by: Kari Lee Townsend
Series: Wishville Mystery
Genre: Cozy Fantasy Mystery
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
A Spring Festival. A Magical Murder. A Secret Buried Beneath the Well.
Wishville, Vermont looks like a storybook postcard—complete with forest festivals, quirky locals, and a centuries-old wishing well that allegedly grants one wish each season. But for Lyra Wells, the magic isn’t just folklore—it’s her full-time job. As the half-human, half-Dweller Guardian of the Well, Lyra must keep the peace between the mortal world and the magical realm of Elarion. That means overseeing every seasonal WishFest, keeping tourists entertained, and pretending her glowing cat sidekick isn’t judging everyone.
But when an all-too-nosy antique dealer is found mysteriously dead by the well—and a rare memory crystal is discovered at the scene—the fragile treaty between worlds begins to unravel, and the ethereal Dweller chief enforcer isn’t happy. As the townsfolk whisper about curses and coincidences, something ancient stirs beneath the surface—and it’s not ready to stay hidden.
I’m doing great, thank you so much for having me! I’m really excited to talk about The Well-Kept Secret and the magical little town of Wishville.
Congratulations on the release of The Well-Kept Secret, the first book in your new Wishville Mystery series. What can you tell me about the book and the series itself?
Thank you! The Well-Kept Secret kicks off the Wishville Mystery series, a blend of cozy mystery and cozy fantasy. The story begins when Lyra Wells, who has always felt caught between two worlds, discovers that her life as the Guardian of Wishville’s wishing well is about to get much more complicated. When the town’s beloved antique dealer is found murdered near the well, Lyra must work alongside two very different chiefs—one human, one Dweller—to unravel the truth.
Overall, the series is about balancing the ordinary charm of small-town life with the extraordinary secrets hiding just beneath the surface. Each book centers around a seasonal WishFest celebration, where wishes, magic, and mystery collide.
I love the sound of this story. I’m definitely excited to read it. Is Wishville, Vermont, based on a real town? What was your inspiration for creating it?
All of my books take place in the Northeast, with all four seasons. Wishville isn’t based on any one specific place, but it draws inspiration from the enchanting small towns of Vermont with their quaint shops, bustling festivals, and strong sense of community. I wanted a setting that felt cozy and welcoming but also carried a thread of the mystical, that’s why I made it a remote mountain town. Wishville became that in-between space: a town with cobblestone streets and a beloved wishing well that just might hold more secrets than anyone suspects.
Tell me about some of the characters we’ll meet in The Well-Kept Secret and the series.
At the heart of the story is Lyra Wells. One human year equals ten Dweller years. So, she looks nearly 30 but is really almost 300 years old. Lyra is the only half-blood in existence with her mother being a Dweller and her father a human. As a Dweller, she is secretly Guardian of the Well, but as a human, she is a member of the historical society and Chair of WishFest—a festival that runs each season, where people make a wish in the well and hope for it to be granted. When someone’s wish comes true, most chalk it up to wishful thinking, but Lyra knows it’s part of the treaty signed centuries ago to keep the peace between both worlds.
Dwellers are a magical race that live in the hidden realm of Elarion beneath the enchanted well, with the town of Wishville above. Lyra’s dual heritage allows her to blend in with the world above, tasked with keeping the treaty intact, while transporting to the world below when necessary, though it also leaves her struggling to fit into either one.
Her constant companion is Vex, a mischievous black cat who’s actually half-Whispen. He’s snarky, dramatic, and a little too opinionated, but he’s the only one who truly understands what it’s like to live between worlds.
On the human side, Lyra often butts heads with Chief Holden Thorn, the grumpy new police chief who doesn’t believe in magic or like the festival but can’t ignore the strange evidence piling up around him. On the Dweller side, there’s Chief Calderis, the enforcer of Elarion, who takes his duties very seriously and has little patience for human frailty. Together, the three form a reluctant team as they investigate the mysteries surrounding Wishville.
You’ll also meet a cast of quirky townsfolk, including busybody shopkeepers, festival organizers, and The Wellies—a trio of eccentric older ladies who both help and hinder Lyra as she balances her ordinary and extraordinary life.
Tell me about the magical realm of Elarion.
Elarion is the hidden Dweller realm that lies beneath Wishville’s well. It’s a luminous underground world filled with glowing flora, crystalline cities, and cascading waterfalls that sparkle like starlight. Dwellers themselves are ethereal beings who can wield elemental powers tied to the natural world—ice, fire, electricity, and more. It’s beautiful, mysterious, and dangerous all at once, and it plays an increasingly important role as Lyra’s journey unfolds.
You’ve written several cozy mysteries. What drew you to writing this genre?
I started out writing small-town romance and romantic comedy, then I discovered cozy mysteries and was hooked on their balance of charm and intrigue. There’s something so comforting about a small-town setting with quirky characters, but so much fun to weave in secrets, puzzles, and suspense. The paranormal element has always excited me, so adding a fantasy element just felt natural—it allowed me to explore the “cozy” side of magic while keeping that sense of warmth and community at the heart of the story.
