Murder Under Redwood Moon/Moonset on Desert Sands (Murder, Tea & Crystals 1 & 2) by Sherri L Dodd-reviews & excerpt

Murder Under Redwood Moon
Murder, Tea & Crystals 1
by Sherri L Dodd
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date: March 21, 2024

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.

•••••••

REVIEW: Murder Under Redwood Moon: A Witch Cozy Paranormal Murder Mystery by Sherri L. Dodd is book one in the Murder, Tea and Crystals trilogy.

At a young age Arista Kelly was taken by her parents to a secluded town in the Redwoods of California to stay with her Great Aunt Bethie. Now age 23, she has settled into a quiet, charmed, eclectic life in Boulder Creek wi th her cat Royal. She has her best friend Maddie and her circle of friends and works at a crystal shop owned bu Analina. She loves her independent life and her job.

That is until two strangers come to town and things start getting weird. Girls start to go missing! Girls that look exactly like her and Maddie. When things start getting stranger in town Arista starts having visions. Nothing she can comprehend for sure yet, but someone is definitely trying to tell her something!

And bad stuff starts happening to her friends. Pure coincidence or is something evil come to town?
Will Arista be able to figure out her visions before its too late, or will something bad befall her and Maddie?

I absolutely loved Arista’s character.

She is independent, down to earth and level headed. She enjoys her little eclectic life and spending time with her friends. She also loves helping anyone who needs help finding their inner peace. I love the life she has built for herslef with the help of her Aunt.

Her Aunt Bethie practices witchcraft and uses her coven to perform protection ceremonies for Arista. From birth she has needed protection, thats why her parents placed her where they did. I love every interaction Arista has with her Aunt. You can feel the love and guidance she tries to provide to Arista.

But who has killed all of these young girls, and can Arista protect herself and Maddie from the same fate. All while trying to heal the conflict and pain within her friendship circle?

This book was an amazingly wonderful walk into the world of witchcraft and how there is both good and darkness within that realm. Not my typical genre but wonderfully written, magick is!

Highly recommend. Can not wait to read book two: Moonset On Desert Sands

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Moonset on Desert Sands
Murder, Tea & Crystals 2
by Sherri L Dodd
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 27, 2025

With a traumatic year of fending off a serial killer behind her, Arista has settled contentedly into her temporary home with Auntie in Sedona, Arizona. She enjoys her new job selling all things metaphysical and even has her eye on the hot security guard, Dakota, after her recent breakup with Shane.

But a series of new fainting spells has her worried, and when Auntie witnesses one, they decide the answer lies in her home of Boulder Creek. However, returning means not only dealing with her breakup and its heartache but also the possibility of drawing her bloodthirsty Uncle Fergus to her once safe haven in the redwoods. And this time he has recruited an even more dangerous alliance.

Arista’s closest bonds will be strengthened, but the mounting tension of a death in the desert, a stalker on the streets, and the relentless pursuit of Fergus puts her in dangerous territory, and escaping sorrow proves impossible.

••••

REVIEW: This book starts out a year after book one and Arista and her Aunt are are staying in Sedona, Arizona. Her world has completely changed in the last year. No longer is she in her comfort zone of Boulder Creek. Leaving all her friends and boyfriend Shane behind.
Taking a trip with her Aunt, leads her back to her parents. Only to find her mother not doing well. Arista isn’t sure where all of this will fit into her new life.
Arista starts having her fainting spells again and her Auntie believes she needs to return and find the answers in Boulder Creek. But going back means Arista must face her past with Shane, and what her life has become now. With her estranged Uncle Fergus still looking for her. Arista has no idea what is coming her way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the continuation of this story. With bridging the story between Boulder Creek and Sedona – I absolutely loved the new community Arista made in her time in Arizona. I look forward to continuing this story in book three.

Magickal and mysterious – this story did not disappoint!

Copy supplied for review

Reviews by Erin K

 

“Okay, just checking. I thought I heard you call me.” Auntie paused. “Everything okay in there?”

This had become irksome, too. The constant checking. She forced out another huff, took a final rinse, and killed the flow of noisy water. “Yes, I’m fine.” Her words bounced off the glass enclosure and back at her. Liar

After toweling off, she threw on her robe. Today, it did not feel soft or cozy. Still miring over her involuntary duty to co-host the meeting, she hustled through the hallway to avoid the sight of any witches. She did not want to hear how sorry they were nor see their saddened eyes or frowny faces of compassion. She wanted to be left alone. But no, she had the big ol’ get-together when her father returned. So, not only did she have to entertain the whole damn coven but also him, and he may as well have been a stranger.

She barged around the corner and came face to face with a pear- shaped Royal sitting at the edge of her bed, his piercing blue eyes upon his black satin face staring up at her.

Mew.

She froze. For a second, she wanted to hate him, too.

He blinked his frosty blue eyes.

She could never!