It was my fault for picking this book up and not realizing it was fairly far a long in the series. However, the stories are pretty independent of each other and I was able to understand what was going on based on the bit of backstory we received in the beginning. This is book 7 in the series and it seems as though Bella Jordan still does not believe in the spiritual or supernatural even though she's been exposed to them since moving to Lily Dale, a village which is primarily populated by mediums and the like.

Bella has taken over running the Valley View Guest House which is owned by Pandora Feeney who visits Bella and tells her something wicked is coming which seems funny since the local theater is also putting on a performance of Macbeth. However, soon a lady who claims she's from Bella's past saying that Bella bullied her but Bella does not remember doing this. The woman is also flirting with Bella's new "boyfriend", Drew.

So much seems to be happening which helps the story move with great pacing. Even though this was my first one, I felt as though I got to know the characters well an was invested in their lives and stories. I kind of like that we don't have to have a murder with every mystery. Sometimes we just get a mystery of what's going on and the characters make it fun to find out.

An atmospheric thriller cozy that doesn't feature a murder but plenty of menace when Bella, living in Lily Dale, a town in New York State filled with psychics, receives a warning from one telling her she will soon be in danger. But Bella, a skeptic, is far more worried about raising her son as a single mom after the death of her husband and running the guest house. But when a guest arrives who puts her nerves on end, she begins to wonder if there is something there.

Lily Dale is a real town in New York State filled with psychics and this series plays up the atmosphere but also makes it filled with eccentric and caring characters. Supernatural phenomena circles the edge of the story but it can also easily just be dismissed as coincidence. I really enjoy seeing Bella and her son bloom in a town after so much misfortune in their lives. New friends, a new love and some danger and mystery make for an interesting series.

This book hits some hot spots for me so I didn't enjoy it as much as some but overall a good book and a good series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Toil and Trouble is book #7 in the Lily Dale Mystery series by Wendy Corsi Staub.

This was another interesting visit to Lily Dale. Bella is warned that something wicked is coming. She experiences some disturbing things at her house. Who is the stranger that knows Bella, but she doesn’t actually remember her? This was a very suspenseful story that drew me in from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to the author, Severn House, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers, to Net Galley and to the author for the opportunity to review. My review opinions are my own.

This is the 7th book in the series. I highly recommend this series for all of us cozy readers that enjoy a paranormal cozy with great characters. We return to charming small-town Lily Dale and to a young widow who is busy raising her child and running a guest house in town. She is determined to ignore the paranormal beliefs in town and is making her own way without psychics and mediums. When a local psychic makes a prediction Bella is not worried until things start to happen that make her question if the psychic was right. With witches, ghosts, power issues and strange happenings soon Bella is a believer in this town of mediums and psychics.

The has such a vibrancy to each page. The author has a masterful way of describing Lily Dale and the characters. I love all the supporting characters and the progression of the mysteries which kept this reader enthralled from page to page. The paranormal is done to perfection. This is the perfect cozy mystery paranormal read. Enjoyable from cover to cover.

A good addition to the series that is populated with characters we love and some new ones that we may come to love (or hate); this well-written novel will keep you engaged until the end.

Having been warned that something wicked her way comes, Bella find her self, questioning her behavior and others to rent her. From the mother of a new classmate to a guest at the house. things are odd and feel off. She can’t quite put her finger on what it is that’s off, but it seems Pandora was right in her proclamation. Can Bella figure out what it is before the wickedness does irreparable damage to her or her son?

I really love this setting for this series. Lily Dale is actually a real place and the author does a great job of weaving in her story in the setting. Bella is just a loving widowed mother that you want to embrace and help along the way. So you soon find yourself trying to figure out what’s going on right along with her while rooting for her every step of the way. This is a great series, especially for those who love mysticism along with their cozy mysteries.

A fast read mystery novel continuing the Lily Dale series. Enjoyable but seemed to have more filler, possibly because it focused on the same characters as the previous book and repeated a lot of information regular readers would already know. An interesting plot line though that will leave you turning the page to find out what is going on.

I enjoyed the characters and the setting. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bella is raising her young son Max (and all their pets) in the picturesque village of Lily Dale which also happens to be a popular place for mediums. She's had a tough time of it and now someone seems to be threatening her and Max is seeing ghosts. This latest in the series will be fine as a standalone but will be most enjoyed by those who have read the earlier installments. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good cozy read.

When I picked up this book, I had no idea it was part of a series—but that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed it. The story was short, sweet, and surprisingly easy to get into. The writing flows in a way that makes it effortless to read, and I quickly found myself falling for the characters. That said, I did feel like I was missing some of their depth and backstory. Now that I know it's part of a larger series, I definitely want to go back and start from book one. I have a feeling the emotional payoff will be even greater when I experience the characters' full journey.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Severn House and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A compelling mix of suspense and things that go bump in the night. A mystery of past and present will keep the reader on the edge. I am so intrigued I am looking for more by this author! Thanks #Netgalley and #SevernHouse for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Severn House provided an early galley for review.

I am proud to say that I have known the author for most of my life (we went to the same schools and church growing up). I am also familiar with Lily Dale, the real life community not far from our hometown of Dunkirk. I look forward to checking out Wendy's newest books set there.

This story, like the previous one in the series, is character-driven. Wendy seems very comfortable with her cast which shows in the interactions and dialogue. It is a nice touch that the chapters which focus on Bella's son Max tend to be written in a more juvenile fiction structure and tone (fitting for parts of the story told from the viewpoint of a seven year-old); the sentences here are less complex and more straight-forward.

