Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Trouble Down Under #1

An Unforeseen Demise

Rate this book
When my Great Aunt Tabby passed away, it wasn’t just a shock. As a seer, she should have seen it coming.

Except she didn’t. So as the newly single and unemployed member of the Crowe family, it was up to me to head to Australia to see to her affairs. Partly to keep the magical family relics from falling into the wrong hands, and also to quiet the bad feeling working its way around my belly.

But trying to piece together the life of a woman who I only ever saw at Christmas was harder than I’d expected. And when I figured out there was mystery afoot, all of my aunt’s friends became suspects in my mind’s eye.

A world away from home, I’d need to figure out where my life was leading, and whether I’d let the future happen to me, or take control of my own fortunes. Oh, and solve the mystery of course!

If you enjoy paranormal cozy mysteries with a horticultural twist, Kat Crowe’s adventures in Trouble Down Under should be just the ticket.

Unknown Binding

First published June 22, 2021

74 people are currently reading
149 people want to read

About the author

P.A. Mason

32 books296 followers
Paula Mason is an author based in regional Victoria, Australia, and creator of Gretchen's (Mis)Adventures. She enjoys fantastical stories and faraway places as her creative outlet from her busy day job and (even busier) family.

By day Paula is a social worker and has a deep grounding in social justice and Child Protection. She works within her local Aboriginal community and is keenly interested in reconciliation and restorative justice.

To connect on social media you can find Paula over at the following platforms;

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pamasonauthor/

BookBub - bookbub.com/profile/p-a-mason

Amazon - amazon.com/author/pamason

www.pamasonauthor.com

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
120 (49%)
4 stars
88 (36%)
3 stars
30 (12%)
2 stars
4 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
Profile Image for Emily Wrayburn.
Author 5 books43 followers
July 5, 2021
Review originally posted on A Keyboard and an Open Mind July 5, 2021:

I have to admit that when I heard P. A. Mason was writing a series of witchy cozy mysteries set in Australia, I wasn’t actually expecting an American main character but I understand the choice. Mason’s audience is likely to be mostly Americans, or at least largely non-Australian, and an audience stand-in who can ask questions about kangaroos and our odd colloquialisms was probably necessary.

Kat Crowe is one of a family of witches who travels to Australia to take care of her Aunt Tabitha’s affairs after the older woman’s unexpected death. But Aunt Tabby’s death seems suspicious, not the least because as a seer, she should have seen it coming, and seemingly didn’t.

This book has all the elements you expect from a cozy mystery: small town, nosy neighbours, and residents who aren’t all they seem. I loved some of the witchy additions, like the “witchy web”, an app that connects the magical community but appears as a phony astrology app to non-magical people who stumble across it.

The solution to the mystery was somewhat bittersweet, but it more than answered the question of why no one knew about Aunt Tabby’s death before it happened.

I’m definitely looking forward to more of Kat’s adventures in future instalments!

This review is part of my 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge. Click here for more information.
Profile Image for Tari.
3,542 reviews100 followers
July 2, 2021
This was a fun trip to Australia seen as I would if I were to visit as an American, which I thought was kind of cool. Although all the magical stuff would be missing in real life lol. I thought their little magical community was kinda neat, and the spirit animal dog-like creature intrigued me. I need to read the missing scene I got when I signed up for the author newsletter at the end of the book. It sounds interesting!

Convinced that her aunt's death wasn't an accident, Kat set out to find the culprit and enlisted the help of a magical investigator. She found out a lot about her aunt's life that no one in the family really knew, since Aunt Tabby only visited once a year. There was a twist at the end when everything came into light. I think I'll definitely be borrowing the next book when it's out on KU as well!
1,692 reviews35 followers
September 5, 2022
This was a surprisingly fun story from a new to me author.
Kat Crow's Aunt Tabby dies unexpectedly, for a seer, that's practically unheard of.
Kat heads to Australia from the U.S. to gather up her belongings and settle her estate so she can get back home as quickly as possible.
The problem, all of her magical things have disappeared, and Kat needs to find the heirlooms before they wind up in the wrong hands.
She notifies the magical police in the area about the missing things as well as her unexpected death.
They learn that Aunt Tabby had been poisoned, and all traces of the sale had been erased.

There are developed characters, a good bit of humor, and a solid plotline.
Profile Image for Nadine.
1,900 reviews2 followers
June 25, 2021
4.5 stars!

