Magick & Mayhem is a promising start to a new series by Sharon Pape. Fresh characters, a mystery that kept me guessing, and a little romance makes it well worth the read. Looking forward to more in this series.

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

MAGICK AND MAYHEM by Sharon Pape
The First Abracadabra Mystery

Life had always been a bit different for Kailyn Wilde. The family's magickal store, Abracadabra, sees loyal customers travel for miles to purchase health and beauty products with a magickal touch. Lately, however, the magick has been acting up and not always working right. Kailyn's mother and grandmother, recently deceased, but certainly not gone, pop in to offer advice between bickering between themselves, but have no answers. Kailyn and Aunt Tilly get an even bigger surprise when they find their family lawyer dead in his office! Who could have killed Jim Harkens?

MAGICK AND MAYHEM is a story about family, friends, and dealing with the unexpected. When Kailyn attempts to get her own familiar she instead summons Merlin. Yes, THAT Merlin. The first Abracadabra Mystery is filled with great characters, including Merlin, the silly Aunt Tilly and quarrelsome matriarchal ghosts. My favorite character is Sashkatu, the elderly black cat who looks at the world with disdain. Kailyn Wilde is a likeable protagonist struggling to keep her world as normal as a magickal life can be, especially when murder enters the picture.

Sharon Pape provides an entertaining mystery with plenty of fun. MAGICK AND MAYHEM is a solid start to a new mystery series.

While the cover is gorgeous and I seriously want a poster of it, it's a tad misleading if you take it literally. There's no flying broomsticks as that's a real thing in this setting, apparently.

I love how the magic is understated and simplistic, that intent and belief play such a large role.
Drawn in quickly.
Easy to read.
Ow: The Treatment of Aunt Tilly.
She's a stereotype of fat women, even includes her running and causing a scene over seeing a mouse. She's comic relief. She's a burden and a godsend depending on what Kailyn and the scene needs.
She puts on the typical fortune teller show, including g*psy garb, because "that's what people want and pay for". Why does every fucking book insist on using this reason to be lazy about their characters and perpetuate harmful crap?! Ugh.
Love the herd of kitties!
But the familiar magic and purpose isn't explained. Do familiars live longer than normal pets? What's so special about them? Do they really get to pick their kind of familiar?
Why the detective doesn't like Kailyn isn't explained or explored. It just is.
During the showdown I lost track of a major player. Went back to check and couldn't figure it out. Did they disappear into a plot hole?
Did not expect the last revelation about the town. I think that's very clever, ties things together and makes me wonder about the sequel.


There's a lot going on in Magic & Mayhem, so it's aptly named, but I don't think it was all executed well. I want to read the sequel to find out more and enjoy Kailyn, but Aunt Tilly is an annoying cardboard cutout which makes me hesitant to go further. Considering this was just published on the 2nd, I'll see what the next blurb is about and make my decision from there.





I hope that was helpful! I know this book would be perfect for some, but it's only mildly worthwhile for me.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

While this is definitely a decent start to this new series, Magick & Mayhem, almost didn't make the cut for me. I found it to be very disjointed and confusing at the beginning. However, I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the first half, which redeemed it a bit.

The characters are definitely interesting. Kailyn's certainly fun and inquisitive. Aunt Tilly & Merlin add some extra spice to the group. They're fairly well-rounded characters, though it didn't really seem like it at first. At first, they simply seemed all over the place and not developed at all. I'm not a fan of the heroine who decides that she must poke her nose in when she really doesn't have that much of a reason. I can see where Kailyn thinks she has a reason, but honestly, until her friend is actually arrested, it seems pretty flimsy at best.

The descriptions of the settings were okay, but not great. I had a hard time imagining many of the settings, including Kailyn's shop and house. It would've helped to have a little more detail there.

The story line... thankfully it got better as the book went on. The first half of the book, I was very confused by the secondary plot and found that getting in the way of the main plot line. The longer the book went on, however, the better the two plot lines merged and successfully played off of each other. I also did not know who the villain was until it was revealed. I was off on the wrong track completely.

Normally, when I'm reading a new book, I give the book 50-100 pages to reel me in (depending on the length of the book). However, when I'm reading a book for review, I don't do that for the most part (there has been one exception to that). In this instance, I'm glad I didn't stop reading because it did get better the longer it went on and by the end of the book I actually found myself enjoying it!

I do recommend this book, mostly because it gives a decent introduction to the characters that we're sure to see in the future. I do plan to give the series another try when the second book comes out in November. I'm hoping that the writing style of that book will be more like the second half of this one when everything was starting to finally gel together.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This new series from Sharon Pape is off to a magickal start!

