How do you solve a murder that hasn't happened yet?

Destiny Whip is a former child prodigy, world-renowned enigmatologist and very, very alone. A life filled with loss has made her a recluse, an existence she’s content to endure until a letter arrives inviting her to interview for the position of Scruffmore family historian. Not only does an internet search for the name yield almost nothing, it’s a role she never applied to in the first place!

After she decodes the invitation’s hidden message with ease, the promise of her family secrets being revealed is too powerful a draw for the orphaned Destiny, who soon finds herself on Eerie Island. It’s a place whose inhabitants are almost as inhospitable as the tempestuous weather. The Scruffmores themselves turn out to be not much better, a snarled mess of secrets and motives connected by their mistrust for one another.

Their newly arrived guest proves to be just as much an enigma to them as they are to her. While Destiny slowly works to unravel the mysteries hidden throughout the ominous castle, she struggles to interpret disturbing nightly visions of what is to come. In the midst of cryptic ciphers, hidden passages, and the family’s magical heritage and line of succession, Destiny is certain of two things: one of the Scruffmores is going to die and she’s running out of time to stop it.

Interspersed with riddles and puzzles that both Destiny and the reader must solve, A Most Puzzling Murder is a one-of-a-kind mystery that will leave you guessing and gasping until the very last page!

Bianca Marais cohosts the popular podcast The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing, aimed at emerging writers. She was named the winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award for Creative Writing at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies in 2021. She is the author of two novels, Hum If You Don’t Know the Words and If You Want to Make God Laugh, as well as the Audible Original The Prynne Viper. She lives in Toronto with her husband and fur babies.

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"The Witches of Moonshyne Manor is an engaging, hilarious, and utterly charming take on the modern witch story. I loved every page." – Lana Harper, NYT bestselling author of Payback's a Witch.

"The new Practical Magic for a generation of women who value sisterhood, friendship and fierce, fabulous feminism above all else. It was an absolute delight from start to finish, and the kind of book I’ve been craving for years. Escapist and hilarious but also bold and incisive, this novel has shot to the top of my list of favourites."
— Marissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky

"In this enchanting novel we meet a coven of misfit witches—a sisterhood as diverse as it is powerful, though struggling with many of the same issues that face non-magical women: in particular, what it means to be an aging woman in a society enamored with youth. Brimming with magic, mystery and meaning, prepare to be bewitched.
—Karma Brown, #1 bestselling author of Recipe for a Perfect Wife

“Picture it. Critchley Hackle, 2021. A group of older women living together to share expenses and lean on each other. Sound familiar? But with these delightful witchy equivalent of The Golden Girls, it's not just the cheesecake that has healing powers.”
- Steven Rowley, bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Guncle, a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for Novel of the Year.

"Richly imagined, gorgeously written, and completely addictive, this exuberant novel is a celebration of womanhood at its brightest, funniest, most honest, and most kind. Bianca has written the kind of insightful, empowering story you can't wait to share with a friend." —#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs

"A quirky Golden Girls with wands that explores women’s empowerment, friendship, and loyalty and addresses racial equality, identity, and gender fluidity. A timely, fun modern-day fable about women who refuse to conform." —Library Journal, starred review

"Resonant and relevant in its exploration of gender expression, race and racial justice, and age and aging, all with central characters full of wit, heart, and magical secrets."—Booklist