Book Review: Essence of Foul Play (Aroma Wellness Mystery, #1) by Daryl Wood Gerber

Essence of Foul Play by Daryl Wood Gerber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent debut for what promises to be a charming, fun, and magical new cozy mystery series.

Essence of Foul Play is the first book in veteran author Daryl Wood Gerber’s charming, fun, and magical new Aroma Wellness Mystery series and introduces readers to the quirky but often contentious residents of Carmel while solving a puzzling and ugly murder. Emma Brennan opens her new spa with its intriguing lineup of alternative self-care treatments in her hometown. Still, she encounters some surprising resistance to her business model, especially from her own mother and her college friend, Willow Shafer, a fellow spa owner who offers only traditional spa services. When Willow is found murdered the morning of Emma’s grand opening, Emma immediately becomes “a person of interest” in her death because a witness reported she saw Emma entering Willow’s business the night before.

The main character, Emma Brennan, is not only a new spa owner but now an amateur sleuth as well in order to clear her name as a suspect in the death of her old friend. She continually keeps a tight rein on her emotions, uses calming techniques, and always tries to redirect her frustrations with others in a positive direction. In addition to the mystery, I really enjoyed reading about all the different methods she employed to stay grounded and in control, and the descriptions of the variety of services her spa offered were fascinating. I was ready to book an appointment myself.

As the first book in a new series, the author must build an entire community of people who live there but do it in such a manner as not to overload the reader. Ms. Gerber does just this with a subtle and natural hand and even lends further assistance to the reader by providing a cast of characters at the front of the book. Readers familiar with the author’s Fairy Garden Mystery series, also set in Carmel, may recognize some cross-over characters who make an appearance. Emma’s world is full of quirky individuals and like-minded souls, such as her grandmother, town librarian, and fairy-friendly Lissa Reade. Yet, there are also quite a few cranky, rude, and downright mean-spirited folks among her acquaintances. One publicly proclaims to Emma’s face, “We hope your business goes poof.” I was shocked but also compelled to keep reading to see if that one would get her comeuppance!

The plot moves quickly, first with all the preparations for the spa’s Grand Opening, and as the murder is discovered early in the story, the action and suspense never let up. With all the high emotions in Emma’s circle, there were plenty of possible murder suspects along the way to check off the list. But as the story progresses and the red herrings drop off, there is a satisfying final resolution.

I recommend ESSENCE OF FOUL PLAY to cozy mystery readers, especially those who would enjoy a spa setting and cool, alternative self-care services.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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