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Book Details
The Well-Kept Secret (A Wishville Mystery)
Cozy Fantasy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Wishville, Vermont
Publisher : Oliver Heber Books
Publication date : October 28, 2025
ASIN : B0FL8TQXPB
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.
About Kari Lee Townsend
National Bestselling Author, Agatha, RT Reviewers Choice & Golden Duck Award Nominee. Kari lives in Central New York with her husband & 3 Samoyeds. She’s a lover of wine & travel (especially cruising), obsessed with reality TV, loves to try new things, and thinks there’s nothing better than getting lost in a good book with at least some element of mystery, romance & humor. She writes cozy mysteries & upper middle grade as Kari Lee Townsend, as well as suspense, romance, romantic comedy & women’s fiction as Kari Lee Harmon. She’s most known for her Sunny Meadows Mysteries, Kalli Ballas Mysteries, and a crossover series featuring Sunny, Kalli, their detectives, and their crazy families! The Tasty Trio and Greek Mamas are her favorite characters to write about. Granny Gert is based on her late grandmother and Great Grandma Tootsie is based on her husband’s late grandmother who lived to be nearly 109 years old!
Author Links
- Website
- Kari Lee’s Books & Babies | Facebook
- Facebook Author Page
- Amazon
- Threads
- Bluesky
- TikTok
- GoodReads
- Kari Lee Townsend Books – BookBub
- Kari Lee Townsend – YouTube
- Kari Lee’s Newsletter
Guest Post – Why I wrote The Well-Kept Secret
by Kari Lee Townsend
Readers often ask where ideas come from. The truth is, they come from everywhere—snippets of
conversations, bits of folklore, what-if questions that refuse to leave me alone. For The Well-Kept
Secret, the spark came from two things I’ve always loved: cozy mysteries and fairy tales.
I’ve written cozy mysteries before, with their charming small towns, quirky characters, and
amateur sleuths who stumble into danger. I’ve never written but always wanted to write stories
filled with magic, legends, and a touch of the supernatural. One day, I thought: why not bring
those two worlds together? What if a quaint New England town, with its gossiping neighbors and
seasonal festivals, sat on top of something truly extraordinary?
That “what if” became Wishville, Vermont.
On the surface, Wishville is as cozy as it gets. There’s a main street full of shops, townsfolk who
know everyone’s business, and seasonal festival that bring the community together. But at its
center stands an ancient wishing well, one that is far more than a tourist attraction. This well is a
living portal to Elarion, a hidden realm beneath the earth where immortal beings called Dwellers
reside. Think Avatar meets Lord of the Rings. Centuries ago, a fragile treaty between Dwellers
and humans was struck: stay out of each other’s realms and to keep the peace, one wish must be
granted each season during WishFest. If the well fails to choose a recipient, war could return.
Enter Lyra Wells, my heroine. She’s the Guardian of the Well, tasked with keeping the treaty
alive. But she’s also unique—half-human, half-Dweller, and the only one of her kind. While she
looks thirty, she’s nearly three hundred years old. That makes her wise in some ways, but
vulnerable in others. She carries centuries of secrets, along with the burden of protecting a town
that doesn’t realize how much danger it’s really in.
I knew early on that I wanted to give Lyra a partner who would both challenge and ground her.
That’s where Holden Thorn, Wishville’s grumpy police chief, came in. He doesn’t believe in
magic, but he believes in protecting his people, and he’s not about to let Lyra run headfirst into
danger alone. And because every good mystery needs more layers, Calderis, the brooding
Dweller enforcer from Elarion, adds tension of his own. Between the two of them, Lyra has allies
she can’t quite trust fully but also can’t do without.
Of course, no cozy would be complete without humor. That’s where the Wellies (three local
busybodies who know everyone’s business) and Vex (a telepathic, sassy cat who always gets the
last word) come in. They balance the darker mysteries with lighthearted banter and community
spirit.
What I enjoyed most about writing The Well-Kept Secret was watching these two genres—cozy
mystery and fantasy—intertwine. The small-town warmth and quirky suspects keep things
familiar, while the magical mythology of Elarion raises the stakes in unexpected ways. It’s the
kind of story I always wanted to read: comfort and danger, laughter and suspense, secrets and
discoveries.
At its heart, The Well-Kept Secret is about community, belonging, and the power of keeping
promises, even when they span centuries. I hope readers fall in love with Wishville and its
people the way I have, and that they’ll be eager to return with each new WishFest, each new
mystery, and each new secret waiting to be uncovered.
Stay tuned for The Well-Laid Trap (A Wishville Mystery #2) 1-20-26
Purchase Link
THE WELL KEPT SECRET TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 28 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
October 28 – Wine Cellar Library – REVIEW
October 29 – Angel’s Book Nook – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 30 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
October 31 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
November 1 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 2 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
November 3 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 3 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
November 4 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 4 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 5 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
November 6 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 7 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
November 8 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 9 – Socrates Book Review – REVIEW
November 10 – Salty Inspirations – CHARACTER GUEST POST
