Secrets of the Frostbound Cottage

An Urban Fantasy Story (Witchlight Magical Mysteries)

By: Heather G. Harris, Ella Stone

Narrated by: Alyse Gibbs

Beatrix thought she’d left magic behind – until it came knocking on her door.

Being a private investigator wasn’t supposed to be complicated. I expected cheating spouses and missing pets like BonBon, a kidnapped ‘pure-bred Schnoodle’ with a ruby-studded collar. What I didn’t expect was a desperate elf on my doorstep, begging for help to find her missing parents. Nor did I think that my search would drag me back into the magical world I’d tried so hard to leave behind.

I’m Beatrix Stonehaven, empath, martial artist and a magical dud in a long line of exceptional witches. But when a routine case reveals a demon lurking in the shadows, it’s clear that even my mediocre magic might not be enough. Between tracking the elf’s missing loved ones, dodging the secrets of my past and dealing with a stray pup who may be smarter than I am, I’ve got my hands full.

With a knack for finding trouble and a lifetime of kicking butt, I’m diving headfirst into a tangled web of magic, mystery and mayhem because ‘simple’ cases don’t exist in my line of work – and the stakes are always higher than they seem.

Perfect for fans of strong heroines, adorable animal sidekicks and heart-racing urban fantasy, Secrets of the Frostbound Cottage is a whirlwind of action, charm and supernatural surprises. Each book has a self-contained mystery, plenty of humour, and a slow-burn fade-to-black romance to swoon over.

Perfect for fans of strong heroines, lovable animal sidekicks, and heart-racing urban fantasy, Secrets of the Frostbound Cottage delivers action, charm, and supernatural surprises. With stand-alone mysteries, sharp humour, and a swoon-worthy slow-burn romance spanning the series, it’s unmissable.

©2025 Heather G Harris, Ella Stone (P)2025 Heather G Harris, Ella Stone

Characterization

Good character development. A lot hinted at for her background which was intriguing and fun elements planted for future novels.

Exceptional New Series from Harris and Stone

"Secrets of the Frostbound Cottage" follows Beatrix Stonehaven, a private investigator with a past. She is an empath with some other skills, a person who comes from a long line of witches, but unfortunately did not inherit their gifts, and as such, left that life.
Now she helps others as an investigator, at the start of the book, she is trying to find a missing dog (a pure bred "Schnoodle") with a ruby studded collar.
However, when a young elf turns up on her doorstep, desperate for help to find her missing parents, Beatrix can't help but drop everything to help the young girl.
Things get nasty when she tries to find the missing dog, she is drawn into something far darker than she ever expected, and Beatrix has to fight for her life. But she finds a surprising little ally in her fight.
As she searches for the young elf's parents, Beatrix is pulled into the world of magic, a world that she has tried so hard to avoid for years. But now, to save not only the lives of the elves, but her own, she is going to have use all of the skills she has.
The main character of Beatrix is wonderfully told, she is a troubled person, having fled her past. We get to learn pieces of what has happened to her in this prequel (no spoilers), and do learn that she is not as adept in magic as those in her family, but she is an empath. She loves her martial arts, which gives her some additional skills as a PI.
The world-building is fantastic in the story, there is a combination of a ‘known’ magical system, but with some slight additions for the authors own tweaks, just to add some flavour to the story. They have taken some interest with the crime aspects of the story, paying attention to crime scene aspects, giving the story some authenticity, which is always great when reading a mystery series.
This is a fantastic story of mystery, magic, with a wonderful lead character and as the story progresses, we pick up some other brilliant characters as well.
As a prequel, this is a wonderful introduction to Beatrix, providing us some background into her life, as well as a great Urban Fantasy story that acquaints us to the series that is to come.
Another exceptional listen from the minds of Harris and Stone, and an absolute must read!!
Alyse Gibbs has the voice of an angel, and is easily one of the most delightful female narrators to listen to. I could happily listen to her non-stop. She has a very clear and concise voice, and does a wonderful job with creating both male and female voices, especially the voice of the main character Bunny. She has a great range of voices, so that you can clearly tell who is speaking, with distinct male and female characters.
On top of this, she not only narrates, but does a wonderful job of voice acting, adding emotion to each of her characters, bringing them to life, so we know how they are feeling as she tells the story, be it happy, sad, angry, elated, or a good dose of humour from the main characters.
Alyse Gibbs is brilliant and adds something special to these stories, and it is absolutely worth listening to them rather than just reading them, as she really brings the Authors characters to life with that beautiful voice of hers.