Crescent Moon Mysteries: Book 1
Publication Date: October 13, 2023
Narrator: Anna Maste
Paranormal and perimenopausal? Amelia’s got double trouble.
When hot flash–prone cookie shop owner Amelia inherits a spooky Florida inn, she plans to sell it fast. But the place is haunted by an unsolved murder, and her dead aunt tasks her with using her newfound psychic powers to crack the case. Armed with nothing but a cat named Freddie Purrcury and a posse of supernaturally-gifted locals, Amelia taps into the spirit world to unravel clues about the decades-old crime. She expected creaky floorboards, not messages from the other side.
Between misbehaving ghosts, a slow-burn attraction to her ghost hunting guide, and her deepening connection to her estranged aunt, this midlife paranormal adventure isn’t what Amelia bargained for. But if she can’t embrace her emerging psychic gifts and solve the mystery, the spirits may sink her hotel sale for good.
Saddle up for a suspenseful yet laugh-out-loud tale proving it’s never too late to awaken your inner psychic detective. EAT, PRAY, HEX is a cozy paranormal read for fans of quirky stories, supernatural hijinks, and a daring heroine trying not to lose her mind at midlife.
I hadn’t read Tara Lush’s works before, but I was rather curious about the premise of this series when I was asked to review the audio version of Eat, Pray, Hex. While I love cozy mysteries, I don’t often gravitate towards ones with a paranormal twist. But I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try this title, and I’m glad I did.
Amelia is a likable character who happens to find herself in a strange situation. She’s inherited a hotel from an aunt she barely knew. When she goes to Florida to see the hotel and assess if it can be sold, she gets drawn into a cold case murder mystery that took place at the inn during the 1950s.
The town where the hotel is located is known for embracing the mystic side of life, and Amelia finds out that her own family has a history of paranormal gifts. The longer she stays in town, the more her own powers start to make themselves known.
The secondary characters were all so quirky and quite diverse. I loved that there was so much representation and diversity amongst the characters. It made the setting of a small Florida town even more realistic. While many characters and backgrounds were thrown at me as the stage was set for the mystery and the series, I didn’t feel overwhelmed. I was just swept along for the ride and enjoyed my time.
The mystery wasn’t terribly complicated, but I didn’t mind. It was simply the foundation for the reader to get to know Amelia, her powers, and the town and its inhabitants. The cold case was solved, the victim got justice, and it was all wrapped up in a nice little bow. I am curious enough to continue the series to see what happens next with Amelia and her new friends.
Anna Maste was a good narrator for Eat, Pray, Hex. Although it was a little too slowly paced for my tastes. With her southern twang, it felt a little too drawn out. But I was hooked as soon as I sped up the reading speed to 1.5!
Other than the slow pacing, Anna’s performance worked for me, from the accents to the emotion. I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to more from her in the future.
Eat, Pray, Hex was a fun time and a great start to a new mystery series. While plentiful, the paranormal aspects aren’t exactly scary, but I’d keep that in mind if that’s not your thing. If you enjoy a little supernatural to mix into your cozy mystery, try this one.
Tara Lush is a RWA Rita finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow and the winner of the George C. Polk award for environmental journalism.
She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations under the name Tamara Lush. For many years, she was a journalist with The Associated Press.
Tara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and newspapers. She lives on the Gulf coast with her husband and Shih Tzu.
