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Crystal Beach #0.5
Dog Gone Troubles
Magic in this witch's family has a name: Trouble.
Meet Sidney Grace: Quirky Journalist. Curious Witch. Professional Butterfingers.
Sidney Grace, a young journalist living in Boston, is not ready for all the troubles heading her way. For starters, she’s curious about her grandmother’s magic even though her spellcasting is a bit rusty. Sidney finds herself caught between her curiosity to learn more and her mother’s hatred for all things supernatural. After all, her mom has a Tupperware empire to run and magic isn’t part of her business plan! The fact that her dad doesn’t seem to be bothered by an occasional spell gone wild, isn’t smoothing the waters between these two matriarchs.
But the family drama and her untapped magic are the least of Sidney’s troubles. Things turn worse when her new boss asks Sidney to cover the annual Pup Parade and she makes a terrible mistake that could cost her career…and ultimately her life. Can her grandmother cast a spell that actually works right the first time and save Sidney? Or will her troubles finally get the best of this new witch?
Dog Gone Troubles is a fun, heartwarming paranormal cozy with charming characters that will keep you spellbound! This book is the prequel for the highly-anticipated Crystal Beach Magic Mystery Series.
Meet Sidney Grace: Quirky Journalist. Curious Witch. Professional Butterfingers.
Sidney Grace, a young journalist living in Boston, is not ready for all the troubles heading her way. For starters, she’s curious about her grandmother’s magic even though her spellcasting is a bit rusty. Sidney finds herself caught between her curiosity to learn more and her mother’s hatred for all things supernatural. After all, her mom has a Tupperware empire to run and magic isn’t part of her business plan! The fact that her dad doesn’t seem to be bothered by an occasional spell gone wild, isn’t smoothing the waters between these two matriarchs.
But the family drama and her untapped magic are the least of Sidney’s troubles. Things turn worse when her new boss asks Sidney to cover the annual Pup Parade and she makes a terrible mistake that could cost her career…and ultimately her life. Can her grandmother cast a spell that actually works right the first time and save Sidney? Or will her troubles finally get the best of this new witch?
Dog Gone Troubles is a fun, heartwarming paranormal cozy with charming characters that will keep you spellbound! This book is the prequel for the highly-anticipated Crystal Beach Magic Mystery Series.
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Published October 9, 2022
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67 people want to read
About the author
Karen McSpade
35 books228 followersRaised in the Arkansas River Valley, Karen McSpade grew up with a fishing pole in one hand and her trusty .410 shotgun in the other. Exploring the creeks and woods around her hometown while hunting with her father kept her “entertained and out of jail,” as her mom likes to say.
As a child, her most prized possessions were her books and her Michael Jackson album collection. These led her to a brief venture into breakdancing and poetry slamming before discovering her true passion, bringing stories and characters to life. Today, she focuses on the two things that still inspire her creativity—her love for food and dishing up mysteries with a dash of humor.
Karen’s novels feature compassionate and strong-willed leading ladies determined to uncover the truth and seek justice. She loves creating stories filled with mystery, romance, magic, and adventure that allow readers to join her characters on their journey, leaving behind the real world for a few hours at a time.
When she’s not writing, Karen’s favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, cooking, reading, gardening, and enjoying nature. She lives in Northwest Arkansas with her family and a very spoiled Wheaten Terrier who doubles as her writing assistant.
As a child, her most prized possessions were her books and her Michael Jackson album collection. These led her to a brief venture into breakdancing and poetry slamming before discovering her true passion, bringing stories and characters to life. Today, she focuses on the two things that still inspire her creativity—her love for food and dishing up mysteries with a dash of humor.
Karen’s novels feature compassionate and strong-willed leading ladies determined to uncover the truth and seek justice. She loves creating stories filled with mystery, romance, magic, and adventure that allow readers to join her characters on their journey, leaving behind the real world for a few hours at a time.
When she’s not writing, Karen’s favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, cooking, reading, gardening, and enjoying nature. She lives in Northwest Arkansas with her family and a very spoiled Wheaten Terrier who doubles as her writing assistant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 7, 2023
Cute, short story. I recommend, and will look for further stories in the series.
July 25, 2025
A dog walker, plus a family with secrets. But they always look out for each other. This was a great short story. a beginner to a series that i'm definitely going to check out.
Short stories are the best.
We all need one sometimes in between those long books.
Short stories are the best.
We all need one sometimes in between those long books.
