Books like 'Once Upon a Crime'
Readers who enjoyed Once Upon a Crime by P.J. Brackston also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy mystery action / adventure supernatural humor cozy historical-fiction retellings fairy-tale
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Midlife Mojo by Victoria Danann
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA PARANORMAL WOMEN'S FICTION NOVELfrom Rita Hayworth I have a daughter who knows nothing about my life in Hallow Hill and she's coming for college holiday break. Her visit will dovetail the Solstice Court Meet. It will be close, but if all goes according to plan, I’ll be out of magistrate robes in time to meet the plane...Categorized as:
female-mc humor law-enforcement magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
Balefire by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhyborne’s Endicott relatives have returned to collect on the promise he made to help them take back their ancestral manor from an evil cult. In exchange, they’ll give him the key to deciphering the Wisborg Codex, which Whyborne needs to learn how to stop the masters... -
Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe “powerful and emotionally-charged” fantasy series from the author of the Sevenwaters novels continues, as Blackthorn and Grim face haunting secrets and old adversaries... Feather bright and feather fine, None shall harm this child of mine... Healer Blackthorn knows all too well the rules of her bond to the fey: seek no vengeance, help any who ask, do only good... -
Storm Moon Rising by T.J. Green
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShifters are dying. It’s time to hunt.Wolf shifters fight hard, and play harder, and no one does this better than Maverick Hale, the Alpha of the Storm Moon Pack in London.However, when one of his team is found dead in his club, he needs answers—fast... -
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Intermittent Casting by Rebecca Regnier
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe SHIFT has hit the fan! Marzie is in crisis! This witch is unsure about what to do or how to do it. Every flick of the wand could lead to a disaster for the people she loves. Marzie is heading into hiding with her favorite werewolf. But the pull of Widow's Bay and her responsibilities to her coven and her family are strong... -
Make No Bones About It by Ann Charles, C.S. Kunkle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMYSTERY, MAYHEM, AND MONKEYS, OH MY! Welcome to the jungle, a treacherous place teeming with terrible secrets better left buried. “This dig site isn’t cursed. It’s doomed!” Ancient History … A small civilization in the Maya jungle suffered a mysterious, bloody ending. Recent History … A world-renown Mesoamerican archaeologist dug too deep in the same place and wound up dead. Present Day … Dr... -
Bee Sting Cake by Victoria Goddard
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMagic is out of fashion. Gambling is merely illegal. Neither law nor common sense has ever stopped anyone in Ragnor Bella from making—or breaking—their fortunes at the table, at the racetrack, and especially at the Dartington Harvest Fair. With Mad Jack Greenwing’s only son Jemis finally back from university, this year’s betting is bidding fair to be the stuff of legend... -
Death Over the Garden Wall by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThree modus operandi to die. Four employees, six house guests, and not a single witness.Confusing clues and no helpful leads cloud the death of Countess Giada Barese, who washed up on shore two weeks after her mysterious disappearance. Henri and Jamie have no idea if her death is a homicide, suicide, or accidental death, for nothing adds up... -
The Unmapped Sea by Maryrose Wood
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFans of Lemony Snicket and the Mysterious Benedict Society books will devour the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, about a governess and her three charges--children who have been raised by wolves.In The Interrupted Tale, the fourth title in the acclaimed and hilarious mystery series, Miss Penelope Lumley's sixteenth birthday is not quite sweet...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction humor law-enforcement paranormal action-adventure alpha-mc animals -
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsWhen the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together, they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure...Categorized as:
fairy-tale historical-fiction humor law-enforcement magic paranormal retellings 20th-century -
Eternally Yours by Cate Tiernan
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAfter 450 years of living, Nastasya Crowe should have more of a handle on this whole immortal thing....After a deadly confrontation at the end of Darkness Falls, the second Immortal Beloved novel, Nastasya Crowe is, as she would put it, so over the drama. She fights back against the dark immortals with her own brand of kick-butt magick.. -
In Plain Sight by Dan Willis
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen a magical plague is released in a Depression-era New York soup kitchen, private detective Alex Lockerby finds himself in a desperate hunt to catch a madman before he can strike again.His investigations lead Alex to a famous thief, a daring heist, and the search for a mythic book of ancient magic, but none of that brings him any closer to finding the man responsible for the massacre...Categorized as:
cozy historical-fiction law-enforcement magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
Life at the Coffin Joint by Ann Charles, Sam Lucky
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDeadwood (late 1876) ... A rowdy and reckless undertaker’s delight. What better place for a killer to blend in?Enter undertaker Clementine Johanssen, tall and deadly with a hot temper and short fuse, hired to clean up Deadwood’s dead … and the “other” problem. She’s hell-bent on poking, sticking, or stabbing anyone that steps out of line... -
Saved by Magic by Jasmine Walt
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFenris and Mina's story concludes in the final book of this Baine Chronicles spinoff trilogy!Alerted that Sunaya and Iannis's wedding may be the target of a Resistance plot, Mina and Fenris travel to Solantha despite the very real possibility that Fenris could be recognized and thrown into prison should any of his enemies spot him...Categorized as:
law-enforcement magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult book fiction -
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Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh by R.L. LaFevers, Yoko Tanaka
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn this fourth book in the series, Theodosia sets off to Egypt to return the Emerald Tablet embedded with the knowledge of some of the ancient world s most guarded secrets. Accompanied by her cat, Isis (smuggled along in a basket), Theo plans to return the artifact, then explore the mysteries surrounding her own birth and oh, yes help her mother dig up treasures on her archeological expedition...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction humor law-enforcement magic paranormal retellings action-adventure -
Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe year is 1902 - it's been twenty-three years since Peter and the Lost Boys returned from Rundoon. Since then, nobody on the island has grown a day older, and the Lost Boys continue their friendship with the Mollusk tribe, and their rivalry with Captain Hook. Meanwhile in London, Molly has married George Darling and is raising three children: Wendy, Michael, and John...Categorized as:
fairy-tale historical-fiction humor magic paranormal retellings action-adventure audiobook -
Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn this sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn...Categorized as:
cozy historical-fiction humor magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook -
The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie-blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic-can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake...Categorized as:
fairy-tale female-mc humor magic paranormal retellings witches-wizards action-adventure -
Worth Dying For by Kory M. Shrum
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRead the series with 700 five-star reviews! A contemporary fantasy series unlike any other. Don’t believe us? Download a free sample and see for yourself!With enough power coursing through your veins, it's hard to remember whose side you're on.Jesse Sullivan's father commands a dark and terrible army under the guise of beloved church leader... -
The Alchemist's Illusion by Gigi Pandian
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA perilous painting and an artist who meets his end lead Zoe Faust on an audacious alchemical adventure Centuries-old alchemist Zoe Faust is tired of running from her past. She's finally got her life on track in Portland, Oregon, gardening and cooking in her fixer-upper house with her mischievous best friend, Dorian the gargoyle chef...Categorized as:
cozy female-mc historical-fiction magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
The Journal of a Thousand Years by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn ancient family diary. A timely prophecy. An epic conclusion.As Sylvia prepares to meet Gabe’s parents for the first time, the last thing she needs is for her long-lost father to cause trouble. While his answers to her questions finally bring clarity, they also usher in danger.But that's not all her elusive father brings into Sylvia's life... -
Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsBryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city. But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles into a house full of dark enchantments...Categorized as:
fairy-tale female-mc humor magic paranormal retellings action-adventure anthropomorphism -
Tower of Thorns by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAward-winning author Juliet Marillier’s “lavishly detailed”* Blackthorn & Grim series continues as a mysterious creature holds an enchanted and imperiled ancient Ireland in thrall. Disillusioned healer Blackthorn and her companion, Grim, have settled in Dalriada to wait out the seven years of Blackthorn’s bond to her fey mentor, hoping to avoid any dire challenges... -
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsTuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions...Categorized as:
fairy-tale female-mc humor magic retellings witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook -
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Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsHigh in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It's an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle's hidden portal, known only to the sisters... -
Magicians of Quality by Patricia C. Wrede, Caroline Stevermer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor country-bred cousins Cecelia Rushton and Katherine Talgarth, something extraordinary is afoot besides the constant whirl of Regency balls - something Young Ladies of Quality rarely come in contact with: magic. Oh, not the mere love spells used by country folk, but real sorcery capable of thwarting ambitions and destroying life...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction humor magic paranormal action-adventure alternate-history book -
Spellbound After Midnight by Jenna Collett
