Genre: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Synopsis:
At the age of eight, Arista Kelly was frantically swept up by her parents and whisked off to an isolated town in the California redwoods. Two days later, her parents were gone.
Now at the age of twenty-three, she has settled quite nicely into an eclectic lifestyle, much like her great aunt, and guardian since childhood, Bethie. She enjoys the use of herbs and crystals to help her commune with the energy and nature around her and finds pleasure in the company of her beloved pet, Royal. Usually quite satisfied with her mundane life high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, life becomes unsettling when a new recurring vision of an ominous tattoo as well as increased activity from the ghostly presence within her own cottage invade her once-harmonious existence.
But life in this mountain sanctuary takes an even darker turn when the body of Arista’s former classmate is found in the nearby river. As other young women fall prey to a suspected serial killer, Arista realizes that the terror is coming to her.
My Review:
One of my favorite genres is murder mystery, and I have a few favorites. But I have never read a book that involves serial killers. That makes Murder under Redwood Moon by Sherri L. Dodd my first in the serial killer subgenre.
The story follows Arista, a witch who works in a crystal shop. The protagonist is a witch, but that doesn’t make this book a fantasy novel. Let me tell you why. First of all, even though there is witchcraft throughout the book, the main theme focuses on finding a serial killer.
I usually find the killer in murder mystery novels because the person is always the one who is mentioned so rarely. But this story kept me engaged enough not to think of that one character. I liked how the author manipulated my suspicion toward a potential killer, someone I was so damn sure was the killer, only to prove me wrong.
Back to witchy stuff, the witchcraft in this book was minimal, like casting a protection spell or banishing spell. I am not complaining, but as I have read and loved many fantasy novels, I expected more. Later, I realized why shouldn’t there be a witch whose powers are limited to protecting herself and her loved ones instead of the whole world? When I slowed down and thought about it, having visions of the future and feeling the presence of ghosts is definitely a huge deal in the real world. So, that makes Arista feel more natural and real.
There are many characters in the novel. I specifically loved Arista’s aunt Bethie, who is so loving and caring towards Arista. Shane and Arista’s relationship was good; I liked them, but I don’t root for them. I wished to see more of Maddie, one of Arista’s friends. Their conversations were so good but were very few in the book. Above all, I loved this particular character a lot, who is Royal, Arista’s cat. The bond they both have, the way Royal alerts her when he senses danger, is just so sweet, and I love him a lot.
The third-person POV gives the perspective of many characters, which was interesting. Like I said before, the search for the killer part was engaging till the end. The very unexpected twist at the end made me want to read the second book.
Overall, If you like serial killer mysteries with a mix of paranormal elements, this book is worth checking out. With unexpected twists, and a gripping mystery, it will keep you engaged till the end.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
*Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.*
Book links:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
About the Author:
Sherri was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore. This inspired her first short story for sale about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto children as they smelled it.
Her first real step into writing was the non-fiction fitness book, Mom Looks Great – The Fitness Program for Moms published in 2005, and maintaining its accompanying blog. Now, transmuting the grief of her father’s passing, she has branched into Fiction, specifically the genre of Paranormal Thriller with generous dashes of Magick Realism! Her Murder, Tea & Crystals Trilogy released book one – Murder Under Redwood Moon – in March 2024.
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