This is a classic cosy mystery setup. We have an interesting setting, a curious protagonist, a handful of guests with secrets, some quirky support characters, and a murder that needs solving. It offers the kind of comfort read that cosy fans expect. If you like stories that may remind you of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, this could appeal to you. Also if you enjoy stories where houses have hidden rooms and passages. I know I do!

That said, the mystery itself felt middle of the road. While there were some red herrings sprinkled throughout, the resolution leaned on a confession rather than deduction, which made the payoff feel a bit underwhelming. The plot didn’t quite offer the kind of clever unraveling that makes this genre shine.

The characters were likable and fun, but I wonder if there are too many quirky characters in the first book. There's nothing wrong with the characters, I just thought maybe the two aunts were too similar. But that may even out as the series progresses, and I'm more that willing to embark on that journey.

For cosy fans, this will likely hit the spot for a light, undemanding mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley for a providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was quick and a lot of fun, which is exactly what I want in a cozy. I’ll note that I saw more errors than is typical in a galley, the most glaring being Bram’s timeline: born in 1895, died at 80 but presumably in 2025, and also had a son who was in his 30s? I did like this though, and will continue in the series. Cute cliffhanger too.

I gave this book 4.3⭐. I loved the story, it starts slower but it's a cozy, fun murder mystery. The characters are fun and the romance is sweet and light. I did not expect the plot twist but thoroughly enjoyed it. I genuinely can't wait to read the rest of the series.

In Murder at Blackwood Inn, the first installment in Penny Warner’s new cozy mystery series, the author returns to the genre with a masterful blend of whimsical eccentricity, subtle suspense, and carefully-woven character dynamics. Warner, a multiple award-winning writer with a longstanding reputation in the field of mystery fiction, delivers a novel that succeeds not only in providing the essential comforts of a cozy read, but also in establishing the thematic complexity and emotional resonance that distinguishes the best examples of the genre.

Set in the fictional coastal town of Pelican Point, California, the novel follows Carissa Blackwood, a ghostwriter newly divorced and adrift, who retreats to her late grandfather’s Victorian bed-and-breakfast—recently inherited by her two aunts, Runa and Hazel. While the haunted setting and occult leanings offer the expected genre flavor—crystal energy, poison gardens, ghostly visitations—Warner astutely uses these elements not for pure spectacle, but as symbolic scaffolding for deeper explorations of grief, legacy, and familial eccentricity.

What elevates Murder at Blackwood Inn is Warner’s deft characterization. Carissa is not merely a proxy for the reader; she is a fully-realized woman confronting the dual hauntings of her past marriage and her complicated family legacy. The aunts, who in lesser hands might veer into caricature, are instead rendered with nuance and affection. Their offbeat spirituality and botanical peculiarities serve as narrative misdirection while also anchoring them firmly in the textured fabric of the novel’s world.

The novel’s mystery plot adheres to the structure readers expect from the cozy form—an amateur sleuth, a suspicious death, red herrings, and an eventual revelation—but Warner handles these conventions with precision and freshness. The murder, involving a rare poison traceable to Aunt Hazel’s garden and a charm belonging to Aunt Runa, provides just enough menace without betraying the genre’s emphasis on gentler suspense. Supporting characters, including the enigmatic handyman Noah and the affable newspaperman Aiden, contribute romantic and social tension, though they are wisely kept secondary to the central mystery and familial entanglements.

Particularly commendable is Warner’s integration of the supernatural. The ghost of Bram Blackwood, the family patriarch, is not simply a gothic garnish but functions as both plot device and psychological foil, prompting Carissa to confront questions of inheritance—literal and emotional. In this way, the novel gestures toward the deeper question at the heart of all effective cozy mysteries: What does it mean to belong, especially when that belonging is shadowed by suspicion?

Murder at Blackwood Inn succeeds on multiple levels: as an engaging puzzle, a portrait of intergenerational bonds, and a subtle meditation on the spectral nature of personal history. Warner’s prose is light but intelligent, her plotting brisk but never rushed, and her setting vividly immersive. With this series debut, she invites readers into a world that is strange, warm, and quietly haunted—and few will want to check out.

Verdict: A pitch-perfect introduction to a new series that promises equal parts charm, suspense, and emotional depth. Fans of the genre will find much to savor here.

I was genuinely hooked by the story and plot - it was really engaging from start to finish! While the writing style felt a bit simple, which made the book a quick read, I do think it could benefit from some additional editing before publication. There were a few inconsistencies here and there, but thankfully, none of them affected the main plot or detracted from the overall experience.
The mystery kept me intrigued the whole way through, and the cliffhanger ending left me eagerly anticipating the next book.
Penny, I'm reading for the sequel - Please and Thank you!

Murder at Blackwood Inn is the first installment in the series, and it drew me in from the get-go. I enjoyed the overall ambiance and the way the inn was presented felt like a magical combination of Good Witch's Grey House and the Halliwell sisters' mansion in Charmed. The writing style was addictive, and the plot compelling. I'm looking forward to the next book!

This was a super fun, cozy mystery with a classic whodunnit vibe. Murder at Blackwood Inn had just the right mix of creepy atmosphere, quirky characters, and twists to keep me guessing. It gave me major Clue vibes in the best way. Some parts felt a little over-the-top, but that was part of the charm. I liked trying to piece it together and didn’t totally see the ending coming. If you’re into light thrillers with a bit of drama and small-town secrets, this one’s a good pick. Not too dark, just the right amount of suspense. Solid 4 stars!

"Murder at Blackwood Inn" is a very amazing read. A fun and scary read about ghosts haunting this old house where generations have died: I enjoyed reading with Carissa and her aunts and all the other characters. I wasn't sure who the killer was, but well done and kept me going till the end. Thank you, looking forward to the next book.

