Title Magicians & Murder
Author Lucinda Race
Genre Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Book Blurb
Welcome to Pembroke Cove, where witches and murders are multiplying...
Lily Michaels is working on her craft as a new witch, enjoying life, and running her shop in the quaint town of Pembroke Cove. …Until four magicians show up at the Cozy Nook Bookstore determined to get Lily's book, Practical Beginnings. The book isn’t for sale—not that they could use it anyway, as they’re not a Michaels’ family members. Her familiar, Milo, is ready to do all he can to protect his favorite witch.
Upon opening her store the next day, Lily discovers a body—one of the men who tried to buy her book. Detective Gage Erikson, her fiancé, turns the case over to Dax Peters since Lily is the main suspect in the murder. Despite her confidence in her friends on the police force, she must move quickly to learn who is responsible. She’s pretty sure one of the three remaining magicians should be the prime suspect, but which one? Or did they conspire to commit murder together?
As Gage and the rest of her friends from Pembroke Cove stand beside her ready to solve the case, Lily knows this puzzle will be her greatest challenge. Not only does she need to clear her name and protect her book but Lily discovers dark magic can lead to murder.
Magicians & Murder is the seventh novel in the A Book Store Cozy Mystery Series; although each book can be read as a standalone, it is best to read them in order. It is a sweet, clean, cozy mystery that guarantees the culprit is caught. Happy reading!
Excerpt
I looked at my watch for the third time and decided to make a pot of coffee. Wandering into the tiny kitchen that doubled as the storage room in the back of my bookstore, I cast a quick but effective spell to start the coffee brewing. I stepped into the main room and looked out the front windows overlooking Main Street. The calendar said it was April, but today the blowing flakes of snow reminded me winter still had a firm grip on the tiny town of Pembroke Cove. And still no Nikki.
My best friend had been on her honeymoon, and I was anxious to hear all about it. I blushed as I rephrased that in my head—about the vacation part, restaurants, and what they did. In turn, I was going to fill her in on the details of the case about poor John Bailey, the treasure hunter running around town dressed as a leprechaun, and the cause of his untimely death.
I looked at Milo, my gray tabby cat and familiar, soaking up the morning sun on the wide windowsill. The smile on my face changed from friend zone to business person in the blink of an eye. Standing outside the store were two couples. The women were tall and willowy and looked like they stepped from the pages of a fashion magazine. The older gentleman had piercing blue eyes, dark hair with strands of silver, high cheekbones, and a long, thin nose. He was stop in your tracks handsome, and next to him was the fourth person, who also was dipped in the gorgeous gene pool. He looked similar to the tall man, but younger, with blond hair and deep brown eyes. The small bell above the front door jingled as they entered.
“Welcome to the Cozy Nook Bookshop.” I swept my hand from side to side. “Browse to your heart’s content, and if you’re looking for something specific, be sure to let me know. We have an extensive section on local history and authors in aisle one.”
“Thank you.” The woman with auburn hair turned to the brunette and said, “We should start there.”
I took a step closer, but my pulse ticked up. Animosity wrapped around them like a cloak, and I didn’t go any farther. I wished Milo would saunter by the desk. He’d get a good read on them in half a minute or less. The older man looked me up and down.
“Do you work here?” His voice was deep and rich but cold and harsh at the same time, which made no sense to me at all. It was so conflicting.
“I’m the owner.” Normally, I would introduce myself, but something told me to hold back.
“I was under the impression Mimi Michaels was the store owner,” the younger man said and they all nodded.
“She sold it to me a couple of years ago.” I slipped my hand into my skirt pocket, hoping to find my phone, but I remembered I left it near the cash register. Turning, I crossed the room, not caring if I appeared rude, and paused at the counter. Very few people made me nervous, but these four definitely brought in the hostility of someone I had wronged. But I had never seen them before.
Milo jumped up on the counter, and without thinking, my hand slid down his back. Just the connection calmed me. He looked up, and in a soft gravelly kitty growl, he said, “Who are they and what are they doing here?”
The brunette looked our way, her eyes fixed on Milo.
