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Casino Witch Mysteries #1
Of Murders and Mages
Three ways that Ella's life is totally messed up:
__ her new coworker is as cranky as he is attractive
__ a mischievous cat has decided she needs a familiar
__ she just found out she's a witch who can read the emotional hologram of a magical death (and isn't that a mouthful)
And oh yeah, there's five dead bodies, and no one knows how they are connected. Now she’s drawn into a madcap investigation at the casino where she's managed to snag a job. She must navigate learning her new mage abilities, a topless burlesque show, a jealous girlfriend, gamblers of all varieties, and magical chocolate cake, all while not setting herself or others on fire before the murderer makes her the next victim.
A humorous adventure!
__ her new coworker is as cranky as he is attractive
__ a mischievous cat has decided she needs a familiar
__ she just found out she's a witch who can read the emotional hologram of a magical death (and isn't that a mouthful)
And oh yeah, there's five dead bodies, and no one knows how they are connected. Now she’s drawn into a madcap investigation at the casino where she's managed to snag a job. She must navigate learning her new mage abilities, a topless burlesque show, a jealous girlfriend, gamblers of all varieties, and magical chocolate cake, all while not setting herself or others on fire before the murderer makes her the next victim.
A humorous adventure!
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 17, 2017
788 people are currently reading
1399 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Haverstock
48 books210 followersNikki Haverstock is a writer who lives on a cattle ranch high in the Rocky Mountains. She has studied comedy writing at Second City and has published 6 cozy mysteries that are heavy on the humor.
Before fleeing the city, she hosted a competitive archery reality show, traveled the world to study volcanoes, taught archery and computer science at a university and now works on her family’s ranch herding cattle. Nikki has more college degrees than she has sense and hopefully one day she will put one to work.
Nikki likes to write comedy pieces that focus on the everyday humor of one-uppers, annoying family members and strange behavior of the ultra-rich. She tried stand up but the cattle weren’t impressed.
Before fleeing the city, she hosted a competitive archery reality show, traveled the world to study volcanoes, taught archery and computer science at a university and now works on her family’s ranch herding cattle. Nikki has more college degrees than she has sense and hopefully one day she will put one to work.
Nikki likes to write comedy pieces that focus on the everyday humor of one-uppers, annoying family members and strange behavior of the ultra-rich. She tried stand up but the cattle weren’t impressed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
June 5, 2023
Ella's new job at the Casino in Rambler, Nevada, was to audit the books. She was also trying to cope with her father's death and learning things about him she had no idea about. The day Ella learned she was a mage, when a large black cat named Patagonia bit her, was the day her life as she'd known it, changed forever.
The Casino had seen five deaths over recent months, all deemed either accidental or suicide. But the owners - all magical - knew that wasn't the case, that likely it was murder. They also knew that soon, another would occur unless they could discover who was doing the deed. Was it magic? Was it linked to the Casino? Was it an outsider, or someone who worked in the Casino? Ella, with the new ability she had no idea how to control, seemed to be the only one who could sense what was coming...
Of Murders & Mages is the 1st in the Casino Witch Mysteries by Nikki Havestock and I really enjoyed it. Entertaining, mystical and fun, I'll check out #2 in the series soon. Recommended.
The Casino had seen five deaths over recent months, all deemed either accidental or suicide. But the owners - all magical - knew that wasn't the case, that likely it was murder. They also knew that soon, another would occur unless they could discover who was doing the deed. Was it magic? Was it linked to the Casino? Was it an outsider, or someone who worked in the Casino? Ella, with the new ability she had no idea how to control, seemed to be the only one who could sense what was coming...
Of Murders & Mages is the 1st in the Casino Witch Mysteries by Nikki Havestock and I really enjoyed it. Entertaining, mystical and fun, I'll check out #2 in the series soon. Recommended.
February 7, 2021
3.5 stars Fun witchy cosy crime. Super annoyed that none of them gave her anything but the most minimal info possible about her new powers or the magic world then expected her to help them and got annoyed if she did something wrong or didn't know something. That. Drives. Me. Batty. Oh and i assume Vin is going to be the love interest at some point which is disappointing cause he is a jerk.
January 7, 2020
Ms. Haverstock has written an enjoyable and magical cozy mystery. I liked Ella immediately and the other characters are quirky and were growing on me by the end of the book. I'm looking forward to the next one in this series.
September 20, 2023
This was a good first book but soon into the 2nd book we find out that Ella is a 40 year old virgin. Unbelievable. She's matched with a hero that kisses and gropes another woman in front of her. I'm out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2025
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July 21, 2021
I know this is supposed to be humorous but no, it's really not (or it's not my humor or something). Ella is in Rambler Nevada working for a casino and tying up her late father's affairs only to find out that her father never told anyone he had a daughter (a son yes but I've already forgotten what happened to him) so there is this weird distrust until you realize that Rambler is the Reno for mages.
Ella is a mage and doesn't know it until Patagonia, a large cat, bites her, her arm streaks purple and three people start talking what seems like nonsense about binding her. Ella doesn't seem too concerned about any of this just confused. And she's constantly thrown together with Vin a surly security guard and his sister who is much friendlier.
They and the others are supposed to be training her in the ways of magic, not that they really do much and again Ella takes this a bit too much in stride. However she's the first to realize that a string of deaths are not as accidental as they seem so she and Vin start investigating.
Typical of 'funny' stories about women Ella falls down a lot (can someone please tell me how this is funny? I see it so often. prat falls are not funny). She and Vin naturally rub each other the wrong way (the typical romance drama, let me be attracted to this guy who is a total jerk though they are not a couple yet, leave that for the next book in the series I suppose).
The mystery was entertaining enough but there isn't much in the way of world building for the magic. It just seems random to fit whatever they need though there are specialized fields. Ella is of course super good at it without trying hard, another trope in the paranormal I could do without. I could also live without Vin's crazy jealous girlfriend.
It's an interesting concept but I'm not sure I'm going to read more of this. It would be a library read for me (or another freebie which this was)
Ella is a mage and doesn't know it until Patagonia, a large cat, bites her, her arm streaks purple and three people start talking what seems like nonsense about binding her. Ella doesn't seem too concerned about any of this just confused. And she's constantly thrown together with Vin a surly security guard and his sister who is much friendlier.
They and the others are supposed to be training her in the ways of magic, not that they really do much and again Ella takes this a bit too much in stride. However she's the first to realize that a string of deaths are not as accidental as they seem so she and Vin start investigating.
Typical of 'funny' stories about women Ella falls down a lot (can someone please tell me how this is funny? I see it so often. prat falls are not funny). She and Vin naturally rub each other the wrong way (the typical romance drama, let me be attracted to this guy who is a total jerk though they are not a couple yet, leave that for the next book in the series I suppose).
The mystery was entertaining enough but there isn't much in the way of world building for the magic. It just seems random to fit whatever they need though there are specialized fields. Ella is of course super good at it without trying hard, another trope in the paranormal I could do without. I could also live without Vin's crazy jealous girlfriend.
It's an interesting concept but I'm not sure I'm going to read more of this. It would be a library read for me (or another freebie which this was)
August 14, 2018
This was a quick, enjoyable, fun read.
January 25, 2019
I've never read a story like this before...a magical murder mystery. It was a fun read. Its usually difficult for me to get into a story. Not so with Of Murders and Mages. The book piqued my interest right away and I was drawn in to the characters and their banter. I found the author's use of humor and magic as a natural ability, illustrating its effects on the characters, highly entertaining.
Content warning: Of Murders and Mages is not for kids. If this were a movie it would definitely be rated R for nudity and adult material. But other than one scene (not a sex scene) it was relatively mild.
If you're not offended by magic, nudity, and a bit of adult humor ... and if you'd like to curl up at the end of the day with something light, fun, and doesn't require much brain power, curl up with Of Murders and Mages.
Content warning: Of Murders and Mages is not for kids. If this were a movie it would definitely be rated R for nudity and adult material. But other than one scene (not a sex scene) it was relatively mild.
If you're not offended by magic, nudity, and a bit of adult humor ... and if you'd like to curl up at the end of the day with something light, fun, and doesn't require much brain power, curl up with Of Murders and Mages.
February 5, 2019
I gave this book a 4star because it had me turning the pages and I feel in love with the head character. I recommend this book for any one who is looking for new series.
August 5, 2019
Full disclosure: the author is a personal acquaintance, which is why I purchased a paperback copy of this novel to read and review.
*****
Published in 2017, the genre-bending adult fantasy/cozy mystery novel, "Of Murders and Mages," by Nikki Haverstock, is the third indie/self-published book I have read in 2019. All three indie titles have left me scratching my head, wondering what, exactly, I have just read. "Of Murders and Mages" left me the most puzzled.
To begin, Chapter One is told as if it is a dream sequence from the main character's point of view. I read more than one hundred pages before I realized (independent of the first-person prose) that Chapter One is the only place in the novel that is not told from the protagonist's point of view, but from that of a dead woman named Ethel. Furthermore, only the reader has access to the information in Chapter One; the main character is entirely unaware of the contents of the opening pages, even though Chapter Two begins with the main character waking up from "exhausting and disturbing dreams" (page 3), leading the reader to assume that Chapter One was one of those dreams.
The name "Ethel" is also very close to the main character's first name -- "Ella" -- a name that the reader is not given until page 9. Even though the rest of this novel is told from Ella's first person point of view (Chapters 2-20), she is addressed as "Miss Ramono" throughout Chapter Two. By the time I started reading Chapter Three, and finally learned that Miss Ramono's first name is "Ella," I did not go back to reread the confusing dream sequence of Chapter One. I thought it would be explained later in the text, and I definitely conflated the single mention of "Ethel" on page one with the name "Ella" introduced on page nine. I thought these women were the same person, which is why I assumed the text would explain the existence and meaning of Chapter One.
But Ella never explains why Chapter One exists in this book. The reader is left to link that information together on their own, and it took me over one hundred pages to realize that Ethel -- and Ethel alone -- had been narrating the opening scene -- which turns out not to be a dream sequence at all, but a scene from Ethel's real life. I thought Chapter One had been a dream sequence from Ella's sleeping mind, but it was really a complete POV shift that only seemed to serve one purpose: to make Chapter Two even more confusing and discombobulated to read.
"Of Murders and Mages" is set in the present-day, modern world of the fictional town of Rambler, Nevada, and while I expected to be reading about realistic human beings, no one in this book ever speaks or behaves like a real person. The dialogue and actions of every character swings between melodrama and the most childish, extreme histrionics, to the point that I actually thought I was reading a story about aliens, robots, or people possessed by demons. I had to keep reminding myself that this novel was an adult contemporary book, not dystopian science fiction.
In Chapter Two, Ella is at her new office job when she wakes up from a nap at her desk, is weirdly accosted by an extremely threatening man, and is then viciously bitten by a cat whose bite seems to send an immediate and horrible infection all through her body. None of the office staff ever gets a first aid kit, or suggests that she see a doctor, and Ella herself accepts being bitten as if nothing is out of the ordinary. She soon follows the angry, scary man to another office room, where she sits through a business meeting as if nothing is wrong. After the meeting, another worker puts the cat who bit Ella on a body-leash and tells Ella that the cat is hers to take home. Ella takes the cat home without question, along with numerous boxes of cat supplies that have been given to her by the office staff.
I cannot imagine letting someone's animal bite me like that on a job site, not bothering to seek any medical treatment, then being told I am the new owner of the animal that bit me, and being told to take "a new pet" home from work, without voicing one word of objection. Yet Ella does all of this and more, with a mindset that reads like she is really age two, not twenty-something. Throughout this book, Ella stomps her feet like a child, throws tantrums, and is frequently knocked onto the ground so that her shirt can pop open and show off her cleavage, especially whenever the angry, scary man at the office is around. That man turns out to be Ella's romantic love interest.
He is also a mage, and Ella soon becomes a mage in training. Her new employers at the office are the mages who take her on as a witch in training. But rather than spending time teaching Ella about magic, her new bosses simply demand that she solve a murder case at their casino, rather than immersing her in lessons about her new powers.
As both a student of magic and a reluctant crime detective, Ella is infantilized and constantly pornified in this book. For a large section of the second half of the book, Ella is forced to be a waitress in a low-cut top and shiny gold panties, and people repeatedly knock her onto all fours in her skimpy outfit. The elements of modern pornography are extremely high in this novel. The sexualized violence and constant sexual humiliation Ella blithely suffers in this book were incredibly off-putting and upsetting to me.