October 20, 2024
Dog Gone Troubles is a great introduction to Karen McSpade’s new mystery series, Crystal Beach Magic Mystery Series. It is a fun, short read that kept the pages turning as I tried to figure out what happened.
Sydney Grace is a reporter who is assigned to cover the pup parade, a big event in her hometown. Sydney is not a dog person; she is more of a cat person. But an assignment is an assignment, right? Sydney hopes that this one job will lead to more and better jobs.
A woman gives Sydney the leash of her pup to hold while she answers her phone and walks away. Sydney gets distracted and when she looks down the pup is gone. The pup has slipped right out of her leash.
Sydney takes off to her grandmother’s to ask for help locating the pup. Sydney's grandmother is a witch. Sydney has been wanting to see her grandmother doing her magic. For a long time, Sydney has wanted to do magic herself.
What happened to the pup? Did she slip out of her collar alone? Did someone take the pup when Sydney wasn’t looking? Where is the pup? Is the pup safe? So many questions. Questions that I was asking myself. The ending gave me a shock as I did not see it coming. Although I believe I should have.
I would have liked to know more about this story and the ending. I do wish that Dog Gone Troubles was longer. What a great introduction to a new series. I can’t wait to read more about Sydney and the troubles she may find herself in.
Check out Dog Gone Troubles today!
Sydney Grace is a reporter who is assigned to cover the pup parade, a big event in her hometown. Sydney is not a dog person; she is more of a cat person. But an assignment is an assignment, right? Sydney hopes that this one job will lead to more and better jobs.
A woman gives Sydney the leash of her pup to hold while she answers her phone and walks away. Sydney gets distracted and when she looks down the pup is gone. The pup has slipped right out of her leash.
Sydney takes off to her grandmother’s to ask for help locating the pup. Sydney's grandmother is a witch. Sydney has been wanting to see her grandmother doing her magic. For a long time, Sydney has wanted to do magic herself.
What happened to the pup? Did she slip out of her collar alone? Did someone take the pup when Sydney wasn’t looking? Where is the pup? Is the pup safe? So many questions. Questions that I was asking myself. The ending gave me a shock as I did not see it coming. Although I believe I should have.
I would have liked to know more about this story and the ending. I do wish that Dog Gone Troubles was longer. What a great introduction to a new series. I can’t wait to read more about Sydney and the troubles she may find herself in.
Check out Dog Gone Troubles today!
December 18, 2022
This was a fun book to read as a woman goes against her mother’s wishes and seeks out her grandmother to help her cast a spell to locate a dog who got out of its collar and ran away while she was holding its leash! The woman who claims to be the dog’s owner is threatening to sue Sidney and the paper she works at if the dog isn’t found! Sidney goes to her grandmother because she is a witch, of course!
Her grandmother casts the spell but in finding the dog Sidney uncovers a sinister plot which has been going on for some time.
I thought this was a great read and recommend it to all who love cozy mysteries! Sidney is a typical person all can identify with, someone who seems never to get a break but after this experience, perhaps her life is about to change for the better! After all finding out that you are a witch and can cast spells too has to be pretty cool right?
I think this will be a fun new series and I look forward to reading it!
Her grandmother casts the spell but in finding the dog Sidney uncovers a sinister plot which has been going on for some time.
I thought this was a great read and recommend it to all who love cozy mysteries! Sidney is a typical person all can identify with, someone who seems never to get a break but after this experience, perhaps her life is about to change for the better! After all finding out that you are a witch and can cast spells too has to be pretty cool right?
I think this will be a fun new series and I look forward to reading it!
December 21, 2022
Karen McSpade is an accomplished paranormal cozey mystery writer and this short cozey is an introduction to a new and exciting series. The array of characters are vibrant, colorful and a bit quirky, with that said you wouldn't have a mystery to solve or enjoy if not for a schemer on the wrong side of the law.While the entertaining characters first draw you into this story the intriguing and baffling mystery entices you further with its magical helping hand in hopes of solving the case. With the plot keeping you further entranced with a charming family drama engaging you with its mayhem and unexpected turn of events, you won't be able to put it down once you've started until you reach the unexpected and climatic conclusion. Acquire " Dog Gone Trouble " today so you yourself can enjoy it as much as I have. Kat
February 5, 2023
This is book zero in a series of five. Don't you just like it when an author goes back and adds more to the beginning? The series that keeps us in a small Florida seacoast town begins in Boston with Sarah Grace beginning to use her journalism degree with employment with a prestigious Boston magazine. On her very first on-site writing opportunity everything goes sideways and she is bailed out through a grandmother who is a witch and some good sleuthing on her part. Don't buy this book if you think this is going to be a week long adventure, but this for a fun rainy day afternoon. Each book is a short tale in the life of Sarah Grace as she goes forward through adventures and misadventures. Yes, I got this as an ARC, but it is well worth the small price Karen puts on her books.
