Murder most owl

This delightfully warm and charming series starter is filled with romance, murder, and magic. Georgie Johansen returns to Twilight Cove to care for her Aunt Olivia, who needs help running her animal sanctuary while she recuperates from a broken ankle. Georgie, a screenwriter based in L.A., hasn't been back to Twilight Cove since she was a kid, but it's still the charming seaside town she loves. After arriving, she meets handsome heartthrob Callum and Dorothy, a decidedly odd, slightly scary old woman who lives in the nearby woods. But shortly after Georgie meets Dorothy, the woman is found murdered. The victim left Aunt Olivia her land, which a developer is keen to buy for a small fortune, so Olivia, and by association, Georgie, become the prime murder suspects. Dark secrets, dreadful peril, hidden motives, a magical owl, dogs with superpowers, a nosy newspaper reporter, a nasty heiress, and a decades-old bank robbery, plus a budding romance, all play roles in this entrancing read that's sure to be a hit with cozy fans.

Returned to her aunt's farm, a screenwriter investigates an enigmatic landowner's death with the help of the deceased's canine companions. Many years ago, Georgie Johansen left her Aunt Olivia's Oregon farm and planted her roots in Los Angeles. That should have been the right place for her given her line of work as a screenwriter, but the second Georgie sets foot back on Olivia's farm in coastal Twilight Cove, she feels as if she's come home. The beautiful grounds now house both a farm and a sanctuary with some adorable animals, and Callum, the new farmhand, is pretty easy on the eyes, too. The only thing Georgie isn't as keen on is the presence of Dorothy Shale, an enigmatic woman living in the woods whose reputation as a real-life witch fits her weirdly prophetic way of interacting with the world. Georgie must not be the only person who isn't a fan, for Dorothy is found murdered shortly after meeting her, leaving behind all that she had in the world: her two spaniels, Fancy and Flossie, and her coveted plot of land. Georgie, happy to take custody of the dogs, is certain that whoever killed Dorothy must have been interested in taking custody of Dorothy's land. Though Georgie begins to investigate the town's residents, suspicion falls on her and her aunt, especially after people find out that Dorothy bequeathed her land to Olivia. Luckily, Georgie has help from Fancy and Flossie, whose uncanny abilities may keep Georgie safe as she tries to find the real killer. Even dogs with magical powers don't distinguish this from the rest of the pack. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.