This book is advertised as "a humorous adventure," but I never found myself laughing, or even cracking a smile. I spent the first half of the book struggling to make sense of what I was reading, feeling like I'd landed on Planet Crazy. By the second half of the book, I finally had my bearings, but Ella's long stint waiting tables in gold panties was the opposite of the "magic detective work" I thought I would be reading about.
This isn't a mystery novel that invites the reader to put together clues to solve the puzzle along with the main character. This is a book that jumps from one zany situation to the next, and waits until after the high-action climax, during the calm period of resolution, to finally explain the facts of the case, and why everything in the book happened the way it did.
I've read Janet Evanovich's "One for the Money," (published in 1994), and while I wasn't a fan of the book overall, I certainly understand the appeal of the main character, Stephanie Plum, and her madcap adventures to solve mysteries and find love. I don't remember Stephanie Plum being so debased and pornified as Ella Ramono is in "Of Murders and Mages," but I would guess that Ella Ramono is meant to be an appealing heroine to fans of Stephanie Plum.
If you enjoy watching pornography and reading cozy mysteries, and if you like the thought of combining a character like Stephanie Plum with the pornographic imaginary, then you might enjoy reading "Of Murders and Mages" much more than I did. I admit that I am certainly not the right audience for a novel like this. I was raped as a small child and take no pleasure in pornography, and I've never had a desire to read more than one book by Janet Evanovich.
I'm giving this book five stars because I believe I am not the right audience for this book, and I am unable to tell if this book is well-executed for a market that I am not a part of and fully admit that I do not understand. I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy pornography, zany cozy mysteries, and books like "One for the Money."
"Of Murders and Mages" is a short novel, and it has been professionally proofread. It is the first book in a series. I love the covers.
*****
Published in 2017, the genre-bending adult fantasy/cozy mystery novel, "Of Murders and Mages," by Nikki Haverstock, is the third indie/self-published book I have read in 2019. All three indie titles have left me scratching my head, wondering what, exactly, I have just read. "Of Murders and Mages" left me the most puzzled.
To begin, Chapter One is told as if it is a dream sequence from the main character's point of view. I read more than one hundred pages before I realized (independent of the first-person prose) that Chapter One is the only place in the novel that is not told from the protagonist's point of view, but from that of a dead woman named Ethel. Furthermore, only the reader has access to the information in Chapter One; the main character is entirely unaware of the contents of the opening pages, even though Chapter Two begins with the main character waking up from "exhausting and disturbing dreams" (page 3), leading the reader to assume that Chapter One was one of those dreams.
The name "Ethel" is also very close to the main character's first name -- "Ella" -- a name that the reader is not given until page 9. Even though the rest of this novel is told from Ella's first person point of view (Chapters 2-20), she is addressed as "Miss Ramono" throughout Chapter Two. By the time I started reading Chapter Three, and finally learned that Miss Ramono's first name is "Ella," I did not go back to reread the confusing dream sequence of Chapter One. I thought it would be explained later in the text, and I definitely conflated the single mention of "Ethel" on page one with the name "Ella" introduced on page nine. I thought these women were the same person, which is why I assumed the text would explain the existence and meaning of Chapter One.
But Ella never explains why Chapter One exists in this book. The reader is left to link that information together on their own, and it took me over one hundred pages to realize that Ethel -- and Ethel alone -- had been narrating the opening scene -- which turns out not to be a dream sequence at all, but a scene from Ethel's real life. I thought Chapter One had been a dream sequence from Ella's sleeping mind, but it was really a complete POV shift that only seemed to serve one purpose: to make Chapter Two even more confusing and discombobulated to read.
"Of Murders and Mages" is set in the present-day, modern world of the fictional town of Rambler, Nevada, and while I expected to be reading about realistic human beings, no one in this book ever speaks or behaves like a real person. The dialogue and actions of every character swings between melodrama and the most childish, extreme histrionics, to the point that I actually thought I was reading a story about aliens, robots, or people possessed by demons. I had to keep reminding myself that this novel was an adult contemporary book, not dystopian science fiction.
In Chapter Two, Ella is at her new office job when she wakes up from a nap at her desk, is weirdly accosted by an extremely threatening man, and is then viciously bitten by a cat whose bite seems to send an immediate and horrible infection all through her body. None of the office staff ever gets a first aid kit, or suggests that she see a doctor, and Ella herself accepts being bitten as if nothing is out of the ordinary. She soon follows the angry, scary man to another office room, where she sits through a business meeting as if nothing is wrong. After the meeting, another worker puts the cat who bit Ella on a body-leash and tells Ella that the cat is hers to take home. Ella takes the cat home without question, along with numerous boxes of cat supplies that have been given to her by the office staff.
I cannot imagine letting someone's animal bite me like that on a job site, not bothering to seek any medical treatment, then being told I am the new owner of the animal that bit me, and being told to take "a new pet" home from work, without voicing one word of objection. Yet Ella does all of this and more, with a mindset that reads like she is really age two, not twenty-something. Throughout this book, Ella stomps her feet like a child, throws tantrums, and is frequently knocked onto the ground so that her shirt can pop open and show off her cleavage, especially whenever the angry, scary man at the office is around. That man turns out to be Ella's romantic love interest.
He is also a mage, and Ella soon becomes a mage in training. Her new employers at the office are the mages who take her on as a witch in training. But rather than spending time teaching Ella about magic, her new bosses simply demand that she solve a murder case at their casino, rather than immersing her in lessons about her new powers.
As both a student of magic and a reluctant crime detective, Ella is infantilized and constantly pornified in this book. For a large section of the second half of the book, Ella is forced to be a waitress in a low-cut top and shiny gold panties, and people repeatedly knock her onto all fours in her skimpy outfit. The elements of modern pornography are extremely high in this novel. The sexualized violence and constant sexual humiliation Ella blithely suffers in this book were incredibly off-putting and upsetting to me.
