Book Review and Giveaway - Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused (The Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery Series) by Marcy Blesy

My Review

Juli Tully is having a hard time with her sons growing up and moving out -- so she attends the Empty Nest Retreat in a remote estate in Michigan.  No technology, no contact with family - but that isn't the hard part.  There is a murder at the retreat, and fingers point at Juli.  She is determined to solve the mystery ... as she uncovers more mysterious (and magical!) happenings.

I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries.  The gentle magical twist was unique and intriguing.

This was a fun read!  Juli is a likable and empathetic protagonist.  She resists the retreat but ends up meeting a few other empty nesters who help in her sleuthing - and who become friends.

The magic details are fun -- especially, of course, Prudence, the talking cat!  I liked the surprises around the estate too;  they kept me guessing.

The mystery is well written, fast moving, and a light, enjoyable read.  It is the first in a new series that I look forward to.  I recommend Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused to other cozy mystery fans.  

Book Synopsis

The Empty Nest Retreat was supposed to help Juli find herself. Not question her sanity—or reality.

When Juli Tully’s kids fly the coop and she takes early retirement, the silence in her house is deafening—and not in a calming, spa-music kind of way. At her mother’s not-so-subtle urging, she signs for the Empty Nest Retreat at the Sand Bur Estate, a stately mansion perched on the windswept dunes of Lake Michigan.

Juli nearly bolts when she learns the retreat is phone-free. No texts. No doom-scrolling. No emergency updates from her kids. Instead, she’s stuck with an unusual group of fellow empty nesters: Nelle, a perpetually cheerful optimist; Kimmie, a bubbly influencer convinced the estate is magical; and Jedd, an arrogant dad who fancies himself Parent of the Year—and takes an instant dislike to Juli.

Then things get… strange.

Temperatures swing wildly. Lights flicker. Objects float. Juli can’t tell if her menopausal symptoms have gone off the rails or if rumors about the estate’s supernatural past are true.

Between meditation sessions and awkward financial-planning talks, one of the estate’s employees dies under suspicious circumstances. Thanks to Juli’s increasingly unpredictable “episodes,” she becomes the prime suspect.

With a murder to solve, a reputation to save, and a sarcastic talking cat who knows more than she’s letting on, Juli must uncover the truth—before this empty nest lands her in handcuffs.

If you love:

Empty nest reinvention

Midlife amateur sleuth

Retreat gone wrong

Isolated estate near Lake Michigan

Light paranormal elements

Self-help retreat chaos

Haunted (or is it?) mansion

Sarcastic talking cat

Humor with heart

Found family friendships

Wrongly suspected heroine

Cozy whodunit
You’ll adore this humorous cozy mystery set under along the shores of Lake Michigan!

Empty nests bring new beginnings… and unexpected secrets.

Author Bio

Marcy Blesy is the author of over thirty  books across genres, best known for her Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series and the Monthly Murder  Movie Club Cozy Mystery Series —humorous, heartwarming whodunits filled with senior sleuths, quirky characters, and animal sidekicks. Her cozy mysteries spotlight midlife reinvention, found family, and laugh-out-loud amateur sleuthing, perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Finlay Donovan, and The Golden Girls.

Marcy also writes the Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series, starring a kindergarten teacher-turned-reluctant sleuth, and the Secrets romantic mystery duo (The Secret of Blue Lake and The Secret of Silver Beach), transporting readers to the scenic and suspenseful shores of Michigan.

For younger readers, Marcy’s best-selling Be the Vet series offers interactive veterinary mysteries for kids ages 9–13. Her early chapter book series—Evie and the Volunteers, Niles and Bradford, Third Grade Outsider, and Hazel, the Clinic Cat—delight animal lovers and growing readers alike.

When she’s not writing, you’ll find Marcy treasure-hunting along Lake Michigan in search of rare red beach glass. She believes every story should offer heart, humor, and a hint of hope—whether it’s solving a mystery or chasing a dream.

Author Links

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Purchase Link – Amazon 

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