This is the first book in a new cosy mystery series. I enjoyed the eccentic characters but found the story slow paced. I would continue the series. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for ARC.

A fun start to a new series. Quirky characters, cat and a mystery pulled me in. While not a hard one to figure out, its a fun enjoyable read. I definitely am looking forward to the next one! Thanks #Netgalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Small town who dunnit with a dash of the occult aka murder mystery meets haunted house

4/5⭐️

Following her divorce Carissa Blackwood starts off fresh and moves to the small town of Pelican Point to help her aunts to turn their family residence into a Bed and Breakfast.
The Blackwood family, most importantly Carissa’s late grandfather, has been dipping into the occult for before and these days, the house looks the part with herbs and crystals around, squeaking floorboards and a whopping seven cats. When two people connected to the Inn die under mysterious circumstances, all eyes fall on Carissa’s aunts.

I enjoyed the setting, and the quirkiness of Carissa‘s aunts. They were funny and likeable without becoming caricatures.
The mystery was solid, not overly complex but definitely not predictable for me. I was pointing fingers at the wrong suspect, so kudos there. Carissa herself is likeable and earnest, though I wished she’d been a little sharper in piecing the clues together.

I need to call out the Harry Potter cat problem though. The cats are named after famous cats and the HP one is named Hermione. Everyone knows Crookshanks was the feline, come on.

Overall, a fun, easy and entertaining read.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the free copy. All thoughts are my own.

This if the first book in a new series and I enjoyed the read. I am a sucker for a cozy mystery with quirky and fun characters. This one had them and the characters did not disappoint. The story flowed at a nice pace and the characters had to work at finding the clues, the didn't just come easy. All in all, this was a well written first book in a new series that entertained me and kept me guessing until the end.

Ghostwriter Carissa Blackwood is having the worst year of her life. After leaving a cheating husband she takes up the offer from her two aunts to move to the Blackwood Bed n Breakfast Inn in Pelican Point California. When one of the towns people turns up dead from poison found in her aunts garden then they also find a charm that her other aunt collects. This leads Carissa to look for the possible killer with the help of the handyman Noah, Aiden the charming newspaper man and the ghost of Charissa’s grandfather to clear her Aunts and find the real killer. This was a good mystery story to find the real killer. It has fun characters and lots of twists. I would recommend to everyone.

This was such a fun book! I loved most of the characters, and i really enjoyed the story.

I appreciate that the secret room was so hard to find, and that the characters really had to explore to figure out the Blackwood Inn.

The aunts were my favorite characters. They both had interesting personalities that played well off each other. I loved the theme they decorated each room im their B&B with.

While this book was somewhat easy to solve, I did like the intrigue and whodunit attitude of the book. Like other cozy mysteries, this book is not scary, but there is enough of a spooky factor to keep cozy mystery fans hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fun mystery novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Getting a new start on her life, Carissa joins her two eccentric aunts in managing their new B&B. Little did she know the words “haunted” will apply especially when she hears noise during the night. Things get worse when a visitor is poisoned and all eyes’ points to her aunt who has an herbal garden that have poison plants. Knowing her innocence, Carissa starts looking into who wanted the visitor dead and why.

The author did a great job in setting this up with an eclectic yet quirky cast of characters, a small-town atmosphere and engaging dialogue that helped move the story forward. The pool of suspects was short, but the motives were larger than life when uncovered. There were a few red herrings that enhanced my reading pleasure and when I thought I had a handle on the person responsible, the author changed directions and I enjoyed following the path she had laid out, especially when one by one, the pieces began to fit together with the killer’s identity made known. Overall, an excellent read and welcome addition to the cozy genre.

A new series with a MC who has made a couple of semi-voluntary life changes (divorce, back to family, open a B & B, a little bit of ghostliness, murder, amateur sleuth, and some sly humor. Wonderful start!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Sep 23, 2025 **** review #NetGalley @bookbub @goodreads #LibraryThing
#MurderatBlackwoodInn by @pennywarnerink @HauntedDeadandBreakfastMysteryBk1 @crookedlanebooks #cozymystery #newseries #storygraph #smalltown #familydrama #suspicion#ghostwriter #murder #seance #ouija #amateursleuth #secrets #quirkycharacters

Cozy mysteries are just ok to me half of the time. And unfortunately this was one of those times. There wasn't anything really wrong with it. I just felt detached from the story and there was nothing interesting about the characters. Maybe if you typically like cozy mysteries, you'd like this too.

I recently finished "Murder at Blackwood Inn" by Penny Warner, and I couldn't put it down! From the very first chapter, I was drawn into the mysterious atmosphere of Blackwood Inn. Warner's vivid descriptions brought the setting to life, making me feel like I was right there, experiencing the tension and intrigue.

The characters are incredibly well-developed, each with their own secrets and motives that kept me guessing until the very end. I particularly loved the protagonist's clever approach to solving the mystery, and her interactions with the supporting cast added depth and humor to the story.

Warner has a talent for crafting intricate plots, and the twists and turns in this book were both surprising and satisfying. I appreciated how she wove in red herrings and kept the pacing just right—there was never a dull moment!

Overall, "Murder at Blackwood Inn" is a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries with a touch of suspense. I highly recommend it to all mystery lovers, and I can’t wait to read more by Penny Warner. Definitely a five-star experience!

I couldn't resist the opportunity to read a cozy mystery with a haunted house. This book has so many things that intrigue me! I love stories with secret passages and hidden rooms; there is so much to explore in this story!

The author has a writing style that makes the story atmospheric and I really enjoyed the main character, Carissa and her aunts. The plot was well done and the mystery is neatly wrapped up by the end.

I would love this one to become a series. How about it?