Mostly Murders

Many thanks to Natalie Summers for this ARC. Book 1 in the Spelltide Bay Magic Mysteries series, publication day: July 15, 2026.

I’m Sara Rivers, recently unemployed secretary, crochet enthusiast and apparently half-undine who didn’t know magic existed until this week.

If you saw the cover for this one and thought it looked super cute and cozy, then you are absolutely correct. Tides Wait for No Witch is a charming, whimsical, cozy fantasy murder mystery featuring Sara Rivers who inherits a house in Spelltide Bay and ends up discovering that magic is real, that she has a whole family she never knew about, that she can communicate with animals, and that there is a killer on the loose in Spelltide Bay.

As a longtime cozy mystery fan, this one checks all the boxes for me. The main character is fun, likeable and relateable. The locals in Spelltide Bay are quirky and colourful, the setting is beautiful and cozy with a sinister undertone, and the themes of nature, animals, family, belonging and purpose were deeply sympathetic and satisfying to read about.

The murder mystery is well-paced and allows Sara and the reader to learn more about her family, Spelltide Bay and the world of magic that is hidden in plain sight on the island. According to the locals, Spelltide Bay is a place that attracts those who need to be there, and in the same way I think that Tides Wait for No Witch is the kind of book that will attract those readers who need a cozy, welcoming, heartwarming story.

And if that wasn’t enough, Tides Wait for No Witch is ready to completely charm you with a sassy talking sea otter with kleptomanic tendencies, a smoking hot but infuriating FBI agent, a magical system featuring anything from shapeshifters to elemental magic to kitchen witches, crochet, and an island animal sanctuary which is the home of Ollie the sea otter and other adorable marine wildlife.

Highly recommended for cozy mystery fans, cozy fantasy fans, nature lovers, animals lovers, and anyone who enjoys a fun, relaxing, cute story.

Cozy fantasy – Cozy paranormal mystery