Publication Date: April 14, 2026

Mother & Children Fiction,
Women Sleuths (Books),

Romantic Comedy (Kindle Store)

REVIEW

THERE’S AN ART TO FASHION … AND TO MURDER

Don’t ever ask Pomona Afton about fashion. No, it’s not because she’s ignorant on the subject. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, in that, there is simply not enough time in the world for her to complete her analysis of what distinguishes “fashion” from “putting on clothes”. But two decades of cramming haute couture into suitcases destined for clubbing at exotic resorts has taught her something more, It's a secret that hypothesizes that if there is an art to fashion … then there is also one to murder.

Above is a snapshot of Pom Afton. She’s the main character in this mystery entitled POMONA AFTON CAN TOTALLY CATCH A KILLER. Written by Bellamy Rose, I gotta say this mystery/comedy charmer caught me completely by surprise. The plotline unconventional and the writing comprehensively witty, someone has died and it “falls” to our sparkly, sequined heroine to find out who performed the well-appointed shove that sent the victim flying off a balcony and slamming into the ground. Lucky for the deceased that in the game of murder, it doesn’t matter that the target of the felony was a villain of the most immodest proportions—the case still needs solving. And that’s where Pom comes in.

Did I mention that this mystery is loaded with atmosphere? Well, I am now. And because of it, there’s a very appealing 50’s vibe going on throughout. It’s the tip off that the uniqueness of Pom’s temperature always equates to “chill.” Likable, laughable and a great believer in one-liners, Bellamy has infused her leading lady with a combination of Dorothy Parker, Audrey Hepburn, Truman Capote (WHAT?), and Agatha Christie when she went rogue for those eleven days. And right now Pom is playing bloodhound and trying to solve her second homicide as easily as she solved the first, but was it beginner’s luck?

Pom hopes not, but she still owes it to everyone who attended the event to try. What event? A fundraiser. Why? Because the victim was murdered at that fundraiser—her fundraiser. It makes her responsible for the murder. And the sooner she gets started, the faster she’ll find out if she can deliver in solving this puzzle. She begins by wading through the sea of possibilities. There are friends, acquaintances, and a pool of rich benefactors who were called upon strictly because of their reputation for philanthropy. And as for the victim being hated, there are more than a few possible suspects that would fit that description as well. Thank you very much, please, but her mother came to mind. In fact, Pom’s mother was more than capable of carrying out a murder, but the question is whether she did off the victim and not could she. There was also her brother Nicholas, and his steady girlfriend Jessica. And the victim's wife, and Pom's friend Vienna … but, no … it couldn't be. They were like two peas in a pod, but Pom had been fooled before. Then there was the sister of a murderess. Did murderers run in families?

All-in-all this book is a sparkler … as is Pom. She’s the thread that holds all together and weaves an intricate web that our intrepid private detective/influencer is determined to figure out. Bellamy Rose does a great job fleshing Pom and the rest of the characters out, and an outstanding one on the coming up with this brain twizzler. It’s why I’m giving this book four stars and look forward to more in this series. Thank you both Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for giving me an ARC copy.

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Powerful bloodlines tied by Fate, who can’t be free even in death...

Title: One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches

Author: Kayleigh Kavanagh

Publisher: Independent

Pages: 400

Genre: Historical/Paranormal/Fantasy

Format: Kindle

Demdike and Chattox, famed witches of Pendle Forest, might be dead, but they’re not gone. Bound to their bloodline, they’ve spent the past two and a half centuries watching over their descendants, waiting for when they’ll be needed.

When 14 year old Yana comes into her psychic abilities and inherits the ‘eyes of the Chattox family’, she can see the long-dead witches, as well as an encroaching evil. But even with this foreknowledge, she’s trapped by marriage interviews and being unable to see her own future, and more importantly, whoever her future husband will be.

Demdike’s healing gifts are alive and working in Claire, a mid-30s midwife well renowned for her skills and holding her tongue. The Secrets of Pendle are safe with her and her midwives. However, when surgeons looking to make standardisation the norm encroach on her territory, she soon realises how, even a respected woman is vulnerable in a patriarchal system.

