Dakota Cassidy, Stabby Chic (Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries Book 4)

 

Title: Stabby Chic (Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries Book 4)
Author: Dakota Cassidy

Rating: Five Siren Stones

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Sub-Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Keywords: Designers, Ghosts, Grifter, Witch, Dogs, Opossum, Murder, Mystery

ISBN E-Book: Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Price: $4.99

Page Count: 189

Publisher: Self-Published

Buy-Link: https://www.amazon.com/Stabby-Bewitching-Midlife-Crisis-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0D12JQ5Z6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2F9EG23573WS1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.h2rWymG2uJPRRR3atajpVI4RQmIyD1VqOGKbpwbqjrAAIeg7uRJPqL1ip_zdL8nZM5S0rGmiPiZHAk2PLJARLi7EleUPBWvgqD3H-e-JxKZEmjsiudXdl2mouvE3gH7kmjF69eIlT9kjeLsTW8G209fUQe3KFr2RfvhF_6q7VTB0H-krrDfnv8rl4kQ81Iup_abpPv4-Qb_-XNk6C44sg9Bo1dtRSRftGeZebBoUFeWT9UlQau6ao0J9hSUUNs_RUDkpNBHjIHwsV5crnMcFHexOtCm3maGdx633oLHfce4.X9qY04tC6AczRizXR37VJ63KI5AIDHlgfj6t4fZoVls&dib_tag=se&keywords=dakota+cassidy&qid=1716237058&sprefix=dakota+cassidy%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-2

Reviewer: Stacey Krug  

Blurb/Summary:

Unalived recently? Lose your head? Need someone to help you get to the other side—with your head?

Then I’m your girl—Evanora Dark at your service!

During a design competition for charity Tambi Schubert, local Buttermilk Bay's star stager and designer has a little accident.

Okay, it’s a not so little (read big—my word, so big).

I find her, relieved of her head via a power tool, in the house I’m designing for the competition, bringing a screeching halt to the contest and an investigation that leaves me as a suspect.

Yet, as I take a deep dive into Tambi’s past, I find almost everyone’s a suspect. Her past doesn’t only reveal her dismissive treatment of others, and some dark secrets, but a lonely woman who’s afraid of what waits for her on the other side.

But the only way to find out, and to clear my name, is to find Tambi’s killer before I end up losing my head—no pun intended!

Review:

Evanora had her work cut out for her with the newest ghost, Tambi Schubert. Tambi was demanding and persnickety while she was alive and not too different dead. Tambi’s decapitation and depiction of said decapitation as a ghost was not for the faint of heart. Dakota Cassidy got creative with the decapitation details.

Evanora must procure a list of suspects fast before she gets arrested for Tambi’s murder. She sets her hat for some major sleuthing. Unfortunately, everyone looks like a suspect because of their relationships with Tambi.

Evanora has a bit of trouble juggling her sleuthing and personal life in this book. Her boyfriend becomes extremely curious of her activities and protective of her. How much longer will she be able to hide what she does before she slips up in front of him?

This was a nail biter until the end with a few unusual plot twists. Dakota Cassidy does a wonderful job of wrapping up the story and giving readers a HFN and HEA ending, depending on the characters. Stabby Chic, book four, is a terrific addition to the Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries series.

Dakota Cassidy, Exit Stage Death (Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries Book 3)

 

Title: Exit Stage Death (Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries Book 3)
Author: Dakota Cassidy

Rating: Five Siren Stones

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Sub-Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Keywords: Ghost, Thief, Witch, Dogs, Opossum, Murder, Mystery

ISBN E-Book: Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Price: $4.99

Page Count: 230

Publisher: Self-Published

Buy-Link: https://www.amazon.com/Exit-Stage-Death-Paranormal-Bewitching-ebook/dp/B0CCGKXPVJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JBYJ2KC9PE5C&keywords=Exit+Stage+Death&qid=1698844897&sprefix=exit+stage+death%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1

Reviewer: Stacey Krug 

Blurb/Summary:

Evanora Dark here, an unalived specialist, live from "Bitten Off More Than I Can Chew-ville!”

