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sparklingreader's review
3.0
This is a light, fun cozy full of paranormals like witches (and more). Piper is a (almost) 40 year old witch who is trying to run a cafe and gets caught up in a murder on her back step. A murder that she comes close to getting blamed for. When the sheriff declares the death an accident, Piper knows in her gut there is more to it and goes into sleuth mode. She also has a ghost familiar and a pesky raccoon who consistently breaks into her cafe to steal treats.
The story was a fun one to read with a satisfying ending, but there were a few things that threw me off. First of all, one chapter was in the raccoon’s POV - totally unnecessary. Completely pulled me out of the story. Also, a bit better editing is needed for tense changes (all over the place) and things like that. And although Piper is 40, she comes across as much younger than that.
All that being said, the story was entertaining and I will be looking for more from this author.
The story was a fun one to read with a satisfying ending, but there were a few things that threw me off. First of all, one chapter was in the raccoon’s POV - totally unnecessary. Completely pulled me out of the story. Also, a bit better editing is needed for tense changes (all over the place) and things like that. And although Piper is 40, she comes across as much younger than that.
All that being said, the story was entertaining and I will be looking for more from this author.
katreader's review
4.0
A GRAVE ROAST by A. N. Sage
The First Orchard Hollow Mystery
Piper Addison isn't much of a witch. At almost 40 her magical ability is fairly abysmal. She's a solitary witch looked down upon by the mean girls of the local coven, and instead of a nice cat or other animal, her familiar is a snarky ghost. On the upside, she's just opened her own coffee shop, Bean Me Up, and customers are flocking in to get caffeinated. At least until her espresso machine breaks down, she discovers a dead body behind the shop, and the sheriff shuts her down. Piper will soon have more than wonky witchcraft and broken appliances to deal with as she becomes even more involved with the murder and starts investigating on her own.
A GRAVE ROAST introduces readers to a misfit witch in a paranormal world. You can't help but feel for Piper, who, even at almost 40, is still subjected to mean girls. I think her doubts about herself and her powers as well as the feeling of having no one to rely on resonates with people. On a positive note, the joy she finds in reaching a dream, especially one that allows her to show some distinctive parts of her personality to the world, resonates as well. While Piper may feel alone-she does have two primary beings in her life-Harry and Stella. I love Harry Houdini, the rascally raccoon who continually breaks in to Bean Me Up to steal treats. We get to read one chapter from his point of view. I wish there was more as it brought better understanding and meaning to his role in the book. While Stella comes off as snarky, she truly is helpful and well meaning... and, well, snarky. There's more to her than meets the eye, however. The same can be said for Joe. The almost slapstick physical encounters with Piper made me laugh and I love how he wants to become involved and help in her investigation. I hope they can work through the bombshell he drops at the end of the book.
The mystery itself is compelling and Piper's involvement is understandable. I love how we slowly start to learn more about her and the world of Orchard Hollow.
With humor, lots of coffee, and an intriguing mystery, A GRAVE ROAST is a fun first foray into a magical world.
The First Orchard Hollow Mystery
Piper Addison isn't much of a witch. At almost 40 her magical ability is fairly abysmal. She's a solitary witch looked down upon by the mean girls of the local coven, and instead of a nice cat or other animal, her familiar is a snarky ghost. On the upside, she's just opened her own coffee shop, Bean Me Up, and customers are flocking in to get caffeinated. At least until her espresso machine breaks down, she discovers a dead body behind the shop, and the sheriff shuts her down. Piper will soon have more than wonky witchcraft and broken appliances to deal with as she becomes even more involved with the murder and starts investigating on her own.
A GRAVE ROAST introduces readers to a misfit witch in a paranormal world. You can't help but feel for Piper, who, even at almost 40, is still subjected to mean girls. I think her doubts about herself and her powers as well as the feeling of having no one to rely on resonates with people. On a positive note, the joy she finds in reaching a dream, especially one that allows her to show some distinctive parts of her personality to the world, resonates as well. While Piper may feel alone-she does have two primary beings in her life-Harry and Stella. I love Harry Houdini, the rascally raccoon who continually breaks in to Bean Me Up to steal treats. We get to read one chapter from his point of view. I wish there was more as it brought better understanding and meaning to his role in the book. While Stella comes off as snarky, she truly is helpful and well meaning... and, well, snarky. There's more to her than meets the eye, however. The same can be said for Joe. The almost slapstick physical encounters with Piper made me laugh and I love how he wants to become involved and help in her investigation. I hope they can work through the bombshell he drops at the end of the book.
