This is a nice series starter! I am wary of paranormal cozies, but this one doesn't lean too heavily into the paranormal or rely on it for solving the crimes, so it worked for me. I like the characters, and I can't wait to see the aunts in action more.

A cozy and intriguing mystery with a great location and whimsical (in the best way) characters.

Blackwood B&B is run by 2 sisters: Hazel & Runa - joining them is their niece Carissa. Immediately after a private celebration right before the opening of their B&B a townsperson (also a real estate agent wanting the sisters to sell the B&B) is found dead. Was it murder? Was she poisoned by the plants in Hazel's poison garden? As the B&B fills up with interesting guests Carissa, the handyman Noah, and the town's reporter Aiden try to figure out what happened in the old (possibly haunted) house. Seances are uncovered, cats are running amok, WHO keeps popping up in the window? Is the town out to get the new B&B shut down?

It's a fun read - but the story stalls in some places and is quite repetitive about things that don't matter - we get it, the house is Italianate style architecture and Carissa is staying her Grandfather's old room, also is it an Inn or a B&B - or a B&B Inn (which is used a lot in the ARC, but a phrase I don't hear often - at least in the US). The readers should be trusted to remember the basic points here and focus more on the mystery.

Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for this book.

Carissa is moving back to her family home in Pelican Point after a horrible divorce. Her Aunts Runa and Hazel have decided to open the Blackwood Bed and Breakfast Inn and Herbiary in their family home. Carissa will help with the administrative part of the business. Here she meets cute handyman Noah, all 7 house cats, and she will be acquainted with the quirks that are the Blackwood house and those "bumps in the night."

The Blackwoods host a pre-opening cocktail night, and several of Pelican Point neighbors attend. The next day, Patty Fay Johnstone, a realtor, is found dead in her home from belladonna poisoning, and a tiger's eye crystal is found under her bed. All this points to the aunts, who are now the main suspects. 2 days later, once the guests have settled at the B&B, a guest dies during breakfast. He has also been poisoned.

I really liked this story. Reminded me of Practical Magic. Loved the aunts, Noah, the handyman, and the main cat, Pyewacket. The back story of Abraham Blackwood was very interesting and really tied in well with the actual murder.

Thank you, Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

This is the beginning of a new supernatural cozy series about a haunted bed and breakfast. However, the actual haunting is questionable. There just seem to be a mysterious number of cats and two aunts who exchange a lot of knowing glances, which gets kind of annoying.

Carissa Blackwood is going through a major life change, both in her professional and personal life. Her career as a ghostwriter has been stalled and she is freshly divorced. She is returning to the small town of Pelican Point, CA to help her aunts open a B&B based around horror movies, playing up the haunted history of their ancestral home. Carissa is skeptical but plays along for their guests. Unfortunately, shortly after the preview one of their party guests turns up dead with factors incriminating both aunts. Carissa knows this to be false but the police are leading with what they have, putting her aunt Hazel and her questionable garden fully in their crosshairs. She starts sleuthing to find out the truth.

Honestly, I agree with Carissa on the curious haunting since most of it is just plain cheesy. The unspoken words her aunts share repeatedly got obnoxious as it seemed to happen during nearly every encounter. I wish we had gotten a better description of the rooms at the Inn because I thought the description of the one we did get was pretty cool and I was curious to see what the other themes appeared like to the author.

I am not sure if I would read another installment in this series after this one. It felt a little too forced and hokey to be really likeable.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this arc.

Murder at Blackwood Inn is the first book in the new cozy mystery series, Haunted Dead and Breakfast, by Penny Warner.

Carissa Blackwood has come to Pelican Point to help her aunts start a new business, Blackwood Bed and Breakfast Inn, in the old family home. From the moment she arrives it's apparent to the reader that something strange is going on at Blackwood Bed and Breakfast Inn, and that's even before the death of a local realtor after she attends a party at the inn.

While I did enjoy the overall story, I found it quite slow until fairly close to the end of the book which made it a very slow read for me, I just couldn’t stay engaged for long reading sessions, which is not normal for me.

The setting was great for a spooky autumn read, a house rumoured to be haunted, and decorated with spooky themed rooms. Not to mention, the owners are fairly heavily involved in the occult, and there are weird things happening in the house.

With blackmail, family secrets, murder, and the spooky setting, I think cosy mystery lovers will enjoy this book, as long as they don’t mind the slower start. I will give the next book a try to see if the pace picks up a bit, as I did like the characters in the story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ghostwriter Carissa Blackwood has left her cheating husband and has agreed to help her two eccentric aunts manage the Blackwood Bed ‘n’ Breakfast Inn in Pelican Point, California, a house they only recently inherited from their deceased father, Bram Blackwood. The old man dabbled in the occult, and his daughters haven’t fallen far from the family tree. Aunt Runa is into crystals and plans to hold séances at the reportedly “haunted” house. Aunt Hazel has an herbiary and offers herbal cures for everything from headaches to paranormal visions. But it’s Hazel’s poison garden that really concerns Carissa. 

When one of the townspeople dies from poison after opening day her Aunt becomes a suspect. Now Carissa has to not only battle creepy sounds and flickering lights but also solve a murder!

This series debut is fun with a dash of creepy. The setting is fantastic. I love the description of Pelican Point as Carissa drives into town. When don't get to see enough of it as most of the action takes place at the Inn. But that's also a fun setting. The description of how the house is decorated, both inside and outside, is great. Horror movie themes for the rooms are perfect. Carissa, however, gets a Nancy Drew one. Lucky.

The creepy moments, especially in the attic, are my favorite. The romance happens a little too easily but I do like the love interest. Carissa's Aunts are fun and quirky. I had a feeling about the villain early on but didn't guess their motive.

Murder At Blackwood Inn is a quick read and a good combination of creepy and quirky. It's available next week, just in time for spooky season!

3.5 stars

Murder at Blackwood Inn by Penny Warner is the debut of A Haunted Dead and Breakfast Mysteries. The cover is what drew me to the story and the blurb had me opening the book. The story fell short of expectations set by its cover and blurb. The writing was overly descriptive with repetitive details and a leisurely pace. There were inconsistencies in the story as well. The characters are likeable and quirky. I wish there had been only one or two quirky characters which would have made them stand out. The aunts were too similar. I loved the way the two aunts decorated Carissa’s bedroom (it was the best part of the inn). The mystery was a letdown. Carissa sets out to prove Aunt Hazel’s innocence, but there is little investigation. The mystery relied on confession instead of deduction (which does not allow the armchair sleuth to solve the crime) . In contrast to the rest of the book, the ending was a tad rushed with a lackluster reveal. Murder at Blackwood Inn had potential with the paranormal bits that are hinted at or mentioned (such as the mysterious Noah), but they were left sitting on the shelf. Murder at Blackwood Inn is a run-of-the-mill cozy mystery that does not motivate me to continue the series.

Murder at Blackwood Inn by Penny Warner is a light, entertaining cozy mystery with a fun haunted inn setting. The concept is clever and adds a playful twist to the usual whodunit, making it an enjoyable read. A good choice for fans of lighthearted mysteries with a spooky flair. (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.)

This is a the first book in a spooky cozy mystery series that follows Carissa Blackwood as she moves Pelican Point, California after a break up to help her aunts with their new bed & breakfast. This is a horror/spooky themed b'n'b, with theme rooms and one aunt obsessed with herbal magic the other with crystals. There are rumors of ghosts and mysterious goings on that Carissa is unsure about. There's also a potential love interest in the inn's handyman to keep her occupied.
Some people in the village are opposed to the inn's decor and one of them ends up dead pointing the finger at the aunts. Carissa uses the tips she gained reading copious nancy drews and ghost writing mysteries to try and uncover the true killer, plus all the secrets hiding in the inn and in the town.

I think this series has potential and a lot of cool ideas that future books can be based around. Murder at Blackwood Inn was a but underwhelming and the mystery needed more twists/depth. Hopefully the next in the series will dig deeper now that the premiss has been established.

Carissa Blackwood has come to live and work with her two eccentric aunts at B&B on the coast of California. She is getting away from an ex and a downturn in her ghostwriting career. She is there to help with the PR and running of the B&B and maybe write a cozy mystery of her own. Along with her aunts, there is a handsome handyman who is a bit of a mystery himself and some an especially interesting cat, Pyewacket. Oh, and I did I mention they have the rooms decorated to honor scary/mystery movies. But while the opening weekend is booked, the locals are not fans of the sisters' new endeavor. In fact, one local ends up dead after attending the open house of the Inn. Can Carissa find the real culprit before her aunt ends up in prison.

This is a first in a series and the first I have read of this author. I liked the premise and the beginning of the book. I thought it was fun and something different I enjoyed the characters a lot. The mystery kept me guessing. There is certainly a lot of secrets in this little town and almost everyone has some tie to Carissa's grandfather, the deceased owner of the Inn. There also some spooky goings on as well.
I would rate 3-1/2 stars. I certainly will read the next installment of this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to read this ARC and give my opinion.

Carissa Blackwood is a ghostwriter who caught her husband cheating. If that weren’t bad enough, she’d lost her contract with the mystery author she writes for.

Carissa decides it’s time to go home. She quickly discovers that her aunts have taken the family home and made it into a mystery/horror bed and breakfast. Each room is decorated with a different theme.

Carissa’s bedroom theme is Nancy Drew, a favorite from her childhood.

