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Polly Holmes

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Pumpkin Pies & Potions (Melting Pot Cafe Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Polly Holmes (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 778 ratings

Book 1 of 9: Melting Pot Cafe

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Witches, cats, pumpkin pies and murder!

I’m Evelyn Grayson and if you’d told me by the time I was 23, I’d have lost both my parents in a mysterious accident, moved in with the coolest Aunt ever, lived in a magical town, and I was a witch, I would have said you were crazy. Funny thing is, you’d be right.

Camille Stenson, the grumpiest woman in Saltwater Cove is set on making this year’s Halloween celebrations difficult for everyone, but when she turns up dead and my best friend is on the suspect list, I have no choice but to find out whodunit and clear her name.

Amongst the pumpkin carving, abandoned houses, and apple bobbing, it soon becomes apparent dark magic is at play and I must use all my newfound witches’ abilities to find the killer before another spell is cast.

Step into Evelyn Grayson’s magical world in the first book of the Melting Pot Café series, a fun and flirty romantic paranormal cozy mystery where the spells are flowing, and the adventure is just beginning.

If you like witty witches, cheeky talking cats, and magical murder mysteries, then you’ll love Polly Holmes’ light-hearted Melting Pot Café series.

Editorial Reviews

Review

5 STAR REVIEW - Readers' Favourite A fitting cozy mystery for the Halloween season, Pumpkin Pies and Potions by Polly Holmes offers readers a great cast of characters, some with special witching talents. The book first introduces readers to The Melting Pot, a witch-themed café in Saltwater Cove; Aunt Edie, its proprietor; and Evelyn, her niece and witch-in-training. This is the first book in The Melting Pot Cozy Mystery series and gives readers characters and a setting that will welcome them back. The excitement of preparing for the upcoming Halloween festivities is interrupted by a murder at the local bank. By the end of the book, readers will have had their suspicions aroused, their theories proven wrong, and their guesses complicated by layers of new information and additional characters to consider.
Evelyn is a fun, smart, spunky witch, learning more each day from her Aunt Edie and The Melting Pot's wonderful well-stocked pantry. Author Polly Holmes introduces readers to Evelyn's 'familiar,' her cat Saffron, her good friends, Harriet and Jordi, and her best friend Tyler, newly returned from abroad with an eyebrow-raising new physique. Pumpkin Pies and Potions moves along quickly, bringing new characters and possible motives into play, keeping readers entertained till the end. Readers will witness snooping at the crime scene, visions, shape-shifting, the Elder Flame witch coven, and a moonlight dark magic ritual. There's even an element of attraction between some characters that adds a touch of spice to the delicious cozy mystery recipe. Pumpkin Pies and Potions is a tasty introduction to The Melting Pot Cozy Mystery series.

5 STAR REVIEW - Readers' Favourit Pumpkin Pies and Potions (A Melting Pot Cafe Paranormal Cozy Mystery) by Polly Holmes is a charming amateur sleuth mystery with the enchanting paranormal flavor of witches and shapeshifters. It is a bewitching murder mystery that is an absolute delight to read! The plot is intriguing, and the elements of the storyline are captivating. The characters are endearing, and I am in love with the setting of the Melting Pot Cafe and the magical town of Saltwater Cove. It is a light and entertaining book that is just the thing to read when you're down; it will eliminate the doldrums and enhance your day! It is such an enjoyable book that I can't wait to read more of Evelyn, Edie, and Tyler's adventures in Saltwater Cove. Everyone who loves cozy mysteries starring witches and shapeshifters will not want to miss reading this one!

About the Author

Polly Holmes is the cheeky alter ego of Amazon best-selling author, P.L. Harris. When she's not writing her next romantic suspense novel as P.L. Harris, she's planning the next murder in one of Polly's mysteries.

Polly's award-winning Cupcake Capers Series is rich in storyline and location with characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. She publishes her cozy mystery books with Gumnut Press. Pumpkin Pies & Potions is the first in her new Melting Pot Café paranormal cozy series.Cupcakes and Corpses was a finalist in the Oklahoma RWA's2019 IDA International Digital Awards, short suspense category. Cupcakes and Curses claimed second place and Cupcakes and Cyanide gained third place making it a clean sweep in the category.

