Sunday, November 9, 2025

Review: The Well-Kept Secret (A Wishville Mystery) by Kari Lee Townsend (Blog Tour/Tour-Wide Giveaway)

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The Well-Kept Secret (A Wishville Mystery) by Kari Lee Townsend


About The Well-Kept Secret

 

The Well-Kept Secret (A Wishville Mystery) 

Cozy Fantasy Mystery 1st in Series 

Setting - Wishville, Vermont 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oliver Heber Books 

Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 28, 2025 

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FL8TQXPB

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A Spring Festival. A Magical Murder. A Secret Buried Beneath the Well.

Wishville, Vermont looks like a storybook postcard—complete with forest festivals, quirky locals, and a centuries-old wishing well that allegedly grants one wish each season. But for Lyra Wells, the magic isn’t just folklore—it’s her full-time job. As the half-human, half-Dweller Guardian of the Well, Lyra must keep the peace between the mortal world and the magical realm of Elarion. That means overseeing every seasonal WishFest, keeping tourists entertained, and pretending her glowing cat sidekick isn’t judging everyone.

But when an all-too-nosy antique dealer is found mysteriously dead by the well—and a rare memory crystal is discovered at the scene—the fragile treaty between worlds begins to unravel, and the ethereal Dweller chief enforcer isn't happy. As the townsfolk whisper about curses and coincidences, something ancient stirs beneath the surface—and it’s not ready to stay hidden.

My Review

Lyra Wells has her hands full, to say the least.  She’s half human and half Dweller.  It’s her job to keep the peace between the mortal and magical worlds. Part of her job is to make sure WishFest goes off without a hitch.  She’s already facing opposition from the new police chief.  He doesn’t believe in the magical world and wants to end WishFest, their annual festival. Lyra can’t allow that to happen.

When a human antique dealer is found dead, it looks like murder.  This could signal a difficult time for the peace between both worlds.  As Guardian of the Well, it’s up to Lyra to solve this mystery.  Along with her cat Vex, they seek the truth. This leads to some difficult confrontations with the police chief, who prefers she stay out of it.

This is the first book in the series and it’s a great introduction to the cast and the setting.  It’s a nice blend between fantasy and the human world.  The characters are a wide range of different personalities and idiosyncrasies. 

Besides the mystery, there is also a touch of romance.  There’s even a possibility of a romantic triangle looming over Lyra.  It will be interesting to see where it all leads in future books.

I could easily see this made into a TV series.  It has a little of everything from mystery to romance to quirky characters. I’ll be looking forward to reading the next book in this new, exciting series.




For reading challenges:
Literary Escapes Reading Challenge 2025 (Vermont)
Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge 2025

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

About Kari Lee Townsend


National Bestselling Author, Agatha, RT Reviewers Choice & Golden Duck Award Nominee. Kari lives in Central New York with her husband & 3 Samoyeds. She's a lover of wine & travel (especially cruising), obsessed with reality TV, loves to try new things, and thinks there's nothing better than getting lost in a good book with at least some element of mystery, romance & humor. She writes cozy mysteries & upper middle grade as Kari Lee Townsend, as well as suspense, romance, romantic comedy & women's fiction as Kari Lee Harmon. She's most known for her Sunny Meadows Mysteries, Kalli Ballas Mysteries, and a crossover series featuring Sunny, Kalli, their detectives, and their crazy families! The Tasty Trio and Greek Mamas are her favorite characters to write about. Granny Gert is based on her late grandmother and Great Grandma Tootsie is based on her husband's late grandmother who lived to be nearly 109 years old!

Author Links
Purchase Link

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS 

October 28 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT 
October 28 – Wine Cellar Library – REVIEW 
October 29 – Angel's Book Nook – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
October 30 – Boys' Mom Reads! – REVIEW 
October 31 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT 
November 1 - Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
November 2 - Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT 
November 3 – Christy's Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST 
November 3 – Novels Alive – REVIEW 
November 4 – Sarandipity's – AUTHOR GUEST POST 
November 4 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST 
November 5 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – REVIEW 
November 6 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
November 7 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT 
November 8 – Sneaky the Library Cat's blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
November 9 – Socrates Book Review – REVIEW
November 10 – Salty Inspirations – CHARACTER GUEST POST 


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3 comments:

  1. Kari Lee TownsendNovember 9, 2025 at 9:27 AM

    Thank you so much for the awesome review. I'm so happy you liked it. And thanks for having me. Good luck everyone ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. messymimiNovember 9, 2025 at 4:07 PM

    It does sound like a great premise for lots of fascinating stories and mysteries.

    ReplyDelete
  3. pilch92November 9, 2025 at 6:58 PM

    That looks good.

    ReplyDelete

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