Book Review: Hot Springs Homicide by Nikki Haverstock

Brooke, a mermaid living in the magical town of Purgatory Falls, is helping out with the annual Founders’ Week celebrations when a search for a missing bracelet leads to a dead body. With a murderer to catch, and a treasure to find, Brooke discovers she has a deeper connection to her new home than she ever realized. 

I love the Purgatory Falls Mysteries, and “Hot Springs Homicide” is one of my favorites in the series. Apart from the town, which I want to relocate to, Brooke’s journey towards independence and her discovery of what it means to be a paranormal are what makes me love these books so much. 

This time around, Brooke is in a better place than ever before. She’s made the decision to stay in Purgatory Falls, she’s stood up to her mother, and she’s making the first strides to carve out her own life in her new home. It’s lovely to see Brooke in a more confident, stable position, and it’s the perfect time for her to make some dramatic discoveries. 

Founders’ Week dredges up the past in Purgatory Falls, including the hunt for a fabled treasure. I love treasure hunts, so I was very interested in this story. When people turn up dead and her best friend, Twyla, is injured, Brooke decides to step in and find the treasure herself, before any more bad things happen. 

Of course, in a town full of near immortal beings, most of the founders are still around to tell Brooke what it was like settling the area. I loved learning about the history of the town, and there were several really interesting new paranormals introduced as well. There’s also more information about my favorite characters – Minotaur Tavros, who runs the Bull in the Bookshop restaurant, and the Dobhar-Chú, Chuy, a dog like guardian who has adopted Brooke. 

As the fourth book in the series, it makes nice call backs to things introduced in the other books, while continuing to develop the world and characters. The treasure hunt was a great story, and it wrapped up satisfactorily, while still leaving lots of hints of what’s to come in the next book. 

The book ends with a shocking personal revelation for Brooke, which has set up certain expectations for book five. I can’t wait to read what happens next!