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA spellbinding mystery leads an unlikely pair on the hunt for a killer.Tessa Daniels needs a miracle. Preferably, the kind that comes with cold hard cash. Her magic shop is failing, and she'll be tossed into the street unless she clears her debt.When a financial boon arrives in the form of a young woman determined to attend the prince's ball, a risky spell turns out to be the miracle she needed... -
Sunset Specters by Gary Jonas
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA SORCERER SEEKING IMMORTALITY The powerful wizard, Henry Winslow, arrives in 1877 and sets out for the Barbary Coast in San Francisco to steal a bit of life energy from his parents before he can head to the 1920s to complete his immortality ritual...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor investigator paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure adult audiobook -
Wyrde and Wicked by Charlotte E. English
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings‘When it comes to the Wyrde, there is no such thing as harmless. Every single one of us is a walking disaster.’ Winter has come to Werth Towers, and brought a deal of trouble with it. Not that any of it is the fault of Miss Gussie Werth. To be a one-woman catastrophe might be seen as a misfortune, but really, there can be no hope of a cure...Categorized as:
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The Emperor's Mask by Ben S. Dobson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA killer walks among the rich and powerful. Who can the Magebreakers trust? Someone is killing the non-magical members of Senate houses–those who might one day be named Protector of the Realm. And that same someone is leaving behind messages for the Magebreakers beside symbols of the shadowy organization known as the Knights of the Emperor...Categorized as:
humor law-enforcement magic paranormal retellings witches-wizards action-adventure adult -
Covenant's End by Ari Marmell
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe thief Widdershins and her own "personal god," Olgun, return to their home city of Davillon after almost a year away. While Shins expects only to face the difficulty of making up with her friends, what she actually finds is far, far worse. Her nemesis, Lisette, has returned, and she is not alone...Categorized as:
humor magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
Rose and the Silver Ghost by Holly Webb
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTime has flown since Rose left the orphanage behind, and she loves her new family at Mr Fountain's magical house. But she still can't help wondering - what happened to her real family? Were they full of magic too, like her? Then Rose discovers a clue to the mystery: a silver mirror which once belonged to her mother. A mirror with a ghost..Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure book children children-books -
The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles by G.S. Denning
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe game s afoot once more as Holmes and Watson face off against Moriarty s gang, the Pinkertons, flesh-eating horses, a parliament of imps, boredom, Surrey, a disappointing butler demon, a succubus, a wicked lord, an overly-Canadian lord, a tricycle-fight to the death and the dreaded Pumpcrow. Oh, and a hell hound, one assumes...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement magic paranormal retellings witches-wizards -
Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA castle that is constantly rearranging itself, and a young royal family sworn to protect it... Celie, Rolf, and their beloved Castle Glower are back in this exciting sequel. When her brother Rolf dares her to catch magical Castle Glower creating a new room, Princess Celie takes the challenge! No one knows the Castle better than she does. But as usual, the Castle has ideas of its own...Categorized as:
fairy-tale female-mc humor magic paranormal retellings witches-wizards action-adventure -
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Beauty and the Beast by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOnce upon a time Elle made a mistake. A small miscalculation sends her through the roof of an enchanted chateau. Stranded until her broken leg mends, Elle is forced to rely on the good will of the sour chateau owner —the cursed Prince Severin...Categorized as:
fairy-tale female-mc humor magic paranormal retellings witches-wizards action-adventure -
Her Majesty's Necromancer by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen bodies go missing from the cemetery, Lincoln and the Ministry of Curiosities investigate. But not Charlie. As a housemaid at Lichfield Towers, she doesn't get involved in Ministry business.Instead, she conducts investigations of her own. She searches for details about her real mother, and makes inquiries into Lincoln's background... -
The Valley of the Wolves by Laura Gallego García
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDana attends a school of magic with only one other student. She has a great love only she can see. And only she can unravel these mysteries and become mistress of the Valley of the Wolves.Ever since Dana was a little girl, Kai has been her best friend and constant companion--even though she's the only one who can see him...Categorized as:
female-mc law-enforcement magic paranormal witches-wizards action-adventure book children -
Billy the Kid and the Vampyres of Vegas by Michael Scott
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsYears before Sophie and Josh Newman met Nicholas Flamel, two legendary warriors fought together for the first time. Billy the Kid and Scathach the Shadow. Now that lost story can be told . . . Billy the Kid is immortal. And being immortal means following unpredictable paths...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal retellings action-adventure book children children-books -
