Dead as a Dodo

A Paranormal Cozy Witch Mystery (Wonderland Detective Agency, Book 1)

De: Jeannie Wycherley

Narrado por: Joanna Lee

From the Amazon best-selling author of the Wonky Inn Books comes a brand-new magical fantasy witch detective series.

Dodo was dead. And there the matter should have rested.

At least for DS Elise Liddell.

Emotionally burnt out, she considers herself retired from police work.

By rights it has nothing to do with her, but someone killed the poor man and, as Elise can resist everything except a good puzzle (and a shot of Blue Goblin vodka), here she is tangled up in a murder case.

When a petty thief hands himself into the Ministry of Witches Police Department, Elise’s ex-colleagues consider it an open and shut case.

She’s less convinced.

Revitalized by the investigation, she takes the suspect on as the first client of her new paranormal detective agency. What would this insignificant wretch have to gain by murdering the cantankerous old wizard? Elise knows full well, by uncovering the motive she can reveal the true killer.

But she forgets, in Tumble Town even the shadows are alive...and now someone or something is hunting her.

The Wonderland Detective Agency Series is a paranormal cozy mystery series, set in the same Wonkyverse that listeners have already fallen in love with. While some of the characters and places will be instantly familiar, Wycherley effortlessly casts her spell so that her zany new friends quickly become ours too.

Packed full of witches, wizards, warlocks, ghosts, shadow people, and more, you’ll love this glimpse into the dark side.

Take a walk in Tumble Town today!

©2021 Jeannie Wycherley (P)2021 Jeannie Wycherley

Good story, excellent narration

Great concept and a refreshing take on the freestyle sleuth.
Narration was point on down to the different accents.
Some characters were a bit more eloquent than their initial description gave us to expect, but that small overzealous hitch can easily be forgiven.

Cozy series starter.

3.5 ⭐️

Dead as a Dodo kicks off the Wonderland Detective Agency series with a delightfully eerie blend of paranormal cozy mystery. Think witches, wizards, warlocks, ghosts, and shadow people all swirling around a heroine who’s as haunted as the cases she investigates.

Elise, a former officer with the Ministry of Witches Police Department, is reeling from the loss of her partner and spiraling into uncertainty. Down on her luck and drowning in drink, she’s not your typical cozy mystery lead and that’s exactly what makes her compelling. Her journey from grief to grit is layered with emotional depth and magical shenanigans.

The cast is wonderfully quirky, with side characters who feel plucked from a supernatural tea party. The narrator brings them all to life with impressive range, making each voice distinct and adding texture to the worldbuilding.

This is a strong start to the series—atmospheric, character-driven, and brimming with paranormal intrigue.

I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

A Paranormal Detective Agency"s Beginnings

I liked this story a lot. I felt for DS Elise Liddell who was depressed after the death of her partner. I applauded Elise's recognition of her new path, and her determination to work to achieve her new dreams. I enjoyed the cameo of the characters from the author's other series. I was entertained by the twists in the mystery. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I thought Joanna Lee's narration was great, and her performance enhanced the story's entertainment. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

Elise

Elise a retired police office turned private investigator looks into a case where her ex colleagues find it an open and shut case. A start to an interesting series.

Cozy, Indeed

I appreciate that this story comes full circle: from the introduction of the main protagonist being out of work and mourning her partner, to discovering a new avenue for her career, and finding closure on a case and on the loss of her partner. There was some information that did not move the plot forward, such as certain descriptions or side information about a love for a particular type of coffee. Perhaps that was meant to add a layer to the character or better connect with some readers. The narrator also sounded older than the age of the MC. Sometimes narration makes all the difference, honestly, bringing the story more to life, but the story felt a little flat for most of the journey. I think the root cause was that the stakes, while present, did not put enough significance or value on the character at the crux of the MC's big mystery case (I don't want to give any spoilers). Since the significance of that character was not laid out until the midpoint of the story, I had no immediate investment in trying to get the case solved, particularly because the case takes place in an already crime-ridden area—so why would this particular crime be significant? That information could have been better front-loaded.

Overall, given that the stakes and conflicts were not too intense, I believe that this story is, in fact, a "cozy" read. All characters played their part, and there was a decent enough mystery around the "who-done-it" factor.

Interesting

This is an interesting twist on Alice and Wonderland. Most of the characters we know and love are here trying to solve Dodo's murder. It is an interesting premise and I look forward to more in the series.

My first book by this author

This was my first Jeannie Wycherley book—a fact that might have hampered my enjoyment of this one. I was pretty solidly onboard with this book until around the halfway/two-thirds mark and then all of a sudden there were a ton of new characters who clearly had history with Elise, the main character, but who were new to me. Characters were mentioned as if I should know who they were. I didn’t know why Elise, who had been paranoid about who to trust until that point in the story, was trusting all these new people with all her secrets. Details started contradicting each other. The pace was off. It felt like it was falling apart by the end which was disappointing since I enjoyed the beginning so much.

By the time the killer was revealed, I still wasn’t clear on the motive behind the murder, or the identity of the shadowy organization who had pressured the killer into killing the victim in the first place. Maybe that will be addressed in book 2? It was somehow a cliffhanger and not. I’m left feeling so conflicted about the end of the book that I’m not sure I want to continue. Perhaps fans of the previous series will feel differently.

Another incredible world from Wycherley!

Mysterious, whimsy, a hint of darkness, and crossover with another series I love—what more could a person ask for? This was absolutely brilliant—I am officially in love with this town and series.

I loved the broke, traumatized female lead who is forced to be resourceful and strong, with fresh murder cases thrust in her lap.


🦤 Mysterious.
🎩 Enterpreneur female lead.
🦤 Fresh start.
🎩 Small town.
🦤 Strong female lead.
🎩 Conspiracy.
🦤 Witches, magic.
🎩 Wonky cast appearances.
🦤 Ghosts.

4 stars—cannot wait to read on in this series.

🎧 Audio:
Fantastic production—flawless with excellent narration and voice-active. Lovely.
5 stars.

Totally loving these books

I am really enjoying the narration done by Joanna Lee, especially weasel man the ex police informant that seems to think DS Liddell is gods gift to detecting.
Joanna and author Jeannie Wycherley manage to build interesting characters that are a joy to listen to with clear personalities and easily paint the mind pictures as the stories progress.
Totally loving these books. Recommended, Clean, Fun, Interesting and good size books.

A witty magical mystery

Received as an audio review copy from Story Origin, this an honest review. Wonderfully and smartly narrated by Joanna Lee, Dead as a Dodo is the perfect fantasy adventure that stands on its own while brilliantly mixing familiar elements from Alice in Wonderland along with Harry Potter. After the haunting loss of her police partner, Elise Liddel feels lost after walking away from her job as a DI at the Ministry of Witches Police Department. Elise can't wallow for long when a desperate wizard needs her help uncovering whom murdered Wizard Dodo. Deciding to make it as a private detective, Elise finds herself prowling the darker sides of Tumble Town in search for answers... and making shocking revelations that maybe some of her former colleagues could be involved; thus putting anyone Else knows and trusts in danger to catch the culprit.


A colorful story to begin this magical series.

Highly recommended.