A Sprinkling of Murder (A Fairy Garden Mystery 1), by Daryl Wood Gerber

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Earlier this year I joined a Goodreads challenge in which I was tasked with reading ten cozy mysteries, each with a different theme. One of the themes was paranormal. This was the theme I was least familiar with and least looking forward to because I'm a bit of a realist. I did a search for cozy mysteries with a paranormal theme and came across A Sprinkling of Murder. It's the first time I've ever chosen to read a book simply because I loved the book cover. I mean, just look at it. Isn't it beautiful? 

Courtney Kelly had believed in fairies since she was a young girl. That all changed when her mother passed away, but she has since then rediscovered the magic she had lost. She is now the owner of Open Your Imagination, a shop in Carmel, California that sells all things fairies. She also holds classes there on how to make fairy gardens.

Unfortunately, Courtney becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation when she discovers the dead body of another business owner on her property. To clear her name, she must find out who the real killer is. Her sidekick fairy sleuth, Fiona, is on a mission of her own and she helps Courtney solve this case.

This book easily earned five stars from me on Goodreads. It's the reason why I use mushrooms to show my ratings on this blog. It made me believe in and fall in love with fairies, so much so that I named my cat after Fiona the fairy. Fiona makes a delightful sidekick sleuth whose journey we get to read about. There is also a cat named Pixie, who can also see Fiona. Their interaction is so sweet and entertaining.

They mystery is strong. I had my suspicions about the culprit, but I wasn't completely sure until it was revealed. There are several viable suspects, twists, and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. It was such a fun ride!

The description of Carmel, California was so enchanting that I looked it up on the internet. I can see why this charming town was chosen as the setting for this series. I'll definitely be going back there again through the series.

The store that Courtney owns is also a tea shop and there are recipes at the end of the book to satisfy fans of culinary cozies. However, this book also has fairy quotes at the beginning of each chapter, which I found even more appealing. That's one of the reasons I am planning to add this entire series, as it's released, to my personal library. I can also see myself reading it again one day.

After reading the book, I listened to the audiobook. The reason I did that is because two book clubs I participate in read it a while after I did. I decided to get a different experience and listen to it. I have to say, I prefer the print version. Many people will enjoy the audiobook, but for me, the voices were quite different from what I envisioned while I read the print version. 

I have also read the second book in the series, A Glimmer of a Clue and I enjoyed it just as much as A Sprinkling of Murder. I have a copy of the third book, A Hint of Mischief, and will definitely read it soon. There is also a fourth one, A Flicker of a Doubt, that will be released in 2023 and I am so excited about that! I hope this is a long series.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, I highly recommend reading  A Sprinkling of Murder. It's the perfect cozy mystery that will enchant you. While it was the one I was least looking forward to in the Goodreads challenge, so far it has turned out to be my favorite.