Elizabeth Pantley

It’s time for another meeting of the Magical Mystery Book Club!

Vampires and Villains is another fun and fanciful entry in the Magical Mystery Book Club series by Elizabeth Pantley. All but one of the group from the previous book have returned and are joined by the wonderfully quirky Maximilian “Million” Bettencourt III. He is the perfect addition to the club and something of a nemesis to the feisty Zell. I loved how the group returns after a month apart but has made great strides show more toward becoming a “family.” Forrest, in particular, is becoming a more solid member of the club and brings teenage energy and attitude, current pop cultural knowledge, and solid computer and social media skills to the table.

The story is set on board a luxury cruise ship and the Hawaiian Islands when the group participates in excursions, and I loved how the Snapdragon Inn magically tagged along. The descriptions of the ship, activities, and trips ashore are vivid and put me on location with the characters. And even with a murder on board, it also put me in the mood to book my own cruise!

The investigation was so entertaining that I read this book in one sitting. With nine (counting Frank!) sleuths on the job, the group can check out a lot of leads in a short amount of time, which is a good thing because there are beaucoup suspects.

Starting out, there are almost 5,000 passengers and crew on board. However, after learning the manner of death, that is whittled down to the number of vampires on the ship. The story has twists and turns in it and I didn’t suspect the individual revealed as the murderer at all. I liked that each character regularly gets moments to contribute to the interaction and case.

With a magical library theme, a fun group of recurring characters, including a snarky, talking cat, and vampires, I recommend VAMPIRES AND VILLAINS to cozy mystery readers who enjoy paranormal elements in their stories.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. show less

Paige and her aunt Glo discover they've inherited a country inn from their eccentric great grandmother GeeGee. Ready for changes in their lives, both decide to pack up and move to the inn as their new home/business. There was one locked room in the inn that GeeGee never let them enter. Now that they are the owners, Paige and Glow find the key and open the door to a... library full of mystery books and a talking Siamese cat? A cat that lets them know they need to host a weekly book club as show more part of their ownership of the inn.

Shifting and Shenanigans is the first in the Magical Mystery Book Club series by Elizabeth Pantley. I loved the concept of this as a meta take on the cozy mystery genre - the characters experience a cozy mystery book from within a book with a neat gift at the end. The story was pretty fun overall though the pacing felt a little off in spots and the ending was felt rushed. The characters are enjoyable, especially octogenarian Zee and the cat, who are the only members from past book clubs that know how everything works.

I think with the rules of how the book club works explained, this should smooth out the pacing for future installments. I also hope we get to know the rest of the book club members better as the series progresses as well as more information about why having the book club is so important. I'm looking forward to continuing the series. show less

If you’ve been following Elizabeth Pantley’s Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club series, you already know how much fun these books are—and “Critters and Crimes” is a perfect example of why I’m completely hooked. And if you’re new to the series? You’re in for a real treat.

This is book #11, and once again Paige and her fellow book club members literally step into the book they’ve chosen to read. This time they land in a charming riverside town and almost immediately stumble into a show more death that’s officially ruled natural causes… but let’s just say the book club isn’t buying it. What makes this mystery extra fun is that the clues don’t just come from people—they come from the animals the deceased cared for, and those critters clearly have thoughts (and secrets) of their own.

The characters are warm, well developed, and genuinely feel like friends you want to spend time with. The banter—especially between Zell and Frank—made me laugh more than once. The setting is vivid and cozy, and I felt completely immersed in Rivershade, right alongside the club as they pieced everything together. The mystery kept me guessing and second-guessing right up to the end.

What I really love about this series is the strong sense of friendship and connection. While each book has its own self-contained mystery, I do think the series is best read in order so you can fully appreciate how those relationships grow over time. Elizabeth Pantley’s imagination never fails to impress—cozy, magical, clever, and just plain fun.

Bottom line: once I opened this book, I was swept away from everyday life, and I didn’t want to leave. Another delightful, twisty cozy mystery—and yes, I’m already impatiently waiting for the next one.

I received a free advance copy from the author. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. show less

If I could jump into this book myself, I would—though I’d probably leave the ghost-chasing and crime-solving to the pros (aka, our favorite book club gang)!

“Puzzles and Premieres” is everything I hoped for and more from Book 10 of the Magical Mystery Book Club series. This time, the club is transported into a glamorous mountaintop town during a film festival where the red-carpet sparkles and the mystery gets chilling. When a movie star vanishes, the club must unravel the case—one show more enchanted puzzle piece at a time. Yes, puzzles. Magical ones. That drop clues. It’s brilliant.

I laughed (thanks, Frank and Zell), gasped (those twists!), and couldn’t stop turning the pages. The setting was vivid and fun—I could practically feel the cold mountain air and see the glittering festival lights. The film festival details added a behind-the-scenes flair I loved, and the mix of new characters with our beloved crew kept things lively.

Thank you so much to the author for the digital review copy. All opinions are my own. show less