The mystery itself is compelling and Piper's involvement is understandable. I love how we slowly start to learn more about her and the world of Orchard Hollow.
With humor, lots of coffee, and an intriguing mystery, A GRAVE ROAST is a fun first foray into a magical world.
sparklingreader's review against another edition
3.0
This is a light, fun cozy full of paranormals like witches (and more). Piper is a (almost) 40 year old witch who is trying to run a cafe and gets caught up in a murder on her back step. A murder that she comes close to getting blamed for. When the sheriff declares the death an accident, Piper knows in her gut there is more to it and goes into sleuth mode. She also has a ghost familiar and a pesky raccoon who consistently breaks into her cafe to steal treats.
The story was a fun one to read with a satisfying ending, but there were a few things that threw me off. First of all, one chapter was in the raccoon’s POV - totally unnecessary. Completely pulled me out of the story. Also, a bit better editing is needed for tense changes (all over the place) and things like that. And although Piper is 40, she comes across as much younger than that.
All that being said, the story was entertaining and I will be looking for more from this author.
The story was a fun one to read with a satisfying ending, but there were a few things that threw me off. First of all, one chapter was in the raccoon’s POV - totally unnecessary. Completely pulled me out of the story. Also, a bit better editing is needed for tense changes (all over the place) and things like that. And although Piper is 40, she comes across as much younger than that.
All that being said, the story was entertaining and I will be looking for more from this author.
caitkom's review
4.0
This was a cute light hearted cozy paranormal mystery. I enjoyed the characters, with Harry the raccoon being my favorite. Who wouldn’t love murder, magic and a Houdini ninja creature!
Piper Addison has opened a coffee shop in Orchard Hallow, a magical town filled with secrets. There are witches and warlocks, paranormals and ghosts galore. The weird thing is that the paranormals don’t like each other. Piper is a witch without a coven. She doesn’t have friends and just wants to make coffee and go home. Her magic is on the fritz and to make things even weirder, her familiar is a ghost.
She receives a mysterious phone call from one of the warlocks in town and then finds his body behind her shop. The sheriff doesn’t like or trust paranormals and sets his sights on Piper as the killer.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Piper Addison has opened a coffee shop in Orchard Hallow, a magical town filled with secrets. There are witches and warlocks, paranormals and ghosts galore. The weird thing is that the paranormals don’t like each other. Piper is a witch without a coven. She doesn’t have friends and just wants to make coffee and go home. Her magic is on the fritz and to make things even weirder, her familiar is a ghost.
She receives a mysterious phone call from one of the warlocks in town and then finds his body behind her shop. The sheriff doesn’t like or trust paranormals and sets his sights on Piper as the killer.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
karen_the_baroness's review
4.0
A Grave Roast by A.N. Sage sees Piper Addison traversing Orchard Hollow without her grandma, that was helping her get her magic.
Can Piper solve the mystery without getting into trouble?
Piper Addison
Piper Addison is turning forty, lost her grandma recently, and started a new business venture. Did I also mention that she's a witch? Yeah, she's that too, but unlike the other witches and paranormal creatures in Orchard Hollow, Piper has quite a hard time getting her magic to cooperate. Oh, and instead of having a regular familiar, she has a ghost. The ghost is also the only one that she can see, sadly. Piper gets told by an acquaintance to meet her at her new coffee shop, which is closed due to one malfunctioning expresso maker, and is found dead in her back alley. The police think Piper might have something to do with it, and so Piper is on the case to figure out what happened to him.
Piper is quite the character in how she presents herself to the rest of the community and tries to let the other witches know that she isn't concerned about her lack of magic in public when in reality, she does. I think Piper is a fascinating character, and I can't wait to see what she gets into in the next book.