You can visit P.L. Harris/Polly Holmes at the following locations:pollyholmesmysteries.com/
instagram.com/plharris_author
bookbub.com/authors/p-l-harris
Magic, Mystery, Romance: Reader Group of Polly Holmes and P.L. Harris facebook.com/groups/magicmysteryromance

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08DRQFCF2
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gumnut Press (October 28, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 28, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3238 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 366 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #65,860 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #550 in Cozy Crafts & Hobbies Mystery
- #712 in Witch & Wizard Mysteries
- #1,225 in Cozy Animal Mystery

Customer Reviews:
4.3 778 ratings

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Polly Holmes

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Polly Holmes is the award-winning cheeky alter ego of Amazon best-selling author, P.L. Harris. When she's not writing her next romantic suspense novel as P.L. Harris, she’s planning the next murder in one of Polly's mysteries. She is a proud member of Romance Writers of Australia, Peter Cowan Writers Centre, Making Magic Happen Academy and has a Certificate in Romance Writing.

Polly’s award-winning cozy mysteries are rich in storyline and location with characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. She pens food-themed and paranormal cozy mysteries and also writes paranormal Woman's Fiction. She publishes her books solely with Gumnut Press.

Cupcakes and Corpses was a finalist in the Oklahoma RWA’s 2019 IDA International Digital Awards, short suspense category. Cupcakes and Curses claimed second place and Cupcakes and Cyanide gained third place making it a clean sweep in the category.

Pumpkin Pies & Potions received a 2021 Silver Titian Literary Award. She also won silver in the 2020 ROAR! National Business Awards in the Writer/Blogger/Author category following it up with bronze in the Writer/Author/Blogger category and gold in the Hustle and Heart category in the 2021 ROAR! National Business Awards.

In the 2022, Muffins & Magic and Mistletoe, Murder & Mayhem were long-listed in the Davitt Awards, a prestigious award run by the Sisters of Crime, Australia. Muffins & Magic also received second place in the MMH—Making Magic Happen Book Awards. She is also a finalist in the author category in the 2022 AusMumpreneur Awards.

Polly lives not far from the beach in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia with her Bishion Frise, Bella. When she's not writing you can find her sipping coffee in her favourite cafe, watching reruns of Murder, She Wrote or taking long walks along the beach soaking up the fresh salty air.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

778 global ratings

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Kindle Customer

Quick, fun read

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2023

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Love the quick, fun and light read. Such a great mystery that keeps you on your toes. You really enjoy the combination of the characters and their interaction.

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2023

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This cozy story is fun and has an interesting and a bit unexpected ending. The story takes place in the small town of Saltwater Cove, where paranormal slice among normals. Evie’s aunt owns The Melting Pot where the food is good and everyone loves the drinks too.
A murder occurs at the local bank and a prime suspect is a friend. Evil and her besties search for clues and help the sheriff, who, it turns out was Auntie’s love, who has returned without explanation.
The story has interesting characters and a good bit of intrigue. And, of course, love interests.
Well worth the read, however I assume the many errors in grammar and spelling are due to the fact I read the Kindle version. Kindle needs to get their act together,

One person found this helpful

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GH

Pumpkin Pies&Potions(Melting pot cafe Book 1)

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2023

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Thi s is a good stories about a murder and friends work together to help their friend be cleared of murder A good cast of characters

Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2021

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Good story and fun. The plot is good and kept me guessIng. I might have enjoyed it more if I hadn't encountered so many misused or misspelled words, missing punctuation, and tense changes. Perhaps this is a difference between Australian and American English, but I found it distracting.

6 people found this helpful

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Sonee Singh

Fun!

Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2023

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This was the first time I read a cozy mystery and I found it to be lighthearted yet intriguing. I read it in two sittings and I’m so hooked, I’m getting ready for book 2 in the series.

One person found this helpful

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Spinneretta

Good

Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2022

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When Evelyn Grayson’s friend Harriet becomes a suspect in the murder of Harriet’s co-worker, Evie is determined to find out the truth.
As a witch, she has access to powers and abilities that might just provide an edge in the investigation, but with Halloween fast approaching, there is a lot going on!
With the help of her friends, Jordi, Harriet, and Tyler, Evie is sure to get to the bottom of things.

There is so much happening in this book that at times it got a little confusing.
First we have Evelyn’s Aunt Edie’s former beau (and current detective) returning to town. Then Evie’s friend Tyler returns too, only he has changed a lot (for the better it seems).
There is the mysterious Eli, and something odd happening with Harriet, mysterious figures, one or two strangers in town, and then there is the murder mystery itself…
The romance was restricted to flirtatious banter and tingles, but then since Evie frequently seemed to have odd symptoms, I wasn’t sure if they were magical in nature or not!
That being said, it’s an entertaining, and a rather lighthearted paranormal cosy mystery, with an interesting cast of characters and an enjoyably complex mystery.

This one is recommended for paranormal cosy mystery fans.

One person found this helpful

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Doreen Farrar

A magical cozy mystery

Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024

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This is the first book in the Melting Pot Cafe series. Magic is an open secret in the small town where Evelyn and her aunt live and operate the Melting Pot Cafe. A woman nobody in town knows well us killed, and the police keep detaining the wrong people, so the local witches have to solve the mystery. There are hints of romance, but it's a minor element of the story. Highly recommended.

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2023

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Characters were fun and very likeable. story line kept your interest and fast moving. Enjoyed this book very much and can't wait to read the next book in this series.

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Top reviews from other countries

laura

oh my gosh ... need to read!

Reviewed in Canada on November 17, 2022

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ok i give different reviews..i don't tell you all about the story and the people... just know that this series is going to keep you captivated and wanting to see what happens next! it'll keep you guessing!

Joyce

Friends and family, love and loyalty.

Reviewed in Australia on January 4, 2021

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Really enjoyed getting to know a new set of characters, and hope there will be many more in this series!

K. Young

Fun mystery

Reviewed in Canada on February 17, 2022

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This is a fun, unapologetically withcy mystery with plenty of suspects that keeps you turning the pages to the end. The characters are fun and their stories promise plenty of drama ahead.
I'd have given it four stars, but the repeated grammatical errors and typos in the first half of the book had me dropping it to three. For me, such errors always pull me from the story and are detrimental overall. The book could really use a proofreader or good Beta reader.

Julie

Murder, mayhem and spells

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2022

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed this witch cozy mystery. It's easy to read and a nice start to the series. I liked the characters, I did think at the start we were getting introduced to too many all at once but once I sorted out who everybody was I got into the story. The magic is a nice touch and not over the top,
with just a few spells casts and potions made to help find clues and save the day, although I wasn't entirely sure if the whole town knew about magic or if it was a secret, it was certainly fun. I also liked the fact that you had different levels of experience and even skills. You had the love interest and which one she is going to end with but as this is the start, it is only in the beginning stages. The mystery was good and what held my attention, especially as the story took a few twists with the main characters friends getting set up and then in trouble. A fun cozy and a town that I would visit again.
Evelyn gets a panicked phone call from her best friend, she has just found her boss dead and the police are asking her some very tough questions, she thinks they suspect her as being the killer. To make things worse her best friend is coming into her witch powers and she doesn't know it, Evelyn's aunt's ex boyfriend is in charge of the homicide, the pumpkin pie used to kill the grumpiest woman in town points to her aunt's friend and there are two hunky men suddenly in her life wanting attention. Can Evelyn help her best friend understand her visions and make sure they don't come true? Because it she doesn't find the killer quick enough than her best friend won't be around long enough to learn to control them.

norma

Witchy cooking

Reviewed in Australia on January 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is a book that you finish in a short time it’s great to mix cosy mystery with the main meaning of witch craft. You actually forget about the cosy mystery side as you wait to wonder what magic is going to fix this the author has gotten the mix just right. Thank you Polly Holmes

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Pumpkin Pies & Potions (Melting Pot Cafe Book 1) Kindle Edition

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