Hexes and Hooligans: Magical Mystery Book Club #5.5 by Elizabeth Pantley is a Cozy Mystery Event pick #free #freebie #cozymystery #paranormalcozymystery #mustread #giveaway
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  • N. N. Light
    • Feb 23
    • 5 min read

Hexes and Hooligans: Magical Mystery Book Club #5.5 by Elizabeth Pantley is a Cozy Mystery Event pick #free #freebie #cozymystery #paranormalcozymystery #mustread #giveaway



Title:  Hexes and Hooligans: Magical Mystery Book Club #5.5

 

Author:  Elizabeth Pantley

 

Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery

 

Book Blurb: 

 

It’s a magical book club! When this group chooses a book, magic happens. The mystery comes to life, and they find themselves part of the story. To exit the book and get back home, they need to solve the mystery and reach The End.The book selection of the month takes the club into a charming world of gnome-like people who love the earth, celebrating, and honey. What they don’t like is the mysterious ailment that is turning students at the local college into hideous versions of themselves.


The timing is terrible, as it coincides with the upcoming Honeybee Moon Festival, the community’s biggest celebration of the year. 


The event is only a week away. Can the motley group determine what’s causing the students’ transformations, stop it from spreading, and get them back to normal? They better, since it’s the only way they can exit the book and get back home to Colorado.

 

Excerpt:

 

Chapter Two


We gathered around the door to the basement, everyone chattering excitedly. There was always a big to-do when we opened that door on journey days. It put everyone in the best mood, knowing that we’d be heading out for book travel to another fascinating place.


Zell began to tap out a cheerful rhythm using two spoons on the coffee table. Valeria, Sebastian, and Atticus joined in with their own tapping. The drumbeats ratcheted up the level of anticipation and excitement.


I had to yell to be heard over the racket, but as soon as I started to count out loud all ten voices joined mine.


“Here we go! Five … four … three … two … one!”


I pushed open the door to the basement. Zell waltzed past me and started down the stairs. She tapped a rhythm on the walls as she went, leading our happy conga line down the stairs. She stopped at the locked door at the very bottom.


“Do you want to do the honors?” she asked Valeria, since our newest member was vibrating with excitement.


Valeria squealed with joy, and I handed her the key. She unlocked the door and bounced into our magical library.


No matter how many times that door was flung open, the sight of our library took my breath away. I looked past the rows of bookcases toward the brass spiral staircase that wound up to the second level filled with even more books. The fact that these were all mysteries never ceased to amaze me. I was grateful that they were cozies. Since we traveled inside the books, I was confident there’d never be any frightening suspense facing us, and there would be a happy ending. For the good guys, anyway. And our group were the good guys in every story. We’d be the amateur sleuths, and solve the mystery.


“Can we choose our books now?” asked Valeria.


I laughed at her enthusiasm. “Sure thing! Everybody, pick your book!”


There were cheers, and the group split up to search the stacks. We wandered around perusing the options on the shelves. Every day more books were added, so the room grew bit by bit. I had no idea who kept up the mysterious collection, since it had no physical librarian to tend to it. Things just … happened.


It didn’t take long for everyone to bring their choices to the circle. Each member laid their choice on the coffee table. We all knew not to open the books.


“Who wants to start?”


“Me!” said Zell, leaning forward to pick up her book. “Of course, I’ll start.”


“Why you?” asked Sebastian.


“Seniority, you silly goose. I’m the only octogenarian.”


“Fine, go ahead. Who’s going to argue with the head goose?”


“Precisely.” She honked and laughed. Zell held up the book for us to see. It showed a zombie covered with yarn. Its arms were up, its face in a growl. Long pieces of yarn trailed off in the wind. “This is my choice. Knit of the Living Dead.”


“Zombies!” squawked Moonbeam. “I don’t think so.”


“I think it looks fun!” said Zell.


“It looks horrifying,” said Sebastian with a shudder.


“I don’t know. I kinda like it. Lots of balls of yarn to play with,” said Frank, letting out a bit of his cat personality.


“Since when do you play with yarn?” asked Forrest.


Frank let out a deep chuckle. “Since never.”


“Zombies are too creepy,” said Glo.


“Fine. No zombies,” said Zell. She put her book back and sat down.


We went around the circle, everyone describing their choice. As usual, there were objections to every book. With a group of this size that was not surprising. But since we’d travel into the book together, our rule was that the vote must be unanimous.


“What’s your book, Valeria?”


“Beauty is in the Eye of the Hexer.” She held up the book which showed a charming small-town college set in a rural, wooded area. “It’s a paranormal cozy, but it doesn’t say what kind of beings. I’m guessing it might be witches, though, based on the description.”


“Witches are a good choice,” said Moonbeam.


“The cover says this.” Valeria began to read: “Students at a pleasant rural college are suffering from a terrible ailment. More and more students are becoming affected. Is it a contagious virus, or something worse? Something sinister? Can they put a stop to the growing string of victims and learn how to return the afflicted students back to normal?”


“Something sinister? What do they mean?” asked Forrest.


“The title uses the word hex – so maybe it is a witch’s spell,” I said.


“I like that there is no murder,” said Moonbeam. “That part always makes me uncomfortable.”


“Better get used to it, Cupcake,” said Frank. “Most mysteries feature murders.”


“Yes, I realize that, Frank,” she said stiffly. “But it would be nice not to have one to contend with for a change.”


“I love rural settings,” said Glo. “The cover is charming.”


“We haven’t been in a book with witches yet,” said Sebastian.


“It may not be witches,” said Atticus. “That was conjecture. Many supernaturals have magical powers.”


“It must end with a good resolution,” said Mollie, our resident ghost. “Don’t all cozies end well?”


We nodded.


 “We could find out what’s happening to the students and help those who were already affected to go back to their normal lives. Since I can’t go back to my normal life, it would be a joy to help someone else.”


There was a moment of silence as we felt the weight of Mollie’s statement. She was stuck as a ghost, and it seemed reasonable to allow her to help others in a similar situation.


“I think it’s time to vote,” I said. “Who is in favor of Beauty is in the Eye of the Hexer?”


Everyone raised their hand.


“Great!” I tapped my gavel to the block. “We have chosen a book for our journey!”

 

Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):

 

Free via BookFunnel:   https://dl.bookfunnel.com/7a2vql7poy 




What makes your featured book a must-read?

 

For anyone who’s ever said, “I love this book so much I wish I was there,” this is a dream come true. Not only does this group get to read cozy mysteries – they get to become the amateur sleuths who solve the mystery!

 

Giveaway –

 

Enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card:

 

 

Open Internationally.

 

Runs February 21 – February 28, 2024.

 

Winner will be drawn on February 29, 2024.

 


Author Biography:


Elizabeth Pantley says that writing magical cozy mysteries is the most fun she's ever had at work. Fans of her books say that her joy is evident through the stories she tells. Elizabeth is also the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents, published in over twenty languages. She splits her time between the Pacific Northwest and the Arizona desert, both provide beautiful inspiration for the enchanted worlds she creates.

 

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