Continuing the strangest day of her life, Deandra finds a baby dragon.
With a magical collar, the dragon appears to others as just a dog.
This was such a cute, easy read. It was colorful and magical. I enjoyed that I was able to put my imagination to use with all of the magical creatures.
Even the graphics at the beginning of chapters was fun.

Super cute series starter to a cozy paranormal mystery series. Jackson does a great job with the setup, providing just enough information to keep the setting engaging while not feeling like infodumps. The characterizations are bright and lively and the mystery has just enough grip to stay interesting throughout the book. I binged the whole book in one sitting. That said, it does very much feel like a series starter with its emphasis on introductions and world-building, and a relatively short time-frame. I generally prefer to read series like these when I can kind of glom a pile of them at once. Either way, I am very much looking forward to the sequel(s) whenever they come out (although I'm also hoping for Jackson's next urban fantasy book so...).

If you crave the whimsical and magical atmosphere of Disney Channel Original movie Halloweentown, then this cozy mystery is for you!

A Mythical Case of Arson follows Deandra (Dee) Hendricks. After calling it quits with her long term boyfriend Dee visits her cousin Wendy in Axia, a hidden small town in California that is home to all sorts of magical beings. It's not long after Dee arrives to Axia that things start going bottoms up. Between the culture shock of watching a woman turn into a swan and then back to a woman, getting chased by a fire newt, and a dwarf causing problems all over town, Dee's new friend Callie suffers a horrible tragedy when her uncle is found dead in a burned down building. When curiosity gets the best of Dee and she decides to take a look at the burned down building she finds a lot more than she bargained for. Now Dee must unravel a town wide conspiracy and save a new four legged friend.

The atmosphere and world building of Axia was fantastic, I can't wait to read more about this world in up coming books. I really like Dee as a character. I felt her struggle of what next after a large shift in her life was done really well. I think what this book needed a little help on was pacing. I know it's the first book in the series and it's a magical world so there is going to be more worlding building up front but there wasn't a crime in this book until almost the halfway point. After that the investigation was a mad dash to the end. I did enjoy the investigation for the most part but I did feel like the piecing together of the clues was really rushed and that the culprit reveal wasn't earned. Again this is the first in a magical cozy series so I know certain groundwork has to be put in first. I can't wait for the next book!

I've read one of this author's other books and was really excited about this new series. A Mythical Case of Arson is a great start to this new series, it follows Deandra as she visits her cousin who lives in a magical hub. This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed reading about Deandra and experiencing alongside her what the magical hub is like.

The mystery takes a while to really get going, but I didn't mind. This is the first book in the series so there is some set up with getting to know Deandra and what her life is like and then seeing her arrive at the magical hub, which was fun. Once she's been there for a bit there's a magical arson that sets fire to a building and a guy dies. Her new dragon pet gets accused of the crime and so she gets involved. I like how she had a clear motive to get involved and it made sense why she wnated to solve this mystery. The mystery isn't too complicated, but I still enjoyed seeing Deandra and her cousin figure things out and talk with the people who are involved. I liked the reveal and it made sense why the murderer did this. I also liked how magic is a part of the mystery.

I liked reading about Deandra and especially seeing her experience the magical hub for the first time. It's quite the culture shock, but it was so fun to see all the magical stuff and how she reacted to it. I liked how this city comes alive and I liked getting a glimpse of what supernatural stuff is possible in this world. The dragon was so cute and I liked reading about him and seeing him interact with Deandra. I liked Deandra's cousin Wendy and the vet Deandra goes to was a nice guy too.

To summarize: This was a fun start to this series and I enjoyed reading about Deandra and seeing her visit a magical hub for the first time. The mystery takes a bit of time to get going, but I didn't mind. I thought it was a solid mystery with an interesting twist toward the end, the motive made sense and I liked seeing how it all got resolved. Deandra is a likable character and I enjoyed reading about her. The dragon she finds is so cute and I liked reading about him and seeing him interact with Deandra. There are some likable and interesting side characters and the magical hub really comes to life. I really enjoyed this first book and look forward the next one!

This is a cozy mystery that is also a cozy fantasy. Deandra goes to visit her cousin Wendy in Axia, a magical hub town. Although neither of them have magic, Wendy loves it there and is hoping to persuade her cousin to move also. On her first day, Deandra rescues a glamored dragon from a dumpster. The two bond together. When the dragon is accused of arson that resulted in a death, Deandra and Wendy are determined to find the real arsonist.
This is a charming story with all of the right cozy elements in it. I enjoyed the writing and the characters. I look forward to reading more in this series. I recommend it for readers of either cozy fantasy or cozy mysteries.
I received this book from NetGalley and Ringtail Press in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are my own and I received no compensation for them.

Deandra Hendricks is a "mundane"; she has no magic in a world where magic exists. Her cousin invites her to visit Axia—the hidden, magical hub their grandparents retired to—and Deandra thinks a trip to the magical town is just what she needs. Shortly after she arrives, she finds a baby dragon and gets roped into solving a mystery involving arson and magic in a world completely different than her own.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. Deandra and her cousin Wendy were great main characters, and who couldn't love Chaos the Dragon? The magical beings in Axia were fun to learn about, and I loved that Deandra's reactions to shifters, sprites, and fire-breathing newts were pretty realistic! This is a lighthearted and fast-paced mystery with just enough suspense to keep the plot moving forward. Chaos was too cute and I'm so curious to know his backstory. This is a great cozy mystery for anyone looking to get into the subgenre.

