**I received a copy of this upcoming book from Midnight Ink via NetGalley in exchange for a fair, honest review**


Superstitions, both lucky and unlucky, abound in this new cozy mystery by Linda Johnston. Unlucky Charms is the 3rd book in the Superstition Mystery series.

Rory Chasen manages the Lucky Dog Boutique in Destiny, CA. She has developed a new line of lucky dog toys -- a white rabbit with extra large lucky paws, black cats and dogs, ladybugs, woodpeckers, dalmations -- each cute, cartoony design chosen for its superstitious reputation for bringing luck. Just as she unveils her new line of lucky toys, bad luck comes to Destiny. Several businesses are vandalized and robbed, and bad luck left behind by the culprits. The shards of broken mirrors and spilled salt are barely swept up off the floor of the local businesses when a real estate agent is found murdered, with one of Rory's lucky rabbit toys alongside her body. As a suspect in the case, Rory knows she has to quickly identify the killer before all her good luck runs out.

This was a cute, fun read. A town built around superstitions was a unique story-line for a cozy mystery, but not very realistic. But, realism isn't really a requirement in a cozy....so I just read for pure enjoyment and entertainment. Rory is a likable main character. The other residents of Destiny are quirky and fun. The mystery was simple, yet engaging. The plot was a bit formula, but the unique theme saved it from becoming old-hat. All in all, an enjoyable afternoon read!

This is the first book I have read in this series. I was able to jump right in and enjoy the story. So it isn't necessary to read this series in order.


Unlucky Charms releases October 8th, just in time for the Halloween season!

For more information on this series and author Linda Johnston, check out her website: www.lindaojohnston.com ( )

Rory Chasen is the manager for The Lucky Dog Boutique and has created a new line of dog toys which she is hoping will be a hit. Unfortunately, the debut of the new product line is overshadowed by a vandal who is ransacking the local shops and leaving unlucky charms behind. Then the local real estate agent who has issues with the townspeople has been found murdered with one of Roby’s toy rabbits nearby. That is the last thing Rory needs, so she takes it upon herself to find the murderer and bring order back to her superstitious town.

My thoughts on the book: The superstitions aspect of the town gives its claim to fame, but I found that it was going a little overboard with all the rituals and worry about bad luck. While it is a clever idea and not used before in any cozies I have read, I thought the author needed to reel it in a little bit. Other than that, I found the character of Rory was very well written, the storyline flowed very well, there was a good amount of twists and turns, and had just the right amount of quirkiness often found in cozies. ( )

Readers, if you want a book that will give you a reason to cross your fingers for the hero(s), than this is the book for you. I know that you will enjoy the mystery and the lesson in learning more about the superstitions that we all know or use. May the reading be with you!


This is just a snippet of the review provided on my blog, you can read the entire review and interview at: https://bibliophile.reviews/book-review/cozy/unlucky-charms ( )

Rory Chasen moved to Destiny, California after her fiance Warren stepped under a ladder and was killed. In her grief, she wanted to find some reason why; if there was any truth to the superstition that to do so was bad luck. Destiny, it seems, is a virtual haven of a town for superstitious people. All the shops sell items that are rumored to be lucky, and the inhabitants never miss an opportunity to cross their fingers or knock on wood to protect themselves from bad luck. It's even become a tourist destination due to its reputation. Now Rory's so taken with the town that she's decided to stay.

When local real estate agent Flora Curtival is found murdered, and Rory's stolen dog toys strewn about, she becomes the chief suspect in the murder, especially since Flora had especially singled her out for revenge; and it doesn't help that she's having a hard time figuring out the murderer because everyone believes it is bad luck to talk about it. Plus, with her relationship with police chief Justin Halbertson heating up, Rory is determined to find the killer and get her life back on track. But since it appears - at least to her - that she's the only suspect, she enlists the help of the owners of the local newspaper to assist her in a covert operation to find the real killer and get him - or her - to confess to the crime before Rory's luck runs out...

The premise of this series is interesting, and is why I began reading it. While it makes for an interesting idea - the town of Destiny is full of residents that are truly superstitious - I don't believe it's realistic, at least not to the point that these residents are; they go out of their way to avoid anything that might bring them bad luck, and everything Rory thought came back to a superstition, even as she was proclaiming that she wasn't sure she believed in them or not.

However, this was a quick, enjoyable read that had a steady flow and I was able to finish it in one sitting. Recommended.

Full Review: http://joannesbooks.blogspot.com/2016/10/unlucky-charms-superstition-mystery.htm... ( )

This is the third book in the Superstition Mystery Series, but is the first one I have read. I enjoyed this story and will definitely be checking out the other two in the series.

Rory Chasen lives in Destiny, California, a small town that was founded by miners in the 1800s. It is a town where good luck is a way of life, literally. The business owners "salt the sidewalks" with heads-up pennies, everyone knocks on wood, and fingers crossed is as common as buying a cup of coffee. Rory is the manager of The Lucky Dog, a store that specializes in "lucky" items for your pet. Rory has just created her own line of lucky dog toys and hopes they will be a huge success. She has hopes of buying the business down the road and remaining in Destiny. Unfortunately someone is trying to reverse the good luck in Destiny. Businesses are being broken into, things are being stolen and broken mirrors and salt is left on the floor. All of this is supposed to be kept secret because talking about it will bring bad luck. How do you solve a rash of crimes when you cannot talk about it? When a local business woman winds up dead, Rory is the prime suspect and it's going to take a lot of good luck and sleuthing on her part to get her untangled from the giant mess she is in. Throw in a little romance, Rory is dating the sheriff, a best friend and some other interesting characters and you have yourself an entertaining cozy mystery. Definitely worth a read if you are a cozy mystery fan or an animal lover. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )