Karen S. (BoysMom) - , reviewed on 2/24/2024 + 854 more book reviews

Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Fun, sure-to-be addicting new magical, cozy mystery series!

Ill-Fated Fortune, the debut novel in author Jennifer J. Chow's new Magical Fortune Cookie series, is a fun start to what I think will be an addictive culinary-themed cozy paranormal mystery series. Chow's characters are engaging, the settings welcoming and comfortable, and the plot features not only the protagonist in trouble but also sweet, baked confections and an intriguing magical element.

I loved the cool backstory about the women in Felicity's family and the history of their magical ways with pastries. I was immediately sympathetic to her earlier disappointment that their gift had somehow passed her by. Felicity was just such a fun character, and having warm and loving relationships with her mother and best friend, Kelvin, made her story even better.

In addition to the unique culinary theme and magical realism, the murder mystery was compelling. The victim makes quite an impression early in the story, and their demise soon follows, off the page, so no waiting around for trouble to come knocking! It's an insult to injury when Felicity is eyed for the deed when the victim had treated her and her mother so dismissively, and they'd kept to the high road. So, what's a girl gonna do? Figure it out for herself, right? There are enough red herrings to make things interesting, but enough information slipped in to get an idea of who did it, too.

I recommend ILL-FATED FORTUNE to cozy mystery readers who enjoy culinary- themes and magical elements in their stories and especially to readers who may appreciate a series' debut with only a small number of characters to keep up with.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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