Mysterious Merchandise - A Paranormal Mystery Review

MYSTERIOUS MERCHANDISE by Astoria Wright

The First Witches Thrift Shop Mystery

Alice Adelcraft was expecting to go on a job interview. She was not expecting a cat to lead her to a heretofore unknown world...and a dead body. Now aware that witches do exist, she begins to straddle the two worlds, cognizant that the murder was just the beginning and that something dangerous is afoot. When an orphaned teen gets blamed for the murder, Alice knows she has to stand up for him and prove his innocence. Despite being "Untalented" Alice does have the knowledge imparted from her late father and Mrs. Kinjo, but will it be enough? I particularly enjoy books in which the main character is introduced to a whole new world, especially when it's magickal and MYSTERIOUS MERCHANDISE is just such a one. I appreciated Alice's knowledge of the jinn and her relationship with Mrs. Kinjo as well as her determination to fit in with Magic Row and its inhabitants. I absolutely love Naveed and am properly intrigued by both Sebastian Delvaux and Rhys Merlin. There's a societal message here too, about orphaned and latch key kids. Long compartmentalized as juvenile delinquent troublemakers, they don't always have someone on their side. Alice, orphaned herself, sees the goodness within and decides to be their champion, albeit, not their pushover. MYSTERIOUS MERCHANDISE is a smart entry into a new magickal series. This quick read is filled with interesting characters, a good combination of humor and jeopardy, and just enough foreshadowing to make me eager for the next installment!

You can see my original review on my Mystery Blog, Cozy Up With Kathy. Here's a direct link to the post: https://cozyupwithkathy.blogspot.com/2020/03/mysterious-merchandise-review-giveaway.html

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