The action of the plot really kicks into high gear around the 70% mark which gives the reader an eagerness to keep reading steadily to the dramatic conclusion.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In "Toil & Trouble", Wendy Corsi Staub delivers a beguiling blend of suspense and the supernatural, crafting a narrative that is equal parts eerie and emotionally evocative. The novel plunges into the heart of a town steeped in witchcraft lore, weaving its historical hauntings with modern-day psychological tension. Staub’s mastery of atmosphere is evident from the start—her prose shrouds the reader in a creeping unease, as if the ghosts of Salem themselves linger between the pages.

Staub balances rich character development with tightly wound plotting. Her protagonist, a woman caught between skepticism and an inheritance of supernatural secrets, is rendered with depth and nuance. As the novel unfolds, Staub does not merely rely on external frights; she meticulously layers emotional stakes, ensuring that the threats—whether spectral or flesh-and-blood—carry genuine weight.

Structurally, "Toil & Trouble" excels in pacing. The chapters flow seamlessly, propelling the reader deeper into the tangled mysteries that link past and present. While some moments rely on familiar tropes of occult thrillers, Staub’s execution is refined enough to keep them fresh and engaging. Her use of shifting perspectives and time jumps adds a compelling texture, reinforcing the novel’s themes of generational fate and the cyclical nature of fear.

For readers seeking a thriller that dips into the arcane without sacrificing psychological realism, "Toil & Trouble" delivers. Staub’s knack for suspense thrives here, and while the supernatural elements shimmer at the edges, it’s ultimately the human drama that resonates most. The novel may not rewrite the rulebook for occult thrillers, but it certainly stands as a polished, atmospheric entry in the genre.

A gripping blend of psychological suspense and witchcraft lore, infused with a haunting atmosphere and emotional depth.

I love this series. I've read all of them, plus the YA series that compliments them. They're fun, cozy mysteries that make you want to go visit Lily Dale and stay at the Valley View. The characters (and their animal friends) are all quirky and amusing, I look forward to each new book and I hope there are plenty more.

Bella has had a time. Her husband has died and she and her son, Max are now managing a guesthouse in Lily Dale. The place where all the psychics live. Or it seems like all of them live here.


Bella isn’t quite convinced however many strange things happen.
Now Pandora is back early and wanting to move into the house. Until she has a vision of trouble coming for Bella.


Ghosts, witches, this one has something for everyone. Are there ghosts? You’ll have to decide that one!


NetGalley/July 01, 2025 Severn House

Bella Jordan and her young son Max manage Valley View a Guest House in Lily Dale, New York.

Lily Dale is a community of spiritual mediums. Bella isn’t a medium, but she found it a good place to raise her son on her own. She is starting a relationship with a handsome veterinarian named Drew Bailey and life feels like it is getting better after her husband’s death.

The village has it’s share of quirky characters including some of the guests who don’t seem dangerous until one day they do.

When a woman from high school Jane Anderson, shows up accusing Bella of calling her pig face back in high school, Bella finds it difficult to explain that she would have remembered doing that. The woman behaves strangely. When she flirts with Drew, she makes Bella uncomfortable. She trusts Drew and the woman is only there for a couple of days, so she decides to ignore her.

Bella’s young son, Max, doesn’t like the woman because he knows his mother wouldn’t have made fun of her.

Jane seems familiar to Bella, but she doesn’t remember her from her past. So, Bella sends a message to a high school friend to see if she remembers her.

Bella is given a dire warning about a duck in a pool, a Danish, and something wicked. The woman repeated Something Wicked This Way Comes. Bella recognizes the quote from her and Max having seen MacBeth recently with her male friend Drew. She tells her friend that she will be careful but though her friend says she is a medium, Bella is a skeptic.

Max starts seeing witches. Bella blames that on the play as well. Max had crawled on her lap during the scene with the witches.

A storm knocks the power out one night and Bella wakes to the sound of someone downstairs. She goes down in the dark and finds the back door open. She has the feeling that someone in the dark is watching her. She locks back up and plans to check with Drew to ask if he forgot to lock up. Max finds mud prints on the stairs the next day.

When she finds odd things missing and someone destroys the screen on her laptop, she becomes more concerned. There is also a mother and young girl staying at a friend’s guest house. The mother calls for Max to have a play date but Max refuses. The little girl is a bully.

When Bella and Max become targets of danger, Bella uses all of her talents to figure out who the enemy is and stop them before she or Max become victims.

This isn’t a mystery with a body, but it did cause me anxiety for Bella and Max. They are vulnerable and someone is trying to hurt them. There are so many characters with secrets from the past. The quirky characters have abilities that make it a little more humorous and a little spooky. The friend who made the warning also remembers her past lives and shares little tidbits along the way. This was an interesting read. I would like to read more.

Thanks to both NetGalley and Severn House for giving me an advance readers copy for my honest review.

Bella manages a guesthouse in Lily Dale, a small village for spiritualists. Bella is not one, but was drawn here after the death of her husband and has found a welcoming home and friends for herself and her young son. The story begins with Bella receiving a warning of danger from a friend’s spirit guide. Shortly after, Jane checks in and seems odd. But there is also the new woman and her daughter staying with a friend, so which is the danger?
The story moves quickly and is a fun read. Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for the ARC.

There are some touches of paranormal throughout this book and I found it hard to finish. There was some romance sprinkled in it but overall not a book I found enjoyable.

A very fast moving book, art times i got a little lost on who was who but all in all it was a good book.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read "Toil and Trouble" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the seventh book in the Lily Dale Mystery series. Bella Jordan and her son Max have come to live in Lily Dale, New York after the death of her husband. Chance the cat had led them to the Valley View Guesthouse that is owned by Pandora Feeney a psychic who is predicting trouble is coming. Bella thinks it has more to do with the production of Macbeth being put on than any spirits talking to Pandora. Nadine the mischievous spirit also lives in the guesthouse and some new characters have come to town.

Ms. Staub always makes this series fun and interesting, full of rich character descriptions.