I didn’t answer him. Was it a coincidence she looked over at the same time he asked his question? Could they be witches from another town and that’s how they knew my aunt Mimi?
Milo bobbed his head under my hand as if trying to get some attention. “She can’t understand me, but she knows you can.”
I could feel my protection necklace that my aunt had given me grow warm against my skin. I turned my back to her and dropped my voice to a whisper. “Who are they?” I glanced over my shoulder and noticed the woman with auburn hair stalking over to me.
“I’m Iris Herman.” She pointed to the other woman. “Standing in the historical section behind me is Celeste Jaden. The younger man with her is Clay Proctor and last, but never least, is Luca Rand.”
She casually looked over the counter and saw my family’s book of magic, Practical Beginnings, and her face morphed into a satisfied smile. “Luca. I found it.”
Milo jumped on top of it, effectively covering the book with his lanky body.
“I’m sorry that book isn’t for sale; it’s my family’s history.”
Luca rushed over and extended his arms, exposing a small moon tattoo. He started to pick up a hissing Milo, who raked his claws down Luca’s arms.
His eyes narrowed. “I need to see that book.”
Picturing the book in my mind, I said under my breath, “I wrap this book in protection, as I wish so it shall be.”
Milo turned slightly and gave me a slow wink. He knew my spell work was getting stronger and better with each passing day. I didn’t need a long incantation to make a spell work if the intention was made with strength of spirit.
Luca’s eyes widened, and now his attention was focused on me. “Are you related to Mimi?”
The door opened, and Nikki was standing in the doorway. She looked at the people in my shop and then at me. “Morning. Sorry I’m a little late.” She closed the door with a flick of her wrist, but it wasn’t the non-magical way; she was in witch mode. Her tone was sharp as she said, “What’s going on here?”
“Two witches. How interesting.” Luca’s gaze bored into Nikki, but she didn’t flinch.
“We’re the Magicians. I’m sure you’ve heard of our show. We’re holding a single performance at the Lights Out movie theatre in town tomorrow night. You should come as our guests.” He handed me two tickets that seemed to appear from thin air. When I didn’t accept them, he placed the tickets on the counter very close to where my book and Milo were.
This time the low and ominous growl that came from Milo sounded more like a wild cat ten times his size, and I had never heard that from him before.
Luca withdrew his hand and gave me a smug smile as if to tell me I had won this round but not the war. In my gut, somehow, I knew more skirmishes were to come in regard to my book of magic.
“Clay. Celeste,” he called over his shoulder, then inclined his head to give me a sinister smile. “Until next time, Ms. Michaels.”
The other two magicians joined Iris and Luca at the counter as Nikki opened the door the way she had closed it, with a flick of her wrist. They filed out the door in a single line, and Luca was the last to leave.
“Nice parlor trick.”
Nikki took one step closer to him. Her voice was colder than the wind coming off the ocean as she said, “Tricks are for wannabes.”
He lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug. “I look forward to seeing you again.”
Without another word, he crossed the threshold. The door slammed behind him, and the lock clicked into place. I could hear Luca chuckle as if Nikki’s actions were amusing.
Rushing across the room, she was beside me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. “What was that all about?”
“I’m not sure. But let’s not talk about the people who left. I want to hear most of the tidbits of your honeymoon.”
Her laughter filled the room, and relief washed over me as the oppressive air in the shop dissipated. She dropped her arm to her side and held up a bakery box. “I haven’t fired up the oven yet, so I swung by the Sweet Spot. William had a box of cinnamon pecan buns ready and waiting for me. It was like he knew I’d be by for something sinfully delicious.”
“And the coffee should be ready.” Milo was still sitting on my book, and I dropped a kiss on his head. “You deserve a special treat.”
He stood and stretched his back into an arch. “Smoked salmon?”
Now I laughed. “Not today, and besides, you just had some.” I scratched under his chin.
He tipped his chin up so I could scratch a new spot and muttered, “That was over two weeks ago.” He hopped down and padded over to the wingback chairs, which was my favorite place to enjoy a hot beverage and a pastry.
