A Wishville Mystery: Book 2
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
A Summer WishFest. A Beloved Victim. A Discovery That Could Fracture Everything.
Summer has arrived in Wishville, Vermont, and the town is buzzing with excitement for WishFest-sunshine, sweet tea, and wishes ready to be granted. But when beloved physical therapist Michael Zaccaria goes missing during a weekend camping trip, his body is found days later in the woods… perilously close to the ancient spiral path that hides a dangerous secret.
As the townsfolk mourn a man everyone thought they knew, Guardian of the Well Lyra Wells is pulled into another mystery-one that risks unraveling more than just a small-town secret. The murder sparks a magical fracture in the hidden Veiled Vault beneath Elarion, the forbidden realm that humans still believe is only legend.
With her allies-gruff police chief Holden Thorn and brooding Dweller enforcer Calderis-Lyra must uncover the truth before both realms spiral into chaos. But as old enemies rise, new suspects emerge, and her own heart wavers between duty and desire, the real trap might be closer than she thinks.
Because some lies can break bones… and others can crack the world wide open.
Lyra Wells secretly guards the magical well in Kari Lee Townsend’s second book in A Wishville Mystery, The Well-Laid Trap.
While you can pick up where the series left off, I highly recommend reading the first book before this second one. Chief Thorn and Calderis are both hot male characters, and they both smolder with sensuality and all that hot maleness that is just the best. They both want the best for Lyra, are willing to put themselves out there to protect Earth as well as Elarion, and want justice to be served.
Lyra is strong and independent and has had to shoulder a lot of responsibility on her own for a long time. It’s nice to see her character share the burden of her responsibilities with other people. She’s making friends and letting people get to know her.
I’m dying waiting to find out what happens next within this world. Several dramas unfold before the audience as we read the series.
The Well-Laid Trap is filled with magic, murder, mysteries, secret worlds, and romance.
National Bestselling Author, Agatha, RT Reviewers Choice & Golden Duck Award Nominee. Kari lives in Central New York with her husband & 3 Samoyeds. She’s a lover of wine & travel (especially cruising), obsessed with reality TV, loves to try new things, and thinks there’s nothing better than getting lost in a good book with at least some element of mystery, romance & humor. She writes cozy mysteries & upper middle grade as Kari Lee Townsend, as well as suspense, romance, romantic comedy & women’s fiction as Kari Lee Harmon. She’s most known for her Sunny Meadows Mysteries, Kalli Ballas Mysteries, and a crossover series featuring Sunny, Kalli, their detectives, and their crazy families! The Tasty Trio and Greek Mamas are her favorite characters to write about. Granny Gert is based on her late grandmother and Great Grandma Tootsie is based on her husband’s late grandmother who lived to be nearly 109 years old!
Thank you so much for the great review! So glad you enjoyed the book.