Title: A Mer-Murder at the Cove (A Witch’s Cove Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book One)
Publisher: Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing
Author: S. Usher Evans
Pages: 316pp
Price: $17.99 / $3.99

Josephine Maelstrom is a witch without magic. After her parents died in a tragic car accident, Jo was raised by her namesake and grandmother, Big Jo. But after years of trying and failing, Little Jo gave up on magic and left Eldred’s Hollow, making a home for herself among the nonmagical mundanes of Atlanta. Now her grandmother has passed away, leaving everything to Little Jo: a sentient cabin, a greedy seagull familiar, a beachside bar/marina — and a mountain of debt. Why did Big Jo take out a loan when the bar was making plenty of money? Why is the vampire real estate developer across the bay so interested in the bar? Why were the mermaids so angry with Big Jo? What are the werewolves plotting? And why — within hours of Little Jo’s arrival — is the local mermaid leader murdered, the body left on Jo’s beach? Even in a small town like Eldred’s Hollow, people have secrets. If Jo is to save the bar and unmask a murderer, she’ll have to dig up every one of those secrets … with or without her magic ….

I became a fan of Evans after picking up Drinks and Sinkholes, the first book in her Weary Dragon Inn epic fantasy/mystery series. When she announced her new cozy mystery series, I immediately pre-ordered A Mer-Murder at the Cove.

This book was exactly what I needed: it was lightly humorous, relaxing, low-stakes, and mostly stress-free. Sure, I was a little worried for Jo at times. She was antsy about her magic, and about disappointing her grandmother, and about solving the murder. But I knew it would all work out in the end. This is a cozy mystery, after all.

And I really liked the community of Eldred’s Hollow. It has all the virtues and flaws of any small town, with magic, witches, mermaids, vampires, and shapeshifters thrown into the mix. Jo finds that she still has friends among her old acquaintances, but also that there are plenty of people who resent her; she’s so close to mundane that they feel she has no place in Eldred’s Hollow. I also found it interesting that magical folk are dealing with many of the same problems as the mundane world; notably, gentrification. The gradual absorption of Eldred’s Hollow by the glitzy resort across the bay, which is forcing out locals and raising land- and cost-of-living expenses, is an important element to the mystery and one that many readers will recognize.

A Mer-Murder at the Cove is a quick and engaging read. Perfect for relaxing after a stressful day at work. Recommended to fans of Evans’ other books, as well as Bespoke and Bespelled by Karen Healey, the Manhattan Magic series by Scott Walker, the Terra Haven Chronicles by Rebecca Chastain, Bookshop Witch by T Thorn Coyle, and Gilt and Glamour by Layla Lawlor.

[Reviewed by Rebecca Buchanan.]