We meet Kailyn Wilde who has inherited the family business due to the unexpected passing of her mother and grandmother. Her Aunt Tilly operates the attached tea room and does readings by appointment. When they arrive at their lawyer’s office to tie up a few loose ends they are shocked to find the man has been murdered very recently. Kaitlyn and the attorney’s wife Elise are best friends and she can’t imagine what she will do without her husband. Then Kailyn realizes the detective on the case thinks Elise is his prime suspect. With Aunt Tilly’s help and a little assistance from Sashkatu, a very special black cat, Kailyn is on a mission to catch the real killer before you can say Abracadabra!

What an enchanting read. I liked Kailyn and Tilly from the beginning and when they are joined by a very special guest the story got even better. Kailyn also has some visits from her dearly departed grandmother and mother that were so funny. All the characters are cleverly written. They reminded me of characters created by the late Joyce and Jim Lavene‘s in their Renaissance series. Fun, quirky, unique and a pleasure to follow around.

The story is full of twists, turns, mystery, and comedy. When magick goes awry you need to be prepared for surprises and the author delivers plenty of those. The final reveal was dramatic and unexpected. As a fan of this author I expected no less. I have been entertained by every story of hers that I have read.

If you are looking for a lighthearted cozy mystery, you need look no further than Magick & Mayhem. For me the visit to New Camel ended much too soon. I can’t wait to go back again for That Olde White Magick coming this November.

I love this new series. It combines so many wonderful, magical things I love to read about. It is a true cozy in every sense. Plus we have a light bit of time travel, a plethora of cats, no, one can never have too many cats...
It has the much loved small town flavor with requisite gossip and feuds plus plenty of suspects with believable motives. I didn't want to leave New Camel and am looking forward to my return visit.

Magick & Mayhem by Sharon Pape is the first book in her new paranormal cozy mystery series. I enjoyed reading this book and felt that it was a great series debut.
Kailyn Wilde now runs her family's magic shop titled Abracadabra. She's twenty something, smart and independent. The small town that she lives in made for a perfect setting for this easy cozy read. I loved that Ms. Pape added a twist to the plot by introducing a secondary character that is legendary, Merlin. He added some wonderful humorous moments as the story unfolded. Aunt Tilly was also a great addition as Kailyn's partner in crime solving. A quickly paced plot that is well written with enough suspects to keep me guessing until the reveal made for a lovely afternoon read.

Magick & Mayhem
An Abracadabra Mystery, Book #1
Sharon Pape
5 Stars

Synopsis:

What’s in a murderer’s bag of tricks?

Twenty-something Kailyn Wilde has learned to embrace her unpredictable life as a descendant of small-town New Camel’s most magickal family. She just didn’t expect to inherit her mother and grandmother’s centuries-old shop, Abracadabra, so suddenly. The surprises keep coming when Kailyn goes to finalize the estate at the local attorney’s office—and stumbles over the body of her best friend Elise’s husband . . .

As a brash detective casts the blame on Elise, Kailyn summons her deepest powers to find answers and start an investigation of her own. What with running a business, perfecting ancient spells, and keeping up with an uninvited guest of fabled origins, Kailyn has her hands full. But with the help of her uncanny black cat Sashkatu and her muumuu-clad Aunt Tilly, she’s closing in on a killer—who will do anything to make sure she never tests her supernatural skills again!

“Pape has a sure‑handed balance of humor and action.” —Julie Hyzy, New York Times bestselling author (Goodreads)


Review:

Kailyn inherited her mother and grandmother’s magick shop when they were both taken suddenly. Her aunt Tilly is her only remaining relative and together they are trying to put their lives back together. When they stumble across the body of their lawyer, their lives take another twist. Kailyn decides she is going to solve the mystery before her friend, the deceased’s wife, takes to the blame and gets put away in jail.

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Kailyn is smart and loyal and inquisitive. She is a good friend and a good niece. She tries very hard to not display her magick to others, as she has been taught from her mother and grandmother. But sometimes a girl just cannot help herself. Aunt Tilly is feisty and you never know what she may say or do, and neither does Kailyn. The secondary characters also add a lot to the story, including a love interest for Kailyn.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all the action take place. I could picture the magick shop and all of the mysterious items it contains. I love when an author can take me away from reality and into the world that they have created, and that is exactly what happened in this book.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. The mystery was carried on well throughout the entire book, and with so many suspects to consider and clues to sift through, I was unable to figure out the culprit until it was revealed at the end. That is another plus in my book.