Nikki took the bakery box and set it on the small table between the chairs that had a view of the street. The idea that I could watch people in town comforted me since I didn’t want the group of magicians to make a repeat visit. But once Nikki took off, I’d give Mimi a call and find out what the scoop was with these people and why they would want my book. A while back, Nikki had tried to help me with a spell, and when she looked at the pages, they were blank. From what my aunt said, only a member of the Michaels family could actually read the book.
I poured coffee into a carafe, then added a sugar bowl and creamer pitcher along with two plates, cups, forks, and napkins. The idea of calling Gage and letting him know what had happened flitted through my mind, but there really wasn’t anything to tell other than rude customers wanted to purchase a book that wasn’t for sale and then gave us tickets to their performance. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I thought maybe they had been tired from their trip and that’s why the sour moods.
Picking up the tray, I hesitated. I had promised Milo a treat, and he was sitting in my chair, patiently waiting.
I filled a small ball with catnip and rolled it across the floor. “Here you go.”
He batted it back to me, and if a cat could cock a brow, he would have. “Tuna, please?”
I knew that snark in his tone, and it was easier to comply than not. Besides, he had protected the book from Luca, so a can of tuna was the very least I could do. Making quick work of opening the can, I filled his bowl and put it on the chair for him. “Milo, thank you for trying to help.”
“My dear witch, it’s part of my responsibilities as your familiar. And I must say your protection spell has come a long way over the last few months. I could actually feel the surge the moment you cast it. Very powerful indeed.”
“Sadly, that is what gave Luca the confirmation I’m a witch. I would have preferred to keep that on the down-low. Non-magicals typically can’t handle it.”
“Detective Cutie doesn’t have an ounce of magic in his veins, despite his mother being a very powerful witch.”
I wanted to chuckle at his reference to Gage. “He takes after his father, Burke. But Gage might have some magic in him.”
“Glinda’s magic would have shown up by now if he had inherited any.” He began to eat his tuna. “You know that’s the risk you run if you marry him and have kids. They could turn out to take after their father.”
I set the tray down on the table and scooped Milo up from the chair, hugging him. “Would that be so bad? Heck, I didn’t know I was a witch until a few months ago. It wasn’t so bad not having magic.”
Milo wriggled out of my arms and dropped down to the floor. “Never say that again! If you had been open to your powers, you’d be a much better witch today.” He turned his back to me and waited for me to move his plate of tuna to the floor. When he continued scarfing down the fish, I could have sworn he grumbled, “Not that I didn’t try.”
I stepped over Milo and joined Nikki who was patiently waiting for me. “Some things haven’t changed since you’ve been honeymooning. Milo and I are still bickering, and I may have overreacted to the situation with Luca Rand and company.”
Nikki took the carafe and poured us each a mug of coffee. “That’s not how I see it. That guy was not being friendly. He wanted something that you had, and if I hadn’t walked in, he might have found a way to get your book. He could be a witch since he made that crack about parlor tricks.”
I sniffed. “I protected it and Milo.”
She gave me a side-eye. “There was extremely toxic energy when I walked in, and as soon as we’re done inhaling our pecan rolls, we’re going to smudge the store.” Looking around, she said, “You know what, we’re not waiting. Come on.”
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Author Biography
Award-winning and best-selling author Lucinda Race is a lifelong fan of fiction. As a young girl, she spent hours reading cozy mystery and romance novels and getting lost in the fictional worlds. While her friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers, her dream was to become a writer—a novelist.
As life twisted and turned, she found herself writing nonfiction but longed to turn to her true passion. After developing the storyline for the McKenna Family Romance series, it was time to start living her dream. Her fingers practically fly over computer keys she weaves stories with strong, quirky characters, snarky humor, and toss in a bit of romance. To date, she has published over 30 novels paranormal cozy mysteries, and romance.Lucinda lives with her two little dogs, a miniature long hair dachshund and a shitzu mix rescue, in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts. When she's not at her day job, she’s immersed in her fictional worlds. And if she’s not writing novels, she’s reading everything she can get her hands on.
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