Howling Hag Mysteries

Spinning off from the world of The Last Chance Hotel, Nicki Thornton's Howling Hag Mysteries hand the spotlight to Nightshade, the tart-tongued talking cat, as she noses out crimes in a village that has no idea magic is real. Each book pairs a fresh human sleuth with the wily cat: a secret witch, an unlucky boy, a determined young reporter. Together they follow trails of poisonings, curses and unearthly howls to their culprits, blending cosy village crime with golden-age puzzling and a shiver of the supernatural. Warm, funny and clue-strewn, the series keeps its scares gentle and its heart large, celebrating community, courage and standing up for the place you call home. A cosy-crime gateway for readers who like a little enchantment stirred into their whodunits.

Cosy village whodunits starring a sardonic talking cat and a rotating cast of amateur sleuths, where the culprit might just be practising dark magic.

Primary themes

• Courage
• Fairness and justice
• Good vs evil
• Resilience
• Teamwork

Tone palette

• Suspenseful
• Funny
• Whimsical