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3.5 

Essentials of Murder

By Kim Davis
Essentials of Murder by Kim Davis digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

After a scandalous arrest in San Francisco, Carissa Carmichael has moved back to her small Southern California hometown to start over as she opens her Aromatherapy Apothecary shop and reflexology services. A tourist destination, Oak Creek Valley, seems the perfect place to put the past behind her, but it seems no one will let her forget. When she finds the man who threatened to drive her out of business murdered in her shop, Carissa becomes the primary suspect, especially when her fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. Despite her father's position as Oak Creek Valley's chief of police, most townspeople assume she's guilty.

Refusing to run again, Carissa knows she must prove her innocence to save her shop and save her father's career when the investigating detective turns his focus on her. With suspects acting as slippery as the essential oils she distills, it's up to Carissa to apply pressure and sniff out the truth before it's too late.

Includes essential oil and reflexology tips.

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Essentials of Murder Reviews

3.5
“5⭐️ I loved this cozy mystery! Perfect balance of cozy details, mystery and characters. I grew attached to the main character and her dad and also enjoyed the side characters. I loved the time spent at the aromatherapy shop and the talk of essential oils. The mystery had me hooked and the writing style kept me glued to every page. I really hope there will be more books in this series!”
“Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC... This was a very cliché storyline, and I think that there was too much cosy and not enough mystery for it to actually be interesting. I liked that it included aromatherapy advice, but I don't think the book was worth it.”
“A Great Cozy Mystery! I just finished reading essentials of murder and it was amazing! The story is about a girl named Carissa who opens a shop for aromatherapy and reflexology. But then, she finds a dead body in her shop! At first, the story was a bit slow, but it got really interesting and exciting. I wanted to keep reading to find out who the killer was. Carissa is a brave character who wants to clear her name and find the real killer. The author did a great job of keeping me guessing until the end. If you like cozy mysteries, you should definitely read this book! It's a fun and exciting story , I'm sure you'll love it. Happy Reading”
“I did not have my socks blown off by this book, but I did enjoy it. The story line gets a little fuzzy and things get a little too unrealistic, as well as there being a lot of side characters we don't get to know - yet? Maybe future books will bring more focus to them. I didn't feel like Carissa really did much in the way of sleuthing... moreso she was constantly being startled and threatened. All in all, I'd read the second book if I came across it. Thank you to BookSirens for the free ARC. This review is voluntary given and my honest opinion.”
“Carissa Carmichael is retreating to her small town, childhood home after a very publicized arrest. She had plans to move forward in life from the embarrassing scandal by starting her own essential oil business. Russ Lewellyn believes the essential oil business will affect his mother's business and decides to interrupt Carissa's business venture. Due to the proximity of a murder, Carissa decides to take on the job of investigating. Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a bit of a slower read in the beginning. This is the first book of a series. The author was setting the scenery and providing background on the characters. Once this was established the story began to pick up it's pace, I flew through the rest of the book. One of my favorite parts was this is the first cozy mystery that incorporated a father/ daughter relationship instead of mother/ daughter. I loved reading the relationship between Carissa and her sheriff father. I'm looking forward to the second book. Disclaimer: Those looking for a clean and quick read I highly recommend this book. *I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.”

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