A very promising start! I wish I could give half stars, because it’s more than 4, just shy of 5. Because I think it could still grow, I am not giving the full 5 stars, but I really enjoyed it. Very good. Fun. I liked Kat, I liked the tone of the book, I liked the story. Yes, this is one author I’ll be following!
Profile Image for Emmalynn.
2,913 reviews28 followers
June 29, 2024
Kat’s Aunt Tabby does and she’s suspicious of the circumstances. Leading the charge for investigators to reopen the case, she looks into whether her aunt was murdered or not and finds herself on a journey of self discovery with shocking results.
Profile Image for Saily Bhagwat.
27 reviews1 follower
October 4, 2021
"An Unforeseen Demise" takes you on an unprecedented trip from the United States to Australia. What might basically be a grieving woman's journey for answers turns about to be a travelogue, a sabbatical and a murder mystery all in one. With a sprinkle of magic, a healthy dose of family drama and a whole lot of sleuthing, the story is like a fantastical version of the Nancy Drew stories we grew up reading.
What I liked, in particular, was the vivid and detailed manner in which the author describes her home country of Australia (and some parts of the American south). It made me feel like I had been actually transported to those places and lived the MC's journey with her. The deference to native Australian culture was the cherry on the cake, making the spiritual journey complete.
As a long-term fan of P.A.Mason, I must say she never disappoints and hope she continues to delight readers with her work.
Profile Image for Emily Pennington.
20.6k reviews354 followers
June 24, 2021
Who Killed Aunt Tabby ? . . .

Kat Crowe is on her way to Australia to take care of her Great Aunt Tabby’s estate after her surprise death. As a seer, why hadn’t Aunt Tabby seen her own death coming? Kat is single and unemployed, so she was a good choice to send, tasked with keeping the magical family relics from falling into the wrong hands. Finding that her Aunt’s death may be a bit suspicious, Kat is ready to begin searching for clues. And along the way, she needs to figure what she’s going to do about her own future.

This is a cute cozy mystery with likable characters and a story line that flows well to keep the reader entertained while trying to figure out the solution to the mystery. Why would someone want to kill Aunt Tabby? What was the killer looking for? Grab your copy and find the answer!
58 reviews
June 28, 2021
Kat has moved back with her Midwestern family after a fiasco when she moved to California and tried to start a business involving some unapproved magical plants. She's not thrilled to be there, all the witches in her family can be real, witches, at times. Her Aunt Tabby in Australia died without the family knowing which didn't make sense, since Tabby was a seer and should have seen what was going to happen. Kat volunteers to get away from the family and go Down Under to bring Tabby and some family heirlooms back. While there, she deals with culture shock of the Aussie kind and tried to figure out if her aunt was murdered. There's a great group of characters here, family and especially the group in Australia. How the murder and missing property are solved is totally unexpected and perfectly fitting at the same time. Can't wait to read more of these.
900 reviews9 followers
August 27, 2021
This book finds Kat from America arriving in Australia because her great-aunt Tabby has died. She had several of the family’s witchy treasures & Kat has been sent to collect them. One snag, she has no idea where they could be. She hunts high & low. In her searches she sometimes thinks she sees movement of a large animal down by the river. One night she gets a big fright as the outside furniture is broken. She’s surprised as to why her great-aunt would grow things like Rosemary in a greenhouse & not outside. In her hunting she meets some people who can’t help find the missing objects, but, lead her to believe Tabby was poisoned! Why didn’t she see it coming as she was a Seer. I was so happy when I read that Kat was going to stay & keep the property as her great-aunt had left everything to her. A great read.
Profile Image for Michele.
1,852 reviews61 followers
October 25, 2022
Kat's Great Aunt who lived in Australia for many years died. Kat's Grandmother (her sister) could not understand why no one knew this was coming--her sister was a seer after all and was really good at seeing into the future. Plus there were family heirlooms of the witchy sort that had to be retrieved. Kat said she would go and bring back the family heirlooms. She would also try to discover why her Aunt died.

Trouble seemed to follow Kat from home to Australia. Things were happening to her that she was sure were not coincidences. She searched high and low but could not find those items. There was a large dog like creature that seemed to appear once in a while. Her Great Aunts neighbors tried to be helpful--well most of them anyway.

