Here are 84 books that Hardbacks and Hexes fans have personally recommended if you like
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I lean toward being a skeptic of all things magic, and so when I wrote my first paranormal series, I wrote it from the point of view of an unbelieving sleuth. Because of this, I am drawn to books that really delve into the idea of a sleuth discovering her magic or abilities and coming to believe in them along with the reader.
This book had me laughing from the moment I read the description! The characters were engaging and complex, and I found myself caring deeply about all of them. This was not a typical murder mystery story, either, which I found refreshing. With plenty of action and suspense, it kept me hooked from the first page until the last.
I really love Lily Harper Hart’s wit and voice. This light reading with a hint of romance was exactly what I was in the mood for. This first book in the series was such a treat, and I can’t wait to devour the rest.
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…
I lean toward being a skeptic of all things magic, and so when I wrote my first paranormal series, I wrote it from the point of view of an unbelieving sleuth. Because of this, I am drawn to books that really delve into the idea of a sleuth discovering her magic or abilities and coming to believe in them along with the reader.
I was hooked on this witchy mystery from the very first page! Imogene Banks is a kind and quirky character who gets whisked away to a magical French island to enter a baking competition. I loved the creativity in recipes and I was behind Imogene one hundred percent in her pursuit to open her own bakery.
This mystery kept me reading late into the night. I was captivated by the magical French setting and the interesting characters. Imogene’s determination kept me turning page after page. The moment I finished, I raced back for book 2!
A magical French island. A dead contestant. An aspiring baker must clear her name before she gets burned.
Imogen Banks has dreamed her entire life of opening her own bakery in Seattle. But when she accidentally sets fire to her apartment and loses all her possessions, her dreams get toasted. Still coping with her loss, she receives a cryptic invitation she can't possibly refuse: entry into a mysterious baking competition on a beautiful French island.
When Imogen realizes the island village is magical and the bake-off’s participants are witches and wizards, she’s not sure her fledgling powers will be enough…
I lean toward being a skeptic of all things magic, and so when I wrote my first paranormal series, I wrote it from the point of view of an unbelieving sleuth. Because of this, I am drawn to books that really delve into the idea of a sleuth discovering her magic or abilities and coming to believe in them along with the reader.
This bookis a fun, paranormal, cozy mystery with plenty of suspense and surprises along the way. I loved the main character, Jess, who had to return to her hometown to settle her mother’s affairs and her cat, Maestro. I’m a sucker for a cozy mystery with a loveable cat, and this book did not disappoint.
The two mysteries in this book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I really enjoyed the reveal of Jess’s witchy abilities. This is a great start to an entertaining new series, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Discovering you're a witch because your cat talks to you isn't as fun as it sounds. After the sudden death of her mother, Jessica Lavender's mediocre life as a baker takes an unexpected turn.Forced to return to her home town to run her mom’s store, she must learn to harness her magical abilities while dealing with nosy neighbors.If that wasn’t enough, her snarky familiar insists she unearth and solve the suspicious death of the body in her garden!This paranormal cozy mystery will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about magic and murder!"A fun start to a new series...One…
A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.
Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…
I lean toward being a skeptic of all things magic, and so when I wrote my first paranormal series, I wrote it from the point of view of an unbelieving sleuth. Because of this, I am drawn to books that really delve into the idea of a sleuth discovering her magic or abilities and coming to believe in them along with the reader.
As the title describes, Abby is a new witch in town, and her discovery of her new abilities is nothing but entertaining. I loved Abby’s strength and development as a fully realized character. As she discovered more about herself and her family secrets, I became more invested in her journey.
This was a fun mystery with enough drama to keep me turning page after page. I laughed and cried and almost finished it in one sitting.
Welcome to Holiday Hills, where the coffee’s fresh and there’s magic in the air…I have a perfect life. I recently rented the most adorable little apartment on top of my favorite bookstore coffee shop on Main Street in Holiday Hills, the charmingest of charming small southern towns. I spend my days ghostwriting a cozy mystery series for a well-known author, and maybe just a minute or two crushing on the town’s police chief. But of course, I’d never let that cat out of the bag. I'm still dealing with my recent divorce, and no matter what my bestie says, I'm…
I come from a large family, both immediate and extended. As a result, my writing often includes a spectrum of family relationships, from the functional to the toxic. Nurturing or gaslighting? Supportive or undermining? Fantasy is my genre of choice for playing with these dynamics because its otherworldliness creates a safe space to consider true-to-life patterns, including the default trust we grant to those closest to us, how quickly that crumbles when expectations fall short, and the echo effect our earliest interactions have upon the rest of our lives.
Regency aesthetic in a fantasy world? Yes, please! I adore the twisty unfolding of Arabella’s character: a girl who wants to be good, but who once did terrible things to survive alongside her vicious aunt and grandmother.
Themes of repentence, forgiveness, and redemption permeate this novel, reminding me that past wrongs don’t have to govern one’s future or worthiness of heart, and that a single determined soul can break generations of toxic behavior.
Gruesome rites. Whispers of witches. Arabella’s past has caught up to her.
Arabella finally feels like she belongs. She’s settled into her role as the Bearer of St. Brigit’s Arcana. She has family, friends, and a purpose. And assisting the Phantasm Bureau has brought her close to handsome viscount Trey Shield, a formidable magician in his own right.
But then a prized racehorse is found butchered in a grisly and familiar rite. A beloved cousin arrives unexpectedly, bringing bad news. Arabella’s family secrets create a rift between her and Trey, one that is further complicated when his intended bride comes…
I believe that magical systems and worlds based on folklore and existing magical practices feel more “real” to the reader... and are a lot more interesting. As an avid Tarot reader, I’ve taken some deep dives into the esoteric magical traditions and symbols behind the cards. I’m still coming up for air on the topic. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to channel this arcane (and let’s face it, not otherwise very useful) knowledge into my own witch and paranormal mysteries. I hope you enjoy the witchy mystery novels on this list!
Midnight Crossroad builds on existing mythology and folklore as well as on her more famous Sookie Stackhouse series. The Midnight books have a slightly heavier vibe than the prior series, and I love seeing another aspect of her “Trueblood” world, this time set in a small town in Texas. I found myself rooting for every member of this darkly quirky cast of characters—supernatural and otherwise.
The quirky paranormal murder mystery about a small town where only outsiders fit in . . . now a major TV series
From Charlaine Harris, the bestselling author who created Sookie Stackhouse, the world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, comes a new, darker world - populated by more strangers than friends. But then, that's how the locals prefer it.
Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It's a pretty standard dried-up western town.
There's a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is…
The Duke's Christmas Redemption
by
Arietta Richmond,
A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.
Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…
Since I was very young, I’ve had experiences with the paranormal. Whether it be a soft graze along my cheek or a spirit standing in front of me, I’ve always been drawn to things behind the veil. Joining the world of the living with the dead comes natural for me, and reading the genres of paranormal and fantasy is like a cup of hot tea on a chilly winter afternoon.
This book hits all the points I love to read when I want to escape. Witches, family, mystery, and the angst of true love. I felt a closeness to the relationship between the sisters, and the love they have for each other. It reminded me of my brother and I, and how no matter what, even if there’s disagreements, we always emerge together.
The descriptions of the area they live in and the town were amazing. I could create a vivid picture in my mind of the setting and wanted to visit.
Two witches, two secrets, and a curse that could tear a family apart.
Olivia and Ellie have lived their lives knowing a dark entity is stalking their family, determined to kill them all. After the death of Olivia’s son, she abandons her magic and her family, leaving Ellie in a nightmare of heartbreak, her marriage crumbling and her sister gone. Determined to save their mother Arianna from a spell that left her comatose, the two sisters must come together to unravel the riddle of the curse that has haunted their family for generations.
I believe that magical systems and worlds based on folklore and existing magical practices feel more “real” to the reader... and are a lot more interesting. As an avid Tarot reader, I’ve taken some deep dives into the esoteric magical traditions and symbols behind the cards. I’m still coming up for air on the topic. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to channel this arcane (and let’s face it, not otherwise very useful) knowledge into my own witch and paranormal mysteries. I hope you enjoy the witchy mystery novels on this list!
This frothy, well-paced cozy witch mystery features a psychic who can pick up visions of the past wearers of old clothes. How convenient that she runs a vintage clothing store… Add a Cary-Grant handsome ghost and some very lively romantic entanglements to the great clothes and a charming small town, and you’ve got a winning paranormal mystery. The author also does an excellent job describing the experience of clairtangency—psychic touch.
A fun new mystery series from the author of Gone with the Witch.
The right dress can be magic; the wrong one?murder! From the national bestselling author of Sensation?s Witch series comes the new Vintage Magic mystery series, featuring Madeira Cutler. While opening her own vintage clothing shop, Maddie must clear her family?s name when her sister?s wedding festivities hit a snag: murder.
I’ve been fascinated by paranormal stories for years. One of the first books I truly loved was A Wrinkle in Time. I loved the Dragons of Pern, as well. As a girl, I read more stories featuring witches and magical creatures than one ought. But I also loved mysteries—Nancy Drew,as well as all the Agatha Christie books. At present, I’m working on my fifth Fairy Garden Mystery, and I recently completed a mystery novella featuring an elf. To round out the experience, I have personally crafted over fifty fairy gardens. I’m pretty certain a fairy spirit had something to do with my obsession... or perhaps it all started when I kissed the Blarney Stone.
Lily Ivory, who owns a vintage clothing shop in San Francisco, wants to fit in somewhere and conceal her “witchiness”.
She is spiritual and stylish and has a charming sense of humor. Just when life seems normal, she stumbles onto a spooky murder.
This book ticks off all the boxes for a fun and mentally stimulating read. Lily’s familiar is an adorable, witty pig. There’s a sexy myth buster who is enticing. And there’s a powerful warlock who is her nemesis.
Lily Ivory feels that she can finally fit in somewhere and conceal her "witchiness" in San Francisco. It's there that she opens her vintage clothing shop, outfitting customers both spiritually and stylistically.
Just when things seem normal, a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area. Lily has a good idea that some bad phantoms are behind it. Can she keep her identity secret, or will her witchy ways be forced out of the closet as she attempts to stop the phantom?
This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.
In these and other intimate conversations, the book…
I’ve been a romance author for two decades now, and a romance reader for decades before that. It’s my favourite genre to read, critique, and write, closely followed by paranormal reads and mysteries. I’ve had the good fortune to win several awards for my romance novels, including a Gold Medal and an Irwin. My limited-release novellas have also been long-listed for ‘Best Romance’ and ‘Best Historical Romance’ many times. I’m a compulsive researcher too! I spend hours poring over old maps and out-of-print glossaries. I also visit graveyards quite a lot to learn names and life spans, and the how so many stories end.
This paranormal fated mates romance is a thrilling read. It’s part mystery, part romance, and with enough supernatural elements thrown in that I got to lose myself in a world of witches and werewolves.
The two clans formed a pact centuries ago in order to ward off an evil that wasn’t destroyed – just dormant, and it’s coming back. The were-clan and the witches must work out how to protect themselves and their world, and quickly.
I loved the pace of this story. I admired the speed of the action and the moments between high-intensity scenes that allowed me to catch my breath as a reader. Perfectly plotted with an intriguing premise, I read it in a single sitting.
Five hundred years ago, facing extinction, a group of powerful witches united to create a pact with the Were to save Witch-kind. The pact expelled an ancient evil, known only as the Darkness, that blocked the Were from their wolves. With the Darkness destroyed, the Packs and Covens grew strong as they thrived beside each other in their brand-new world.
But the Darkness was not destroyed.
Skye Collins has been brought up to fear her magic and shy away from Witch and Were alike. But when Jason McVale, the Alpha of Pack McVale,…
