Reviewing: Chili Cauldron Curse (Kitchen Witch Mysteries 0.5) by Lynn Cahoon

Read time: 2 minutes

📚 Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
🎧 Format: Audiobook
🎙️ Narrator: Angie Hickman
⏱️ Duration: 2 hours

Book Blurb:

A cozy, magical mystery that kicks off the Kitchen Witch series, “Chili Cauldron Curse” introduces us to Mia Malone—a chef with a dash of witchy powers—and a small-town kitchen filled with secrets. When a murder occurs during the annual chili cook-off, Mia stirs up her sleuthing skills alongside her spellwork, hoping to solve the crime before the cauldron goes cold. With quirky townsfolk and plenty of culinary charm, this novella is a taste of what’s brewing in the series.

Let’s talk about the book:

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. I went in hoping for a fun, magical prequel, but both the story and the narration failed to hold my attention. The story setup felt promising at first, with Mia’s witchy heritage and the body discovery adding intrigue, but it never hooked me.

It’s a short listen (just four hours), but I called it quits after hour two. By then, I was zoning out, and honestly, DNF-ing felt like mercy. It’s short, sure, but even brevity couldn’t save this from feeling like a chore. Total letdown for what could’ve been a fun prequel to the series.

Would I recommend it?

This story didn’t grab me, narration felt flat, and I bailed halfway through. If you’re into cozy witch mysteries, maybe give it a shot if the series improves, but it left me cold and unengaged.

Share your thoughts!

Have you tried this novella or the full Kitchen Witch series? Did the story work for you? Spill your thoughts in the comments. I’m curious if I’m alone in the disappointment.

Book Links

Amazon CA
Goodreads
Follow Lynn Cahoon on her author page