The mystery kept me guessing. I also liked the characters and the setting

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. I hope for more with these characters.

Murder Most Owl is the start to a new cozy mystery series by Sarah Fox. It's a Magical Menagerie in Twilight Cove. Georgie Johansen has returned to help out on Aunt Olivia's animal sanctuary farm. Things have changed in the years away. There's a new farmhand who's as mysterious as he is handsome. Then Georgie encounters the eccentric Dorothy Shale, an older woman who lives in a cabin in the woods. There are rumors that Dorothy's a witch, but Georgie doesn't believe that. When Dorothy is murdered Georgie becomes a suspect. Can she find the real killer? Maybe with the help of a couple magical dogs and a great horned owl.

What a wonderful start to a new series! There is a lot to love about Murder Most Owl. Alpacas. A man that bakes. The best name ever for a stationery shop. The most well-behaved dogs I've ever seen. I'm not the biggest fan of owls but i wouldn't mind having Euclid around. So many delightful little things here!

But it's the story and the writing most of all. I really appreciate the description of the town. I was able to imagine the layout and the look. Sometimes I have difficulty with this but it's done really well here.

The mystery is good, and I loved the fun, crazy stuff that happened along the way to solving it. The side characters are charming and make for a great supporting cast. I was worried about how I would feel about the magic, but I shouldn't have. It's a charming element and I liked Georgie's reaction to it.

From beginning to end Murder Most Owl is a wonderful story with great writing. You will finish reading with a smile on your face and ready for the next one in the series. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read. Murder Most Owl will be published April 2.

A nice start to a new series for fans of cozys who enjoy a touch of the paranormal. Georgie's come to Twilight Oregon to help her aunt Olivia at her animal sanctuary- a place with magical dogs and a really cool owl. A murder means they're both suspects and must find the real villain. I liked this for the animals (although the people are pretty fun too). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Classic cozy- not too complicated and will prompt a smile or two.

Murder Most owl was a typical cozy mystery. It had that mysterious handsome stranger. The protagonist has taken a leave of absence to help her ailing aunt.
There is a paranormal element - an owl that aides her in her investigations. I enjoyed the story because who doesn't like rescued sanctuary animals? But the caring for the animals beca!e routine and little was done to describe the
animals.
She of course goes against law enforcement warnings and thinks she is better than them.

It just felt formatic

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc of this book. The below is definitely my opinion freely given.

I cannot overstate how much I disliked this book.

The dialogue was uninspired and juvenile. The author should look into a thesaurus and a better wardrobe for her character ("My thin tshirt fluttered in the breeze" - Why are all her Tshirts so thin?)

I think my mine gripe of many is thats its first person. And there is a reason that not many authors end up going with a first person narrative. It makes it much harder to show and not tell. All this book does is tell. And its tells in a boring, predictable way.

Its the worst kind of insta love going....I bought his favourite beer....HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT HIS FAVOURITE BEER IS MA'AM? You have only had 3 conversations.

Shes so weak willed and ridiculous. He says one mediocre line to reassure her and he 'slips past her defences?' What defences? She only just thought of the concern (with zero evidence 🙄) and he says one thing and its all good? Infuriating

The fact that this is marketed as a cozy fantasy is offensive. Theres as much fantasy in this as there are aliens in The X Files. The magic is as ridiculous as the premise of the mystery.

Her 'investigation' amounts to a bunch of gossipy and overheard conversations and a few trips to the woods.

If I was a teacher and this was homework, it would be a D- with the comment 'Did you even try'.

Grrrr. This made me angry. I definitely rage read to the end. I should have dnf'd when the author used the phrase 'in broad daylight' about 4 times on one page and not ironically.

Murder Most Owl by Sarah Fox is the first debut of the series set in Twilight Cove Oregon a beautifully written fictional small town. Georgie Johansen is the protagnist having returned to her Aunt's rescue farm to help with the farm while her Aunt Olive recovers from a broken ankle. Georgie was a TV writer who knew success in LA. She has not returned to the ranch in years. Once she reconnects with her Aunt and the townspeople she is drawn into the beauty and peace of the enviornment. She is enjoying caring for her Aunt's charming animals and the farm.

When a murder occurs Georgie is on the case decifering red herrings and clues that abound in the case. She had met the mysterious victim in the woods and has her own doubts about what happened. She is smart, savvy and good at finding clues. As she progresses in the case she discovers she has a natural talent for investigating. The mystery deepens when its found out that the victim left her property to Aunt Olive. Now the suspicion falls on both her Aunt and Georgie. She must work to clear their names amid the suspicion and save the farm. The victims dogs and a owl join in to be companions to Georgie .

I loved this cozy and read it cover to cover. The story is so well crafted it is intriquing from page one to conclusion. I loved how the characters were developed, the setting and the mysterious sleuth that kept me guessing. A wonderful debut to this fascinating new series that I highly recommend. Well done to the author ! Thank you to the publisher, Net Galley and the author for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

Murder Most Owl is a new start to a cozy mystery series. Georgie is coming back to help her aunt out at the farm when she breaks her ankle. When her aunts neighbor is found dead, she is on the hunt for the killer.

This book was just ok for me. I loved the setting and the animals throughout. There was a very whimsical feeling to this cozy town. There were a lot of cute animals described as well.

I didn’t quite connect with any of the characters though. I feel like everyone was a bit flat and I didn’t connect. I also feel like it was a slow read and it kept dragging for me.

I probably won’t be continuing with this series. It wasn’t bad but wasn’t amazing either. Thanks so much to netgalley and Severn house for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Sarah Fox does it again! I enjoyed this first book in the new series so much! I was curious to see how the magical elements were going to be incorporated and it was SO well done! Something I really enjoy about Sarah’s writing is how her stories flow so seamlessly. Overall, this was such an enjoyable read and I already can’t wait for book 2!

A really entertaining read, this ticks all the cosy mystery boxes and has the added bonus of a hint of magic and romance.
The discovery of a dead body in a small costal town leads to a riveting whodunnit, I couldn’t put this down.
I’m excited to see what happens next and am looking forward to the next in the series.

Murder Most Owl by Sarah Fox is the first book in the Magical Menagerie Mystery series.

Sarah Fox is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors, I love all her series and was very excited for this new series.

The main character, Georgie Johnson moves back to Twilight Cove, and it doesn't take long for
her to get busy with a mystery and romance, and a murder.

I loved the characters in this book. Georgie's Aunt Olivia has an animal sanctuary which is such a nice addition to this story. I love Euclid, the great horned owl. All the characters, human and animal are so well written. I love the relationships that the author has built. Tessa is a great character as Georgie's' best friend.

This is such a great mystery with great characters.

I can't wait for more books in this new series.

Georgie hasn’t visited her Aunt Olivia’s farmin years and now it’s an animal sanctuary. She meets Dorothy who lives in the woods, who is believed to be a witch. When Dorothy is murdered, Georgie is suspected so she must find the killer.

An engaging mystery, quirky small town characters, some light romance, and loads of animals; what’s not to enjoy?

Not for me

The problem was, I didn’t feel any warmth from the main character. I didn’t make that connection that I so crave. I didn’t feel it. On the plus side, it’s well written and has a good flow. It just failed to excite me, failed to hold my interest. But it’s definitely not bad, just that I really need to connect with the main character. So it’s just a taste thing, you just try it for yourself and you might love it!

When her beloved aunt Olivia is injured, Georgie Johansen heads back to Twilight Cove to help her Aunt out on the farm while she recovers. It’s been a long time since Georgie has been back to see her aunt, and she find some old friends and make some new ones along the way.

When a rather reclusive neighbor is murdered in her cabin, both Georgie and aunt Olivia become suspects. Knowing that neither of them harm the woman, Georgie decides to clear their names before she heads back home. The question is whether George can clear their names, or if she’ll even be able to go back home.

