A seaside town, a family of healers and an aunt in jail for murder. That is the setup of A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison, the first of the Enchanted Bay Mysteries. Crooked Lane Books published it in May 2020. It was the debut of a new cozy series with mermaids and magic at its heart, and it is still the place to start.
What Is A Spell for Trouble About?
The protagonist is Aleksandra Daniels, Alex to her family. She has not been back to the quiet seaside town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina in over twenty years. After her mother died, her father forbade her to visit her aunt and cousins, and he never said why.
On a whim, Alex accepts an invitation to help with the family business. It is an herbal apothecary known for its remarkably potent teas, salves and folk remedies. Bellamy Bay doesn’t look like trouble, but the town has dark secrets. Alex discovers that her family is the center of local gossip. They are rumored to be magical healers descended from mermaids.
She laughs it off. Then a local is poisoned, and Aunt Lidia is arrested for the crime. Alex is sure her aunt is being framed. Her questions uncover forbidden affairs, family rivalries and the truth about her own ancestry. When the case turns deadly, Alex learns that these are secrets worth hiding. Some of them may even be worth killing for.
The Plot Without Spoilers: Alex, Lidia and a Poisoning
The victim is Randy Bennett, and the poison comes from deadly nightshade berries. Since the family sells herbs, the police look at Lidia first. Jack Frazier, a new officer in town, makes the arrest. Alex is left to run the apothecary shop with her cousins and clear her aunt’s name.
The investigation leads her to the wealthy Wesley family and to Dylan, a charming man she knew as a child. She cannot fully trust him. She cannot share her magical theories with Jack either. Each chapter adds a clue and a new piece of family history.
Meet Alex Daniels and the Family in Bellamy Bay
Alex Daniels is a former risk management consultant from New York. She is careful, skeptical and slow to trust, which makes sense for a woman who grew up far from her family. Some readers find her a little cold at first. She warms up as she finds her place.
The book has fun characters and a warm family in Bellamy Bay:
- Aunt Lidia runs the apothecary with calm authority and a healer’s heart.
- Her cousins Minka and Kamila show two very different sides of the family.
- Athena, Alex’s dog, is a big, loyal German Shepherd and a scene-stealer.
- Jack Frazier is the police officer who arrests Lidia.
- Dylan is a charming man from Alex’s childhood, with a family she cannot quite trust.
Jack and Dylan set up a light love triangle. Some reviewers feel every man in town is a possible love interest. If you like a bit of romance with your mystery, you will not mind.
Our Review: A Touch of Magic, Mermaids and Folk Remedies
Reading A Spell for Trouble feels like walking into a small shop on the beach. The apothecary is full of teas, essential oils, bath bombs and healing salves. The descriptions of Bellamy Bay make the quaint town easy to picture.
The magic is what makes this cozy different. Addison does not use the usual broomsticks and spell books. The family’s gift comes from the Mermaid of Warsaw, a figure of Polish legend. They are water witches whose power is in healing, and their potions are closer to traditional medicine than to fantasy. The author’s husband is a first-generation Polish immigrant, and the care shows. In the first book the magic stays in the background, and the mystery comes first.
The town is the other star. Generations of rumors hang over the family, and everyone seems to know a story about them. It is a quirky small-town setting with distinctive characters, not a backdrop.
A few things may bother you. Some readers feel the clues come too late for a fair guess. Alex’s doubts slow the first chapters down. These are first-book issues, and they do not spoil the fun. It is a clean read, and the poisoning is not graphic.
What Do Reviews Say About A Spell for Trouble?
On Goodreads the book holds 3.83 out of 5 from more than 3,300 ratings. It was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. The trade reviews were warm too:
- Kirkus called it a sparkling debut for readers who love cozies, romance with an edge and magical adventures.
- Booklist praised the well-developed characters and the charming seaside setting.
- Library Journal wrote that fans of Ellery Adams will want to try it.
Most community reviews praise the apothecary, the Polish lore and Athena. The criticism is mostly about the romance and the pace of the opening.
Is It Part of a Series? The Enchanted Bay Reading Order
Yes. A Spell for Trouble is book one of the Enchanted Bay Mysteries. Each mystery is solved by the end, but Alex’s magic grows from book to book. Read them in this order:
- A Spell for Trouble (2020)
- A Hex for Danger (2021)
- A Brew for Chaos (2025)
The next book in the series, A Hex for Danger, is set during the town’s Mermaid Festival. The third came out on September 2, 2025, from Severn House. No future books in the series have been announced yet.
Who Is the Author of A Spell for Trouble?
Esme Addison is a mystery author and Agatha Award nominee who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She fell in love with puzzles as a child reading Nancy Drew. A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison was her first mystery novel. In 2024 she started a second, more thriller-like series with An Intrigue of Witches. Read more on our Esme Addison author page.
What Genre Is It, and What Does “Spell Trouble” Mean?
This is an Enchanted Bay paranormal cozy mystery: an amateur sleuth, a small town, no graphic violence, and magic on the side. It also belongs with our witch cozy mysteries. If you love cozies full of family secrets, this delightful new series is a natural fit.
The title is a pun. To “spell trouble” is an English idiom: something spells trouble when it signals that problems are coming. Here the spell is real, and so is the trouble.
Similar Books for Cozy Fans
Fans of Ellery Adams and Heather Blake will feel at home in Bellamy Bay. Try these next:
- Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams, about healing through books in a small town.
- Wishcraft Mysteries by Heather Blake, with a family of wishcrafters in Salem.
- Witchcraft Mysteries by Juliet Blackwell. See our Secondhand Spirits review.
- Bewitching Mysteries by Madelyn Alt. See our The Trouble With Magic review.
Quick Facts
- Series: Enchanted Bay Mystery, book #1
- Author: Esme Addison
- Published: May 2020 (ebook), July 7, 2020 (hardcover), Crooked Lane Books, 336 pages
- Genre: paranormal cozy mystery, witch cozy
- Setting: Bellamy Bay, North Carolina
- Main characters: Alex Daniels, Aunt Lidia, Minka, Kamila, Jack Frazier, Dylan, Athena
- The hook: a local is poisoned, and the family healer is arrested
- Goodreads rating: 3.83/5 (3,334 ratings, 510 reviews)
- Audiobook: narrated by Emily Durante (Dreamscape Media)
- Content warnings: poisoning, mild peril; a clean cozy read
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy A Spell for Trouble?
The book is sold in hardcover, ebook and audiobook. You can buy it on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Books-A-Million and Kobo. Many public libraries carry it too.
Is A Spell for Trouble the first book in the series?
Yes. It is book one of three in the mystery series, and the best place to start.
Who is the author of A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison?
Esme Addison, a North Carolina mystery author. Her books brim with enchantment, family and small-town secrets.
Is A Spell for Trouble worth reading?
If you love cozies with a bit of magic, yes. It is an enchanting new series opener with a unique myth and a warm family.