The two descendants must come together to protect the ones they love from an ancient evil, all whilst balancing their lives and the cruelties of being a woman in a man’s world. Set in late 1800s NW England, this book has all the elements of the area: strong, hardy people, atmospheric horror and days as unpredictable as the weather.

One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches is available at Amazon.

Book Excerpt

She hadn’t known what to expect from death. No one did. Still, none of her previous thoughts could have come close. This, and she was definitely having an atypical experience. For most souls, death was a release from the mortal coil. Complete separation from the life they’d once lived. She hadn't been so lucky.

Some parts of the system had been the same. Her soul had been scooped up. Taken somewhere. She vaguely recalled going over her life and having events explained. Gaining an understanding of the why; to the point she was no longer angry about things which had once made her furious. However, the entire encounter was now a blur.

The powers that be had done this on purpose, but the awareness lingered instinctively. Either way, she knew she'd died, gone to the other place, and then thrown back. Before they could send her along to wherever she should have gone next. There'd been an issue. A snag. One which stopped her from moving along to the happy, bliss-filled world of the nether realm. Said snag bore one name: Chattox. Even in death, her frenemy was still causing her bloody issues.

“Hey, Demdike, how’s non-life treating you?”

Demdike didn’t answer, suddenly filled with the desire to bludgeon the other woman. However, she knew from experience it would be pointless. They weren’t physical beings any longer—even if they were still tied to the physical world. Unless she was willing to destroy the other's soul, the spirit could reform. A tempting idea some days; this non-life was enough to make even the most patient saint a little homicidal. However, even in her worse moments, she wasn't willing to land the final blow.

“The same way it’s been treating me for the past two and a half hundred years,” she eventually returned. Still not looking at the other, less she finally indulged her violent impulses.

“They’re having a bake sale soon, at the local church. Gods, I miss cake.”

Demdike sighed. The sad part was she couldn’t even get rid of the other. Without Chattox, she would be entirely alone in this exhausting existence.

“Their cake isn’t anything like the one we used to have. They have more access to sugar, for starters.”

Demdike wasn’t even going to comment on the reasons why. King James I's and his ilk had done more than destroy her life. Stretching his greedy grip across the world. From the supposed lands of gold to the continent of darkness, James I's influence had impacted many. She couldn't help but feel for the poor souls stolen from these other countries. Their plights differed from the witch trials, but suffering was a universal language.

She would've liked to aid them, but she couldn't even help herself. There was no one to hear her, anyway. Well, other than Chattox, but as she was in the exact same situation. It was no different than voicing her words to the void. Except the void didn’t reply.

“Aye, I know, but it doesn’t mean I don’t miss the little pleasures. Few and far between, though they were.”

Demdike hummed. This was a conversation they’d had many times. When their new existence was mostly just the two of them, they often spoke of their past. Their past life, to be specific. A lot of it seemed funny now. Maybe it was their time in the decompression zone post life—or maybe it was simply the effect of being so removed from what they’d once been—but matters of life and death were suddenly much less dramatic and far funnier when you were already dead. Fighting over coin, linens, and food were memories they could now look back on and find humour in.

Though she also missed cake, death was a lot simpler. Mostly. There was no fighting for survival when you simply just were. No hunger to push you forward or pain to keep you still. As much as she’d once lived with one foot in the ether, having both on death's side was much simpler. If you ignored the limited company. Or how she feared her own mind and sense of self were slowly eroding over time. As though, without a physical body, she was slowly dispersing into nothingness; it was just taking a little longer.

– Excerpted from One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches by Kayleigh Kavanagh, Kayleigh Kavanagh, 2025. Reprinted with permission.

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About the Author

Kayleigh Kavanagh is a disabled writer from the North-West of England. Growing up in the area, she learnt a lot about the Pendle Witches and launched her debut novel around their life story. Her main writing genres are fantasy and romance, but she loves stories in all formats and genres. Kayleigh hopes to one day be able to share the many ideas dancing around in her head with the world.

Her latest book is the historical fantasy, One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches.

You can visit her on Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads and Tiktok.