The Mystery
Piper finds a dead body in her back alley, and it isn't good in the eyes of the police. So, to keep herself out of jail, Piper has decided to solve this case for the police, especially after the sheriff decides it was an accidental overdose after seeing the coroner's report. Piper soon learns that the dead guy's death could be connected to another case that was ruled as a natural cause of death. Are they connected, or is Piper just making things up? I have to say that I pegged many things but not the killer or their motive. Now that motive was a plot twist that I never saw coming.
Four Stars
My rating for A Grave Roast by A.N. Sage is four stars. I'm also recommending it to anyone that wants to read a new take on a cozy culinary paranormal mystery. Ms. Sage has created an interesting lore for this series, and I can't wait to read more about Orchard Hollow and Piper. Who knows, maybe Piper will see many things differently and learn more about her magic.
There is a recipe in the back for a drink called Mocha a la Joe.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of A Grave Roast by A.N. Sage.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.
Can Piper solve the mystery without getting into trouble?
Piper Addison
Piper Addison is turning forty, lost her grandma recently, and started a new business venture. Did I also mention that she's a witch? Yeah, she's that too, but unlike the other witches and paranormal creatures in Orchard Hollow, Piper has quite a hard time getting her magic to cooperate. Oh, and instead of having a regular familiar, she has a ghost. The ghost is also the only one that she can see, sadly. Piper gets told by an acquaintance to meet her at her new coffee shop, which is closed due to one malfunctioning expresso maker, and is found dead in her back alley. The police think Piper might have something to do with it, and so Piper is on the case to figure out what happened to him.
Piper is quite the character in how she presents herself to the rest of the community and tries to let the other witches know that she isn't concerned about her lack of magic in public when in reality, she does. I think Piper is a fascinating character, and I can't wait to see what she gets into in the next book.
The Mystery
Piper finds a dead body in her back alley, and it isn't good in the eyes of the police. So, to keep herself out of jail, Piper has decided to solve this case for the police, especially after the sheriff decides it was an accidental overdose after seeing the coroner's report. Piper soon learns that the dead guy's death could be connected to another case that was ruled as a natural cause of death. Are they connected, or is Piper just making things up? I have to say that I pegged many things but not the killer or their motive. Now that motive was a plot twist that I never saw coming.
Four Stars
My rating for A Grave Roast by A.N. Sage is four stars. I'm also recommending it to anyone that wants to read a new take on a cozy culinary paranormal mystery. Ms. Sage has created an interesting lore for this series, and I can't wait to read more about Orchard Hollow and Piper. Who knows, maybe Piper will see many things differently and learn more about her magic.
There is a recipe in the back for a drink called Mocha a la Joe.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of A Grave Roast by A.N. Sage.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.
crystalbeth's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I got this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a cute read. Giving cozy murder mystery vibes. I genuinely enjoyed it. I like A.N. Sage's writing style a lot.
The characters are great. We also have a FMC whos nearing 40 which was nice go read, the main characters didn't feel flat.
I'm definitely going to be reading more work from this Author in the future.
This was such a cute read. Giving cozy murder mystery vibes. I genuinely enjoyed it. I like A.N. Sage's writing style a lot.
The characters are great. We also have a FMC whos nearing 40 which was nice go read, the main characters didn't feel flat.
I'm definitely going to be reading more work from this Author in the future.
jessenicolas's review
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I really did enjoy this paranormal cozy mystery. It's the first book I e read where witches and warlocks don't get along
lunabelle33's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
First book review of 2023 and it was a good one!
If you are looking for something charming, and a bit funny this is the book for you! Takes place in a small town called orchard hollow following a woman named Piper. A small town paranormal mystery, with added comedy. I absolutely fell in love with this book.
I would 100% recommend this book for anyone
If you are looking for something charming, and a bit funny this is the book for you! Takes place in a small town called orchard hollow following a woman named Piper. A small town paranormal mystery, with added comedy. I absolutely fell in love with this book.
I would 100% recommend this book for anyone
iowabibliobibuli's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
*Advanced Reader Copy
I really enjoyed this book! I would put it in a cozy murder mystery category personally. You've for a witch, a little romance, a murder, and a fuzzy sidekick. What could possibly be bad about this story?
I really enjoyed this book! I would put it in a cozy murder mystery category personally. You've for a witch, a little romance, a murder, and a fuzzy sidekick. What could possibly be bad about this story?