I had no clue what to expect as I first started reading this first installment in the Magical Menagerie Mystery series, but what a treat it was!

It’s part cozy mystery, part romance, with adorable animals that made it all more fun.

*many thanks to Severn House, Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

This was a super cute and fun read! I loved all the characters and can't wait for the next installment in the series. I need to know what happens! This was my 1st book by Sarah Fox but will most certainly not be my last! I am adding all of her books to my TBR!

#MurderMostOwl
#NetGalley

DNF, not for me. I couldn't connect with the voice for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This cozy mystery about a girl from the big city who returns to the country to help out her aunt. In the process of doing so a death occurs and she and her aunt become suspects. She decides that she is going to solve the murder in order to clear their names. While doing so she finds magic, friends and love.

A fun and cozy mystery! I especially enjoyed the setting (more books set in Oregon, please!) and the animals!

Thank you @Net Galley and @Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC. Imagine if animals could communicate with you, help you solve a murder and be a loyal friend. This book has it all. I enjoyed listening to this story about Georgie, who comes back to take care of her aunt on her farm. She gets there and her aunt neighbor is killed and she is the main suspect. Can the murdered womens animals lead her to the real killer? A must read.

Thank you Severn House, Dreamscape, and Netgalley for the audio arc of Murder Most Owl.

Quick take: Wonderful narration and a delightful cozy mystery with a touch of cozy romance.

This is the first in a series and the first book by Sarah Fox that I've read. (Technically listened to.) I walked into this thinking it would be a cutesy cozy mystery because of the cover. This exceeded my average expectations. Well written, extremely well narrated. I'm hooked for this series and need to start pulling Sarah Fox from the TBR pile to the currently reading pile.

Georgie is our main character. A typical return to her hometown happy place to help her Aunt who hurt her ankle. Aunt Olivia has a rescue farm ran by handsome farm manager, and a mysterious neighbor woman with a magical reputation. Prepare yourself for adorable animals, a touch of magic (really just a touch), more romance than I expected, and a wonderful cozy feeling with multiple murders. Yes, multiple. Probably more than i've read in any recent cozy. It's not gruesome and all happens off the page. There's a bonus cold case mystery as well if you want more than murder.

The characters and story telling are delightfully real. And a lot of that is owed to the narrator, Hallie Bee Bard. She brought a natural cadence to the story and much emotion through her voice. I really felt like I was listening into conversations between two people . Take out the murder and magic and it's a well written interesting story of these handful of characters living in this lovely small town. If Georgie had just Nancy Drew'd the cold case mystery alone, I would have liked it. So all the other happenings just hooks you and reels you in.

The book starts average, but keep going let the story just carry you along.

This was just so magical. I loved it.

A perfect cozy crime with wonderful characters, a beautiful setting, a great mystery and an overall captivating story. I loved the dogs and of course the owl so much and hope to be getting to read more about them soon. I just need a part two immediately.

Hallie Bee Bard’s narration was perfect and just added to the story.

As this was my first book by the author I’ll definitely be checking out more of her writing.

MURDER MOST OWL is the first book in the Magical Menagerie Mysteries by Sarah Fox. What a wonderful start to a brand-new series! There’s a well-plotted mystery to solve, a bit of romance, a little magic, and darling animals living at an animal sanctuary to make you smile. The protagonist, Georgie Johansen, has returned to Twilight Cove, Oregon to help her aunt out with the animals, after her aunt broke her ankle. She only means to stay for a short time, but you know she’s going to fall in love with the town and the animals, the same as this reader, which kept me glued to the story. The setting is charming, the characters are memorable, and the mystery kept me guessing. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series!

I listened to the audiobook version thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley. Narrator Halle Bee Bard did an excellent job capturing the personality of Georgie. She also easily differentiated between the voices, so I never felt lost. I felt like the narrator brought the story to life in a way that would have been missing had I read the book.

Audio Book Review - When narration is clear and precise the tale is told well and the use of multiple voices offers the listener a balance opportunity to immerse oneself in the story. This was all present in Murder Most Owl, and I was drawn in by the silky tones making a seemingly uncomplicated narrative very enjoyable. The story itself was intricate and charming with a hint of romance thrown in. Strange twists keep it going

I really enjoyed this book. It had the perfect blend of something magical and a cozy mystery story.

The main character is fun to follow around as she tries to navigate the world around her, and the other characters are also a delight. I loved all the animal friends she amasses. :)

This book is great if you want a little magic in your everyday life, and like books similar to Nancy Drew but for a more adult audience (this is high praise, I love Nancy Drew).

Thank you for the ARC, I loved it.

I received an ALC from netgally. I loved this book. Obviously flossy and fancy were the main stars of the show. I loved this. I really didn’t expect things to go like that but I was pleasantly surprised. This was a nice easy listen for a car ride. It made driving much more pleasant. This has it all. Mystery, romance, small town, magic and tones of secrets.

