The Strange Brew

Dora Hermansen runs a small town cafe with her husband. Life is ordinary, exactly how she wants it. Aside from sensing ghosts, that is.
Ignoring the dead had been working for her. But with a death in Deepwell, a town with secrets, she has to question. Is her PTSD flaring up again, or are the life challenged stirring?
Soon someone she cares for is in peril and, when all seems resolved, Dora might still be smack bang in the middle of a dangerous mystery.
Read in one sitting really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and The Long Hot Spell
I just reviewed The Strange Brew by M. N. Cox. #TheStrangeBrew #NetGalley

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖 𝔹𝕣𝕖𝕨
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Started: 7/31/22
Finished: 8/5/22
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pages: 288
Publication Date: Oct 24, 2022
Author: M.N. Cox
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Dora Hermansen just wants a normal life. She runs a coffee shop in Australia with her husband. Has a dog. Owns the apartment above the coffee shop.

Senses ghosts.

An event in her past has given her PTSD which allows her see and sense the dead. She tries to ignore them and lead a normal life. Until her past is drudged up once again, vaulting her into the supernatural whether she likes it or not.

A cozy supernatural thriller set in Australia, this book has everything I was looking for a more. Very compelling read and kept me interested all the way through!

Thank you @netgalley and The Long Hot Spell Publishing for this ARC.

this was a well done mystery novel, I was invested in what was going on and enjoyed the tense atmosphere going on. The plot was really well done and it had a great blend of mystery and scifi elements, I enjoyed what was going on in this book. The characters were what I wanted and I really enjoyed getting to know them. I hope there is more in this universe.

"Walking over to the open window, legs twitchy, I was determined to shut it—as though putting the window back into its default, closed position could put everything right. As I pulled on the old brass handhold, the frame ran roughly along the sashes. The movement felt jagged as it caught on the decade’s worth of paint that lined its inner grooves."

An excellent paranormal mystery - thriller … well written, well-paced and a wonderful story. Dora and Sayed run a small-town cafe and want a normal life, but Dora is a sensitive and has ghostly visions of dead people. Their lives are thrown into turmoil when danger comes visiting with the 'ghosts'. The novel has aspects of happiness, humour, sadness, secrets, and surprises that successfully bind the story together. There is also an overall feeling of healthy support in a small community. A very enjoyable novel worthy of five stars.

What a brilliant book! I don’t read that many paranormal mystery books like this but I think I might need to start! This book was amazing! Everything was so cleverly thought out and the plot twists were exceptional! The writing was so good and I was genuinely terrified so many times! I never saw what was coming next and it kept me gripped the whole way throughout. The epitome of the perfect paranormal, mystery, thriller. Absolutely loved it! Would highly recommend!

This book was very fast paced, gripping and we dive into action from the very beginning. There are quite a few questions the reader is left with after the first chapter, guessing whether they’re interconnected or not. The book, although a mystery, has a paranormal aspect to it, and adding the small town vibes (but in Australia) is a perfect autumn read.

The characters are not always lovable but definitely compelling. I liked that small town residents’ relationships were explored, but I found there were too many characters at times. However, they are all there for a reason. I enjoyed the plot twists too. Also, it deals with themes like trauma, abuse and PTSD. The writing style is readable but I have to say I needed to check a couple of Aussie expressions here.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Dora Hermansen and her husband Sayad, owned and ran The Brew, a local cafe beside their apartment. Dora was loving her life with Sayad after the trauma of her last relationship, and she was grateful Troy was now in jail. But after a local man died from a heart attack, Dora's ability to sense ghosts came to the fore and she realised the man needed her help. But worse was to come when she learned her previous partner was dead, murdered - the evil she was feeling, was that the local's death or something far worse?

The Strange Brew is the debut novel by Aussie author M.N. Cox and it was nothing like I've ever read before! I don't generally read horror, but I would class The Strange Brew as paranormal horror. It was intriguing, terrifying, fascinating and gut wrenching! I found myself gripped by the pages, while shuddering at what was happening. A great debut which would be perfect for a select group of readers. Recommended to fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley and the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.