Murder Under Redwood Moon
Murder, Tea & Crystals Book 1
by Sherri L. Dodd
In the fog-shrouded redwood mountains of coastal California, a young solitary witch tends her altar, brews moonlit teas, and keeps quiet company with her cat. But when bodies start surfacing in the river below town, the peaceful life she has always known begins to unravel.
As the shadows deepen, Arista discovers she is at the center of something far more sinister than mountain folklore. A serial killer is hunting young women nearby, and psychic visions pull her toward a darkness with deep occult roots. Strange figures haunt her crystal shop and the ghost in her cottage grows restless, as if warning her of what is coming.
With her community under threat and her past rising to the surface, she must trust her gifts before the killer claims another life. Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, this paranormal cozy blends witchy folk magic with genuine suspense and a strong female lead navigating real danger in a haunted cottage deep in the California fog.
If you crave mountain magic and mysteries that keep you reading past midnight, this story was made for you.
5 out of 5 fairies
This was a great paranormal serial killer mystery, filled with magic and small town vibes. I love how there was an intertwining of magic with the mystery, and how while it still has the small town vibes, there’s plenty of tension pulling you through the story. While I wouldn’t say the mystery is the most cozy, given the dark magic and serial murders, it is a nice darker layer to the story as a whole without making everything feel too dark. Honestly, the setting was one of my favorite pieces of the story, not just the small town, but the nature surrounding it. The characters all felt just as real as the setting, and I enjoyed getting to know them. The story itself has good pacing, and a few twists and turns to keep you guessing. As for the ending, let’s just say I’m excited to dive into book two, and see what’s waiting for Arista!
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Goodreads | StoryGraph
Sherri grew up in southeastern Texas walking barefoot and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore, inspiring her first short story about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto curious children. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. Not long after, her mother packed the two of them up and headed to the central coast of California. She has explored the vast area ever since, using it as a catalyst to her writing, from journaling to fitness articles to fiction. She holds a bachelor’s degree, and is pursuing her master’s, in holistic theology and believes this helps her to see the world through a more colorful and accepting lens. In writing, her publisher labeled her 2024 debut novel as a paranormal thriller. She would have described it as a cozy murder mystery with generous dashes of magic realism, showing that she loves to merge genres. Her trilogy — Murder, Tea & Crystals — released book one – Murder Under Redwood Moon in March 2024; book two – Moonset on Desert Sands in March 2025; and the final book in the series – Hummingbird Moonrise released October 2025! All three books became an Amazon #1 Best Seller in the Occult Supernatural genre.
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