Escaping the rumors of The Otherworld, in a small human town of Findale, Sloan, a fearless Sidhe warrior had finally settled down with her dog Max into a comfortable life. She works on gadgets and electronic repairs in a shop she had managed to put up inside an old dilapidated building, often visiting the busy little cafe nearby for her morning coffee. The townsfolk didn’t really notice the girl with purple hair and she preferred it that way. Until the day she got caught with a knife by the police, at the drugstore where the local pharmacist was murdered.

The story plunges into the action and piques the reader’s interest right from the start. A slight conflict arises, a speeding pickup truck tears through and Sloan feels terrified to look at her dog on the other side of the road. Relief washes over us as she discovers the tiny furry animal safe beside her. With such a powerful opening, the author already knows she has our attention.

The quick but steady pace of the narrative helps to keep us glued to the book, anticipating what would happen next. Character study seems to be one of the strongest points of author Belinda Gordon. The owner of the Apple Dumpling Cafe, Ida is a strong woman with a stern attitude, she has the courage to stand up for what she believes in. Even police officer Tommy finds it difficult to go up against her. When the whole town starts gossiping about Sloan’s involvement in the murder, Mrs. Krauss is the only one who still trusts her.

Little Padraig however is a rather endearing presence. His crazy antics at the school and in the neighborhood, as he chases Max around the backyard or peeps into windows of cars parked outside on the road, makes us grow fond of him. In Sloan’s otherwise dull life, he brings a little extra color and necessary chaos.

Although most of the characters have distinct personalities, I would have enjoyed seeing more opportunities for Sloan to fight back or demonstrate her warrior skills, befitting a legendary Blath Dorcha.

The Good Pharmacist’s Deadly Secrets is a spellbinding cozy-mystery novel with unique supernatural elements that sets up an intriguing who-dun-it mystery that is hard to put down and fun to unravel.

Pages: 210 | ASIN: B087TDWTTW