I would recommend this well crafted cozy to anyone who enjoys a book with great characters, a solid mystery, humor and a little bit of paranormal (the paranormal is not overpowering), all blended together perfectly. I have read another one this author’s cozy mystery series, A Portrait In Crime Mystery, and I really enjoyed it. I am so happy that she is writing a new series and I cannot wait to read future books.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this great book.

A magickal start to a new series! The characters were quirky, the setting was wonderful, and the mystery was shocking. My favorite part had to be Merlin appearing. He was so awesome!

Magick And Mayhem is the first book in the An Abracadabra Mystery series.

Kailyn Wilde has recently taken over the family business of magical products, lotions, spells, etc., with the sudden death of her mother and grandmother. The shop is connected to her Aunt Tilly’s shop, Tea and Empathy.

They have an appointment with their lawyer to sign the papers turning Abracadabra over Kailyn. Instead, they body of the lawyer, Jim Hastings, dead from a gunshot wound. When Detective Max Duggan to investigate murder are put off by his abrasiveness. As the police begin to investigate, Hastings’ wife, Elise, becomes a person of interest as they had been having marital problems. Kailyn and Elise are close friends as Kailyn had babysat for Elise when her boys were young.

With the help of a news reporter, sets off on her own investigation, as she soon learns that Duggan might have has reason to kill Hastings. But there are quite a few suspects that Kailyn has to sort through before she can name the killer.

This book has a good mix mystery solving and humorous characters. Early in the book Kailyn tries a spell to get her own familiar. There are enough cats around so she tries to conjure up, maybe, a dog. What she ends up with is Merlin the Sorcerer. The interactions of Merlin and Aunt Tilly were particularly funny and of course, Merlin having to deal with all the new technology that exists.

I will be watching for the next book in this very entertaining new series.

Interesting idea with a decent, easy to read writing style. I liked the nature of the small town murder needing to be investigated and how tied up everyone is in each other's lives. I even liked how the main character just happened to have magic, that wasn't essential to the stories progress. It just was.

However, really struggled with motivation. Why does Kailyn think she's the one that can solve the case? It's not magic related. The detective isn't shown to be incompetent and when his authenticity and ability to do the job is called into question, it was half way through the book and Kailyn had already been investigating herself for half of it. I just really didn't understand why she felt like she was the only one who could solve the case with her only experience being crime shows and Nancy Drew novels.

3.5/5 stars. An enjoyable read with an interesting premise, but character motivations didn't line up for me which made it quite difficult to get through and believe.

A fun series debut.

Kailyn Wilde inherits her magical potion shop from her mother and grandmother, though they're not entirely gone, since they visit regularly in ghost form.

What I liked: Kailyn, her aunt and the cats. The misfiring spells were also intriguing, though I felt at though we were kind of left hanging about them. Obviously, something is causing problems with magic, and I want to know what's going on, haha.

What I wasn't so "Wilde" about: Kailyn's ghosts. The constant bickering between them got old fast. Merlin. He comes off as kind of bumbling, rather than a great magician. And his refusal to understand that he couldn't use magic in front of others bugged me. Then again, did they ever explain to him how it could be dangerous to all of them to be exposed?

All in all, it was an amusing book that I enjoyed. The characters could use some fleshing out, maybe tone down the bickering mother/daughter ghosts and bring the issues with magic a bit more to the forefront, since I am not entirely convinced Merlin fixed the issue (and frankly, it would be too easy if he had!).

This is going to be a tricky review. I like the book, but as cozy mysteries go, it wasn't my favorite.

What I did like was the premise. The characters and how they dealt with the world around them. Kailyn is dealing with more than her fair share of problems. Especially since her mother and grandmother just passed away but can somehow still pop in to see her to complain about how she's dealing with things. It's hard enough to lose people but to have them come back to harass you is hilarious. She does not need this! Every time they popped in, I had to stifle a giggle.

What I enjoyed most about Kailyn is that even with magick being real, she doesn't lean on it to move through life. She handles her problems just like everyone of us. Or tries to. I loved, loved, loved the hint of romance. Although she seems to trust people a bit too soon for my liking. There was just a murder. DO NOT TRUST anyone. Has nobody watched horror? In Kailyn's defense she probably doesn't have time but that portion of the character really got to me. Stranger danger woman!

The detective was actually getting on my nerves but I was hoping that their lack of chemistry was going to lead to some chemistry but they really just hate each other. Which was yet another layer or hilarity. Every time she gets information and had to take it to the police she hems and haws over whether or not to take it to him.

Whoops, already went into what I didn't like. To continue, the familiar aspect was a bit strange. I never felt like it was fully recognized and brought out what happened and why. This part of the plot was huge and made a ton of differences in many parts of the story, so more information on this would have been fabulous. Also, while some clues are given, I didn't guess the perpetrator but more because the clues seemed to point to other suspects. Maybe that was on purpose though? Or I'm losing my touch! NO!!!

All in all, although it wasn't my favorite cozy mystery, it was easy to read and I really liked the characters. As a friend I would definitely remind Kailyn that strangers are bad, mmmkay? But other than that, it was super fun. I'll be in line for book two, for sure!

Kailyn has taken over the family shop Abracadabra after the death of her mother and grandmother. When she goes to her lawyer with her Aunt Tilly to finalize some paperwork, they find him dead. As her best friend is his wife, Kailyn decides to investigate to make sure Elsie (or her or her aunt) isn’t charged for his murder. But she soon catches the eye of the killer and receives a note threatening her to keep her nose out of the investigation. Will she stop the killer before he strikes again? This is my first book by this author, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I did find myself pleasantly surprised as I found the book to be well-written, the characters were fun and interesting (Merlin was my favorite), and the plot kept me engaged throughout the entire book. There were a couple of times I was a drawn a little bit out of the story. For example, when a threatening note was left under her door, she didn’t contact the police. My first thought was why not? If there were prints on the note, everything might have been taken care of. However, these things didn’t really hamper my enjoyment of the book just made me a little confused. I really enjoyed this book, and I will definitely read the next in the series. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the e-copy of the book which I voluntarily reviewed. This same review will be posted on both Goodreads and Amazon.

Magick & Mayhem: An Abracadabra Mystery
By Sharon Pape
Kensington Books
May 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

Twenty-eight year-old Kailyn Wilde comes from a long line of strong, self-sufficient women. She is descended from an even older lineage of the practioners of magick, but Kailyn never thought that she would so soon become the owner of her family’s mystical store of potions, lotions, and healing creams. The sudden death of both her grandmother and mother left Abracadabra in Kailyn’s care, and she would have found the task and grief overwhelming if not for the fact that their presences continually pop to provide opinions, advice, and their afterlife’s ongoing mother-daughter bickering. It was in fact Kailyn and her muumuu-wearing psychic Aunt Tilly’s trip to their attorney’s office to discuss their family’s legal matters that leads to the horrific discovery of Jim Harkens, shot to death in his office. Although recent disturbances in her family’s magickal mojo-force have their abilities going a little wonky, Kailyn’s love of mysteries and Nancy Drew compel her to investigate and help her widowed friend. Evidence seems a little too conveniently pointed towards Elise Harkens as a vengeful wife, and Kailyn is unable to accept that her former babysitter could have ever committed murder.

Gifted with her somewhat-deceased mother’s potions and her own telekinetic powers, Kailyn decides that it’s time to summon her own familiar; this despite the Wilde women’s previous attempts that resulted in five cute but non-magickal housecats. Instead of the wished for canine though, Kailyn finds in Abracadabra’s basement a bewildered, but very intrigued, elderly man calling himself Merlin. It is in fact the legendary wizard who has been summoned to New Camel, New York from across the seas and through1500 hundred years, and reigning in his impressive attempts to “help” Kailyn and Aunt Tilly will keep them as busy as discovering which of Jim Harken’s clients felt betrayed by the attorney. This will have Kailyn combining forces with the stunningly attractive local reporter Travis Anderson, who may not believe in magick but certainly is enchanted with Kailyn’s charm.

This debut series by the author of the A Portrait in Crime mysteries introduces an undaunted and focused new heroine, who blends her love of detection with her talent for magick. Kailyn barely hesitates before violating a few ethical rules when delving into legal files, but she is very stringent regarding the practice of black, white, and even gray magick. The paranormal element grows stronger with Merlin’s delightful appearance, as he has no inhibitions against using his spells for retribution or to coerce information. The relationships between the Wilde women is as fun and complicated as one would expect between mothers and daughters, not all of whom are still among the living. The whimsical use of magick spurs along a surprisingly complex mundane mystery, and the promise of romance and further exploration of the origins of New Camel will give readers even more to look forward to with the next appearance of Abracadabra and its wares.

I love reading cozy mysteries with a supernatural twist. Nothing too graphic or too paganish. This is right up there with one of my favorites series (Wisteria Witches by Angela Pepper).. The plot is twist-y enough with putting you to sleep and I like the characters. Not too complex but a solid good for a cozy debut. I fully expect the next entry to flush out the characters and setting more.

