Magic, Movies, and Murder

Bewitcher's Beach Paranormal Cozy Mysteries, Book 1

By: Emily Fluke

Narrated by: Madeline Mrozek

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Despite the rumors, she's definitely not a witch, her VHS tapes are not cursed, and renting one absolutely will not hurt anyone - unless they forget to return it on time. Late fees are killer.

Pumpkin spice, buttery popcorn, and gasoline. One of these scents is not like the other and Noema's nose knows.
As a werewolf who can smell emotions, Noema always finds herself tangled in small-town gossip. Gossip that explodes when superstitious locals cry wolf after a visitor winds up dead in front of Noema's video rental shop. Can she sniff out the suspects before the rumors put her out of business?

Step into a simpler time in 1990s coastal California where the only complications are cozy mysteries, video rental late fees, and gossiping ghosts. Meet the sassiest vampire, a brooding gargoyle, and a pack of cuddly werewolves.

The Bewitcher's Beach Paranormal Cozy Mysteries is a series about magical people dealing with small-town drama and finding family through it all. Take a blast into the paranormal past and enjoy the 1990s nostalgia in this cozy combination of THE GOOD WITCH meets THE SOOKIE STACKHOUSE SERIES.

Packed full of magical goodies:

• An adorable, furry animal companion
• Delicious food you can almost taste & smell
• A safe, inviting town that feels like your happy place
• Loads of fall leaves, pumpkins, & crisp air
• A curious murder with a witchy curse
• Slow-burn, sweet romance

©2023 Emily Fluckiger (P)2024 Emily Fluckiger

Very fun 90s Nostalgia Cozy Mystery

The 90s nostalgia was very fun. I kept forgetting the time the book was set in, so when an old computer or VHS tape was mentioned it was a fun little jolt. The end of the book clearly sets up the next mystery in the series. Very promising. I got this book as an ARC as a big cozy mystery fan and would recommend it to other cozy mysteries readers looking for a fun 90s nostalgia and HalloweenTown vibe.

Perfect 90’s nostalgia!!!

I really enjoyed this story and mystery. Loved the narrator and the voice matched my vision of the fmc perfectly! I can’t wait for book two!

So much fun!

The audiobook Magic, Movies, and Murder: Bewitcher's Beach Paranormal Cozy Mysteries, Book 1 by Emily Fluke, narrated by Madeline Mrozek, transports readers to the 90s…the simpler times…when drama and gossip filled the streets, rather than social media. This is the first book I’ve read by Emily Fluke, and I thought it was so much fun! I immediately felt “at home” with the characters and setting, and I especially loved Noema’s video store because as a teen in the 90s, renting videos was something I always looked forward to!

Madeline Mrozek’s performance kept my attention throughout. Not only did she bring the characters to life through her various voices, but she made it so easy to visualize what was happening in each scene. If she narrates the rest of the series, I definitely plan to listen! She is a fantastic narrator who made me forget I was listening to an audiobook at all; I literally felt like I was watching everything happen right next to me.

I give 5/5 stars to Magic, Movies, and Murder: Bewitcher's Beach Paranormal Cozy Mysteries, Book 1 by Emily Fluke, narrated by Madeline Mrozek. The characters are well-developed, and the storyline is engaging and unpredictable. Also, I love that the ending is set-up perfectly for Book 2 (I’m excited!!). I recommend this audiobook to readers who enjoy cozy mysteries, as well as those looking for a light and funny read that keeps you guessing. Happy listening! :-)

Thanks for reading my review. I hope it was helpful.

Exceptional Fantasy

Magic, Movies, and Murder is Book 1 in the Bewitcher's Beach Paranormak Mysteries by Emily Fluke. Noema owns a video rental shop...oh, and she is a werewolf! When a dead body turns up by het shop, Noema has to discover who the murderer was. I found this cozy to be great. The characters include a ghost, vampite, gargoyls, and several werewolves nd a pixy! Madeline Mrozek give a wonderful performance. This cozy fantasy is not to be missed.

Laughed my sox off!

cozy-mystery, paranormal, werewolves, shifters, gargoyle, ghosts, murder, investigation, small-business, small-town, situational-humor, verbal-humor, curse, romantic, amateur-sleuth, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, nostalgia, 1980s, California*****

Noema is a mother of quadruplets, small business owner, playwright, and werewolf. Things all went sideways when a murdered man was found in front of her shop. I loved this fun piece of paranormal nostalgia!
Voice actor Madeline Mrazek is always a great listen with all the voice interpretations and hints of laughter.
I won this fun audiobook in a giveaway. Yea!