February 24, 2023
Sidney Grace is a young journalist living in Boston who works for a high-end magazine. Her boss asks her to cover the annual Pup Parade. She is asked to hold onto a poodle's leash. She looks away for a couple of seconds and when she turns to check on the poodle, it's gone! All she has is the leash in her hands. What happened to the poodle? This could cause her not only to lose her job but also her life. She goes to see her grandmother who is a witch. She asks her to cast a spell that will get the poodle back. Will the spell work or will it fail which is what usually happens? A very good start to a new series which I believe will be a great success.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from the author and I'm voluntarily posting a review. My opinion is entirely my own.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from the author and I'm voluntarily posting a review. My opinion is entirely my own.
January 18, 2023
Dog Gone Troubles debuts the new Crystal
Beach Magic Mysteries series by Karen McSpade.
The reader is introduced to Sidney Grace.
Sidney is a journalist in Boston. She gets an
assignment to cover the annual Pup Parade.
She is going to find herself in deep trouble when
she loses one of the prized dogs named Sapphire.
Besides Sidney, the reader will meet her parents
and her mother’s parents. Grandmother is a
practicing witch.
Will Sidney be able to find the dog? Will her
Grandmother cast a spell to help Sidney?
A short, quick, entertaining read.
I volunteered to read Dog Gone Troubles. Thanks to
the author for the opportunity. My opinion is voluntary
and my own.
Beach Magic Mysteries series by Karen McSpade.
The reader is introduced to Sidney Grace.
Sidney is a journalist in Boston. She gets an
assignment to cover the annual Pup Parade.
She is going to find herself in deep trouble when
she loses one of the prized dogs named Sapphire.
Besides Sidney, the reader will meet her parents
and her mother’s parents. Grandmother is a
practicing witch.
Will Sidney be able to find the dog? Will her
Grandmother cast a spell to help Sidney?
A short, quick, entertaining read.
I volunteered to read Dog Gone Troubles. Thanks to
the author for the opportunity. My opinion is voluntary
and my own.
January 19, 2023
This was a fun prequel to the Crystal Beach series that's already started. I've read the first book and even though I've had this one for longer than that, I'm just now getting to it. It was really good and a fun peek into Sidney's life six years before she moved from Boston to Crystal Beach. And Gramps was still living at the time too. I loved what happened to the perp at the end of this book, it was pretty darn awesome!
This novella is currently only available as a free download from BookFunnel through one of the author promotions or if you get the author's newsletter and somehow missed it, you might be able to get it by messaging her.
This novella is currently only available as a free download from BookFunnel through one of the author promotions or if you get the author's newsletter and somehow missed it, you might be able to get it by messaging her.
October 20, 2023
"Dog Gone Troubles (A Bewitchingly Fun Paranormal Cozy Mystery)" by Karen McSpade seems to be a prologue to the "A Crystal Beach Paranormal Cozy Mystery" series. It's super quick, a touch paranormal and so cozy there's only a missing dog for the mystery.
Set in Boston, news reporter Sidney Grace is on her first big assignment. The big dog parade. While there she looses a prize poodle and the owner is threatening to sue the news company. This could cause Sidney to loose her dream job before it's even gotten off the ground. Sidney gets help from her witchy grandmother to track down the poodle and uncover what happens.
Set in Boston, news reporter Sidney Grace is on her first big assignment. The big dog parade. While there she looses a prize poodle and the owner is threatening to sue the news company. This could cause Sidney to loose her dream job before it's even gotten off the ground. Sidney gets help from her witchy grandmother to track down the poodle and uncover what happens.
January 7, 2023
3 1/2 Stars
Tidy little prequel to the Crystal Beach Magic Myster Series. This novella introduces Sydney Grace, a reporter at a magazine who gets an unexpected assignment that is quite out of her comfort zone and quickly goes sideways. Quick paranormal mystery cozy that is very light on the magic aspect but sets up the series for what comes next. Written in a plain straight forward manner that reads well and skims along easily.
I received this book as a gift and this is my honest and unbiased opinion of the tale
Tidy little prequel to the Crystal Beach Magic Myster Series. This novella introduces Sydney Grace, a reporter at a magazine who gets an unexpected assignment that is quite out of her comfort zone and quickly goes sideways. Quick paranormal mystery cozy that is very light on the magic aspect but sets up the series for what comes next. Written in a plain straight forward manner that reads well and skims along easily.
I received this book as a gift and this is my honest and unbiased opinion of the tale
January 15, 2023
This was a short, quick and funny read. It’s all about a girl, Sidney, her grandma who practices magic, her father, mother and grandfather along with a dog gone missing. Sidney gets a job at a magazine and her first assignment is to cover a dog parade which she knows nothing about since she’s a cat lover. As she’s there, she is asked to watch a dog which goes missing. The mystery begins to find the dog and with a little grandma magic they find out that there is more going on than a dog missing. Good read.
January 19, 2023
Sidney, new on a job at a Boston high scale mazazine, is assigned to copy the Annual Boston Pup Parade.She is not a dog lover but has no choice and in the meantime learns that her grandmother is moving to Florida. After the parade, one of the handlers asks Sidney to hold the leash on a prize poodle. She is distracted and when she turnsaway, she finds that the poodle is missing which makes her day. However, her grandmother , who is a witch, said she will help Sidney find the poodle. But time is working against her,A short but amusing story.
January 22, 2023
Where, oh where, has that little dog gone?
Life is going pretty well for Sidney. Then, her grandparents decide to move to Florida and her latest work-related mishap may get the magazine sued and get her fired. She only looked away for a minute but the dog she was watching disappeared. Fortunately, her grandmother, Ada-Mae, is a witch and might be able to help her find it if she can just keep her mother from interfering. Can her life get more complex than this? Stay tuned…
This quick-read, fun cozy has a short, but sweet mystery and some humor. It is a good prequel for the series.
Life is going pretty well for Sidney. Then, her grandparents decide to move to Florida and her latest work-related mishap may get the magazine sued and get her fired. She only looked away for a minute but the dog she was watching disappeared. Fortunately, her grandmother, Ada-Mae, is a witch and might be able to help her find it if she can just keep her mother from interfering. Can her life get more complex than this? Stay tuned…
This quick-read, fun cozy has a short, but sweet mystery and some humor. It is a good prequel for the series.
February 10, 2023
Dog gone trouble all right!!
This prequel into a new series grabs you by the collar and doesn't let go! A fast paced short story introduces you to the main characters with a laugh outloud colorful rendition of a family with witchy issues and a newby news reporter that seems to find herself in the oddest of situations! Thankfully with some help from her family and some local witches Sidney save's the day and her job:) for now!! Seems like this could be a recurring problem.. looking forward to the next book in this series.
This prequel into a new series grabs you by the collar and doesn't let go! A fast paced short story introduces you to the main characters with a laugh outloud colorful rendition of a family with witchy issues and a newby news reporter that seems to find herself in the oddest of situations! Thankfully with some help from her family and some local witches Sidney save's the day and her job:) for now!! Seems like this could be a recurring problem.. looking forward to the next book in this series.
December 22, 2024
Dog Gone Troubles by Karen McSpade is the 0.5 book in the Crystal Beach series. It’s a short but sweet read introducing Sidney and her parents and grand parents. Her grandmother is the one who is a witch that Sidney, new Boston newspaper reporter, is curious to emulate. Grandmother expects her to do well. Her mom is very much against the whole idea of magic, so Sidney has not yet a chance to try it out. Leaves us with great expectations for future books in series. A fun read as expected from Karen McSpade!
January 4, 2023
Sidney gets a dream assignment at Living It Large In Boston where she recently started working. Her family is quirky, especially her grandparents & her grandmother has special talents. An assignment
covering a dog parade starts with a missing dog & Sidney becoming a hero in the city. If you like books that have funny characters that will make you laugh this is for you. It’s not a long book so you can read it in a few hours.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
covering a dog parade starts with a missing dog & Sidney becoming a hero in the city. If you like books that have funny characters that will make you laugh this is for you. It’s not a long book so you can read it in a few hours.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 8, 2023
Dog Gone Troubles is book #0 in the Crystal Beach Magic Mystery series by Karen McSpade.
