What a great start to a new cozy series! I thought this one was very unique as our MC not only has a cozy cat companion (Pixie), but she also has a fairy companion (Fiona) which made it that much more fun! There were a lot of fun side characters .... I am actually interested to see how all of them develop as the series goes on. Typically with cozies, the focus is on a love interest and maybe a couple best friends, but rarely does each character mentioned have a distinguishable personality. I also liked that even though the MC was a main suspect -which again, is also common in cozies - law enforcement didn't let that deter them from actually conducting a proper investigation and look into other POIs.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for the eArc provided via Netgalley in exchange for review.

This is the first in a new paranormal mystery series featuring fairy garden shop owner Courtney Kelly and her fairy helper, Fiona.

If you’re a cozy mystery fan, this book hits a lot of the usual beats - a single, shop-owning, amateur detective with a quirky best friend and a trusty employee always willing to do whatever’s necessary, a potential love interest and a small town setting with lots of charm and hidden secrets.

One evening, stopping in her shop after hours, Courney discovers the body of a neighboring business owner. She needs to find the real killer to clear her name and save her business.

A solid effort with the added whimsy of the main character having a fairy sidekick. Also contains recipes for some of the delicious treats mentioned in the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the DRC.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Net Galley in exchange for a honest review. I loved the book. The setting is Carmel by the Sea, among the most beautiful places on Earth.

Kelly is a shop owner selling fairy gardens. I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter about fairies. The characters are interesting people.

I flew through this book quickly. This is exactly what I need - a light escape. This is a Cozy mystery for readers who enjoy mysteries without the graphic violence.

Although I like all of the books by Daryl Wood Gerber, I think this series is going to be my favorite series by the author.

Courtney Kelly is the owner of the fairy garden/tea shop Open Your Imagination where she shares her love and belief of fairies. Some people want to believe or think that they believe, but only certain staff members are privileged enough to actually see Fiona, a fairy currently on probation by order of the fairy Queen. Fiona, to get off probation must work to help others, so when Courtney finds her neighbor murdered in her courtyard, Fiona and Courtney work together to figure why and who.

What a wonderful start for this new series! I love the characters and the delightful way that the magical essence of feisty Fiona is "sprinkled" throughout! Can Courtney solve the murder before the police arrest her?

Can't wait for the next sighting of Fiona!

A Sprinkling of Murder, set in Carmel, California, is the first in a new series by Daryl Wood Gerber. The protagonist Courtney owns a fairy garden shop, Open Your Imagination, with its own resident fairy Fiona. When the shop owner across the courtyard is murdered in her shop, Courtney needs to clear her name and mounts her own investigation.

With a secret door into the shop and no end of red herrings, this mystery stays engaging until the end. While the concept of the fairy is fanciful the characters are realistic - some likable and others not so much. The descriptions of the fairy gardens and the charming small town lend a sense of place that is whimsical and enchanting. I can’t wait for my next visit with Courtney and her friends.

An excellent book! Fun and full of whimsy. I loved the magical aspect of it. It was a page turner; I read it in one day! I thought the characters were great and liked the plot. The setting was described beautifully. This book made me want to look more about fairy gardens. It was cute while still being a mystery. I truly loved it. I can’t wait to but this and rest of the series! I highly recommend

"A Sprinkling of Murder" is full of whimsy and charm! It is exactly what I needed to take my mind off of a global pandemic.

Courtney Kelly believes in fairies. She can even see them, as can others who believe. She followed her dream by opening a fairy garden store called Open Your Imagination in the quaint California town of Carmel. But even quaint towns have bad blood between residents.

It's not long before the owner of the dog grooming store across the street is found murdered inside Open Your Imagination. Courtney is suspect #1 in the eyes of the police, but the dead man had some enemies. Those included his wife, who knew he was having an affair, and a peeved landlord.

Courtney has to clear her name before she winds up in jail and loses everything.

The characters are quirky and funny, the town of Carmel is the type of place I'd love to visit, and I definitely want to make a fairy garden for myself now. This is a fantastic cozy mystery and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

4.5 stars

Fairies, magic, and gardens make for a fun, lighthearted read. Fiona the fairy was adorable and loved the relationship with the main character Courtney. Charming and well-written, looking forward to more in this series.

In the first of a new series, Courtney Kelly is proud owner of her own fairy garden shop. She sells all the components for and teaches people how to make their own fairy gardens, with the help of her fairy friend Fiona. Everything is going well until she finds a body in her shop.

As a fairy garden fan, I was excited to see a new series with them as a theme. I enjoyed Courtney‘a relationship with Fiona. They are fresh pairing for a mystery-solving team! The setting was wonderful, I was able to picture it clearly.

However, I struggled reading this. There was no buildup of tension. There was a murder, she investigated, annoyed the detectives, and someone confessed. There was no danger posed to the lead character, nothing to keep me on the edge of my seat.

This book features a protagonist, Courtney Kelly, who has left her father's landscaping business to open her own small business of a fairy garden store. A delightful premise I must say. (Fairy gardens intrigue me so the thought behind this book immediately piqued my interest.) In doing so, she has recaptured some of the childhood magic she had lost when her mother died. She is assisted by her own personal fairy, Fiona, who has to get back into the good graces of the queen fairy to get her full powers back.

The author has written a charming protagonist with an adorably quirky little fairy assistant, along with an interesting Village full of fun individuals. The characters are wonderfully detailed and described and I found the setting to be quite wonderful. My favorite character is Fiona by far. She doesn't take away from the story at all, in fact, she adds to it. I love her whimsical interplay with Courtney, she's like a sassy Jiminy Cricket.

This is the perfect book for lovers of cozy Mysteries and light-hearted humorous interplay, especially in these days with the trying times we are all going through. I thoroughly recommend this book.

I would like to thank Daryl Wood Gerber, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for fair and honest review.

Courtney Kelly owns a fair garden and tea shop after leaving her father’s landscaping business and following her passion. As a child she and her mother saw fairies, but after her mother’s death she lost the ability to see them…that is until last year when she opened herself up again. And now she has a fairy, Fiona, that is assigned to her and life is beautiful again.

Things are going well with her business until she finds a fellow business owner dead in her shop. When the police confirm the man was murdered, Courtney is at the top of the suspect list. Fiona and Courtney’s friends step up to help clear her name, and with a long list of suspects, it won’t be an easy task.

This is a great start to a new series by the very talented Daryl Wood Gerber. The location in Carmel is the perfect setting. The writing is so solid that you can see the cottages and smell the salty air. A solid whodunit it with a slew of suspects and red herrings to keep you changing your mind and guessing until the very end. I cannot wait for the next entry in this series.

This cozy is different from the cozy mysteries that I usually read. I really enjoyed delving into the world of fairies. Fiona the fairy be am e my favorite cjaracter. Not to say I didn't like Courtney, but the impish fairy was too adorable. I enjoyed the descriptions of the many fairy gardens that were constructed during the story. The mystery had many twists and turns. I did not guess who did it until the emd. I would definitely read the next book in the series when it comes out.

I reviewed this title for Mystery Scene Magazine to read the entire review please refer to the May 15th issue.