Kindle Edition Amazon Category:  Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing ISBN-10:  B086WS2TQN Pages: 200 Copyright: July 9, 2019 Price: $2.83 (eBook) Charm McCall, armed with a library full of Agatha Christie stories and her unique witchy gifts, knows how to solve a small-town murder… Charm McCall, the oldest of the McCall triplets by a whole day—or one minute before midnight if one’s being picky—is the designated driver for her whole town. Why, if it wasn’t for her, Snowy Lake would incinerate or fall into Hudson’s Bay. With her unique abilities, she’s all set to keep her family and town safe and on its proper course. That is, until a hot Mountie moves into town, a busload of strippers breaks down on Main Street and Mrs. Hurst goes and gets herself murdered with poisoned jam. Jam crafted by Charm’s family at the Tea & Tarot café. Now it’s up to her to solve the murders—yes, plural, when another local business owner ends up dead. Charm knows just what to do. What’s breaking a few laws if she can sleuth out the culprit? She knows the people of Snowy Lake better than any new lawman possibly could. So why can’t he just leave her be to get on with things? And why does he have to be so darn hot?     Excerpt Chapter One The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. —Albert Einstein Thirteen years ago “Will she let us stay?” Tulip’s eyes widened, her nose and cheeks reddened by the freezing wind. My triplet shivered, wiping her dripping nose on the back of her red mitten. I straightened the collar on her worn jacket and tucked the thin scarf around her neck. The snow was falling more heavily now, already filling in the tracks the three of us had made walking from the street light to the front stoop, the warning still ringing in my head. ‘Don’t knock until you’ve counted to a hundred if you know what’s good for you. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen…’ “I’m not sure, but if we’re really, really good, she might. At least for tonight,” I interrupted my counting to answer her. “Yeah, don’t you be backtalking her like you did to Mommy,” Star said, staring accusingly. “I never did that!” Tulip’s bottom lip started to quiver. “Hush, no one is at fault,” I said. If she started bawling, I didn’t know how long I could hold off. My throat had a lump in it big as a baseball. Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three. Star screwed up her face but held her tongue, though only after I gave her my sternest older-sister look. I’d been born at one minute to midnight, making me the oldest sister by a full day. Not that birthdays were ever celebrated, though we’d had eight already. Mommy said we were too much trouble on a regular day. No way was she holding a two-day party for a trio of brats. I tugged the paper sack holding all our possessions closer to my chest, thinking of the one precious book and the half-box of Pop Tarts Mommy had tucked inside for our supper. Maybe Granny would have a toaster or a stove element to warm them up? Or maybe she might have some juice or pop? My throat was dry. Even water would taste good. Star stamped her feet to stay warm, her pink running shoes leaving an intricate pattern from the soles as she packed the snow. Her scarf had icicles forming from her warm breath hitting the frosty air and her cheeks shone bright red. No frostbite—not yet anyway. But the wind was picking up, blowing showers of ice crystals off the roof and onto our bare heads. Sixty-six, sixty-seven. I glanced across the open field between Granny’s house and the house next door, visualizing wolves coming out of the evergreens of the thick forest and circling the town. We’d been dropped off on one of the coldest days of the year. Minus forty-seven, according to the loud man on the radio in our old van. I’d caught the name of the town on the welcoming sign leading in. Snowy Lake, population 1259. I was proud to be the first one to learn to read, first one to do most things. Then I could help my little sisters, when they’d let me. Eighty-nine, ninety. I was shaking now, could barely keep from kicking at the door with my foot. But a promise is a promise. If Mommy came back and saw me doing wrong, I’d get a swat for sure. You know she’s not coming back, right? a small voice inside me piped up, making tears well. No! Don’t ever say that. Hard as times had been, Mommy loved us deep down inside. She’s coming back. One day. When things were better for her, she’d be back. She promised. And if I kept my solemn promise to look after my sisters, then everything would be okay. It had to be. “Okay, let’s not forget who we are. The awesome McCalls. Okay, time’s up.” Just as I reached one hundred the back-porch light came on, a beacon in the darkness, spotlighting the three of us huddled in the dark. “Land’s sake alive, what are the three of you doing outside waiting in the snow?” I spoke up, holding out the bedraggled piece of paper with the slightly smeared ink. “Granny Toogood, my mommy said to give you this.” If she was surprised at me calling her Granny, she didn’t show it. She took the offering and read it with an intense expression. I peeked at her while she read. Dark curls gleamed around a soft face. She was wearing a nice pair of blue slacks with a matching blouse over a slim body, no stains or holes. She must be rich. She was shorter than Mommy, too. When she glanced down at Star, Tulip and me, the expression in her blue eyes was kind, as though she was very sure of something. I liked her immediately. I badly wanted her to like me, too. Then maybe she would feel obliged to help my sisters. “Well, let’s get you all inside then,” she said, refolding and tucking the letter into her pants pocket. I waited until my sisters had clamored in the doorway before I glanced back at the forest. The pack of wolves had vanished.

Murder, Suspense and Mystery
Snowy Lake is a small town where everybody knows everybody. On the surface Snowy Lake seems to be a quiet, cozy little town where everyone is real nice and all get along with one another very well until the bodies start to pile up.

Someone in cozy Snowy Lake is a murderer and all the evidence is pointing to Charm McCall’s family and their little café the Tea & Tarot café and it looks as if they are being poisoned with jam made by the McCall family.

Charm is sure she can solve the murders before her family is arrested for the murders if only the new constable in town will stay out of her way. As Charm figures it she knows the people and the Snowy Lake better than he does and can get the people of Snowy Lake to confide in her.

Magic, Mayhem, & Murder is a cozy little read that drew me in from the first page and into its depths wondering who would want to kill the nice people in Snowy Lake. I kept asking myself all these questions and more while I was reading Magic, Mayhem, & Murder: One who is the murderer? And two why did they kill them? And three if Charm and her family were being set up how did they do it? And four when did it happen?

Magic, Mayhem, & Murder has enough suspense and mystery to keep you glued to your seat trying to guess what is going on with all the twists and turns it likes to hold on to its secrets only giving you a little bit at a time just enough to keep you charmed and wrapping you into its coziness like a warm blanket. I can’t wait to see where Charm, Star, Tulip and the rest of the characters take us in the next little cozy mystery from the Manitoba Tea & Tarot Mysteries Series.

If you like murder and mystery with plenty of suspense then you are going to love Magic, Mayhem, & Murder. Pick up your copy today!

Three times the trouble!
Charm McCall has a problem. A big one.

The town busybody and generally not nice Mrs. Hurst has been poisoned..... by Charm's apricot jam. Who would want to murder Mrs. Hurst? That's easy, most everyone she met. However, why is Charm and her Tea and Tarot Cafe being framed? Not so easy to figure out!

Charm is a triplet and I enjoyed the differences between the sisters- Charm the responsible one and devoted to the tea shop business, Tulip the blogger and Star the musician/singer who is looking elsewhere for her career goals. The women were raised by their grandmother , "Granny" who was their touchstone. The dialogue between the sisters is witty and filled with sibling angst and love.

I love mysteries with humor and this one was perfect - between a group of strippers in town, a handsome Mountie, quirky and lovable townspeople, this book was perfect!

The lovable and feisty cat, Baby Ling Ling was a princess of a character and added to the story! Long live Baby Ling Ling!

If you enjoy paranormal cozies, I know you'll love this book!

I received an ebook, from the author, for a fair and honest review.

A magical start to a new series
What is a must for me with cozy mysteries are characters that have a lot of personality. And January Bain does a fantastic job creating characters I want to get to know more. For a first book, they are nicely developed and I look forward to seeing them grow even more in future books.

The McCall family is a perfect combo; gentle and wise grandma, crazy aunt, responsible oldest, middle child who just wants to keep the peace, and the youngest who wants to get all the attention. And the other characters, especially Ivana, the Russian renter and Christine, the rich woman, add another fun layer to the novel. Of course, I can’t forget Baby Ling Ling, with her sass and fluffy white fur.

I’m enjoying the relationship between Ace and Charm. Bain doesn’t make us wait books and books until they decide to kiss. Although the twist that she throws in may still keep us waiting for more, but I’m fine with that…. For now!

Looking forward to future books in the series to see how all of their powers develop, what happens when their mother returns, and who’ll get murdered next when the Witches and Wolves movie starts filming in their town.