The description drew me in but, sadly, did not deliver to me. The heroine Dora had moved on from her abusive partner and subsequent PTSD. She's happily married, owns a café with her new husband but then the elderly head of a local enterprise, not loved, or even liked, by many, dies and she's immersed in ghosts, ghoulies and things that go more than bump in the night. Not badly written or anything, just didn't hit the spot foe me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This was a change to my usual book choices. Apart from getting a little confused on what day of the week it was near the beginning (and if I'm honest I can get confused about that in person) I enjoyed this book. I read thrillers and this had murder, but with supernatural twists. I did have a few tears at one point (over an animal).

Thanks to NetGalley, I received this book. This was a different read for me. I rarely read book details; I go by covers and what others say. This time I went by the cover, as I really liked it. I thought the book would be super spooky. I would not say this is a mystery or very spooky; more of a story about a couple and their daily life. I am a thriller reader, so the pace was not my style, but the book was written with the reader in mind!

Dora Hermansen runs a small town cafe with her husband. Life is ordinary, exactly how she wants it. Aside from sensing ghosts, that is.
Ignoring the dead had been working for her. But with a death in Deepwell, a town with secrets, she has to question. Is her PTSD flaring up again, or are the life challenged stirring?
Soon someone she cares for is in peril and, when all seems resolved, Dora might still be smack bang in the middle of a dangerous mystery.
Read in one sitting really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and The Long Hot Spell
I just reviewed The Strange Brew by M. N. Cox. #TheStrangeBrew #NetGalley

M. N. Cox is another new author for me this month and I found her writting style interesting and very emotive.

The strange Brew is label as a fantasy book mixed in with a cosy mystery about a women named Dora and her husband who run a local coffee shop.
Although this story is about Dora experience with an unexpected and potentially violent ghost, I found personally through no problem with the author that this story had a very strong development and sharing experience of the main characters PSTD due to abuse and attempt murder by her pervious partner which gave it a very serious vibe to the whole story and overshadow sometimes the mystery.

I thought this was well written and an interesting plot, I just found the story a bit too emotional heavy and trauma based for me and wouldn't necessarily classed this as a cosy mystery. I sadly also found the main mystery of the ghost a bit predictable very early on which meant I was waiting for the characters to catch up and figure out who the ghost was but if your looking for a well written, heart tugging survivor story with ghosts mixed in this is the book for you.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖 𝔹𝕣𝕖𝕨
.
Started: 7/31/22
Finished: 8/5/22
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pages: 288
Publication Date: Oct 24, 2022
Author: M.N. Cox
.
Dora Hermansen just wants a normal life. She runs a coffee shop in Australia with her husband. Has a dog. Owns the apartment above the coffee shop.

Senses ghosts.

An event in her past has given her PTSD which allows her see and sense the dead. She tries to ignore them and lead a normal life. Until her past is drudged up once again, vaulting her into the supernatural whether she likes it or not.

A cozy supernatural thriller set in Australia, this book has everything I was looking for a more. Very compelling read and kept me interested all the way through!

Thank you @netgalley and The Long Hot Spell Publishing for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This book was a DNF for me. I got about halfway through and realized that nothing was clicking for me. The main character's entire personality was wrapped up in a PTSD diagnosis and the fact she could see ghosts. The conflict to the point I stopped was a malicious spirit coming after her and she was mistaken on the identity of that ghost because everyone in her life lied to her. It was all very transparent and not interesting to me. I realized that this just isn't the book for me and stopped.

This was creepy but disappointing as I’d heard it called horror and it wasn’t - it was almost as if it didn’t know what genre or genres it wanted to fit into. The writing was slow and just ok for me. Wouldn’t recommend

I did enjoy this book. I certainly wouldn't describe it as horror, it was supernatural, and I liked that. I also liked the small town feel, and the main character. I found the pace to be on the slow side, not good for an impatient reader like me .not a bad book, but didn't quite hit the spot for me.

A mystery in which the premise sounds better than the actual book. I think the pacing was too slow, and I wish it were more about the supernatural element.