Magic, Mayhem, and Murder: A Literary Leftover Book Review

A paranormal cozy mystery with fantasy creatures like witches and werewolves. However, the fantasy element does not interfere, but enhances the story. Mallory comes back to her hometown after her nana has been killed only to have her actual memories of the magical creatures come back when she enters the town.

This is book #1 in the Bad Omens Investigators Series by Tessa Bryant. When Mallory returns home after 15 years, so does her magic. Now she needs to figure out who she can trust and why her Nana was killed.

I’m excited to have found this new series!

Magic, Mayhem & Murder by Tessa Bryant

Literary Leftovers are book reviews and recommendations that do not contain recipes, but are books that I highly recommend.

Magic, Mayhem, & Murder by Tessa Bryant

Book Review

Fun Paranormal Cozy Mystery Book to Read 📕📗📘📙

Book Review Outline and Tone:

I won a copy of this book from a giveaway that author Tessa Bryant did on Instagram. I’m so glad I did! This paranormal cozy mystery combines just the right amount of magic to enliven the story without too much magic that the story becomes a complex fantasy. Author Tessa Bryant has created characters that are believable and likable. Mallory and her sister are very different from each other. This is highlighted by the fact that Mallory left Tempest, Texas to make a life in New York, while her sister stayed in Tempest and worked in their Nana’s book and coffee café.

When Mallory discovers her boyfriend in bed with her neighbor, she decides to leave the Big Apple and go back to Texas. It is only when she gets home that her Nana’s spell wears off and Mallory begins to remember who she is and that her town is filled with a variety of different magical creatures.

One of the things I loved about this book is that the magical element is not the star of the plot but a character that adds both charm and intrigue to the plot line.

The author:

According to Tessa Bryant’s website, she loves true crime stories, black cats, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This list explains her creation of the world of Tempest, Texas and all of their magical residents. I recommend visiting her site and joining her newsletter, because doing so gets you a free digital copy of a prequel to this novel. Another thing I enjoy about her website are the photos of both Mallory and Luke. I wish I had seen these pictures before I read the book so I could imagine Luke in each scene.

Tessa Bryant is active on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a question or comment about her book, you can reach her there.

What is not to like?:

I’m a little surprised I am about to write this, but I wanted more magic. This surprises me because I am not a fan of the Fantasy genre. I find it difficult to get into worlds where objects have different purposes.

The verdict:

I’m excited to have found this new series! Paranormal cozy mystery is a fun new genre for me and I think you will like it too.

Read It! 4/5 Books 📚📚📚📚

The book statistics:

Magic, Mayhem, & Murder

by Tessa Bryant
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genres: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Series: Bad Omens Investigations #1
Setting: Tempest, TX
Pages: 276 pages
Format: Kindle and Paperback
Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Published by: Pigs Fly Publishing
(September 4, 2023)
Information Sources: Amazon, Goodreads, and Author’s website

Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).