The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMeet Augustus Berrycloth-Young—fop, flaneur, and Englishman abroad—as he chronicles the Jazz Age from his perch atop the city that never sleeps...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal humor witches-wizards fantasy urban-fantasy fiction -
Entreat Me by Grace Draven
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsAfflicted by a centuries-old curse, a warlord slowly surrenders his humanity and descends toward madness. Ballard of Ketach Tor holds no hope of escaping his fate until his son returns home one day, accompanied by a woman of incomparable beauty. His family believes her arrival may herald Ballard’s salvation. ...until they confront her elder sister...Categorized as:
fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction humor magic paranormal retellings witches-wizards -
Once Upon a Curse by E.D. Baker
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsMany years ago a slighted fairy placed a curse on a beautiful young princess--a curse that caused her and all her female descendants to turn into mean, ugly witches if they ever touched a flower after turning sixteen. Now, Princess Emma, who is about to turn sixteen herself, is determined to break the spell once and for all...Categorized as:
fairy-tale female-mc humor magic paranormal retellings witches-wizards action-adventure -
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsHoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other's countries in the name of better political alliances--and potential marriages...Categorized as:
fairy-tale historical-fiction humor magic paranormal retellings witches-wizards action-adventure -
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 58 ratingsIn an evocative and fast-paced adventure on the high seas and on a faraway island, an orphan boy named Peter and his mysterious new friend, Molly, overcome bands of pirates and thieves in their quest to keep a fantastical secret safe and save the world from evil. Best-selling authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have turned back the clock to reveal the wonderful story that precedes J. M...Categorized as:
fairy-tale historical-fiction humor magic paranormal retellings action-adventure audiobook -
The Plastic Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg returns to the enchanting world of The Paper Magician.Alvie Brechenmacher has arrived in London to begin her training in Polymaking—the magical discipline of bespelling plastic. Polymaking is the newest form of magic, and in a field where there is so much left to learn, every Polymaker dreams of making the next big discovery...Categorized as:
cozy female-mc historical-fiction magic paranormal witches-wizards 20th-century action-adventure -
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Rose by Holly Webb
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe grand residence of the famous alchemist, Mr Fountain, is a world away from the dark orphanage Rose has left behind. For the house is positively overflowing with sparkling magic—she can feel it. And it’s not long before Rose realises that maybe, just maybe, she has a little bit of magic in her, too. . . -
Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA mermaid haunts Adrianne's dreams . . . is she coming to warn her, save her, or drag her down into the depths of the briny sea forever?When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, of whom she has heard terrible stories all her life, she is convinced the mermaid means to take her younger sister...Categorized as:
fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic paranormal retellings action-adventure book -
Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsOnce again World Fantasy Award-winner Barry Hughart blends folklore and fantasy to create a work of enchantment set in an ancient China that never was…but should have been. Master Li and Number Ten Ox—heroes of Bridge of Birds and The Story of the Stone—return to solve the mystery of how and why respected mandarins are being mysteriously murdered...Categorized as:
fairy-tale historical-fiction humor law-enforcement magic paranormal retellings 20th-century -
Hell Breaks Loose by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTravel back to 1703 with Skulduggery Pleasant in this standalone novel featuring all your favorite characters. So many enemies, so little time . . . Italy, 1703. As the war with Mevolent rages on, the Dead Men are dispatched to a walled town in the Tuscan hills – not to assassinate the Lord of the Dark Sorcerers, but to save him...Categorized as:
humor magic paranormal law-enforcement historical-fiction fantasy young-adult fiction -
A Golden Grave by Erin Lindsey
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe follow-up to Murder on Millionaires' Row, Erin Lindsey's second historical mystery follows Rose Gallagher as she tracks a killer with shocking abilities through Gilded Age Manhattan. Rose Gallagher always dreamed of finding adventure, so her new life as a freshly-minted Pinkerton agent ought to be everything she ever wanted...Categorized as:
cozy female-mc historical-fiction law-enforcement magic paranormal action-adventure adult -
Death of an Adept by Katherine Kurtz, Deborah Turner Harris
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSir Adam Sinclair, the mystic historian known as the Adept, has emerged victorious from his encounters against the forces of darkness. But now he faces the most unthinkable crime imaginable against his kind: murder...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure adult book female-author fiction
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