Pawsitively Poisonous by Melissa Erin Jackson is the first book in the Witch of Edgehill cozy series – a series that is definitely off to a good start! This first book is interesting and fun, filled with cats of all types, has engaging characters and definitely keeps the reader guessing throughout. I enjoy a good cozy but am often frustrated by the overly-silly/naive main characters or the nature of the crimes but this was a solid mystery set in a quirky small town in Oregon.

Amber Blackwood, a lifelong resident of Edgehill, Oregon – and its resident witch – runs The Quirky Whisker, a shop full of novelties, “animated” toys and herbal teas and tinctures. Amber generally maintains a low profile in order to keep her witchcraft secret but, despite the care she’s taken, the Chief of Police has been suspicious of her since he arrived in the town 3 years ago. This all comes to a head when Amber’s best friend, Melanie, is found dead…with a bottle headache tonic from Amber’s shop in her hand. With his suspicions regarding Amber and the goings-on in her shop, Amber has just become the chief’s number one suspect.

When word gets out that Melanie was poisoned, the whole town begins to look at Amber with suspicion. Needing to clear her name, as well as find out who really murdered her friend, Amber begins an investigation using her unique gifts to guide her. Along the way, Amber discovers secrets about people that she thought she knew well and takes risks that threaten to reveal her biggest secret.

Thank you to Ringtail Press, NetGalley and Melissa Erin Jackson for providing this thoroughly enjoyable story in exchange for my review. I will be watching for more in this series and plan to check out Ms. Jackson’s other series as well.

Rating: 4 stars

Edgehill, Oregon was built around the stray felines that live there. All of the stores have cat-themed names, and one of those is The Quirky Whisker. The owner is Amber Blackwood and she has a secret..... she is a witch. She makes toys animated with spells, along with selling various potions and teas. When Amber's best friend Melanie is discovered dead with a vial from Amber's shop in her hand, Amber is the prime suspect. Amber must use her magical abilities to clear her name and find the real killer.
This book was absolutely delightful. Between the fun characters and the cozy mystery, this makes a great read. This is the first book in the Witch of Edgehill series, and I am already looking forward to book two.

This is a light read. I enjoyed some of the witchy aspects but acknowledge that I struggled with the main characters choices. Kind of 'the end justifies the means'. She is well-intentioned and a good moral compass but still....hmm! I found the storyline just a little incredible at times as well.

I am grateful to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for my copy to review.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. I really liked this mystery very much. If you enjoy the combining of magic and mystery, you should enjoy it as well. This is the first in a new series and, judging by the projected release schedule, there will be at least four in the series. Amber is a witch whom owns a toyshop and also sells herbal remedies. Not just any toyshop but one with special toys that seem to come to life and herbal remedies that seem to make everything better. The shop is located in a very special town where just about everything has to do with cats. Examples include street names like Russian Blue Avenue or Bengal Way. Almost every shop has a name that makes you think of cats - like Purrfectly Scrumptious Bakery. EdgeHill sounds like a great town to visit. Problem is, it also has a murder; Amber's best friend is found dead with a vial from Amber's tea in her hand. The Police Chief seems convinced that Amber has something to do with the death, while Amber wants to find out what happened to her friend. As Amber investigates, she discovers there was much she didn't know about Melanie's death. Amber is a great character and the town is well-created. I'm looking forward to visiting EdgeHill again and seeing what else happens when magic and murder combine.

This book was rather a deception for me. I love urban fantasy, I love cosy mysteries and I love cats, but I still wasn’t charmed by this story. On the bright side I read the book rather easily, the sign that many readers may like it more then I did.

The main characteristic of the book is its settings: an imaginary little town (well I suppose it’s imaginary) where all streets and shops have names made with cats’ puns. It supposed to be sweet and charming, I guess, but I’m rather ashamed to say that I find it irritating and a little bit silly. Furthermore I often had the impression of a murder story in a small town mixed with a chicklitt romance – without romance -, which hold a weird tonality (even is some parts sounded oddly like romance where it couldn’t/shoudn’t have).

The witch part was very good in the beginning, I loved the idea of bewitched toys, but I was frequently startled the compulsion of the heroin to drug everybody around her to manipulate their emotions and make them do, or say, thinks they wouldn’t have want to do or say, or even falling asleep without being able to wake for hours. Morally wrong and potentially dangerous. Of course the excuse is that she must do that to find her friend's murderer; and if she really had to do it alone, I’d admit her techniques more easily. But the problem is that I never could suspend by disbelief about her legitimacy to meddle in an investigation that hadn’t even began. And when it finally has begun, she makes very absurd decisions, information retention and speaking mindlessly to people around her! In the end, if the murder mystery was neatly solved, and satisfying, it wasn’t a difficult case at all, and the police would have found the murderer quickly and easily. The heroine intervention was completely superfluous logically speaking (yes, I know, without her there wouldn’t have been any story).

