First in a new series, this paranormal mystery starts off okay hut drags a bit in the middle, but ends with a bang. Looking forward to the next book in this series and hopefully there will be more romance to spice things up. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Murder Leaves an Echo has a paranormal mystery setup I really liked. Mara Whitmore returns to Alderfield to run her family’s historic Vermont inn, but her ability to sense memories from objects pulls her into a murder almost immediately. The clever part is that her gift gives her fragments rather than answers, which means the mystery depends just as much on interpretation as intuition.

I read a lot of cozy mysteries, and I especially enjoy the ones where the supernatural element creates problems for the amateur sleuth instead of conveniently solving the case. Mara touches a folio left behind by the victim and gets a rush of sensations and a single word, then has to figure out what any of it actually means. I liked that she can be completely accurate about what she senses and still be wrong about the conclusion she draws from it.

The historic inn, small Vermont town, tuxedo cat, and slow-burn romantic thread all hit the cozy notes I expect, but the unreliable nature of Mara’s own assumptions gives this first Alderfield Witch mystery a little more tension. I would definitely read another case with her.

My sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance review copy.

I had to request this book because it fits into the genres I really like, and I’m glad to say it was. We are introduced to Mara, newly back in her hometown at her inherited inn. Soon, she’s embroiled in a murder of someone she had just done business with. I was immediately drawn into this book, and I quite enjoyed the way Mara methodically helped the police solve the murder. I enjoyed her interactions with Eli, and I wished we had gotten to know him better. The only thing that I wasn’t sure about was how the writing was almost a little too clinical and didn’t have much feeling, if that makes sense. However, I still enjoyed this enough to definitely want to read the next one. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Mara Whitmore has come home to Alderfield of her own accord, regardless of what the locals tell her or believe. The family inn called that it was her time, but Mara decided that it was time for her to return home and she is ready to take over the reins of the family business.

When a customer leaves a folio behind, Mara’s power of sensory perception gives her part of the woman’s day. Which becomes crucial as the woman was murdered that evening not long after their meeting at the Inn. Can Mara separate facts from personal feelings among her sensations and help the police find the killer, or will her turn to Alderfield be short lived if the killer thinks she is getting too close?

A good start to a new paranormal cozy series. I found the way a few of the characters speak a little odd until I got into the rhythm of it. I have family in Vermont, they do not speak like this so not sure where that came from, but the entry is solid and I look forward to more to come.

A first glance, this cosy paranormal murder mystery seems fairly stereotypical - a young women returns from the big city to a small town to run the family business & ends up helping solve a murder when her paranormal ability gives her a glimpse into an interaction the victim had, possibly with the murderer. Mara's ability is in sensing echoes - when she touches an object, she gets a very limited impression of what the object experienced, maybe hearing a word, sensing how the object was handled, maybe a scent, or other similar information. Specific in what is sensed, but not enough information to draw conclusions, only to raise a lot of questions. Where this novel differs from many other mysteries that I've read is an almost exclusive focus on the dialogue between characters. A great deal of attention is on the interactions between Mara and the potential suspects; nuance in word selection & hearing what is not said. Mara is not a detective, and doesn't really work very closely with the police officer assigned to the case, and clearly understands the limits on what she should be inquiring about; she simply provides very clear updates, as factual as possible. I found it enjoyable to read the conversations and how the information from these informed the investigation. Some readers might find this a very stark approach; the writing is almost clinical, with very little descriptive or emotional language filling the story. So while I enjoyed the puzzle of the whodunit, I wasn't very emotionally invested. I also found myself wishing for more emphasis on the paranormal aspect. This is the first book in the series, and I look forward to the next - and seeing how Mara and some of the other central characters evolve.

What a fun and satisfying mystery! Just when I thought I had figured everything out, another discovery made me reconsider my suspicions. I appreciated how the author carefully built the suspense while keeping the story lighthearted and entertaining. The characters were memorable, and their interactions added plenty of charm along the way. The final reveal brought the different pieces together nicely. I would happily recommend this kind of book to anyone who loves a good puzzle wrapped in a cozy atmosphere.

Mara Whitmore has returned to the small town of Alderfield to help run the family inn, Hawthorn House.  Mara has extra sensory abilities. She can gather different types of information from touching objects. Sometimes the information is in bits and pieces and sometimes it is quite unclear what the images mean. When a former guest of the inn is murdered, Mara picks up the victim's folio, an image comes to her and a message is delivered. Soon Mara will help solve the murder but in her own way, which may prove to be difficult at times.

I really liked the interaction between the characters. It was methodical but well delivered. I got all my clues and information from the characters' conversations. The hustle and bustle of Hawthorn House was entertaining to read and it gives you a glimpse at how life continues even when you are a gifted witch and there is a murder to be solved. A very unique way of delivering a murder mystery where the victim had too many people who didn't like her which gave us the reader a wide berth of suspects, which I always enjoy tremendously. A smart and informative mystery.
Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-OP for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

I'm not quite sure how to describe this book. I liked it, the characters, the setting, and the plot. However, the language was so sparse, I'm not sure why I liked it! There was a lot of dialogue, not a lot of description and very little background on the characters. I felt as if I had missed something or that I'd started with book 2 in the series. But still, there's something compellingly quirky about the story. I will definitely read the next one in the series.