This entry in a new, cozy series really knocked it out of the ballpark. There are quite a few suspects, quite a few red herrings, and yet a shocking conclusion at the end. This one has been added to my must read list.

Magical Doggos and a Mystical Owl! What more do you need in a new paranormal cosy? Oho, lets just give you a cinnamon roll farmhand, a seaside town, and a cracking mystery!

I must admit that I zipped through this cozy which isn't fair because it is absolutely fantastic! I wanted to give it more time! I will be putting it back on to my read again pile because I zipped through due to it being fun, well written and the character building was delightful as was the scene setting

Sarah Fox is definitely an author to follow and I recommend Murder Most Owl very highly!

Thank you to Netgalley, Severn House and Sarah Fox for this lovely ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This is an exciting start to a new series. It is an idyllic seaside town, great side characters, and especially lovable cozy companions - two adorable dogs and an owl! The main character is likable, and we have an extra swoony love interest too! I recommend this to readers who enjoy reading about animals because the MC lives at an animal sanctuary and there’s lots of detail about caring for animals. Another unique twist is that our cozy companions have some special abilities and seem to help the MC solve the case. I think this series has so much potential and I look forward to more books

This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It’s a mix of cozy/ spooky and romance. If you like those and animals this is for you!

“ Murder Most Owl” by Sarah Fox the 1st instalment in the "Magical Menagerie Mystery series”. I love Sarah’s writing style and totally loved her Sweet Confections series, Literary Pub Mystery series as well as the Pancake House Mystery series, so knew I wouldn't be disappointed!

Things are not always what they seem. Georgie Johansen returns to the charming, coastal town of Twilight Cove and quickly finds herself in a whirlwind of romance, magic and murder!

What a great start to a new series! I loved it! I really enjoyed visiting Twilight Cove, Oregon and the animal sanctuary owned by Georgie’s Aunt Olivia. Sarah is very good at descriptive writing so you feel like you’re right there walking amongst the woods or walking main street and seeing the picturesque stores. I know I would love to live there.

Everyone knows I’m a sucker for furbabies in my cozies so when you have two magical dogs named Fancy and Flossie , along with a great horned owl named Euclid, I was okay I’m in love. Another thing I enjoyed was the relationship between Georgie and her aunt Olivia, as well her high school bff Tessa.

I wasn't surprised by what happened to Dorothy but having all those suspects drew me in and I had to find out what happened to her as she seemed pivotal to the story!

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I didn’t completely guess whodunnit until Georgie did.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends and I can’t wait for book 2 to come out!

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Severn House and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A lover of all of Sarah Fox's series, I couldn't wait to read the first book in her new series. I absolutely loved it. She is a masterful storyteller. I immediately connected with Georgie and the mystery surrounding the mystery of the murder of Dorothy Shale, a woman not everyone liked or understood. Taking them under her wing during the murder investigation, Dorothy's dogs protect Georgie more than once. Not only that, but so does a great-horned owl. Amidst all of the suspicion, Georgie gets to know the new farmhand at Dorothy's animal sanctuary, adding a fun element of mystery and romance. I found myself rooting for Georgie in more ways than one. The storyline kept me guessing, and I can't wait for the next installment. Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Georgie, a screenwriter living in LA, has returned to the small Oregon coast town where her Aunt Olivia lives. Olivia needs help with her animal sanctuary while she heals from a broken ankle. Georgie meets the handsome sanctuary manager and a mysterious old woman who lives in the woods behind the farm. When the woman is murdered, Georgie and her aunt take in the woman’s dogs. Georgie becomes one of the suspects and begins to snoop into the circumstances. The dogs (and an owl) begin to show very special abilities. All of her questions soon land her in danger.
It’s a fun twist that the animals, not the people, have special abilities. I liked the setting and the characters, with a touch of romance.
Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for the ARC.