Sidney Grace is a writer in Boston who gets her first assignment to cover the Pup Parade. There’s a bit of drama both with the work and Sidney’s family
This is a short prequel to the new Crystal Beach Magic Mystery series. We’re introduced to Sidney, her parents, and her mother’s parents.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Sidney Grace is a writer in Boston who gets her first assignment to cover the Pup Parade. There’s a bit of drama both with the work and Sidney’s family
This is a short prequel to the new Crystal Beach Magic Mystery series. We’re introduced to Sidney, her parents, and her mother’s parents.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
January 3, 2023
I enjoyed DOG GONE TROUBLES. This is a cute short story about reporter Sidney Grace and her first official assignment reporting about the Boston pup parade for the “Living it large in Boston” magazine . I like the author’s use of humor and her character development. I am looking forward to Sidney and her grandmother’s next magical escapade.
January 6, 2023
Dog Gone Troubles by Karen McSpade is the prequel for the Crystal Beach Magic Mystery Series. It is a heartwarming paranormal cozy about a missing dog. Sidney goes to her witch Grandmother to cast a spell to help her find the dog she lost so she won’t lose her job. What they find is quite a twist. A nice start of a cute series.
January 10, 2023
A cute short storyline about a dog napping scam and a young reporter with a magical family.
Sydney has got the task of trying to find a missing dog, that she was supposed to be holding. To look for it, her grandmother uses her magic to search for it. A slight mishap with a number of canine helpers leads Sydney to the owners house. Sydney and her dad are held at gun point, will they make it out?
Sydney has got the task of trying to find a missing dog, that she was supposed to be holding. To look for it, her grandmother uses her magic to search for it. A slight mishap with a number of canine helpers leads Sydney to the owners house. Sydney and her dad are held at gun point, will they make it out?
January 12, 2023
Cute little prequel. It was fun to read this short intro into a new group of characters. They all seemed real down to earth and easy to connect with. Didn't dive too deeply into each character but definitely enough to make you want to learn more. The witchy parts added a fun twist to the story. I'm excited to see what Sidney gets into next.
January 20, 2023
This story is mostly an introduction to the cast of characters, and a glimpse into the craziness that is their lives. There is a short mystery, that I really enjoyed, and it's all wrapped up by the end. Mostly what this book did was made me want to dive into the next book, so that's what I'm going to do.
January 25, 2023
Ada Mae and Gramps spring into action with Sydney amid a great brouhaha related to missing dogs
some spotty spell casting yields some yippingly exciting results
Can Sydney and her family save the pooches and her job?
clever whodunnit with some bumpy magical adventures and strong and humorous family adventures
some spotty spell casting yields some yippingly exciting results
Can Sydney and her family save the pooches and her job?
clever whodunnit with some bumpy magical adventures and strong and humorous family adventures
January 28, 2023
A great paranormal cozy mystery. I really enjoyed the characters and the events that took place. I read it in one sitting and I look forward to reading all of Karen McSpade’s books. The book was well written and had the perfect combination of excitement, humor and family interaction. I highly recommend this book.
April 21, 2023
Not as funny as I'd hoped it would be...hoping that since this is the sort of prequel to the series, that the rest will pick up. I'll still give them a chance, for sure. This one just "missed" something somewhere for me and that's just me. I do like the characters...so I'm curious to read the first book in the series soon.
July 3, 2023
A fun novella that was the start to the Crystal Beach Magic Mystery Series. Having read books 1-5 that just came out in a omnibus release it was interesting to read how her grandparents ended up moving down to Florida and dealing with her mom's aversion to magic. The perfect quick read for a holiday weekend.
July 26, 2025
Dog Gone Troubles
Karen McSpade
This a short story about a young girl named Sidney. She finds out her grandparents are moving away to Florida. Sidney gets to work late and her boss at Living It Large in Boston Magazine give her a story she need to write dog parade.
I enjoyed this short story about how it was fabulous written and was covering in detail.
Karen McSpade
This a short story about a young girl named Sidney. She finds out her grandparents are moving away to Florida. Sidney gets to work late and her boss at Living It Large in Boston Magazine give her a story she need to write dog parade.
I enjoyed this short story about how it was fabulous written and was covering in detail.
December 19, 2022
Sidney Grace is a writer for a magazine in Boston. She tends to get in trouble for writing things that she shouldn't have or get saying something that wasn't supposed to be released. A funny story with some great characters.
January 6, 2023
Pretty good start to a new series, I'm interested this was a fun and easy read. I can't wait for more as this seems like a series I could get into and really enjoy. I received this as an ARC and voluntarily choose to reveiw.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews