A good cozy mystery, funny and entertaining.
I liked the humour, the cast of characters, the setting and the plot.
The mystery was good and engaging.
I look forward to reading other installment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Title: Pawsitively Poisonous (A Witch of Edgehill Mystery Book One)

Publisher: Ringtail Press

Author: Melissa Erin Jackson

Pages: 201pp

Price: $3.99

Amber Blackwood is a witch. A life-long resident of Edgehill, Oregon, she has carefully kept her magic secret from everyone except close family (the few who are left are witches, as well). As the proprietor of The Quirky Whisker, she specializes in creating unique toys for the children of Edgehill, and she has earned a reputation for being a bit odd, a bit of a loner, but she is well-liked -- by everyone except the Police Chief. Then, when her best friend is murdered, Amber suddenly finds herself at the center of the investigation. If she is to clear her name, Amber will have to use more of her magic in ways she never intended ... and risk revealing her secret to everyone in Edgehill ....

I am always on the hunt for new paranormal mysteries to read, especially those featuring witch detectives. As such, I quickly downloaded Pawsitively Poisonous when an advance reader copy became available.

This is a wonderful first book in a new series. Amber is spunky but sweet, highly creative, loyal, compassionate, and determined. She is devoted to her community, even volunteering for the annual Here and Meow Festival (yes, the town is cat crazy). Her magic matches her personality: it likes to create, to heal, to console. But it also responds to her intentions, her will; when she thinks or states what she wants clearly, when she has no doubts or internal conflicts, her magic responds.

Amber is supported by an interesting array of family, friends, acquaintances, and frenemies. Her sister Willow (also a witch) is a graphic designer. Her old high school friend Kimberly is a high-strung redhead with a good heart, while older Betty runs the Purrfectly Scrumptious bakery across the street and is one of Amber's strongest supporters. And, of course, there are Tom and Alley, her two cats who have little patience for Amber's creations.

The mystery itself is engaging, with enough suspects to keep me guessing until nearly the end of the book. I particularly liked how Amber used her magic to further her investigation: she dips into people's memories, gets them to admit uncomfortable truths, and even puts a coroner to sleep so that she cast another spell to uncover hidden evidence. Such spells raise a number of ethical questions, sometimes for Amber, and definitely for the reader.

According to the title list at the end of Pawsitively Poisonous, Jackson will be releasing four more books in the series through 2020. I look forward to reading all of them, and learning more about Amber, her magic, and her mysterious family history.

Recommended to fans of Bramble and Blood by Ashley Beasley, Dead Witch on a Bridge by Gretchen Galway, The Arcane Casebook series by Dan Willis, The Wiccan Wheel Mystery series by Jennifer David Hesse, and A Witchcraft Mystery series by Juliet Blackwell.

This is a fun cozy mystery that will please most people.
Being a witch is difficult and when the local police are leery of you, you can be sure when a murder takes place, you will be a suspect.
This story had plenty of fun elements and I enjoyed reading this story.

One of the best cozy mysteries I have ever read. I cannot WAIT for the next ones in the series. Must buy...must recommend...must make everyone read this adorable book!

Sneaky, sneaky witch...Amber Blackwood is a witch. She leads a rather normal life for a witch. She owns a shop called Quirky Whisker and she sells tea, different kinds of tinctures and toys which she makes herself. She lives in Edgewood and what is the most fun element is that in this town everything is about cats. There isn’t a shop or café which doesn’t have something “catty” in its name. I am more of a dog person but I enjoyed this aspect of the story. And then one day something terrible happens. Her best friend, Melanie is found dead, presumably murdered. And the new chief of police seems to think Amber’s got something to do with it. So Amber starts on a mission to find out what happened to her friend.

I liked that the story kept me guessing until the end. I did’t see it coming and that is always a good thing. What is also refreshing that there is absolutely no love interest between the two lead characters. Their dynamic makes the story even more fun to read.

The characters are great. Amber seems a little naive but I guess that’s okay, this is her first murder mysterie. Owen Brown, chief of police, now he is a really interesting guy. His character is not developed enough yet but I hope that will change in the following books. I will definitely read the following books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ringtail Press and Melissa Erin Jackson for my copy.