crooked Lane Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 13 Jul 2021 | Archive Date 15 Jun 2021

This cozy mystery is a winner! I liked it even better than her first one. Many of our patrons like these easy reads so I try to keep up on the newest releases. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this before the release date.

4 star

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was the second in a new series, and I appreciated the characters, mystery, and mythology in the book. Recently, I've been enjoying a lot of paranormal/supernatural cozies, but I love the unique mermaid theme. The murder mystery was interesting and I didn't guess the ending. But, mostly, I loved the expansion of the world-building and the descriptions of the magical subtypes of characters. It seems like something big is being set up for a future book, and I can't wait to read it!

A Hex for Danger is a winner. This book is even better than her first one if that is even possible. She weaves a story that captivates.

Can't wait to read more.

One of my new favorite cozy mystery series! It’s full of twists and turns and red herrings. The characters are well developed and interesting, There are mythical creatures and legends galore! Can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

Welcome back to Bellamy Bay where the local mermaid festival may have real mermaid descendants. And some may have murderous intentions. Well-written cozy with an interesting and well designed paranormal mythology. Of course having engaging characters and a twisty plot is really what makes the book work so well. Rounding up from 4 and a half stars.

Esme Addison makes a huge splash with the second book in the Enchanted Bay mysteries !

It's hard for me to write a synopsis without giving too much away so I'll jump into the review! Addison's writing transports the reader to Bellamy Bay flawlessly. Her descriptions of the apothecary shop were so vivid that I felt I could put on my coat, drive downtown, and visit it myself. I want to try everything the shop sells. And the food! Her descriptions are so rich that I started looking up restaurants in my area that sell the food she writes about so I could taste it myself.

I'm glad that we got to revisit reader favorite characters from book one and got introduced to new characters for future books. Without giving much away, I'm looking forward to the new dynamic presented between our main character and one of her childhood friends. As with book one, I was left wanting more but will have to wait patiently for book three 😊 I could definitely see this being turned into a tv series, too.

A Hex for Danger by Esme Addison is an advance reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Alexandra "Alex" Daniels lives near a town east of Wilmington, NC with her aunt and cousins. She works at an herbal apothecary called Botanika. She used to live and work in Manhattan. She finds out the world is made up of Magicals and Mundanes. Alex discovers she is defended from mermaids.
I have not read any of Esme Addison's books before this one, though I heard she is a good author. It is an interesting subject, mermaids, but I had a hard time getting into the writing.