I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Candle With Care
by Valona Jones
Series: Magic Candle Shop Mystery #4
Series Rating:
Published by Crooked Lane Books on February 11, 2025
Setting: Savannah, Georgia
Genres: Cozy Paranormal Crafts and Hobbies Mystery
Pages: 301
Format: Kindle
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Nook
Also in this series: In the Wick of Time, Tallowed Ground
Amateur sleuth and candle maker Tabby Winslow and her twin sister, Sage, are finally making a go of The Book and Candle Shop. It seems like the only heat they’ll feel this June is from the strong sunshine in Savannah, Georgia. Then their acquaintance Detective Sharmila Belfor is gravely injured in a vehicular assault and is in a coma. Cops turn the city upside down searching for the offender, keying in on the detective’s boyfriend Herbert R Ellis, her felon cousin, and her case files.
Fearing the police are looking at the wrong people, Herbert begs Tabby to investigate. He knows what most don’t, that Tabby has psychic abilities that allow her to home in on emotions and motives. Since he’s a lifelong friend of Dr. Quig Quigsly, Tabby’s fiancé, she agrees. But before she finds answers, Sage’s former coworker is murdered, and her twin pleads with Tabby to find the killer. With dead ends at every turn, Tabby fears the city’s troubles are paranormal in origin. By investigating the crimes, she risks exposure of the way her family manipulates energy and uses other psychic talents. Keeping a low profile is essential.
Meanwhile, Quig’s parents are throwing them a black-tie engagement party in two weeks, and Tabby is burning the candle at both ends. Can Tabby end the crime wave and protect her loved ones before she is quenched?
Candle With Care by Valona Jones is absolutely amazing!
Will Tabby solve all the cases and find happiness?
Tabby Winslow
Our sleuth is Tabby Winslow, who sees herself as an energetic, candle and soap maker. Yet, she is so much more; she still hasn’t discovered her complete self. In this installment, she learns more about her family and their ties to the community. Tabby and Sage learn how to protect themselves better. It is so lovely to see Tabby embracing her relationship with Quig. However, she will need to set some boundaries with his mother soon.
Sage Winslow
Sage is Tabby’s older twin. I say that because being the oldest is, at times, important; however, it is not with these two. They are both individuals but also deeply connected. Sage is still having problems in her love life, although she does seem to have her professional life on track. She is embracing her green thumb. Perhaps a former contact is the one that Sage is looking for.
The Mysteries
The first case, Detective Belfor was attacked while driving home from her boyfriend’s one night. She almost died in the crash. Her cousin, who may be involved, is missing. Second, we have Belfor’s partner, Detective Nowry, drugged and later missing. Third, Sage’s partner in her plant business is killed without leads. Fourth, Sage’s high school nemesis is missing, and her mother comes to Tabby to help locate her. The biggest question is whether they are related and how since there are no leads whatsoever.
I love the way Ms. Jones thinks. She spins and twists the plot with lots of secrets and lies, which really kept me guessing. Although I had a good idea of what was going on with the mystery part of the book, some of the other connections surprised me this time.
Five Stars
My rating for Candle With Care by Valona Jones is five stars. I love the mix of paranormal, mystery, and family connections in this series, and I am looking forward to seeing what Ms. Jones has up her sleeve for the next book. Yes, I recommend it!
Magical Candle Shop Mysteries
Giveaway
Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card, and 3 Copies of Candle with Care: A Magic Candle Shop Mystery by Valona Jones, ebook or print, with print only available in the US.
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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Candle With Care by Valona Jones.
Until the next time,
Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon affiliate, meaning if you purchase something from Amazon, this blog receives a tiny percentage of the sale. This helps with the cost of the website and a few giveaways.
About Valona Jones
Valona Jones writes paranormal cozy mysteries set in Southern locales. Her work blends mystery and the unexplained, along with a sprinkle of romance. A former scientist, she’s drawn to the study of personal energy. She sharpened her people-watching skills as a lifelong introvert and thankfully had a bank vault full of personal observations when she began to write fiction. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where she’s seen time and tide wait for no one.
Maggie Toussaint writes cozy mystery and suspense under her own name and the pen name Valona Jones. She writes science fiction as Rigel Carson.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2025 Alphabet Soup-Author Edition-RC JEN
- 2025 Cloak and Dagger JEN
- 2025 Craving the Cozies JEN
- 2025 Cruisin’ thru the Cozies JEN
- 2025 Finish the Series RC JEN
- 2025 Goodreads RC JEN
- 2025 Medical Examiner Mystery RC JEN
- 2025 Six Shooter RC JEN
- 2025 Traveling the World JEN
Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Jen! I am so glad that you are enjoying the series. The next book in this series will release in fall, likely September. One thing to correct. This series started with Crooked Lane as the publisher. They released their option for the books after the second one so I’ve been releasing them under my own imprint (Muddle House Publishing) since then.
Great series. Looking forward to reading “Candle With Care”.