She was a witch in training when tragedy struck and took both her mother and her grandmother. Now she owns the magic shop but doesn't have all the skills she needs yet to be a sorceress. When she goes to her lawyer's office to sign the final papers on the shop, she finds him dead...

Kensington Books/Lyrical Underground and Net Galley allowed me to read this ebook for review (thank you). It will be published May 2nd.

The magic was low key until Kailyn does the spell to find her familiar. Her other relatives have cat familiars but hers is unexpected. She summoned Merlin! As you can guess, this spices up the story. Her aunt takes him in and spoils him with food and modern conveniences. He spouts magic here and there and creates even more problems for Kailyn.

The cops eventually arrest the lawyer's wife for murder. She's Kailyn's friend and she knows she didn't do it. It looks like she's going to have to prove that, though. Not only is she unskilled in magic, she's not the best private eye either.

When she finally identifies the killer, she's got another problem. He finds her first and covers all three of them with a gun. He plans to kill them, too...

I enjoyed the touch of magic, Kailyn's crazy aunt, Merlin, and the cats. This was a fun book to read and I'll be looking for more in this series. Give it a try, it's a very good cozy.

Kailyn Wilde inherited her mother and grandmother’s centuries old shop, Abracadabra, when they were unfortunately involved in an accident. Coming from a long line of those with magical abilities in the small town of New Camel Kailyn does her best to keep the magic flowing in the shop while keeping the witchcraft under wraps.

When Kailyn and her aunt head to the attorney’s office to finalize the estate they end up finding of their lawyer who happens to be the husband of a good friend of Kailyn. The police are called to the scene and being the first there Kailyn and her aunt become suspects so Kailyn decides to take it upon herself to begin investigating the crime not only to clear her own name but to bring closure to her friend.

Magick and Mayhem is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Sharon Pope. I am such a sucker for a fun cozy mystery where the character doesn’t act like they are the police but gets involved with their own questioning and looking into the case. But this one especially caught my attention involving unique characters with a magic shop being involved so I had a feeling I would love it and am certainly glad I wasn’t wrong.

The only thing really I would say with this one would be that there were some things left untouched that I hope the author revisits later in the series which brought my rating to 4.5 stars. Otherwise I enjoyed all the characters, even the critters with their own personalities that are mentioned, and the twists and turns looking for the killer. A fun cozy with the magical twist that I’d recommend to those that enjoy something a little out of the ordinary.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A magical murder mystery that is fun to read.

Kailyn Wilde inherits her family business after the tragic death of her grandmother and mother. Dealing with all that and that her and her families magic lately has been unpredictable she just can’t get a break. She tries to summon a familiar and instead gets the great Merlin who she now has to babysit. Can’t have the towns people know she has real magic. Then she goes with her aunt to the attorney’s offices she stumbles upon her best friends Elise’s husbands dead body. Kailyn realizes that her best friend, her aunt and herself are now suspects. She has to figure out who did it. Will she be able to run a business, babysit Merlin, find a way to fix their powers, and find the killer? You will have to read this book. A good cozy mystery.

Abracadabra is a magick shop in New Carmel. The store
has been owned by a family of powerful sorcerers for many
generations. The owner currently is Kailyn Wilde.
The magick shop has a wide selection of balms, topical relief
creams, lotions plus magic spells that are available to those
that believe in the power of magick.
Kailyn's eccentric Aunt Tilly has an adjoining shop where
she does fortune telling, sells and serves teas plus always
has bake goods available for her customers.
Kailyn has a house full of cats. The oldest is a black cat
named Sashkatu who goes to work most days in addition to
living with Kailyn and the other cats. He is a very a well defined,
very temperamental cat with a bold, stubborn personality. He
plays an important role in the story.
Kailyn and Aunt Tilly have an appointment with their lawyer
regarding the wills of Kailyn's recently deceased mother and
grandmother.
Arriving at their lawyer's, they discover him dead in his office.
Oh my....he was the husband of Kailyn's best friend, Elise.
To help clear Elise's name, Kailyn starts her own investigation.
To complicate matters, a wizard suddenly appears in the
magick shop storeroom. A lot of products are destroyed when
he knocks over several shelving unit.
Kailyn has her hands full with Aunt Tilly antics, the lost
wizard, a murder to solve, a grumpy police detective, a
handsome investigative newscasting reporter and
occasional visits from the spirit world of her deceased
mother and grandmother.
Interesting, vivid and colorful characters involved in a plot
with plenty of twists and turns.
The story has suspense, mystery and intrigue mixed along
with humor, paranormal and a hint of romance.
I volunteered to read this eBook. Thanks to Lyrical
Underground via Net Gallery for the opportunity. My opinion
is my own.