I'm pleased to allow Carissa Carmichael to take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Carissa on the pages of the Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery series by Kim Davis. ESSENTIALS OF DEATH is the second book in the series and was released last week.
It’s been a few months since I stood over a dead body in my Aromatherapy Apothecary shop, my copper distiller next to the man. I still have nightmares about the violence even with the murderer being caught and serving time in prison. But I’m trying to put it behind me and focus on growing my store in my hometown of Oak Creek Valley in Southern California. With tourists flooding into our town, especially those in the Los Angeles area looking for a close getaway, I’ve had a good amount of business. Nestled between the Topatopa Mountains, our town has much to offer. There are wineries, art galleries, spas, monthly festivals, outdoor adventures, and, frequently, Hollywood studio film shoots. In the meantime, I’m keeping busy with the retail side of running an aromatherapy shop plus distilling essential oils from locally sourced flowers and herbs.
This week, the town is hosting a playwright conference and festival. Hordes are descending on Oak Creek Valley, eager to see a famous personage or even participate in the events. My shop was one of the lucky ones chosen to exhibit at the opening festivities, as was the Jean Luc Patisserie, owned by my maybe special friend, Jasper. What should have been a fun experience turned into one that led to a very public altercation with my high school nemesis, Lacie. She works for Jasper, and when he became ill, she stepped in to run his booth. I don’t understand why she’s always had it in for me, but she did her best to spoil my time at the event, and even humiliated me in front of some clients. And all of this happened after the resident tarot card reader pulled some very scary cards from her deck for my reading. Even she seemed distraught… but given what happened later that night, those cards just might have been prescient.
After finding another murder victim, unfortunately at Jasper’s patisserie this time, my dad, the chief of police, has recused himself. The two detectives brought into town to investigate have my dad doing nothing more than crowd control and keeping an eye out on festival goers. It doesn’t help that one of the detectives is certain I killed Lacie and he’s doing everything he can to prove it. Given my past scandal in San Francisco, where my face was plastered all over the media as I perp walked, handcuffed, to a waiting squad car, I’m terrified no one will believe I’m innocent. My dad is being shut out, so now it’ll be up to me and my friends to find out who, besides me, could have killed my frenemy. If I don’t find the killer, it won’t be long before cold steel handcuffs are slapped on my wrists… again.
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Review
The Second Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery
Although participating in the Oak Creek Valley Playwright Conference and Festival will be hard work, Carissa Carmichael will be providing mini reflexology sessions, she's looking forward to spending time with Jasper, who will be manning the booth next to her. Unfortunately, with Jasper ill Cari is saddled with her nemesis Lacie Simmons in that booth. Lacie wastes no time berating staff, making digs at Cari, and generally being her toxic self. Wanting nothing more than to go home and relax after the event, Cari finds herself offering to help Lacie make baked goods for the following morning. But when she returns she finds Lacie dead-mirroring one of the Tarot cards from Cari's reading that morning. With symbols and veiled threats Cari finds herself being framed for murder and with no choice but to investigate herself.
Lacie Simmons created chaos and drama wherever she went so it's no wonder someone finally killed her, but who? I liked the fact that at first Carissa had no intention of investigating the murder, that is until someone started targeting, then framing her. Ratcheting up the tension was Detective Raaf. It's obvious from the start that he has something against Cari and is deliberately intimidating her, doing everything possible to prove she killed Lacie. What I found odd was that at the start two detectives were working the case, but partway through the story Detective Martin disappeared. He, the allegedly tough but fair detective, was gone leaving the detective with a vendetta, who was introduced as "assisting" in the investigation, to make Cari's life miserable. I question why Martin was ever in the story, or a reason given as to why he left the investigation.
Carissa is made of stern stuff. I like that even though she is scared, she knows to call the police when necessary and waits for her lawyer when being interrogated by the detectives, because Raff is most certainly interrogating and not interviewing!
I enjoyed the aromatherapy touches to the story and was drooling over Jasper's baked goods. I want to make a healing balm and enjoy some lavender shortbread cookies. (It should be noted that the author graciously gives directions for both at he end of the book!) The camaraderie of Cari's friends and co-workers, as well as her protective father makes a good counterpoint to all of the negative and distressing actions.
The mystery was complex, with Cari bearing the brunt of the drama, from her social media being hacked, Tarot cards being left, and a detective intent on proving her guilty. Cari also found herself in the clutches of the killer and narrowly escaped her own murder! And even after the killer was caught she found herself being threatened, with someone vowing to ruin her life.
More than one malevolent character brings on the drama in ESSENTIALS OF DEATH making for a heart pounding suspenseful mystery.
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Essentials of Death: An Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery by Kim Davis
About Essentials of Death
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - California
Publisher: Harbor Lane Books, LLC.
Publication Date: September 23, 2025
Print Length: 299 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, especially her high school nemesis, Lacie. When Carissa finds her frenemy murdered after having a public altercation at the town's playwright conference and festival, she becomes the primary suspect. It doesn't help that the tarot cards she drew earlier in the day foretold the nature of the murder weapon. Despite her father's position as Oak Creek Valley's chief of police, the detective assigned to the case assumes she's guilty.
When tarot death cards begin turning up to taunt her, Carissa not only has to prove her innocence to keep her freedom, she has to make sure death doesn't come calling for her or those she loves. With the 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 and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series.
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 as well as Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, or baking up yummy treats to share.
Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Author Links:
Website: http://kimdavisauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kim-Davis-Author-1532277473479031/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kimdavisauthor.bsky.social
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20202599.Kim_Davis
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kim-davis-899e51b0-5661-401c-98b1-ec4c2973d58a
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kimdavishb/
Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/
Purchase Links: Amazon Other online book retailers: https://books2read.com/u/38wjka
Thanks so much for hosting us today, Kathy, and for your wonderful review! Carissa was very excited to be able to share her tale of woe from her point of view, without me getting in the way :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
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