I loved this story! The animal rescue to the owl and spaniels. It was a great cozy mystery and I was all-in through the end of the book. It was great to meet a cast of characters I'd love to see in another book!

This was a fun cozy mystery with a hint of paranormal - magic animals! Georgie has returned to her aunt's animal sanctuary on adorable sounding Twilight Cove and boom, murders. She is a suspect, and while she tries to solve the crime, she also finds romance. It was a sweet little story and I loved the dogs magical abilities. Georgie doesn't really solve the crime , but the killer is found, the ending was good and I would read more books in this series.

Like most cozy mysteries, I find some of the description super unnecessary. Do I need to know that you drove to town and got a good parking spot? Do I need to know everything you ate each day? Probably not, but in general the book was setting us up for more in the series and now we know the town a little better.

The narration was great. I appreciate the ARC!

Such a charming book! I love a good cozy mystery with a punny title and this book certainly delivered. A little romance, a little magic, and lots of heart -- just what I needed.

Great start to a new series! The characters were intriguing, particularly Dorothy, who unfortunately doesn’t make it, and the mystery had me investigating along with Georgie as she uncovered clues and followed them. There were a few unbelievable moments, which are to be expected, and one break-in scene, which I am not a fan of, but other than that, I enjoyed getting to know Georgie and the rest of the residents and look forward to visiting with them again.

Sarah Fox’s *Murder Most Owl* is a charming addition to the cozy mystery genre, blending a picturesque setting with a sprinkle of magical intrigue. Set in the coastal town of Twilight Cove, the novel follows Georgie Johansen, a screenwriter who returns to her aunt’s newly converted animal sanctuary after years away. What starts as a nostalgic visit quickly turns into a gripping mystery when she discovers the body of Dorothy Shale, an eccentric local rumored to have magical powers.

Fox deftly creates a cozy atmosphere with her vivid descriptions of the sanctuary and the quirky townsfolk. The mystery is engaging, with plenty of red herrings and a touch of whimsy provided by Dorothy’s enigmatic presence and her animals, particularly the great-horned owl. Georgie’s race to clear her name and solve the murder is both suspenseful and heartwarming, showcasing her growth as she navigates the complexities of small-town life and its hidden secrets.

The novel’s blend of humor, suspense, and the magical elements of Dorothy’s animal companions make *Murder Most Owl* a delightful read. With its well-drawn characters and a plot full of twists and turns, it’s a perfect pick for fans of cozy mysteries looking for a fresh and engaging story.

Murder Most Owl, the debut novel in Sarah Fox's Magical Menagerie Mysteries, introduces a unique blend of paranormal elements and cozy mystery. The story revolves around Georgie, a screenwriter who relocates to Twilight Cove, Oregon, to assist her aunt Olivia, the owner of a farm and animal sanctuary.

Georgie is a delightful amateur sleuth. She is kind and helpful, curious and thoughtful. She is intrigued by and attracted to the cute, mysterious farmhand who does a lot of work on the farm and some baking on the side.

Georgie is drawn into a mystery when a woman she meets, an accused witch, ends up dead and leaves all of her property to Georgie's aunt. Due to the inheritance, Georgie and her aunt both fall under suspicion.

The accused witch had three pets, a Great Horned Owl and two English Springer Spaniels who may or may not have special powers and a desire to help Georgie solve the mystery.

Murder Most Owl was a great story. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The mystery was captivating, and it served as a promising start to a new series. I particularly relished the audio version, narrated by Hallie Bee Bard, whose storytelling skills I found engaging. I eagerly look forward to the next installment in this series, whether in book or audio form.

Thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

It's been a while since I've indulged in a cozy mystery and this one was light and fun. I enjoyed the wide cast of characters, the small town charm and as a romance reader enjoyed the touch of a romance storyline. I'd continue the series

Murder Most Owl is the first book in a new light paranormal cozy mystery series by Sarah Fox. Released 2nd April 2024 by Severn House, it's 224 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in Dec 2024 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a very light easy to read cozy romance mystery with significant paranormal elements. There are tie-ins to a long ago unsolved cold case, a current poisoning murder, and lots of animals on MC Georgie's aunt's animal sanctuary (which naturally comes equipped with a handsome mysterious ranch hand as a love interest).

It's written in first person PoV which is challenging, and there's quite a lot of "telling" instead of "showing" in the writing, but altogether, it's diverting, very light, easy to read, and fun. The language is squeaky clean with one tiny exception) and the violence mostly occurs off the page.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 7 hours 54 minutes and is capably read by Hallie Bee Bard. She has a well modulated, slightly breathy alto, and for this read, a sort of generic midwest American accent. There are some points where the more rapid dialogue exchanges get a bit confused as far as character delineation goes, but it's not egregious, and it is easy enough to tell them apart that it never becomes confusing.

Three and a half stars. It's a promising start to a new paranormal/magical realism mystery series. There is a strong element of insta-love between the MC and another character, but as long as that's not a deal-breaker, it's a fun read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.