At the age of eight, Arista Kelly was frantically swept up by her parents and whisked off to an isolated town in the California redwoods. Two days later, her parents were gone.
Now at the age of twenty-three, she has settled quite nicely into an eclectic lifestyle, much like her great aunt, and guardian since childhood, Bethie. She enjoys the use of herbs and crystals to help her commune with the energy and nature around her and finds pleasure in the company of her beloved pet, Royal. Usually quite satisfied with her mundane life high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, life becomes unsettling when a new recurring vision of an ominous tattoo as well as increased activity from the ghostly presence within her own cottage invade her once-harmonious existence.
But life in this mountain sanctuary takes an even darker turn when the body of Arista’s former classmate is found in the nearby river. As other young young women fall prey to a suspected serial killer, Arista realizes that the terror is coming to her.
Publisher: Independently Published(March 20, 2024)
AISN: B0CTKPM863
ISBN: 1685133886
ISBN-13: 978-1685133887
Print length: 289 pages
Purchase a copy of Murder Under Redwood Moon
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | GoodReads
Blog Tour Calendar
November 24th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of the the first book in Sherri Dodd’s Murder, Tea & Crystals trilogy: Murder Under the Redwood Moon. Read an interview with the author and enter to win the whole trilogy. Two winners!
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
November 25th @ All Things Writing
How does an introvert survive book promotion? Author Sherri Dodd tells us how she promoted and lived to tell the tale!
https://www.caitrincking.com/blog
December 1st @ Word Magic
What is Magick Realism? Author Sherri Dodd shares her take on the genre of her trilogy Murder, Tea & Crystals.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com
December 2nd @ Cozy Home Delight
Get Ashley’s take on Murder Under Redwood Moon, Sherri Dodd’s paranormal murder mystery.
December 3rd @ Chapter Break
Enjoy a good crime read? Mystery author Sherri Dodd shares a few of her favorites today at Chapter Break.
December 3rd @ Cozy Home Delight
Sherri Dodd, author of the Murder, Tea and Crystals trilogy, tells us about her Three Favorite Barbies.
December 4th @ Knotty Needle
Judy’s posting her review of Murder Under Redwood Moon by Sherri Dodd.
http://www.knottyneedle.blogspot.com
December 9th @ Words by Webb
Like your mysteries with a twist? Check out a paranormal mystery: Murder Under Redwood Moon.
https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog
December 10th @ Kaecey McCormick
Kaecey is getting writing tips from Sherri Dodd in today’s author interview.
https://www.kaeceymccormick.com/
December 12th @ Author Anthony Avina
Novelist Sherri Dodd shares the Challenges of Writing About Witchcraft & Anthony reviews the first book in her trilogy: Murder Under Redwood Moon.
https://authoranthonyavina.com/
December 14th @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion
Stop for an interview with Sherri Dodd, author of the Murder, Tea & Crystals trilogy.
https://bootsshoesandfashion.com
December 17th @ A Wonderful World Of Words
Don’t miss your chance to read a review of Murder Under Redwood Moon and a chance to win the entire trilogy!
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
December 21st @ Boys’ Mom Reads
Escape the holiday craziness with a dash of magic when Karen reviews Murder Under Redwood Moon.
https://karensiddall.wordpress.com
I read Murder Under Redwood Moon as part of the WOW Women on Writing book tour, and I was immediately pulled into this witchy, atmospheric mystery. I love stories rooted in magical realism, especially when the magic is generational and tied to family history. This book had all of that and more.
My reading experience was completely absorbing. It was the kind of story that takes you out of your own world and places you firmly into another one, where the magic feels believable and the mystery lingers even after you close the book. I found myself still half living in its witchy realm long after I set my Kindle down.
The story is told from a couple of different points of view, and sometimes you are not entirely sure who you are hearing from until the story reveals more and those pieces fall into place. There are also a few flashbacks that add important context to the dark events that set this entire mystery in motion. Most of the story unfolds through the perspective of a young girl who was raised in a magical family and has been under her aunt’s care since she was eight. She knows very little about the traumatic past that changed her life, but those secrets are closely connected to the murders happening around her town.
One of my favorite elements in stories like this is the sense of generational magic. The aunt and niece bond was so compelling and heartfelt, and their rituals, spells, and shared ancestry created a strong, protective dynamic that pulled me in. I also really loved the friendships in this book. They felt loyal, warm, and supportive, even in the middle of some very dark moments.
I do wish we had gotten a little more of the deeper emotional backstory behind the family’s separation and magical protections, though I know this is the first book in a series. The ending hinted strongly that book two will explore all of that, and now I want to continue immediately.
The tone of this book is exactly what I hope for in a witchy mystery. It is dark, mysterious, atmospheric, full of magical realism, and grounded in small town folklore. But at the same time, it is surprisingly uplifting. Even though girls in the town are disappearing and being murdered, the magical family at the center of the story is using their gifts to help, support, and protect the people they love.
One moment that really stood out to me was when a character hesitated to get involved because he was religious and saw witchcraft as taboo. The main character replied:
“Seriously. Anything can become taboo through ignorance. And ignorance creates fear.”
I loved that line because it reflects so much truth, both in the context of the story and in real life.
My final thoughts are simple. I absolutely loved this book. It captures everything I adore about witchy mysteries and magical realism. Thank you to WOW Women on Writing for inviting me to be part of this tour. I will definitely be continuing the series.
Readers who love witchy mysteries, generational magic, atmospheric settings, small town folklore, and magical realism will enjoy this one. And if you love stories with crystals, tarot, rituals, and the strong bond of magical families, this will be right up your alley.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this virtual book tour, Women On Writing
If you enjoy cozy book reviews, you can watch my YouTube thoughts, follow along on Instagram, and see everything I am reading this year.
My 2025 Book Stack:
https://amzn.to/445B7ty
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ashleykbooks
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/ashmandak
Thank you for reading and spending time with my review today.
About the Author, Sherri Dodd
Sherri was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore. This inspired her first short story for sale about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto children as they smelled it. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. It was not long after that her mother packed the two of them up and headed to the central coast of California. She has ping-ponged throughout the area ever since.
Her first real step into writing was the non-fiction fitness book, Mom Looks Great – The Fitness Program for Moms published in 2005, and maintaining its accompanying blog. Now, transmuting the grief of her father’s passing, she has branched into Fiction, specifically the genre of Paranormal Thriller with generous dashes of Magick Realism! Her Murder, Tea & Crystals Trilogy released book one – Murder Under Redwood Moon – in March 2024. Book two – Moonset on Desert Sands – released in March 2025, and the final book in the series – Hummingbird Moonrise – became #1 New Release in Occult Supernatural on Amazon in October 2025!
You can follow the author at:
Website: www.sherridodd.com
Instagram: @Sherri.Dodd.Author https://www.instagram.com/sherri.dodd.author/
Cozy Home Delight 
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