Final question. What was your favorite part of The Well-Kept Secret to write, and why?
Honestly, my favorite part was writing the dynamic between Lyra, Holden, and Calderis. They’re all so different—grumpy human chief, brooding Dweller enforcer, and a Guardian caught between them—and their banter practically wrote itself. The push and pull between them adds humor, tension, and heart to the story. I also loved exploring the friendship between Lyra and Vex, because who doesn’t want a magical, sarcastic cat sidekick? I always have a trio of older women as the comic relief. The Wellies were an absolute hoot to write! I hope you enjoy them as much as the trios in my other series 😉
Kari, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for me.
Thank you for having me! I hope readers fall in love with Wishville and its secrets as much as I did writing it.
Leaves rustled, branches shifted—and then he stepped out from the woods like some hero from a romance novel summoned by whispered need.
Calderis had traded his usual ethereal robes for snake-skin boots, dark jeans, a black Henley, and a leather jacket. His thick silver hair was now a pale blond, tied back in a man-bun; his six-foot-ten frame made the trees behind him look like props, and his bone structure could probably cut glass. His eyes, a sky-blue in the fading light, scanned the festival with a mix of calculation and caution.
Chief Holden Thorn met him halfway, playing it cool, but I caught the twitch at the corner of his mouth that said this was painful. “This is Detective Cal Deris,” Holden announced to the handful of townsfolk who had started to gather, using the tone of a man introducing a Hollywood heartthrob with a badge. “Boston Homicide. Brought him in as a consultant on the Samuel Greer case.”
“Pleasure to be here,” Cal said, his voice a deep velvet rumble that practically parted the grass.
Dot gasped and fanned her face.
Belle clutched her cloak like she was about to faint.
Tilly dropped her journal.
“That man is a tall drink of yes,” Belle whispered.
“He makes Holden look fun-sized,” Dot added.
“He’s what my spleen warned me about last week,” Tilly said reverently. “A tower of deliciously divine trouble.”
I bit my cheek to keep from laughing, though I couldn’t disagree. He looked spectacular.
Holden looked like he wanted to melt into the soil.
Cal offered his hand, which Dot took like she’d found the Holy Grail in a leather jacket. “Ladies,” he said with an amused bow. “I’ve heard about your journey to Oz.”
“Oh yes,” Belle said, stepping forward and nudging Dot out of the way. “It was life-altering. The clouds formed a perfect map of ancient leylines around Wishville.”
“And I saw my second husband,” Dot declared. “Turns out he’s not dead...just inconveniently lost in Canada.”
Cal smiled, looking entirely too at ease for a creature from a completely different world masquerading as a human cop. This was a side of him I hadn’t seen in centuries.
We stood at the edge of the clearing, surrounded by laughter and flickering lights as the evening settled over us. Underneath it all, I could feel the heartbeat of the Well—old, sacred, and waiting. And for the moment, Cal Deris—Elarion Dweller noble disguised as a homicide detective—fit right in.
Calderis had traded his usual ethereal robes for snake-skin boots, dark jeans, a black Henley, and a leather jacket. His thick silver hair was now a pale blond, tied back in a man-bun; his six-foot-ten frame made the trees behind him look like props, and his bone structure could probably cut glass. His eyes, a sky-blue in the fading light, scanned the festival with a mix of calculation and caution.
Chief Holden Thorn met him halfway, playing it cool, but I caught the twitch at the corner of his mouth that said this was painful. “This is Detective Cal Deris,” Holden announced to the handful of townsfolk who had started to gather, using the tone of a man introducing a Hollywood heartthrob with a badge. “Boston Homicide. Brought him in as a consultant on the Samuel Greer case.”
“Pleasure to be here,” Cal said, his voice a deep velvet rumble that practically parted the grass.
Dot gasped and fanned her face.
Belle clutched her cloak like she was about to faint.
Tilly dropped her journal.
“That man is a tall drink of yes,” Belle whispered.
“He makes Holden look fun-sized,” Dot added.
“He’s what my spleen warned me about last week,” Tilly said reverently. “A tower of deliciously divine trouble.”
I bit my cheek to keep from laughing, though I couldn’t disagree. He looked spectacular.
Holden looked like he wanted to melt into the soil.
Cal offered his hand, which Dot took like she’d found the Holy Grail in a leather jacket. “Ladies,” he said with an amused bow. “I’ve heard about your journey to Oz.”
“Oh yes,” Belle said, stepping forward and nudging Dot out of the way. “It was life-altering. The clouds formed a perfect map of ancient leylines around Wishville.”
“And I saw my second husband,” Dot declared. “Turns out he’s not dead...just inconveniently lost in Canada.”
Cal smiled, looking entirely too at ease for a creature from a completely different world masquerading as a human cop. This was a side of him I hadn’t seen in centuries.
We stood at the edge of the clearing, surrounded by laughter and flickering lights as the evening settled over us. Underneath it all, I could feel the heartbeat of the Well—old, sacred, and waiting. And for the moment, Cal Deris—Elarion Dweller noble disguised as a homicide detective—fit right in.
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Thanks for having me, Kim. This was so much fun!
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