I received an ARC via LibaryThing, and I am posting my honest review.

Murder Under the Redwood Moon is a fun, easy read combining witches, magick, the paranormal, and murder. Arista is a young white witch being mentored by her wise old aunt who also raised her. Arista's complicated childhood left her parents with no choice but to leave her with her aunt for her safety. The murder of a childhood classmate forces Arista and her aunt to confront the past and take measures to protect themselves. A little help from a ghostly presence doesn't hurt either.

I enjoyed this book and loved the idea of a murder mystery with the intertwining of witches and ghosts. This book gave me Practical Magic vibes which is one of my favorite movies. This book contained quite a bit of information about natural magick, herbs, spellwork, and rituals. Arista's aunt is my favorite character followed by her protective owl.

What I did not like about this book was Shane's character, who is Arista's boyfriend. I did not feel they meshed well at all. I also felt there could have been more background and depth to his character. The pacing was a little bit off for me. The buildup was there, but I felt the ending was wrapped up in the last few pages which made it feel rushed. The ending left open the possibility of a sequel which I would definitely read.

Overall, I thought this was a fun spooky story and I am interested in reading other works by this author. Thanks to LibraryThing and Sherri Dodd for the ARC. ( )

I have always loved a good murder mystery to keep me on the edge of my seat, and keep me on the edge this book did. I liked that the book was told from various points of view, from Arista, the main female character, to her great aunt, friends, suspects, and the sheriff. Set in the Santa Cruz area, the town is plagued by a series of murders, all women who bear similarities to Arista.

With lots of references to witchy magic and the occult, Arista knows a threat is coming for her, and as secrets from her childhood are revealed, there may be more danger awaiting her than she could have ever guessed. I liked the characters, especially the positivity of the eccentric great aunt Bethie and Arista. The magical aspect was intriguing and showed how much research the author put into the book and into the world-building for the novel.

I also liked that the story had more depth as secondary characters faced their own problems and resolutions, keeping the book fascinating and riveting to the last page. Through the various perspectives, the reader is given small pieces of the puzzle and left guessing how they all fit together until the end. While there is some resolution at the end of the novel, how it is written suggests there will be a second book. Dangers are still present, and questions are left unanswered. I will follow this author and am excited to see if the series continues.

Side note: While there is a romantic aspect between Arista and another character, the romance is clean, and only a tiny hint of it in the book. The story mainly follows the solving of the murders and Arista's past coming back to haunt her. I highly recommend this read if you like magic, witches, and mystery.