Tides Wait For No Witch: Spelltide Bay Magic Mysteries #1 by Natalie Summers

What would you do if you inherited a house, a business, a family, and the power of a water witch and had no idea as to why?

Tides Wait For No Witch
Spelltide Bay Magic Mysteries #1
Natalie Summers

What a fun series starter that instantly draws the reader in with new twists and turns with almost every chapter! If you are a fan of the cozy character, Mitzy Moon, then you are going to be absolutely charmed by Sara Rivers. This cozy is set on an island off of the Northwest Pacific coast, an island with a town that is occupied by the most interesting and unusual of characters, and apparently everybody knows everybody else's business. Imagine the surprise when Sara, who recently lost her mom and her job, learns that she has inherited a house and so much more. Sara who has had to be strong for the majority of her life, because she and her mom only had each other and they were constantly on the move. Sara will learn the importance of community, of family, of giving back, and helping others. That is not to say that she did not have it in her, but rather she did not have opportunities thrust upon her to stretch those people skills.

The emotional roller coaster of this cozy is tempered with a bit of sass, a family secret, a smoking FBI agent, and a whole support system unlike anything that Sara could have ever imagined. Sara is going to need a whole lot of yarn to crochet herself back to a happy place. The paranormal parts make the story even more colorful than I could have ever imagined. Almost everyone has a special ability, okay, almost everyone is a witch of one sort or another. Sara is half water witch and half undine; I had to look up the definition of undine. Essentially, Sara is one with the water and the water is one with her which also means that the water "speaks" to her as does Ollie, the kleptomaniac otter. He is so much fun and such a cutie! Sara's dad Bennett makes magic in the kitchen, half-sister Frothy has the gift of foresight (sort of), Bennet's mom Warra likes to play with fire, and his dad Torrent has water abilities. Oh, and that smoking hot FBI guy, well he's part dragon on his mother's side. How could you not want to pick this book up and start reading?

Still not sure, then let me tell you about the murder mystery aspect.

There are artifacts, tunnels, and tidewolves, oh my. Not to mention that the mysterious benefactor, great-aunt Katrika left behind a house, a business, and a whole lot of secrets, but no straightforward answers to any of Sara's questions. Like why does no one think it odd that a perfectly healthy woman just falls down dead on the beach in the middle of the night? Sara relies on her wits and some new skills to sus out the clues. For example, she interviews orca whales that transfigure into wolves. The addition of the Innuit mythical Akhlut folklore aka tidewolves is a nice touch. This story has so many layers. It is similar to varying dive depths in the ocean, and the deeper Sara gets, the darker and murkier the mystery becomes. While this mystery is sure to be a stand-alone, not everything is revealed by the end of this tale.

Sara is a character after my own heart, with a touch of sass, a good head on her shoulders, a dash of daring, a whole lot of heart, and a healthy appetite for good food. Reading about all of the tasty baked goods inspired me to bake a batch of Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones, which might console me while I wait for the next book.

Thank you to the publisher/author/NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.