Fun story and start of a new series

Magic, Movies, and Murder is the first book of the Bewitcher's Beach Paranormal Cozy Mysteries by Emily Fluke. Noema Wolf is a single mom of 4, a business owner and a werewolf! Set in the 1990s, she lives above her video store in Bewitcher’s Beach among all the other magical and paranormal beings. Noema is juggling all her responsibilities, plus writing a play for the town’s festival, and literally sniffing out a murderer to help the police. Good mystery, quirky interesting characters and a budding romance. This book sets up the next book in the series which sounds just as good. The narration by Madeline Mrozek is excellent. She creates unique voices for the many characters, which brings the characters and story to life. I received a free audiobook code for my honest review.

Noemma

I loved the storyline. And, of course, it's a cozy mystery. I loved how the characters all just got along; it was refreshing. The narrator really brought an extra charisma to the story making it stand out. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for and honest review of my own.

Very good listen!

If you like Molly Harper books, especially Harper's Mystic Bayou series, you will love this listen. This paranormal cozy mystery hits on all facets and is elevated by some seriously good narration.

The story involves a nod to the nostalgic since the main character owns a video rental store (remember those?) That's the first smile. Then the supernatural townsfolk are introduced and the fun begins.

The narrator is the real reason this story soars. The character voices are very inventive and unique, which is a must with supernatural content.

Paranormal Cozy Mystery with 1990s Nostalgia

Magic, Movies, and Murder is the first in a new paranormal Bewitcher's Beach Mystery series, by Emily Fluke. It is set in a fictional California town in the 1990s. It is the follow-up to the prequel, Be Careful What You Witch For. However, they can be read as standalones.

Noema is a werewolf single mom who is the owner of Mockbuster video rental store. She is also a playwright. Her ability to smell emotions comes in handy when a dead body is discovered in front of her video rental shop and she finds herself in the midst of a murder investigation. Noema sets out to uncover the the truth behind the crime and the rumors that may or may not be true.

This was a delightful listen! The narrator did a great job bringing Emily Fluke's story and characters to life. I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in this world she created. The first thing it has going for it right from the beginning is the vivid description of popcorn. As someone who loves popcorn with a passion, I found it very enticing and I was pulled right into the story.

It was relatable with the 1990s nostalgia, but also imaginative. I couldn't help but love the main characters. There are a variety of different characters in this little town, including werewolves, gargoyles, fairies, and ghosts. And there may just be a hint of a romance on the horizon between Noema and another creature.

Noema succeeds at balancing being a single mom to "pups" (they're werewolves, after all), while also running her store, writing a play...and becoming an amateur sleuth! She can transform into mostly human form when necessary, though she maintains some werewolf characteristics. While it is convenient to have the ability to transform, it can also be a challenge. And that challenge provides some laugh out loud moments for readers. The attention to detail also made me smile. I could visualize every time Noema's ears wiggled just a bit when certain thoughts and feelings were running through her mind.

The mystery is also strong. There are plenty of viable suspects to keep readers guessing. The character list with descriptions in the front of the book was helpful. I referred to it a few times, especially early in the book when I was just getting acquainted with the characters. I thought I had the suspect figured out, only to be proven wrong later. I then thought it was someone else, which also turned out to be incorrect. I eventually had another hunch who it was and I ended up being correct about that suspect, but that didn't occur to me until late in the book. The mystery was a fun ride!

If you are a fan of paranormal cozies, this is a book you will want to read. And while this isn't a culinary cozy, there are recipes at the end of the book. I am very much looking forward to book two, Summoning, Skating, and Skulls. To tide us over until then, there is also a novella that comes after book one called Squeaks and Spooks. (Cozies often have cozy companions, like cats and dogs. In this series, it's an adorable mouse named Squeaks.) I will be reading that one soon, as it is set around Halloween.

Thank you to Emily Fluke for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Magic movies and murder

I think I have found another fun cozy mystery series! Noema is such a great character! And with the wonderful narration I can feel her anxiety when her kids miss behave! I can’t imagine having 4 the same age! She is definitely a trooper! That’s a lot for anyone to take on as a single parent. Then to loose business and have to finish a script! It turns out to be quite the cast! I love how the kids help mom with the theater too. The steak out was also fun. Great cast. I hope the author fills In the blanks and gives the back story of the characters and town in upcoming books. I look forward to listening.
Fantastic narration! It really brought this story to life and made me laugh at times!