Practical Potions and Premeditated Murder

Practical Potions Mysteries, Book 1

By: Wren Jones

Narrated by: Samantha Norbury

Sella is tired of being a failure.

She has a lovely, cozy shop—an heirloom from her mother—, a snarky feline familiar, and one, single friend to call her own. It should be enough. But Sella’s magical abilities left a stain on her hometown, and even years away didn’t repair her reputation. The life of a kitchen witch is rough when everyone thinks Sella’s magical blends of coffee and tea will leave them with boils instead of the intended “motivation” or “self-compassion.”

But when a murder shakes the town and Sella’s best friend becomes suspect one, failure is a luxury they can’t afford. Luckily, the murdered woman—a confident ghost with a fiery determination for justice—is ready to help… and she’s more than Sella ever bargained for. With her friends, her familiar, and a bit of magic, Sella is ready to prove herself once and for all.

Although, perhaps she should brew a strong cup of “courage” first.

Just in case.

©2023 Wren Jones (P)2024 Wren Jones

Cozy, cute, and well written!

A classic who-dunnit in a cozy fantasy setting. Very enjoyable and wrapped up nicely at the end:)

Wonderfully cozy debut novel warms the heart

I seldom re-read books anymore, especially within a year of the initial read - but the release of this audiobook made me excited to dive back in. And everything is just as wonderful as I remembered - breezy pacing, fun world building, and engaging characters I can’t wait to join on future adventures!

Very enjoyable

Cute light easy read. I personally would like a bit more world building but my preference did not take away from the story.

So cozy

I loved the interactions of the characters so cute . The performance was phenomenal . I feel like the audio performance improved the story it’s self

Ghost detectives

The narrator was hard to hear. Story moved slowly but it ended well. It was ok.

Wonderful narrator!

This is a perfect spooky season story! There is a witch, a familiar, a shifter, a ghost, and a murder mystery that must be solved!

The world building, background information, and character development are perfectly balanced for readers. It's so easy and exciting to stay engaged with Sella (the witch) and her crew as they go about solving the mystery.

Samantha Norbury does an excellent job with narration. I loved her ability to voice so many characters differently, and with wonderful emotion. She was a perfect narrator for these characters and this fun story!

If you love fantastical characters, mystery, a sassy sidekick cat, endearing friendships, and fantastic narration, get this audiobook!

No spice: YA

Love a Magical Mystery? This one’s for you.

This was an easy listen and I can’t wait until the next in the series is recorded!!! An easy listen. As a neurospicy adult, it helps me to listen to stories so I’m able to get tasks done. My son (8) listened with me and he is excited to listen to the next one too! This was about the age I began reading every Nancy Drew I could get my hands on so it’s fun to have a mystery series he and I can share. Thanks, Wren! Keep it up! Waiting patiently for the Audible version of book 2.

I must have more!

Brought this book on a whim, did not expect for it's hook to dig in so deep. And now I won't be satisfied until the next book comes out.

Cute

Cute but I didn’t much care for the main character. She was a little annoying in my opinion. Or maybe there’s even more depth snot her that could be explored? Some parts felt slow but the ending was good.

Surprisingly captivating and entertaining!

I began this with the expectation of a fun read, but was quickly surprised by the richness of the characterization, and intriguing world that is built around the characters. The story telling is excellent, and I was surprised to find myself looking for opportunities to listen further. It is rare for me to find a book that I'm eager to return to, yet that's what I found myself doing with this book. The narration is excellent and really brings the characters and story to life fully. And yes, it was a lot of fun, as well. I look forward to book 2!