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Juliet BlackwellCozy Mystery · Contemporary Literature
A Toxic Trousseau
Lily is a sorceress in San Francisco, and right now she is also the temporary leader of the city's magical community. Her hands are full, and her magic is not at its best. Then her potbellied pig, Oscar, head-butts Autumn Jennings, a rival clothier, and Lily faces the threat of a personal injury lawsuit.
She tries to settle things quietly with Autumn and avoid a costly court case. That plan ends when Autumn turns up dead. Lily is one of the prime suspects, so she has to find out who wanted Autumn harmed before suspicion hardens around her.
Her search leads to a cursed trousseau, part of the inventory Autumn had recently acquired. To learn the trunk's history, Lily has to deal with a mysterious dogwalker and spend a night in a haunted house. The curse may claim another victim if she works too slowly.
This is a paranormal cozy mystery with a magical setting, a pet pig who causes trouble, and a vintage clothing world at its center. The clock is the curse, so the pace stays brisk, and the tone leans toward lightly comic with a supernatural edge.