MOONSET ON DESERT SANDS

Murder, Tea, & Crystals, Book Two

By Sherri L. Dodd

Paranormal Thriller / Fantasy / Magical Realism / Witch-Lit

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Pages: 360

Publication Date: March 27, 2025

Synopsis

With a traumatic year of fending off a serial killer behind her, Arista has settled contentedly into her temporary home with Auntie in Sedona, Arizona. She enjoys her new job selling all things metaphysical and even has her eye on the hot security guard, Dakota, after her recent breakup with Shane.

But a series of new fainting spells has her worried, and when Auntie witnesses one, they decide the answer lies in her home of Boulder Creek. However, returning means not only dealing with her breakup and its heartache but also the possibility of drawing her bloodthirsty Uncle Fergus to her once safe haven in the redwoods. And this time he has recruited an even more dangerous alliance.

Arista’s closest bonds will be strengthened, but the mounting tension of a death in the desert, a stalker on the streets, and the relentless pursuit of Fergus puts her in dangerous territory, and escaping sorrow proves impossible.

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Review

A mystical mystery that intrigued me about magick, but also pulled me into a story that puts Arista in her uncle’s crosshairs.

This is the second in the series, and I highly recommend picking up book one before diving into this one. Many things regarding Arista’s background and the danger she is facing will make more sense.

I read the first book a few days ago, but this book caught my attention. Perhaps because I had a better sense of the characters, Arista can be naive, but she is also intelligent. While I couldn’t relate to her personally, I was enthralled with discovering more about her and her powers. Having two parents with magical gifts is amplified in their child.

In the first book, we learn about Arista’s uncle Fergus. He is more of an outlier in that novel. However, he comes front and center in this novel, trying to find his niece and gain her powers. There is a significant twist regarding Fergus at 40% of the way—one I was not expecting. Fergus continues to hunt his niece, but will he succeed? You will have to read the book to find out.

There is also the theme of family. Arista is reconnected with her parents, but only to have a loss. Her aunt Bethie can be an interesting character. There are times when it seems like she is abrupt, but perhaps because she knows time is of the essence.

The author paints a picture of Sedona, and I could see it in my mind. The same goes for the town of Boulder Creek. The variety of characters adds to the dimension of the story and enhances it.

If you enjoy magical realism, you will want to give this series a whirl. I learned a few new things, and it left me curious to learn more.

We give this book 4 paws up.

About the Author

Sherri L. Dodd was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore. This inspired her first story for sale, about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto children as they smelled it. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. Shortly thereafter, her mother packed the two of them up and headed to the central coast of California. Since that time, she has worked in the corporate world, married, raised two sons, and now writes full-time creating atmospheric paranormal fiction. Her debut novel – Murder Under Redwood Moon – shot straight to #1 on Amazon, holding firm as a Best Seller in the Occult Supernatural genre.

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