This book is advertised as "a humorous adventure," but I never found myself laughing, or even cracking a smile. I spent the first half of the book struggling to make sense of what I was reading, feeling like I'd landed on Planet Crazy. By the second half of the book, I finally had my bearings, but Ella's long stint waiting tables in gold panties was the opposite of the "magic detective work" I thought I would be reading about.
This isn't a mystery novel that invites the reader to put together clues to solve the puzzle along with the main character. This is a book that jumps from one zany situation to the next, and waits until after the high-action climax, during the calm period of resolution, to finally explain the facts of the case, and why everything in the book happened the way it did.
I've read Janet Evanovich's "One for the Money," (published in 1994), and while I wasn't a fan of the book overall, I certainly understand the appeal of the main character, Stephanie Plum, and her madcap adventures to solve mysteries and find love. I don't remember Stephanie Plum being so debased and pornified as Ella Ramono is in "Of Murders and Mages," but I would guess that Ella Ramono is meant to be an appealing heroine to fans of Stephanie Plum.
If you enjoy watching pornography and reading cozy mysteries, and if you like the thought of combining a character like Stephanie Plum with the pornographic imaginary, then you might enjoy reading "Of Murders and Mages" much more than I did. I admit that I am certainly not the right audience for a novel like this. I was raped as a small child and take no pleasure in pornography, and I've never had a desire to read more than one book by Janet Evanovich.
I'm giving this book five stars because I believe I am not the right audience for this book, and I am unable to tell if this book is well-executed for a market that I am not a part of and fully admit that I do not understand. I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy pornography, zany cozy mysteries, and books like "One for the Money."
"Of Murders and Mages" is a short novel, and it has been professionally proofread. It is the first book in a series. I love the covers.
February 17, 2023
Warning: Crude and detailed descriptions of topless entertainment, innuendo, etc., magically induced groping and molestation, jealousy caused assault (no consequences), making this a very Un-Cozy mystery.
Review:
Ella recently moved to the casino town of Rambler, Nevada. She received word that her father had died, and was in mourning while doing some business auditing for a casino near where he had lived.
When the audit was nearly finished, she was on her way to the owner's office when the office black cat bit her hand. Dark streaks immediately ran up her arm, and through the pain and panic--as she begged for medical attention--there were smiles and exclamations about how exciting it was! These people were both crazy and letting her die!
She wouldn't be the only death in or near the casino. Eerie and "accidental" events were taking lives. As they stacked up, the administration was seriously concerned and suspicious. Was there a very clever killer? How were victims chosen?
It will take unusual talents and witchcraft (no hocus pocus) to make sense of the clues and solve the crimes. But who can they hire for the job?
Despite the interesting story, I was very unhappy with the crude and detailed descriptions of topless entertainment etc., having nothing to do do with the plot; making this a very Un-Cozy mystery.
I'm very disappointed in Nikki Haverstock. I have enjoyed some of her other series without this type of content. I suggest avoiding the Casino Witch mystery series completely.
2/5 *Crude content, innuendo. Head of security attacks patron, fails to debrief witnesses. Sloppy details.
#OfMurdersandMages
#NikkiHaverstock #NikkiHaverstockAuth
#OfMurdersandMagesCasinoWitchMysteriesBook1
#CasinoWitchMysteriesBook1of7
#CrudeInnuendo
#CrudeDescriptionsNudeEntertainment
#CrudeDescriptions
#FemaleCasinoEmployee
#MagicalWitchcraftFamiliarsCats
#FemaleSleuth
#AdultMysteryNotCozyMystery
#NonCozyMysteryFalseAdvertising
#WitchandWizardMysteries
#NonCozyAnimalMystery
#NonCozyAnimalMysteries
Review:
Ella recently moved to the casino town of Rambler, Nevada. She received word that her father had died, and was in mourning while doing some business auditing for a casino near where he had lived.
When the audit was nearly finished, she was on her way to the owner's office when the office black cat bit her hand. Dark streaks immediately ran up her arm, and through the pain and panic--as she begged for medical attention--there were smiles and exclamations about how exciting it was! These people were both crazy and letting her die!
She wouldn't be the only death in or near the casino. Eerie and "accidental" events were taking lives. As they stacked up, the administration was seriously concerned and suspicious. Was there a very clever killer? How were victims chosen?
It will take unusual talents and witchcraft (no hocus pocus) to make sense of the clues and solve the crimes. But who can they hire for the job?
Despite the interesting story, I was very unhappy with the crude and detailed descriptions of topless entertainment etc., having nothing to do do with the plot; making this a very Un-Cozy mystery.
I'm very disappointed in Nikki Haverstock. I have enjoyed some of her other series without this type of content. I suggest avoiding the Casino Witch mystery series completely.
2/5 *Crude content, innuendo. Head of security attacks patron, fails to debrief witnesses. Sloppy details.
#OfMurdersandMages
#NikkiHaverstock #NikkiHaverstockAuth
#OfMurdersandMagesCasinoWitchMysteriesBook1
#CasinoWitchMysteriesBook1of7
#CrudeInnuendo
#CrudeDescriptionsNudeEntertainment
#CrudeDescriptions
#FemaleCasinoEmployee
#MagicalWitchcraftFamiliarsCats
#FemaleSleuth
#AdultMysteryNotCozyMystery
#NonCozyMysteryFalseAdvertising
#WitchandWizardMysteries
#NonCozyAnimalMystery
#NonCozyAnimalMysteries
August 21, 2017
Of Murders & Mages by Nikki Haverstock
Casino Witch Mysteries #1
Magic, murder, mages and more in this cozy murder mystery by Nikki Haverstock!
The blurb for the book says it all so won’t go into the details but will say that in her new job Ella has a LOT to learn about her new skill set, has murders to solve and friends to make (feline and human) as she finds her way and learns more about her father and those working with her in the casino. I look forward to reading book two to find out just what Bear and Badger have to share with her, how Auntie Ann will assist her in honing her magical skills and wouldn’t mind finding out if Vin will play a significant part in her life as they get to know one another better.
Great beginning to a new series and just what I needed to read last night. Thank you to the author for the ARC – this is my honest review.
4 Stars
Casino Witch Mysteries #1
Magic, murder, mages and more in this cozy murder mystery by Nikki Haverstock!
The blurb for the book says it all so won’t go into the details but will say that in her new job Ella has a LOT to learn about her new skill set, has murders to solve and friends to make (feline and human) as she finds her way and learns more about her father and those working with her in the casino. I look forward to reading book two to find out just what Bear and Badger have to share with her, how Auntie Ann will assist her in honing her magical skills and wouldn’t mind finding out if Vin will play a significant part in her life as they get to know one another better.
Great beginning to a new series and just what I needed to read last night. Thank you to the author for the ARC – this is my honest review.
4 Stars
May 24, 2025
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August 2, 2019
What a terrible book. The magic was so overexaggerated it was downright ridiculous. No explanations were given - i.e. she was supposed to die in the elevator. How? Was the oxygen going to be pumped out, poison gas pumped in - nothing. So, how was it supposed to kill her?
And that cat, Patagonia, and her claws. I have a lovely cat and he does not dig his claws into my thighs, arms, legs, etc. Who is going to put up with that. Most certainly not I.
Everything was so convoluted that it took much effort to stay on track and quite truthfully, it was not worth the effort.
This may be the first in this series, but it is most definitely the last for me.
And that cat, Patagonia, and her claws. I have a lovely cat and he does not dig his claws into my thighs, arms, legs, etc. Who is going to put up with that. Most certainly not I.
Everything was so convoluted that it took much effort to stay on track and quite truthfully, it was not worth the effort.
This may be the first in this series, but it is most definitely the last for me.
March 30, 2022
Pretty good
I liked the mystery. I liked the magical system well enough, tho it didn't thrill me--it wasn't something I'd daydream myself into . I liked each character, esp the FMC, except...didn't care for the MMC at all. Rather stupid, very self serving, and abrasive plus evasive for no discernible reason, he was textbook douche nozzle. I have this horrible feeling that this series will wind up Enemies To Lovers, and I seriously want to smack the back of the FMC's head to knock some sense into her.
Which is why the 3stars. Want to get bk 2 'cause I'd like to see more clues as to who killed her dad, but ug. No more douche nozzle!
I liked the mystery. I liked the magical system well enough, tho it didn't thrill me--it wasn't something I'd daydream myself into . I liked each character, esp the FMC, except...didn't care for the MMC at all. Rather stupid, very self serving, and abrasive plus evasive for no discernible reason, he was textbook douche nozzle. I have this horrible feeling that this series will wind up Enemies To Lovers, and I seriously want to smack the back of the FMC's head to knock some sense into her.
Which is why the 3stars. Want to get bk 2 'cause I'd like to see more clues as to who killed her dad, but ug. No more douche nozzle!
September 7, 2021
Fun, but..
I gave it 4 stars because it really was a fun read, but I can't tell you how angry I got and how many times I almost didn't finish it. I hated Olivia, was ridiculously frustrated by the Aunt, and barely tolerated Vin. I feel like Ella was just a tool for everyone to be used. No one treated her with any kind of respect and barely "nicely". They were so concerned about their own stuff that they didn't help her learn anything, harassed her about it, and kept her in the dark at all times. Ugh!
If you can get thru all that BS, you'll find a cute magical mystery
I gave it 4 stars because it really was a fun read, but I can't tell you how angry I got and how many times I almost didn't finish it. I hated Olivia, was ridiculously frustrated by the Aunt, and barely tolerated Vin. I feel like Ella was just a tool for everyone to be used. No one treated her with any kind of respect and barely "nicely". They were so concerned about their own stuff that they didn't help her learn anything, harassed her about it, and kept her in the dark at all times. Ugh!
If you can get thru all that BS, you'll find a cute magical mystery
December 22, 2023
Laugh out loud paranormal cozy mystery
I loved Of Murders and Mages even though I'm not generally keen on paranormal cozy mysteries. I just find this author's humor just right. Reading the bio of Nikki Haverstock resonated with me partly because I was raised in Colorado and have lots of academic degrees (see the author's bio below).
This book is number one in the Casino witches series where Ella has been hired as a forensic accountant by the head of a casino in Rambler Nevada, a town that turns out to be a haven for magical people who have been banned by Las Vegas for oviois reasons. Ella does not realize she has any kind of magical powers but learned during the course of the story that she has inherited her some magical abilities from her late father. Once she was hired she learned that there have been several unusual deaths in the magic community. How Ella is able to assist the casino family in solving the deaths, that all turned out to be murders of course, is a great story, and I couldn't stop laughing for most of the book even though it had some spine tingling/nail biting scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat.
Her is the author's bio:
"Nikki Haverstock is a writer who lives on a cattle ranch high in the Rocky Mountains. She has studied comedy writing at Second City and has published 9 cozy mysteries that are heavy on the humor. Before fleeing the city, she hosted a competitive archery reality show, traveled the world to study volcanoes, taught archery and computer science at a university and now works on her family’s ranch herding cattle. Nikki has more college degrees than she has sense and hopefully one day she will put one to work. Nikki likes to write comedy pieces that focus on the everyday humor of one-uppers, annoying family members and strange behavior of the ultra-rich. She tried stand up but the cattle weren’t impressed."
I laughed out loud just reading that! And I look forward to reading many more mysteries by this author.
I loved Of Murders and Mages even though I'm not generally keen on paranormal cozy mysteries. I just find this author's humor just right. Reading the bio of Nikki Haverstock resonated with me partly because I was raised in Colorado and have lots of academic degrees (see the author's bio below).
This book is number one in the Casino witches series where Ella has been hired as a forensic accountant by the head of a casino in Rambler Nevada, a town that turns out to be a haven for magical people who have been banned by Las Vegas for oviois reasons. Ella does not realize she has any kind of magical powers but learned during the course of the story that she has inherited her some magical abilities from her late father. Once she was hired she learned that there have been several unusual deaths in the magic community. How Ella is able to assist the casino family in solving the deaths, that all turned out to be murders of course, is a great story, and I couldn't stop laughing for most of the book even though it had some spine tingling/nail biting scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat.
Her is the author's bio:
"Nikki Haverstock is a writer who lives on a cattle ranch high in the Rocky Mountains. She has studied comedy writing at Second City and has published 9 cozy mysteries that are heavy on the humor. Before fleeing the city, she hosted a competitive archery reality show, traveled the world to study volcanoes, taught archery and computer science at a university and now works on her family’s ranch herding cattle. Nikki has more college degrees than she has sense and hopefully one day she will put one to work. Nikki likes to write comedy pieces that focus on the everyday humor of one-uppers, annoying family members and strange behavior of the ultra-rich. She tried stand up but the cattle weren’t impressed."
