Review
The First Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery
After a humiliating time in San Francisco Carissa Carmichael has moved back to her hometown of Oak Creek Valley, California. Working hard to forget the past, she's putting the finishing touches on her new shop where she'll provide reflexology services and create essential oil blends. Her dreams come to a crashing halt when she finds the body of the man threatening her dead in her shop.With her father, the Chief of Police, off the case and half the town figuring she's the killer, Carissa decides she needs to take matters into her own hands and find the murderer, before it's too late!
Carissa is having a rough time in ESSENTIALS OF MURDER. First she's being threatened by a bully, then she practically gets framed for his murder. The entire town won't let her forget what happened in San Francisco and with the lead detective essentially calling her a murderer they're ready to drive her out of town. Fortunately, she has a decent head on her shoulders, a few good friends, and the love of her dad.
While I dislike the small mindedness of this small town, it is a perfect setting for a new cozy mystery series. I particularly like the orchard settings. Using essential oils myself, I love this aspect of the book and am impressed that she actually distills her own oils. It takes an awful lot of raw material to create essential oils and hydrosols, so it's curious seeing her actually do it. I'd love to have some of her celebration blend and who knows, perhaps I'll even recreate some of her blends...with already made oils that is.
I also really liked the meat to the mystery-and how Carissa began to realize something else was going on in and around the town...and how she began to reveal the secrets. At first I really liked Jasper, until his overreaction. And what he did next? Hopefully, he'll wise up and realize the true colors of a certain someone. Even then, I'll consider him an idiot. I love Carissa's real friends and look forward to learning more about them and watching her two new employees grow and shine.
There's more to ESSENTIALS OF MURDER than meets the eye making it a solid start to an enjoyable new series.
********************************************************************
Essentials of Murder: An Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery by Kim Davis
About Essentials of Murder
.png)
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - California
Publisher: Harbor Lane Books, LLC. (September 24, 2024)
Print length: 283 pages
After a scandalous arrest in San Francisco, Carissa Carmichael has moved back to her small Southern California hometown to start over as she opens her Aromatherapy Apothecary shop and reflexology services. A tourist destination, Oak Creek Valley, seems the perfect place to put the past behind her, but it seems no one will let her forget. When she finds the man who threatened to drive her out of business murdered in her shop, Carissa becomes the primary suspect, especially when her fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. Despite her father’s position as Oak Creek Valley’s chief of police, most townspeople assume she’s guilty.
Refusing to run again, Carissa knows she must prove her innocence to save her shop and save her father’s career when the investigating detective turns his focus on her. With suspects acting as slippery as the essential oils she distills, it’s up to Carissa to apply pressure and sniff out the truth before it’s too late.
Includes essential oil and reflexology tips.
About Kim Davis
Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series, and the middle-grade fantasy adventure The Board Game Chronicles series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines.
Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she's not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.
Author Links:
Website: http://kimdavisauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kim-Davis-Author-1532277473479031/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kookiesandbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20202599.Kim_Davis
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kimdavishb/
Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Apple Other Online Book Retailers
Thanks so much for your wonderful review and I'm so glad you enjoyed the essential oils aspect of the book! I appreciate the opportunity to introduce Essentials of Murder to your readers too!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
Delete