Carissa learns that her grandfather dabbled in the occult, and she finds evidence that he may have had affairs with several of the locals.

Aunt Hazel has a poison garden and Aunt Runa is into crystals.

The aunts have a party to celebrate the night before they open their bed and breakfast. That night one of the party guests dies from poisoning. A crystal is also found under her bed.

Can Carissa find out what is going on and keep her aunt’s from being arrested?

I think this book had potential. I liked the cover and the premise, but it felt a little predictable. I enjoyed it, and it was a fast read.

If you love cozy mysteries, you should check this one out.

The scheduled release date is September 23rd.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advance reader copy for my honest review.

I found this book enjoyable to read and was invested in the storyline. I found all the characters unique and easily relatable with the perfect amount to tell the story well. Although I didn’t get the shock thriller ending I was hoping for, I did in fact like the ending and liked how it tied in all the unanswered questions I had.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penny Warner for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder at Blackwood Inn coming out September 23, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really love cozy mysteries. Bed and breakfast inns are really fun. I really enjoyed the setting and the characters. I would definitely read more books in this series!

A cozy mystery featuring a woman who goes to help her aunts run a B&B in their family home. Of course there are murders and the aunts are suspects. I found that the book got off to a slow start which I expected since it’s the first book in a new series and the author had to set everything up but the pace picked up quite a bit in the final third of the book. And I liked the idea of an Inn based on mysteries and horror movies. I wouldn’t mind staying in the Scooby Doo room.

A nice start to a new paranormal series that sees Carissa working with her aunts at the Blackwood Inn. Hazel and Runa have always dabbled in the occult and in herbs and so many things, And their father's ghost is still in the house, which is a good thing because he helps out when the sisters become suspects in a murder. There mystery isn't too twisty but the atmospheric of life in a small town are good. And there's a nascent romantic interest. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to seeing another.

Murder at Blackwood Inn by Penny Warner is a cozy mystery set at a bed and breakfast with two eccentric sisters, an attic with a crystal ball, a hidden seance room, a garden of poisonous plants and a cat that seems to be everywhere all at once. It’s the first in the Haunted Dead and Breakfast series. The FMC is very likable and the side characters are just as good. There’s a family mystery, murder and a touch of flirting that makes this book a page turner. I will admit that I did judge this book by its cover. I do this with a lot of cozy mysteries. It’s stunning and it made me want to read it. I really enjoyed this book. I also like that at the end of the book, there are recipes of the goodies that were made for the bed and breakfast guests. Thank you NeGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC.

I thought the mystery and the setting was fun. It’s a little paranormal. The idea of the potential ghost and the history of séances was interesting too. I thought the mystery was interesting and all the clues led to the right person by the end. I liked how the romance was handled as well.

Even though this was easy to read, there was just something about the writing style that didn’t fully bring me in.

🍂🔮 Murder at Blackwood Inn was everything I love about cozy mysteries family secrets, a haunted B&B, eccentric aunts dabbling in the occult, and of course a murder that shakes the whole town. I’m such a sucker for this genre, and this one delivered perfectly. After a messy divorce, Carissa Blackwood moves to Pelican Point to help her quirky aunts run their newly inherited inn. But when a townsperson dies from poison linked to Aunt Hazel’s garden, suspicion falls on the family. With the help of a handyman, a newspaperman, and even the ghost of her grandfather, Carissa must solve the mystery before the inn’s reputation and her aunts are ruined for good. Cozy, spooky, and absolutely perfect for fall reading by candlelight. 🕯️📚

The characters were interesting and the story was engaging. I will look for other books by this author.

Carissa Blackwood is having a rough time. She leaves her husband (a cheater), and moves to help her two eccentric aunts run their Bed & Breakfast in CA. But it isn't just any B&B -- it's haunted. Add in a dash of the occult and her aunts being suspects in a murder, and you get this fun, entertaining, humorous start to a cozy mystery series.

I love the characters in this book! Carissa is trying to put her life back together and just rolls with the punches as best she can. The aunts are endearing and just a bit zany. A cute handyman and a ghost round out things perfectly.

The mystery moves along at a good pace. There was plenty of amateur sleuthing and suspects.The book seemed to be more of a series opener, rather than a hard hitting mystery. I loved the fact that the characters were developed and allowed to entertain. And, the romance angle is hinted at but didn't play a big part in the story yet. The mystery was light, and enjoyable.

This book was the perfect one to kick off my spooky reading season this year. The story is a great start to a new series. I can't' wait to read the next book!

And, if the B&B was a real place -- I would make a reservation in a heart beat!! Yep.....crystals and seances with two crazy aunts and a ghost? Yep! I would stay there and have a great time!

**I read a review copy of this book from Crooked Lane. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**