Still, the writing is pleasant and the main character interesting, so if you’re not as an hairsplitter than I am, if the premises of the book appeals to you, you may appreciate it much more than I did.

An interesting start to the new series. Amber Blackwood, a secret witch, is thrown into a murder investigation when her friend Melanie is found dead, a vial of headache medicine that Amber gave her clutched in her hand. While investigating the murder Amber starts to realize that her best friend had a whole life she wasn't privy to. An affair with a married man, a pregnancy...
While i figured out the killer early on it was still a very good read. I admit that the more i read the less i liked Melanie. An affair with a man whose wife was 6 months pregnant, moving to the town he lived in and picking up the affair and destroying the family despite the fact that her own mother was hurt by her husbands cheating...Amber's best friend was a crappy uncaring human being. The story was engaging and the characters were well developed even though Melanie was somehow made out to be a saint and not a homewrecker.

This book has a interesting story line. I enjoyed it. I would love to have a toy like the ones described in the book. #PawsitivelyPoisonous #NetGalley

Pawsitivity Poisonous is a wonderful, dark and incredibly rich mystery/thriller and fantasy novel, so well built and fast paced that I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, and the characters.

This novel submerges the reader in a landscape so imaginative and detailed that the information of the world building/plot never feels forced, and is never difficult to understand or picture in one's mind.

An escapist read that would be perfect for a summer camping trip, or in September when fall is just creeping into the edges of the season!

I am on a paranormal cozy kick as it’s one of my top three favorite genres, and when I saw this book, I knew I had to try it. I absolutely loved it! It was fun, the writing was great, and I had my suspicions about the killer, but I was wrong and it was great! While I felt that Amber was a little too isolated because she really didn’t have any friends/colleagues/close allies in the book to help her, I found that was probably the only thing I didn’t like about the book. And, to be honest, that’s not a terrible thing. All that showed me was that the author made me feel for the protagonist. The end was a gasp of “oh, no! What’s going to happen now?” and makes me want the next one. If you are fan of cozy paranormals, give this one try! Great book that I highly recommend, and I received a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Such a fun mystery! The characters were well-developed and engaging and the pacing made it difficult to put down! Jackson had the perfect mix of law/crime and witchy detail. Looking forward to more books in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ringtail Press for providing me with an ARC.

You know when it is cold and wet and you just want to curl up in a blanket with a cup of tea and read a good book, this is the book you should read.

The book revolves around the sudden death of Amber's friend, Melanie, and the secrets that those around her are hiding. I really enjoyed the mystery part, but more so the treatment of the side characters. The magic elements were not over the top and I liked how they were explained. I wish there was more world building, it is partially hinted at that there are 'good' and 'bad' witches but not really dealt with. I am guessing this will be teased out in future books.

I found this book to be similar tonally to Molly MacRae's Last Wool and Testament, which is a good thing. I feel like there is a genre of books about witches solving mysteries that I have only just discovered, which makes me happy, more to read.

Amber Blackwood of Edgehill, Oregon has a secret the the police are getting close to uncovering. Their suspicions get worse when she is suspected in the murder of her best friend. Quirky characters are revealed by Jackson along with a crime mystery. "A copy of this book was provided by Ringtail Press via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT IN THIS CUTE WITCHY SERIES.

Just the way I like my cozy paranormal mysteries, interesting and a solid plot line with the hint of more books to come, I hope. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

I’ve loved cozy mysteries for a while, especially paranormal ones. This has the best parts of both. There’s the spell work and witchcraft, and fear of discovery, but the selfless need to find answers as well. The plot moved along well, and had a good pace, and there weren’t too many red herrings. But, I wish there were more characters “in the know” on the magic secret, so that it wasn’t so much of a one woman pursuit. The world this was built in was fun, and I think I’d like to see it expand over a few stories. I liked that there wasn’t necessarily a love interest, but there was still emotional conflict for the main character.

Pawsitively Poisonous is a fabulous,entertaining cozy mystery. I loved the storyline and characters.

I really enjoyed this book. Interesting characters and premise.
I would recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Quirky Whisper, what a name for a shop, but one that's run by a witch.that lives in a town all about cats. What a quick, fun, laugh out loud read and a great beginning for a new series.

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.