It’s not enough that I talk to ghosts, but it looks like demons don’t mind my company either. A demon so sexy, so mesmerizing, who smells like paradise, I literally have to remind myself he’s a total jerk and that he’s trying to steal my sweet ghost’s soul.

You didn’t read that wrong. Allow me to explain. Kai Pettigrew is a twenty-something TikTok star with millions of followers. He’s dedicated his young life to serving his community by helping the homeless with Kickstarter funds and drumming up donations to get the less fortunate back on their feet.

While helping film an overnight ghost-hunt in one of the spookiest places in the country called Bridgewater Triangle with his best friend, an equally famous TikTok star, sweet, generous Kai allegedly takes his life by jumping from a ledge, leaving nothing behind but a short note.

But Kai informs me that’s not true at all. Yet, he can’t remember what really happened that fateful night, leaving me scratching my head. If Kai’s not responsible —then it has to be murder, right? But he was with his best friends in the world while filming. Surely, they wouldn’t hurt him, would they?

That leaves me with more questions than ever before. Now, add in a too-sexy-for-primetime demon who wants to snatch Kai’s soul, casts a diabolical spell on my libido, and not-so-subtly threatens my family and friends if I try and prevent it, and I’ve got big trouble. My Aunt Tuppence casts her own spell of protection to keep my family, Cary, and BFF Fab safe, but she warns me to stay away from them until I solve the case which leaves me on my own to investigate.

Alone. Outmatched. Terrified.

But I’ve got the determination of a thousand witches and the heart of a thousand more. Will it be enough to catch a killer while saving a giving, sweet boy from the bowels of Hell?

Review:

I found Exit Stage Death to be darker and spookier than the previous two books in the series, which was perfect to read in October. The added demon pushed the evil factor to eleven.

Kai Pettigrew, the deceased, is endearing and loving. He makes you want everything to turn out okay. The hope and inspiration that his character portrays balances out the evil that the demon brings to this story.

Evanora, with help from her aunt, is determined to uncover Kai’s cause of death. Evanora had to cut herself off from her friends and family to protect them and that loneliness she felt had a somber effect on the story. As Kai would look for the positive, I will say that everyone would benefit, at some point, from the spell that Aunt Tuppence cast on Evanora.

Exit Stage Death had me guessing until the very end with a plot twist that I didn’t expect. The wrap up in the epilogue had me in tears. This story has the potential for you to experience all your emotions. Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries series has taken a turn, and we are in for a wild ride.

 

Dakota Cassidy, Bohemian Tragedy (Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries Book 2)

Title: Bohemian Tragedy (Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries Book 2)

Author: Dakota Cassidy

Rating: Five Siren Stones

 Genre: Cozy Mystery

Sub-Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Keywords: Ghost, Grifter, Witch, Dogs, Opossum, Murder, Mystery

ISBN E-Book: Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Price: $4.99

Page Count: 227

Publisher: Self-Published

Buy-Link: https://www.amazon.com/Bohemian-Tragedy-Paranormal-Bewitching-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BLNFYGWD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JC64EEYGG6HO&keywords=bohemian+tragedy&qid=1691418821&sprefix=bohemian+tragedy%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-1

Reviewer: Stacey Krug  

Blurb/Summary:

Hello again! It’s me, Evanora Dark, Buttermilk Bay’s newest sage of house staging and recently discovered unalived whisperer (that’s ghost-talker to you lay folk).

Business is booming, a certain silver-fox contractor named Cary Mann is hot in pursuit (wink-wink), and me and my bestie Fab are as tight as ever. Life is good—newly inherited boggart-in-a-crystal ball aside (don’t ask; he’s a handful. And libidinous. And it’s more of a snow globe than a crystal ball…)

Good, that is, until the next ghost shows up with an untimely demise to solve. Turns out, she’s a blast from my past…a painful one at that, one I could have gone the rest of my life without ever seeing again. My loved ones—both living and dead—all have my back though, ready to throw down with this particularly pesky poltergeist.

But my gift for helping the unalived comes with certain responsibilities. I’ll help this ghost solve the mystery behind her death and see her to the light. Even if, years ago, I would’ve liked to have bumped her off myself. After all…isn’t that how most of us feel toward the person who helped blow up their marriage?