My one criticism is that I think the "final reveal" monologue was a bit clunky. I know we need all the details of what happened, but I don't think the culprit would explain things in that manner. Overall this book is great!

What a fun read and the perfect intro book to a series! The story takes place in a magical city called Axia, where we have almost every fantasy creature you could imagine. So fun and enjoyable!
Adulting is kicking Deandra Hendricks's butt over in LA, where she works two jobs just to make ends meet. Her cousin, Wendy, invites her to Axia, where she has been living for the past 8 months. Wendy seems to be enjoying her time over there, so Dee decides that taking a trip should be harmless. That, and she gets to see her grandparents who, unlike Dee and Wendy, actually have magical powers.
During her time in Axia, Dee finds a dragon trapped in the dumpster. She rescues the dragon and takes him to the vet, only to find out she is the only one who can see this creature as a dragon. Everyone else sees a dire wolf, which is equivalent to a dog over in Axia. This is because the dragon is under a glamour spell to help conceal its true identity.
Unfortunately, Dee has found this dragon right around the time a fire has burned down a building, assumed to be an act of arson. Did this sweet baby dragon commit this crime? Dee and Wendy are on a mission to get answers and get their new pet dragon back from jail after being arrested by the park police.
This was such a fun magical mystery. I enjoyed reading this book and I'm already anticipating the next book to this series!

Thank you NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and Melissa Erin Jackson for this ARC!

This was a cute, cozy fantasy/mystery. Deandra Hendricks decides to take a break from her long work hours, and what seems to be a lacking social life, to visit family in Axia. The book is set on earth as we know it, except that there are a number of magical communities called hubs in this world where magical people and mythical creatures can live, and Axia is the small hub that Deandra's magical grandparents have retired to. Deandra has no magical abilities herself and has never visited a hub, and her reaction when she arrives is really entertaining as she kind of emotionally, and to some extent physically, flails about in reaction to seeing shape shifters, centaurs, etc.

Deandra comes across a baby dragon that is seized from her because it is suspected of arson, so Deandra and her cousin Wendy become amateur detectives to try to find the real culprit so they can get the dragon back. I enjoyed the dynamic between Deandra and Wendy. They are close friends in addition to being cousins, which comes through clearly in their dialogue and behavior as they put their amateur sleuthing skills to work. There were some interesting side characters, as well, and cool magical incidents, like a pair of cafe owners, one an empath and one a witch, whose abilities allow them to especially cater to their customers' wants and needs.

The novel is pretty lighthearted, though there are some tense moments as one might expect in a mystery involving arson and a seized dragon that Deandra has become attached to. The dragon is so cute. How can anyone resist a description like this? "The dragon wiggled his butt, then pounced, missing the butterfly by a mile, partly because he'd gotten distracted by the bright pink spade at the end of his own tail and was now chasing it." I also loved that a lot of the chapters start with a little picture of the dragon.

I enjoyed this book. It's a fun, quick read. It looks like it's the first in a series, and I expect I'll read the other books when they are released, as well.

Ok, I freely admit that I wasn't expecting much from this when I picked it up, but....OMGSQUEETHISWASSOGOOD! It's basically the book equivalent of a chibi character-super cute, super fluffy, and a slightly warped sense of humor. With a ton of quotable moments, the writing is fresh and fun and I actually laughed out loud at multiple moments. I'm really excited to read the further adventures of Deandra!

Dee has always known about the world of magic but has never been there. She meets such interesting creatures on her way. One is a baby dragon named StarShadow! Adorable. A cute read! Thanks #Netgalley and #RingtailPress for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

As a mundane daughter of a witch Dee has heard of the magical world but never visited till now. Her mind is blown from the very beginning in this adorable cozy mystery. The beings Dee meets along the way will make you believe. Along the way Dee is adopted by a baby dragon who is painfully cute. Dee has choices to make and a murder to solve. Enjoy the ride.

Just imagine stumbling upon a dog and shortly afterwards find out it’s a baby dragon 🥰 Omg I want a dragon 😫😫😫😫 StarShadow is just the cutest ever! I really enjoy this book so much! It kinda reminds me of Halloween town which is a childhood favorite ❤️! Deandra visited Axia to spend some time with her family and ended up with a spectacular puppy and a hell of an adventure 🥰🥰🥰 Please read this, it’s such a great story ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ you will love it if you’re like me a Big Kid at heart 🤗

This was a pleasant entry into a new paranormal series involving a baby dragon — in a magical world where dragons aren’t supposed to exist. It also involves Dee needing to solve this arson case before it can be pinned on her dragon while finding new friends and a potential new romance all at the same time. And, as the first book in a series, it’s also doing a lot of ground work to establish places, people, and magic systems so that they can be built upon in future books. As such, there’s a lot of characters introduced and a travel around the new magical town, as well as discussions on direwolves, salamanders and sorcerers, so the pace is a little on the meandering side.

The writing is clean and the author’s voice is very personable; the plot is well done, with no sudden or unfair reveals, and I appreciate how Dee’s kindness and compassion shapes the story. This will be a fun series for pet lovers of the paranormal persuasion.

**I want to thank Net Galley and the publisher for granting me access to an advanced reader copy **