Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

There were so many positives in the book! First I kept thinking of the quaint part of Salem, MA as I pictured the cute shops in the story with a downtown busy during tourist season. I love there there is talk of neurodivergence and representation in the novel. Miss Fitz truly is your “American mom” with a dirty kitchen and all. Finally, I love a good book with recipes. I really do think it adds a flash of character!

I wanted so much more for this book than it gave me. In terms of a cozy mystery I found it significantly more cozy than mystery. I would have enjoyed a bit more sleuthing around. I also found that there was a lot going on in the book in terms of characters. It was a bit difficult to keep straight as I didn’t feel like I connected with anyone other than the main character.

This is a good read for someone who wants a nice gentle rainy day mystery.

Setting the Scene: Miss Fitz (aka Missy, Melissa, Mrs. Fitzwright), the protagonist, is an overextended wife, mother, friend, daughter, daughter-in-law, amateur investigator, and a new witch. Her husband, Sin, is my favorite character in the book. Both are loving spouses and parents, but the way Sin supports but cares for Missy resounds with me. The kids are fairly "typical" kids for their ages, from early 20s to a 4th grader, with a few exceptions, and the exceptions lend a certain reality to this work of fiction. The two oldest are on the autism spectrum, and particularly the second child. This probably explains a lot about why both are still living at home. Both are high functioning and have jobs, but we see how Miss Fitz deals with them and gets support for herself.. Then, there is the magic. Miss Fitz is new to magic herself, and it seems that one or more of her children may also have the magic gene. That will make for some interesting interaction in future books. The other element that I need in my cozies is the friendships, and Miss Fitz has them. Oh, and I forgot to mention the animals, so many animals, but Coal, presumably Missy's familiar, is quite interesting. So, the elements are all there, a likeable protagonist, a strong relationship, a circle of friends, a little magic, and of course, murder.

What I Thought: This was a cute read. Missy has her hands full with her family, part-time jobs, an upcoming festival, an unexpected visit from estranged in-laws, and a body in the trunk of a friend's car, all making for an entertaining read. However, I thought there was too much name dropping of a peripheral character who was another peripheral character's friend's relative, etc. It cluttered the book unnecessarily. Additionally, while the mystery was decent, the ending was less than satisfying. It was as if the ending of the book was rushed. I do think this series has merit and will read the next book, but I hope some of the clutter is cleared and the mystery plays out more completely. I also would like to see more interaction between the friends. They were all so busy in this book they seemed to only squeeze in time for each other, here and there. That may be part of the realism, but I prefer a dose of fiction here. I did not read the first book, and that might have helped. I never read out of order for a reason, and I likely will go back and read it to try to clarify some things in this book. and get a better feel for the friend relationships and the discovery of the magic.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

I missed the first book in the series but I will rectify that.
Great characters and an entertaining whodunit.
Fans of paranormal cozies will enjoy this.
I hope to read further adventures with these characters.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This is my first book in this series, or in fact by this author and I will definitely be reading more. Well written with an engaging and cosy storyline and well developed characters. Really enjoyable

Miss Fitz has a hectic life with a husband, four children, a plethora of pets (talking ones, the best kind), and several part-time jobs. Oh, and she's only recently discovered she's a witch. When the local lothario turns up dead in her friend's trunk after a PTA meeting, Miss Fitz knows she needs to get to the bottom of it before the wrong person ends up behind bars.

I don't often pick up a book 2 without having read book 1 but when I saw that this book was set in Nashville, Indiana (quite possibly my favorite place) I had to check it out. Everything I love about Brown County made an appearance. There were animals, changing/falling leaves, shops (soap!), family, coffee, quirky country folks, and best of all... Sasquatch. Some of the local landmarks made an appearance like the leaf statue in front of the visitors center and I recognized some thinly disguised locations like Hard Mash Distillery, Salt Pork Road and Fatty Creek Road. Sigh. Reading this book was almost as good as actually being there.

Miss Fitz is the ultimate cozy character, she's a sweet mom, a loving wife, a rescuer of animals, a pursuer of justice and protector of the vulnerable and she's got every woman's dream purse. She's surrounded by some of the most charming (and some of the least charming) people. The setting is serene and beautiful and the recipes drool-worthy. I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

After reading I immediately found the first book because I enjoyed this one so much! The characters are a hoot! Small town, midlife problems, and a fun story will grab you from the get go and draw you in for a delightful time! A series I definitely will follow gladly!! Thanks #netgalley and #HawthorneGallupPublishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this strange book

took me a while to get into the book and though it was funny at times i could also put it down and walk away, it didnt really grab my attention which i find strange as its the sort of book i would normally love to read...

aw well you cant win them all

When the local free hippie is found dead, people are shocked. but Miss Fitz realizes that the fourth grade fourth grade genealogy project may just be linked to the man’s death.

As a witch, Miss Fitz find herself being brought onto the case by the local wizard PI to help solve the case. Add an unexpected visit from her in laws, several part time jobs, and managing a home and family and things can be overwhelming. but Miss Fitz will do her best to help solve the case and bring a killer to justice.

This is the first book I have read in this series and it’s rather cute. I can relate right to the midlife changes and having the chicks fly the coop. The concept of Miss Fitz finding out she is a witch this late in life is also relatable, in that we often find our true selves coming out as we get older. We come into our own and shine. The whole is really enjoyable and I’ll be back for more in this series!

Missed the first installment, but after reading this one, definitely going back for it. Loved this one with it's midlife relatable heroine, the quirky characters, small town setting and more.