Book Review: A Whiff of Murder by Angela M. Sanders

A Whiff of Murder by Angela M. Sanders is a spinoff of her Witch Way Librarian series and opens with the reader meeting Lise Bloom, who works at the Lucky Lotus and can smell emotions. Hoping to learn more about her special gift, clairalience, she's suddenly thrust into the spotlight when she discovers the dead body of her boss, Dyann, in the back room of the store and becomes one of the prime suspects. With the help of her roommates, Lise sets out to prove her innocence and find out who could have a motive to kill her boss.

I knew right off the bat that I had to read Sanders' latest novel without even reading the synopsis because I absolutely love her Witch Way Librarian series. Additionally, I wanted another story by her to tide me over until the next installment of that series. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for approving my request for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of A Whiff of Murder by Angela M. Sanders. I was ecstatic when I learned of the approval. I received a copy for free in exchange of my honest review.

As I began the story, I quickly realized that the main character had made a special appearance in Witch and Tell (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #7), and I was pleased to learn that I'd get to learn more about Lise Bloom. I thoroughly enjoyed A Whiff of Murder, but I did have a bit of trouble at first getting into the story. However, the pacing quickly picked up and took me on a ride of a lifetime.

This cozy mystery appears to be a first in a series, and there was a lot of time spent on character development, especially when it comes to the characters of Lise, Teddy, Fran, and Burt. They were all very likable, and I can't wait to see what shenanigans they get into as the series progresses. I found that the characters of Dyann, Richard, and Murphy were quite unlikable, but by the end of A Whiff of Murder, I found myself liking Murphy a little better. 

There was another character that I really liked at the beginning of the book but found myself suspecting that person being the killer despite the fact that there were a number of other people who had reason to want Dyann dead. I'm not telling who the murderer is though ... you'll have to read the book to find out for yourself. Additionally, I loved the spin on the retirement home and found myself really liking quite a few of the tenants. I hope they are involved in future installments! As for the detective, Signe, I really didn't like her either but found myself liking her better as the story progressed.

I do have to say that although I was pretty sure I knew who the culprit was, I couldn't figure out the motive, and it drove me crazy. And, the author even dropped clues about the motive!! When the killer is revealed and their motive behind killing Dyann, I found it to be a little far fetched, but people do all sorts of crazy things for less.

Typically, I don't read the mentions at the end of a book, but I found myself reading the afterward. I was bummed to learn that the author will not be writing any more of the Witch Way Librarian series, and I really wish she would!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed A Whiff of Murder by Angela M. Sanders and rated it four out of five stars. I hope Sanders writes more books about Lise Bloom and makes it a series. The expected publication of this book is February 24, 2026.

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