There are numerous twists and turns which will keep you intrigued and reading! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Profile Image for Penny.
3,043 reviews81 followers
June 22, 2021
I have a thing for cozy paranormals, and I am so glad another author introduced me to this author. I settled in for a good time with this book as I loved the prequel, and I had already had a glimpse of Kat. This time we are in Australia for Kat to settle her great aunt’s affairs after her death. In doing so, she finds clues that maybe her aunt’s death wasn’t natural. I had a great time getting to know Kat and her neighbors, Kat searching for her place in the world, and the search to find murder. Add to that, I didn’t see the end coming AT ALL. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series where I can’t wait to meet everyone again. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
6,026 reviews38 followers
July 4, 2021
Our heroine has to head to Australia to sort out her recently deceased aunt's affairs. But those affairs may be a bit more complicated than anticipated and will take more than a bit of magic to clear up.

This is book one of the series, so a fine place to start.

This is a cozy witch mystery story. The story is well written and easy to read with a some wonderful characters and a nicely developed setting (and I don't just mean Australia). I really liked our heroine as she has a great sense of humor and a nice approach to tackling the mystery. I enjoyed the opportunity to really sink my teeth into this one and am definitely looking forward to the next story..

Highly recommended

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.
1,491 reviews15 followers
July 7, 2021
You would imagine that one of the worst things of being a seer is that you would see and foretell your own death, but Kat's great aunt Tabitha did not appear to have done so. She did not divulge that to anyone, she did not appear to have done anything different, she did not go home or even inform her family of her possible demise. Therefore, death must have been a surprise, perhaps a murder, shrouded by magic so that she could not see it coming?

Clever and intriguing, with many read herrings, a good read, much enjoyed. Not so much of the family and the grumpy familiar, but many new and interesting characters to meet, and to form the basis of a good solid series. Very promising, looking forward to more adventures with Kat.
Profile Image for Cindy Cunningham.
Author 1 book21 followers
September 14, 2022
I enjoyed this read. I worried that the book's setting (Australia) might be its downfall, but it worked fine--nothing too embarrassing with attempted accents or anything like that.

The main character, Kat Crowe, was a believable character for the most part although her "witch powers" were very much hinted at but not really seen--I always like to see the witchy powers in action. :--)

I was glad that even though there was a mention of a recent break up (and possible hex,) that this was not a romance hiding under a cozy mystery.

The ending tied up rather quickly as these sorts of books are prone to do, but that didn't really bother me much.

It was an easy read, perfectly pleasant without many bumps along the way.
200 reviews4 followers
November 8, 2023
Unforseen Choices

The plot premise is the mystery of Kat's Great Aunt's unexpected death, yet as the plot evolves and plot twists unwind, the core of this tale is about unforeseen choices. It's an intriguing and satisfying story from first page to last. I sensed the truth about a few things, but for other things I had to wait until Kat found them out. Discovering the deeper purpose of Kat's Great Aunt's life and how it ended moved me deeply.

It is a great read, a very fine mystery, laced with interesting magic, and with some nicely original world building. It's a clean read. Oh, and then there's the people! I want to meet them and get to know them! I'm going after book 2 now...

Happy Reading!
378 reviews2 followers
June 24, 2021
To understand Kat's backstory you should read A Flytrap Fiasco.
I really enjoyed this book, it gave a new opening to new possibilities for our Kat, she is a "green witch". Her Aunt Tabitha has dies, she lived in Australia. Kat makes the journey to take care of the estate, retreive the family relics
they are magical. The Family wonders why didnt she foresee her own demise coming? Tabitha was a very talented witch. As Kat follows clues, tries to find tha family relics, find her will, the truth was very hard for her to accept. But will she step up and embrace her own destiny, so far away? I receive to ARC this is my honest review. You need to read this series. I think it will be a hit!
Profile Image for C Phillip.
Author 8 books28 followers
July 16, 2021
A foreseen ending to an unforeseen plot. Another enjoyable installment from Kat Crowe's witchy cozy mysteries. There's also a lot of foreshadowing that gives away the ending of the story. But the plot is unique albeit slow moving. Kay's entire family is disturbed by the mysterious passing of her grand aunt Tabitha. She decides to head off to Australia to bring back the body for the funeral plus track down the magical family relics. When she reaches the town, there are clues everywhere to suggest that Tabitha's death could be foul play. 5 stars only because I still love this author's writing style.
Profile Image for Helen Robare.
813 reviews4 followers
June 12, 2024
A good start to the series!

When her great aunt Tabby dies in Australia, Kat decides to travel to Australia and see why her Aunt died so unexpectedly. Since Kat is dealing with a broken heart, this trip may help her forget her troubles and heartbreak.