I laughed out loud just reading that! And I look forward to reading many more mysteries by this author.
September 3, 2023
“Of Murders and Mages” (Casino Witch Mysteries #1) by Nikki Haverstock⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Paracozy (paranormal cozy mystery) Location: Rambler, Nevada, USA. Time: Present.
“The mob ran Vegas. The mages run Rambler.”
THE SERIES: Gabriella (Ella) Ramono, daughter of James Ramono lll aka Ramono The Bull, recently found out she’s a witch who can read emotional holograms of magical death. Since her dad’s death 3 years ago, curly red-head Ella has been living in his loft above an auto salvage company and a security company. Ella’s not alone because Patagonia, a gigantic, green-eyed black cat, decides to be her familiar.
THIS BOOK: Financial auditor Ella is working at The Golden Pyramid, the largest and best casino in Rambler. Her boss pulls Ella and Vin Russo (head of security) into an investigation of 5 murders in 5 months. Vin is as cranky as he is attractive. Ella has to somehow get along with him while learning her new mage abilities-and finding the killer. She also has to deal with a topless burlesque show, a jealous girlfriend, all kinds of gamblers, and $150 per slice magical chocolate cake. Viva Las Vegas!- I mean Rambler!
Author Haverstock has written a delightful paracozy mystery. Her characters are likable, the plot is interesting, and her world building is great. I do wish she’d include a map of the casino’s interior. She adds a slow-burning enemies to lovers trope that will take more books to complete. Haverstock’s tale of a parallel Las Vegas is just the book when you are craving fun, light- hearted, humorous mystery. It’s 4 witchy stars from me🌵📚💁🏼♀️ Thank you Crave Books and Nikki Haverstock for this ecopy.
“The mob ran Vegas. The mages run Rambler.”
THE SERIES: Gabriella (Ella) Ramono, daughter of James Ramono lll aka Ramono The Bull, recently found out she’s a witch who can read emotional holograms of magical death. Since her dad’s death 3 years ago, curly red-head Ella has been living in his loft above an auto salvage company and a security company. Ella’s not alone because Patagonia, a gigantic, green-eyed black cat, decides to be her familiar.
THIS BOOK: Financial auditor Ella is working at The Golden Pyramid, the largest and best casino in Rambler. Her boss pulls Ella and Vin Russo (head of security) into an investigation of 5 murders in 5 months. Vin is as cranky as he is attractive. Ella has to somehow get along with him while learning her new mage abilities-and finding the killer. She also has to deal with a topless burlesque show, a jealous girlfriend, all kinds of gamblers, and $150 per slice magical chocolate cake. Viva Las Vegas!- I mean Rambler!
Author Haverstock has written a delightful paracozy mystery. Her characters are likable, the plot is interesting, and her world building is great. I do wish she’d include a map of the casino’s interior. She adds a slow-burning enemies to lovers trope that will take more books to complete. Haverstock’s tale of a parallel Las Vegas is just the book when you are craving fun, light- hearted, humorous mystery. It’s 4 witchy stars from me🌵📚💁🏼♀️ Thank you Crave Books and Nikki Haverstock for this ecopy.
July 16, 2021
Ella has just returned to Rambler, Nevada (a town with “character”), to live in her late father’s loft and work as an auditor at a casino. A rather large cat (about the size of a medium-sized dog) has taken a liking to her and keeps showing up wherever she goes. And no one else seems to mind. After being booted out of her office one too many times on the first day on the job, the cat bites her, unleashing heretofore unknown psychic skills, skills that will come in handy as Ella investigates suspicious deaths at the casino.
This story does require a suspension of disbelief – “mages” (magical folk) living with muggles, chocolate cake that literally drives people wild, and Ella’s ability to set things on fire. I had low expectations of this book (oh, another paranormal cozy with a bossy cat and a hot guy). But it had a whimsical cover and I needed something to read while passing time on the elliptical, so I gave it a shot.
I enjoyed this much more than I expected; it had more depth than anticipated. The characters are entertaining (even the secondary ones), the dialogue witty, and the whodunnit absorbing. Ella uses her accounting skills just as much as her magical skills to solve the deaths, rather than just relying on unpredictable magical skills. She’s spunky and mouthy and entertaining. I liked following along as she navigated a new job, new people, new skills, and a new “pet”, all the while grieving the loss of her father.
This was a light, fun, engaging read, and I was a little sad when it ended. I will read more in this series.
November 7, 2025
This is a decent first book in the series though it is a bit predictable. The magic system is at least different than that which I’ve read before so that was fun. Our FMC does not know that she has magic, she just believes that she is that good at reading people and patterns. But when a cat bonds with her, her world opens exponentially.
Ella starts off auditing a casino and finishes the job by solving multiple murders after learning she is a mage. Ella was skeptical for all of ten minutes after learning of her heritage and then becomes uber powerful and has more talent in one pinky that she is able to use with almost little to no instruction. As is always the case, she is only taught as much as can get her in trouble and then gets yelled at when she rushes headlong into situations she is ill prepared for.
The male main character is obviously being set up at the romantic partner but it’s so cliche. He has a girlfriend, or at least a female companion already. He doesn’t like out FMC and makes his annoyance with her abundantly clear. However, he is bound to protect her and stays by her side for majority of the story. He pretends to not like her but gives out random compliments about how beautiful she is. There is also an unclear bond tying the two of them together AND their animal companions love each other already. Hmmm, I wonder who she is going to fall for …. 🤷🏻♀️. Guess we will have to wait and see.
While cliche from start to finish it was a fun read and I did enjoy it. There are a few more books in the series and I guarantee I will at some point read at least one more!
Happy reading!
Ella starts off auditing a casino and finishes the job by solving multiple murders after learning she is a mage. Ella was skeptical for all of ten minutes after learning of her heritage and then becomes uber powerful and has more talent in one pinky that she is able to use with almost little to no instruction. As is always the case, she is only taught as much as can get her in trouble and then gets yelled at when she rushes headlong into situations she is ill prepared for.
The male main character is obviously being set up at the romantic partner but it’s so cliche. He has a girlfriend, or at least a female companion already. He doesn’t like out FMC and makes his annoyance with her abundantly clear. However, he is bound to protect her and stays by her side for majority of the story. He pretends to not like her but gives out random compliments about how beautiful she is. There is also an unclear bond tying the two of them together AND their animal companions love each other already. Hmmm, I wonder who she is going to fall for …. 🤷🏻♀️. Guess we will have to wait and see.
While cliche from start to finish it was a fun read and I did enjoy it. There are a few more books in the series and I guarantee I will at some point read at least one more!
Happy reading!
October 18, 2021
Fun first book in a series
This first book in the series does a lot of world building and introducing of characters so at times it is slow going. Having said that, it’s an interesting premise and a good set up for future books. There were several places I got frustrated at the lack of clarity and others where it was repetitive, which contributed to the lag times in the reading.
My one significant problem with the premise of the book is that if Ella’s father loved her so much, and clearly invested time in preparing her (even if she didn’t know it) why wouldn’t he have told her the truth. He had to know it would be dangerous for her to be caught unawares.
Other than that the mystery is intriguing with lots of good red herrings. I was sure at different points who the killer was only to have a plot twist. I did suspect the person who turns out to be the villain a couple of times and the clues were cleverly inserted.
There is clearly much more to come as hints were dropped to other story lines that did not get resolved here. There is also a lot more character development that needs to occur and things ended on a cliffhanger of sorts. Not in this story but for the overall series story arc. I’m sure I will read further books in the series.
This first book in the series does a lot of world building and introducing of characters so at times it is slow going. Having said that, it’s an interesting premise and a good set up for future books. There were several places I got frustrated at the lack of clarity and others where it was repetitive, which contributed to the lag times in the reading.
My one significant problem with the premise of the book is that if Ella’s father loved her so much, and clearly invested time in preparing her (even if she didn’t know it) why wouldn’t he have told her the truth. He had to know it would be dangerous for her to be caught unawares.
Other than that the mystery is intriguing with lots of good red herrings. I was sure at different points who the killer was only to have a plot twist. I did suspect the person who turns out to be the villain a couple of times and the clues were cleverly inserted.
There is clearly much more to come as hints were dropped to other story lines that did not get resolved here. There is also a lot more character development that needs to occur and things ended on a cliffhanger of sorts. Not in this story but for the overall series story arc. I’m sure I will read further books in the series.
November 17, 2021
Ella's first day at her new job in a casino takes a turn towards the paranormal. She comes in as an accountant, and she leaves as a mage with a frisky cat familiar. She doesn't know what's going on, and no one is forthcoming with details. Ally they tell Ella is that there are magical murders happening and they need her special abilities to help solve the case. Though it could make Ella a target herself.
This was an amazingly fun concept. I like the idea of of a magical Las Vegas for mages. There's gambling, expensive hotels, delicious food, and showgirls. It has the potential for lots of modern supernatural excitement. I also liked the cozy mystery aspect of this story. There's a string of murders that need to be solved, and Ella not only has the magical ability to read emotions from places and people, she has a logical mind that's good with problem solving. Except this is made ten times harder for her suddenly thrust into a world of magic in which no one gives her any real explanations. I felt her frustration there. Of course, it's the first book in the series, and we can't have all the answers right off, but there needed to be something to help guide her and the reader. I did guess what was going on, but I liked the way the plot twisted to get us there.
This was an amazingly fun concept. I like the idea of of a magical Las Vegas for mages. There's gambling, expensive hotels, delicious food, and showgirls. It has the potential for lots of modern supernatural excitement. I also liked the cozy mystery aspect of this story. There's a string of murders that need to be solved, and Ella not only has the magical ability to read emotions from places and people, she has a logical mind that's good with problem solving. Except this is made ten times harder for her suddenly thrust into a world of magic in which no one gives her any real explanations. I felt her frustration there. Of course, it's the first book in the series, and we can't have all the answers right off, but there needed to be something to help guide her and the reader. I did guess what was going on, but I liked the way the plot twisted to get us there.
February 27, 2020
This book is described as a Paranormal Cozy Mystery. Mysteries, casinos, and books about murder are not really my thing, and before I heard this series existed, I had never heard of cozy mysteries and am still not quite sure what they are. I do like fantasy though, and books about witches, so when I found out that this series existed, I thought it might be fun to try. My expectations were not very high (this is not knocking the author – I’m just not familiar with the genre and was unsure I would like it).
I loved this book. It was a fun, light read with interesting characters. The main character Ella learns that she is a mage, a secret her father never told her about before he died. She has to learn what it means to be a mage while investigating a series of suspicious deaths at a casino in Rambler, Nevada. Ella is fun and quirky, and meets lots of new people, eats lots of good food, and spends lots of time with her new cat familiar Patagonia. The mystery wasn’t necessarily a suspenseful “whodunit”, but I actually preferred this relaxing, fun mystery over something that leaves me worried or anxious. The writing is very clean - I don’t think there was bad language, no overtly sexual situations, and very little violence.
I didn’t know just how much I needed a fun, light read like this in my life at this moment. It was well written, immensely enjoyable, and I went ahead and got the next book in the series because why not.
I loved this book. It was a fun, light read with interesting characters. The main character Ella learns that she is a mage, a secret her father never told her about before he died. She has to learn what it means to be a mage while investigating a series of suspicious deaths at a casino in Rambler, Nevada. Ella is fun and quirky, and meets lots of new people, eats lots of good food, and spends lots of time with her new cat familiar Patagonia. The mystery wasn’t necessarily a suspenseful “whodunit”, but I actually preferred this relaxing, fun mystery over something that leaves me worried or anxious. The writing is very clean - I don’t think there was bad language, no overtly sexual situations, and very little violence.
I didn’t know just how much I needed a fun, light read like this in my life at this moment. It was well written, immensely enjoyable, and I went ahead and got the next book in the series because why not.
