Essentials of Death: An Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery
by Kim Davis
About Essentials of Death
Essentials of Death: An Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – California
Publisher : Harbor Lane Books, LLC.
Publication date : September 23, 2025
Print length : 299 pages
Digital ASIN : B0FMS643F7
After a scandalous arrest in San Francisco, Carissa Carmichael has moved back to her small Southern California hometown to start over as she opens her Aromatherapy Apothecary shop and reflexology services. A tourist destination, Oak Creek Valley, seems the perfect place to put the past behind her, but it seems no one will let her forget, especially her high school nemesis, Lacie. When Carissa finds her frenemy murdered after having a public altercation at the town’s playwright conference and festival, she becomes the primary suspect. It doesn’t help that the tarot cards she drew earlier in the day foretold the nature of the murder weapon. Despite her father’s position as Oak Creek Valley’s chief of police, the detective assigned to the case assumes she’s guilty.
When tarot death cards begin turning up to taunt her, Carissa not only has to prove her innocence to keep her freedom, she has to make sure death doesn’t come calling for her or those she loves. With the suspects acting as slippery as the essential oils she distills, it’s up to Carissa to apply pressure and sniff out the truth before it’s too late.
Includes essential oil and reflexology tips.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Carissa Carmichael is trying to restart her life in Oak Creek Valley by opening her Aromatherapy Apothecary shop. To gain attention for a new business, she has set up a booth at the annual Playwright Conference and Festival. She is beyond disappointed that Lacie Simmons is manning the booth next door for Jean-Luc Patisserie because its owner is ill. Carissa is very good friends with the owner, Jasper, but there is no love lost between her and Lacie. Lacie is rude, mean, and ill-tempered, and has more than one angry confrontation at the conference, including one with Carissa and another with a prominent playwright.
That evening, Carissa finds Lacie’s dead body cooling off the patisserie walk-in refrigerator. Her father, the chief of police, knows Carissa had nothing to do with the murder, but he is forced off the case and replaced by Detective Martin and Detective Raaf. They have Carissa at the top of their suspect list. She should have known there would be trouble after her quick, incomplete tarot card reading at the festival.
Knowing her dad will help her as much as he legally can, she knows it is essentially up to her to clear her name, and as quickly as possible, because the killer is leaving tarot death cards everywhere to let her know they are always close by, ready to take her as the next victim.
Ms. Davis’ charming characters shine in this story. Carissa is a smart, determined woman with a huge heart. She is surrounded by a wonderful set of supporting characters. Carissa’s relationship with her father is heartwarming. Their love for each other actually glows from the pages. Her friendship with Jasper is strong and growing into a romance so organically. Working side by side with her best friend, Ashley, is delightful; they always have each other’s backs. Dillon works for Carissa part-time but is a true friend as well. Her mentor, Mari, will always jump in to help at the shop and is ready with a tight hug and advice when needed. The core cast of this series is genuine, relatable, and all people who pull you into the story and move it along effortlessly as they continue to evolve.
The author has written a layered mystery with a tight plot and many twists and turns. Lacie ruffled a lot of feathers, and someone is truly trying to railroad Carissa, but are they the same person? Many motives, secrets, surprises, threats, and more kept the pages flying. I enjoyed following along with Carissa as she attempted to uncover the truth and identify the killer. Like Carissa, my spidey sense was flawed. She ended up in a dicey situation, but not all the clues fell into place when the killer was revealed. Some incidents still need to be explained, and by the final pages, they were.
I am enjoying the Aromatherapy theme of this series and learning more about essential oils. Like a character in this story, I am sure I would benefit and appreciate everything about a relaxing foot massage like the ones Carissa gives at the convention.
I am so happy that this series found a new home. We had to wait a bit for this second book to be published, but it was well worth the wait. Essentials of Death is an entertaining read filled with small-town charm, interesting and relatable characters, bits of romance and humor, and mysteries that aptly test both the protagonist and the reader. I hope Ms. Davis is busy writing her next Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery because I am very excited to see what she has planned for Carissa next.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
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About Kim Davis
Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series.
She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder as well as Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen, or baking up yummy treats to share.
Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Author Links
Website Facebook Bluesky Goodreads Bookbub Pinterest Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen
Purchase Links:
Amazon
Other online book retailers: https://books2read.com/u/38wjka
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