Once in Australia, Kat discovers that all the family heirlooms that her aunt owns is nowhere to be found. Kat is also what is known as a "green witch" which means she can magically grown and communicate with plants and trees. Unfortunately, Kat has also been hexed.

The plot is well-written and the characters are fleshed out as the book go on.

I think I will buy book 2. :)
5,978 reviews42 followers
June 23, 2021
Kat is on a sad errand to Australia to see to getting things organized after the death of her great aunt Tabitha

Many surprises in store, neighborly plotting and friendships, and involvement of the witchly powers that be

Strange spirits and plenty of surprises for an earth witch.

Looking forward to experiencing more of the world Kat finds herself exploring as she works to reshape herself and her sense of home after so much upheaval in California

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
154 reviews2 followers
June 27, 2021
Loving the earthy spin to the traditional witchy cozy! Still some growth needed in writing style for the author, but tons of potential. Well-paced, thoughtful plot, and decent characters. While I find the attitudes of a couple of the characters a bit irksome (at times they seem a bit juvenile), this is more of a nit-picky comment than one other readers should take to heart. Definitely a mystery that kept me turning the pages. I look forward to future books in the series!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Dee Carter.
25 reviews5 followers
November 11, 2021
Down Under mystery hopping good time

Great Aunt Tabby has died but what really happened? She could see the future and yet didn’t tell her family? This leads our heroine to Australia to pick up the family heirlooms (magical ones) and curiosity on what really happened.
I loved the characters and disliked the ones I should have lol. Kept me guessing until the end and can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.
Profile Image for Megan.
70 reviews3 followers
November 23, 2022
This is a really fun, well-paced cozy mystery. The main character, Kat, is likable and rational, and I like that magic is involved but doesn't overpower the story. I read this in two days, and it kept me guessing until the end. Loved the Australian setting with the bonus of some kangaroos, too.

This was my first read by this author, but it certainly won't be my last. Can't wait to read the rest of this series now. If you're looking for a fun mystery with witchy vibes, read this!
19 reviews
June 23, 2021
An Unforseen Demise

I quite enjoyed this book, it was quite an unusual type of story, but it carried the tale in an interesting way throughout. The plot was a very pleasant reading experience and held my interest through the complete book. I will be looking for the sequels to this one.
Profile Image for Heather W.
4,061 reviews35 followers
June 27, 2021
An Unforeseen Demise is the first full book in the Trouble Down Under series and is an entertaining cozy mystery. This is a fun book with witchy characters, family, friends, suspense, secrets, and intrigue. I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
Profile Image for Federica De dominicis.
355 reviews6 followers
August 25, 2021
Great beginning!

Loved the taste of Australian culture and visuals, the environmental angle and the aboriginal lore infused in the story. The secondary characters are interesting, but I've had few uncomfortable moments with the main heroine, at times childish and too naive. Still a very good read!
Profile Image for Veronica Strachan.
Author 5 books40 followers
December 30, 2021
Witchy happenings on the Murray

Gorgeous witchy cozy mystery as Kat arrives in Aus from America. The author has perfectly blended the Aussie environment, customs, and lingo with respect for our Traditional Custodians, magic and supernatural elements. And there's more of the magical community to share the sleuthing.
This is a fun frolic. A great read.
Profile Image for Taliesin Govannon.
135 reviews3 followers
September 10, 2022
I was entranced!

There is everything to love about this story! the characters are fully realized and a joy to spend time with, the world building is first rate, and the pacing was impeccable! Some stories are a slog to get through, but this one was done far too soon.

I can't wait to read the next installment!

Five stars!
Profile Image for Renee Arthur.
431 reviews4 followers
September 17, 2022
Looking forward to more!

I really enjoyed this book from grouchy Grandma all the way through Aunt Tabitha. It had a really good plot and most of the setting was in Australia. Naturally there was sadness, it is a cozy mystery after all, but there were LOL moments. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.
Profile Image for Holly Stone.
876 reviews2 followers
March 22, 2024
this is a cute cozy mystery Kat Crowe comes to Australia to pack up her great Aunt Tabitha's house after her death....when she can't find the magical items Aunt Tabby had she begins to think Tabby has been murdered....a full blown inquiry ensues....and things are not as they seem but as Tabby was a seer would she not have seen someone who was going to murder her???? maybe not......
Profile Image for Cali Jewel.
5,239 reviews39 followers
June 27, 2021
Really enjoyed this laugh out loud highly entertaining adventure. Action packed, emotionally thrilling and funny journey filled with witty and engaging charters, heart racing twists and emotional moments. Great reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.