December 19, 2021
Ella Ramono, a young accountant, is hired by a casino. She quickly discovers that she is a mage/witch. Most of the staff and clientele are also magical. There have been a series of suicides (murders) and because of her unique mage abilities, she may be just the person who can help solve the mystery. Since this is the first book in the series, Ella is still finding her way around her magical existence. Sometimes her magic is amazingly accurate while other times it backfires. This book presents us with some of the characters we will be seeing in future books in the series and it looks like it will be fun reading. By today's standards, the book is a bit short but the story is well presented and most of the explanations for magical events are adequately explained to make the story flow nicely. It promises to be an engaging series.
January 30, 2025
A fun read
Although being bitten by a cat is not the most auspicious beginning, Ella manages to accept the new aspect of her life that results. She is quickly drawn into helping solve a series of murders made to look like accidents and suicide. Due to time constraints and a resentful mentor, Ella is given very little information about her new environment, how she might be affected by it and how she can deal with all of it. As you might imagine, this leads to any number of mini catastrophes.
The mystery is well done, with clues that may or may not be helpful scattered throughout. A potential love interest is explained, with the possible future of a relationship left unresolved by the end of the book. It left me ready to read more in the series. Light hearted fun. Just what I needed.
Although being bitten by a cat is not the most auspicious beginning, Ella manages to accept the new aspect of her life that results. She is quickly drawn into helping solve a series of murders made to look like accidents and suicide. Due to time constraints and a resentful mentor, Ella is given very little information about her new environment, how she might be affected by it and how she can deal with all of it. As you might imagine, this leads to any number of mini catastrophes.
The mystery is well done, with clues that may or may not be helpful scattered throughout. A potential love interest is explained, with the possible future of a relationship left unresolved by the end of the book. It left me ready to read more in the series. Light hearted fun. Just what I needed.
December 31, 2022
This book was OK. I would’ve given this at 2 1/2 stars but they didn’t have that rating. Ella has just found out that she can do magic and then she jumps right into doing magic like she has done in her whole life. It definitely makes this book kind of stupid. She wants to learn how to use her magic and is promised that she will be taught how to use her magic, but yet throughout this whole book, she ends up using her magic like she doesn’t even need training in it. Then the people that are supposed to teach her how to do magic know things about Ella‘s father, but they won’t tell her until she helps them with this mystery of murders. Sounds like a bunch of snotty school kids, if you don’t do what I tell you I’m not gonna tell you what you want to know. I definitely will not be reading the next book in this series.
April 23, 2021
Good magic story
This book is an interesting and "informative" read. It begins with some insight into a beginner witch which of course she discovers by accident. Yes, that is all too common in witch books, but Ella is a late bloomer. As she finds out she's a witch she is thrown into a murder investigation. Again, rather overcome I this type of story. But what is fun and makes this a good.read.is how Haverstock builds her characters and the storyline. It is interesting and a fun read. We get to see how
Ella begins her journey and we can look forward to more. The book gives us a different view of what it means to becomes witch, which is quite refreshing.
This book is an interesting and "informative" read. It begins with some insight into a beginner witch which of course she discovers by accident. Yes, that is all too common in witch books, but Ella is a late bloomer. As she finds out she's a witch she is thrown into a murder investigation. Again, rather overcome I this type of story. But what is fun and makes this a good.read.is how Haverstock builds her characters and the storyline. It is interesting and a fun read. We get to see how
Ella begins her journey and we can look forward to more. The book gives us a different view of what it means to becomes witch, which is quite refreshing.
January 11, 2024
Ella meets magic
I rather liked this story and I was sorry when it ended, so Book 2 is calling. It was a different kind of paranormal, told in such a way that it becomes relatable. There were parts that did nothing to add to the value of the story, these parts seemed as if they were only providing bulk to the book. The main character, Gabriella is not the typical heroine. She is smart, not love sick (as yet), quite ready to hold her own in any situation. There were moments of humor scattered throughout the book, these helped to make the book enjoyable. It wasn't difficult, at the end, to guess the identity of the murderer.
Go ahead and read.
I rather liked this story and I was sorry when it ended, so Book 2 is calling. It was a different kind of paranormal, told in such a way that it becomes relatable. There were parts that did nothing to add to the value of the story, these parts seemed as if they were only providing bulk to the book. The main character, Gabriella is not the typical heroine. She is smart, not love sick (as yet), quite ready to hold her own in any situation. There were moments of humor scattered throughout the book, these helped to make the book enjoyable. It wasn't difficult, at the end, to guess the identity of the murderer.
Go ahead and read.
February 12, 2024
I was a fun book.
But there were some plot holes that didn't make sense to me. If you don't think about it nor care about the plot and are just here for a good time, you are going to like it I guess.
The FMC was rude a couple of times for no reason and she never apologized. Which made me not really like her.
She had no backbone to get an answer except she had an attitude which doesn't make sense. All questions that she asked were pushed aside as not important and she just let it go. Like...WHY, WHAT!?!? It's about her dead father, who she is, what she is... She deserved an answer. Plus they definitely exploited her and never explained her power and other stuff.
But there were some plot holes that didn't make sense to me. If you don't think about it nor care about the plot and are just here for a good time, you are going to like it I guess.
The FMC was rude a couple of times for no reason and she never apologized. Which made me not really like her.
She had no backbone to get an answer except she had an attitude which doesn't make sense. All questions that she asked were pushed aside as not important and she just let it go. Like...WHY, WHAT!?!? It's about her dead father, who she is, what she is... She deserved an answer. Plus they definitely exploited her and never explained her power and other stuff.
January 30, 2018
Curses, Spells, & Chorus Girls!
An enjoyable witchy whodunnit. Set in a glittery Vegas type casino owned & managed by Witches/mages in Rambler, Nevada, our main character discovers there’s a lot more to herself & her father than she ever imagined. Tasked with uncovering & stopping a killer before he/she strikes again, Ella finds herself going undercover in various casino jobs. Her continual unexplained clumsiness provides comic relief. It’ll be interesting to see where Ella goes from here.
An enjoyable witchy whodunnit. Set in a glittery Vegas type casino owned & managed by Witches/mages in Rambler, Nevada, our main character discovers there’s a lot more to herself & her father than she ever imagined. Tasked with uncovering & stopping a killer before he/she strikes again, Ella finds herself going undercover in various casino jobs. Her continual unexplained clumsiness provides comic relief. It’ll be interesting to see where Ella goes from here.
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