Yep. I’m tasked with helping the very woman who ruined my marriage. But the more I get to know her ghost, the more I realize things are never as cut-and-dried as they seem. Not life, not love, not relationships… And certainly not murder!

Review:

It takes wicked empathy to help the person that ruined your marriage. That said, if cheating is a trigger for you then read responsibly.

Evanora ends up helping Susan solve her mysterious disappearance. In doing so, Evanora gets to know Susan and understand her better. Susan is truly a product of her abusive childhood. Even though Susan is now a ghost her direct contact with Evanora has a profound impact on her. Susan eventually shows signs of emotional growth and empathy. Great character development.

The mystery is a tangled web that Evanora must unravel, but she finally has her date with Cary Mann while she’s hunting for clues. Evanora and Cary look like they are off to a good start. I hope their relationship gets to positively progress.

Bohemian Tragedy with all its twists and turns had a steady pace, solid plot, and was a tear-jerker. It was quite a heart-warming story.

I received an ARC for an honest review.

Dakota Cassidy, Stage Fright (Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries Book 1)

Title: Stage Fright (Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries Book 1)
Author: Dakota Cassidy

Rating: Five Siren Stones

 Genre: Cozy Mystery

Sub-Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Keywords: Ghosts, Thief, Witch, Dogs, Opossum, Murder, Mystery

ISBN E-Book: Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Price: $4.99

Publisher: Self-Published

Buy-Link: https://www.amazon.com/Fright-Bewitching-Midlife-Crisis-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BK8FBRMS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2583QC88EAN9&keywords=stage+fright+dakota+cassidy&qid=1667171901&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjAwIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=Stage+Fright%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-1

Reviewer: Stacey Krug  

Blurb/Summary:

If you want to know who unalived you, I'm your girl. Evanora Lavinia Dark at your service!

Heart attack/stroke/open-heart surgery survivor, new-lease-on-life starter, astral-projecting-ghost-talker.

And most importantly, a witch over fifty with bursitis, blood pressure meds, and zero effs to give.

I’m done with corporate life—or maybe it was done with me first— and after a life-changing stroke followed by a heart attack and a subsequent quadruple bypass. All this just before boarding a plane for my lifetime dream trip to Hawaii.

Clearly, it was time for a change.

So I moved back to my hometown and my passion. Interior design. I have no experience, no degrees in the field, but I jumped in with both feet and opened my own house staging business--Stage Right. Nowadays, you can find me happily decorating houses for my best friend, house flipper, and real estate agent, Fabiola Fabrizio.

Together, we’re determined to give our town, Buttermilk Bay, located in Massachusetts (not far from Salem) a facelift and bring in young families to stir up the economy. Little by little, people are beginning to take notice of my work and hiring me on the daily and that’s great for my bank account.

There’s only one problem. Ghosts. Sooo many ghosts. Ghosts I started to see after my bypass surgery (cliche, right?). Ghosts who were murdered and need my help to solve the mystery surrounding their deaths. Do you have any idea how hard it is to carry a fifty pound chandelier while a ghost is in your ear, hassling you to find their killer?

When a guy named Ferris Leopold is found dead at the house next door to the one I’m staging, it’s full steam ahead to solve his murder. Or is it? Ferris was a lowdown dirty, albeit petty thief in life and I’m struggling to set aside my morals in order to help him.

But as I dig deeper into Ferris’s past, meet a hot AF silver fox of a man, and explore my new powers in the process, I discover not everything is as it seems...

Review:

Stage Fright is a wonderfully engaging story from beginning to end. The characters are endearing and vibrant. Evanora Dark and Fabiola Fabrizio draw readers into their drama filled lives. Although this is book one in the Bewitching Midlife Crisis Mysteries series, I felt like I was meeting old friends.

Evanora is a witch that can see and talk with ghosts. With this power she has taken on the responsibility of helping the ghosts resolve issues so they can move on. Stage Fright involves a murder wrapped in a mystery with plenty of action.

This story had a great plot, interesting cast of characters, good backstories, wonderful family support, and the mystery is solved without a cliff-hanger. Dakota Cassidy does offer a little something at the end to keep readers coming back for more.

Stage Fright is a fantastic way to start a new series. Highly recommend.

I received an ARC for an honest review.