Book Review for Henbane and Halibut by E.R and Cass Blackwell

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.

Henbane and Halibut, by E.R and Cass Blackwell, is a cozy mystery about a woman who tries to save her mother after a murder grips her entire community. The book introduces Wyllow, a book illustrator who lives in the small, magical town of Seaglass Cove. One day, while out and about, she stumbles across a body, and soon, all eyes are on her mothert. Wyllow begins her own investigation to prove her mother’s innocence, only to find that not everything is as it seems.

I’ll admit, Seaglass Cove is somewhere I picture myself to live. There’s a lot of fun, whimsical names I couldn’t help but laugh at. This was certainly a book I could curl up next to near the fireplace (I just moved. I have that now) with old herbs and candles scattered around me. The mystery was fun to solve. Moreover, I especially enjoyed the crafter storyline. I do wish we could get more out of it, especially since it sounds like a precious, encouraging source of magic I’d be more than happy to learn any day.  

Needless to say, there were times when it got a little trying, especially since this was less murder mystery than Disney plotline. Moreover, while I do enjoy the character Wyllow (awesome spelling by the way), she felt more like a caricature than a character I could relate to. It’s similar with all the characters. It doesn’t help that all the characters in the book are living lives that all introverts (myself included) probably want. The final reveal was a bit of a let down; it seemed lazy to just introduce a new suspect even though the Blackwells already had a list of suspects in the first chapter. Nonetheless, it made for an okay twist, even if it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Because of this, I would give this book a rating of a 3 out of 5 stars.