Flimflam Fairy by Elizabeth Pantley

Item: Flimflam Fairy
Rating: 4
Author: karenbaron

Posted September 19, 2026 by karenbaron in Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Flimflam Fairy

by Elizabeth Pantley

Series: Magical Cozy Mystery Bookstore #1
Series Rating:

Published by Independently Published on August 27, 2026
Setting: Thistlebloom, Arizona
Genres: Cozy Paranormal Animal Mystery
Pages: 275
Format: Audible Audiobook, Kindle, Paperback
Source: the Author
Goodreads
BookBub
Storygraph
Get Your Copy at: Amazon

A fun cozy mystery adventure with an enchanted bookstore and a clever talking cat!

Best friends Willa and Lucy buy an enchanted bookstore full of charmed books. One wisp of magic later, they're whisked inside a story, transformed into amateur sleuths, and joined by Banjo, a charming talking cat. There is no way out until the mystery is solved.

This adventure drops them in Whisperglow Village, a world of color, wonder, and fairies, where one of the most beloved residents in town has just been murdered, found clutching a cryptic note from a con man.

Villagers don't lock their doors here. They never imagined this could happen, and they certainly never could have imagined whodunit.

Can Willa, Lucy, and Banjo unmask the killer, solve the case, and make it back to their own cozy bookstore before the story closes its final page?

~ ~ ~

If you like the idea of an enchanted bookstore with charmed books, check out the companion series – The Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club. 11 book series available in eBook, paperback, audiobook, and Kindle Unlimited.

Flimflam Fairy by Elizabeth Pantley has expanded the universe that she created with the Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club series with this new series. It’s just as good as the Book Club ones.

Can Willa, Lucy, and Banjo solve the mystery?

Willa, Lucy, and Banjo

This story introduces three new protagonists. Willa and Lucy are in their sixties, retired, and ready to spend their time doing what they want. For Lucy, that means pushing Willa out of her comfort zone. Willa would rather stay at home, read a good book, and drink tea. Banjo is the talking tabby cat who has been on a lot of book journeys and is there to help Willa and Lucy on their new adventures.

These three are hilarious together, and I had a fun time being with them. Willa is a hoot, Lucy is a breath of fresh air in the fact that you never know what she will do, and Banjo is a wise cat. Lucy and Banjo definitely make sure that Willa eats and has a good time. No matter which group we are with, Ms. Pantley makes sure that we read about what they are eating. I sometimes wonder when those scenes happen if Ms. Pantley is hungry while writing them.

The Mystery

This is the first mystery that Willa and Lucy go on as testers for the various book clubs in the world that deal with cozy mysteries, and it is quite a doozy. I had a hard time guessing who did it, but I felt something wasn’t right. Willa and Lucy each had different strengths throughout the mystery, and they really showed it. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Pantley does next with them.

The part of this mystery I like most is that the book itself is part of the mystery. I feel like that helps keep us on our toes and surprised by what we discover. Ms. Pantley does a great job introducing us to the world Willa and Lucy find themselves in, while also keeping us in the dark about what the book is about.

Four Stars

My rating for Flimflam Fairy by Elizabeth Pantley is four stars, and I do recommend this book. Ms. Pantley is an author I can’t wait to dive into whenever she puts out a book. Willa, Lucy, and Banjo are a great joy to read while she works on the next books of her various series. I am still holding onto hope that we will get more from the Destiny Falls one. Every time I see Bob from that story in a different one, all I can think of is: what are those characters up to? I do love all of her books, though, as they are all really good. Please check them out; they never disappoint.

Magical Cozy Mystery Bookstore Series

Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Flimflam Fairy by Elizabeth Pantley.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

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About Elizabeth Pantley

Elizabeth Pantley is the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents, published in over twenty languages.

She simultaneously writes well-loved cozy mysteries: The Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the Magical Mystery Book Club series.

Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest, the gorgeous inspiration for the setting in many of her books.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges: