The Forgotten Village Magical Mystery Series
The Forgotten Village Magical Mystery Series was created by author Jacqueline Diamond and inspired partly by legends surrounding Prague and its Jewish community. The series is comprised of four mysteries about a hidden magical world. It starts with Chess Vevoda, a California girl who doesn’t remember her childhood home of Loobly. One day she is summoned there and her life changes radically. She becomes a librarian who realizes her supernatural abilities that include communicating with her cat, Kafka.
Book 1 of the Forgotten Village Magical Mystery Series
Chess Vevoda, a 19-year-old Paradero, California girl, has no memory of life before turning thirteen. She lost her mother to cancer when she was 15 and a ward of the state until she became legal. She loves her job as a receptionist/trainee for private eye Rick Tracy. She took classes in criminal justice at the local community college and plans a career in criminal justice.
In the opening chapter, Chess reads a message scrawled on her bathroom mirror: Go home. Do not attempt to fly.
Weird. But at work, Chess is told that she will be replaced by the boss’ daughter. It didn’t make any difference to Mr. Tracy that Chess helps him on cases due to her excellent sense of smell, night vision, and unbelievable hearing. Back at home, that same nose smells another woman’s perfume on her man, and she quickly bolts with her cat, Kafka, for parts unknown.
This is definitely not Chess’ day. Once Kafka and all her belongings are in the car, the vehicle kidnaps her. Unable to control the car, Chess muses and the cat responds Very weird! And the vehicle steers into a thick fog until it exits into the environs of Loobly.
With an enchanting writing style, author Jacqueline Diamond brings her readers a YA fantasy that challenges Chess’ budding sleuth skills. In Loobly she discovers that this is the town she left with her mother when she was 12. Since that time someone killed her father and murdered her grandmother.
In the magical realm of Loobly, Chess discovers she has extraordinary powers, can understand Kafka perfectly, and under the right situation, can transform into a cat, herself. And there’s more. Chess has the power to save every person in town from a disaster, but first she needs to find out who wants her dead.
A Cat’s Garden of Secrets is a fun read and kept this reviewer turning pages until its satisfying climax. I’m looking forward to book 2 in Diamond’s A Forgotten Village Magical Mystery.
Book 2 of the Forgotten Village Magical Mystery Series
A Cat’s Nose for Murder: A Forgotten Village Magical Mystery is book two in Jacqueline Diamond’s second book in her Forgotten Village mysteries. In book one, Chess is kidnapped by her own car, which transported her to the quaint town of Loobly, the village of her forgotten childhood. She and her mom fled town for fear of their lives when Chess was a pre-teen. A fog surrounds the town robbing anyone of their memories if entered on the way to Over There, the Loobly reference to California and everyplace else in the natural world.
Chess, an orphan whose mom died from cancer and her father murdered, is now the town’s librarian, a job she inherited after her grandmother died. With town records at her fingertips and supernatural powers enabling her to communicate with her cat Kafka, Chess is beginning to feel at home in this magical realm until someone dumps the body of her worst enemy on her property.
People with a grudge against her family try to pin the wrap on Chess, but the budding sleuth sees it as an opportunity to solve the murder and perhaps lead to the person who killed her father.
A Cat’s Nose for Murder has well developed characters readers can love, like Kafka and his cat friends, or hate, like the phony Theta Grummel, the town soothsayer. The plot is packed with action, kidnapping, and smuggling with a love interest in the charming Detective Nik Kouzel.
I enjoy murder mysteries, and A Cat’s Nose for Murder delivers nicely in a unique world created by Diamond’s active imagination. Hopefully, she will add a third mystery to the series in the future.
Book 3 of the Forgotten Village Magical Mystery Series
A Cat’s Guide to Danger
The novel revolves around Chess Vevoda, Loobly’s librarian and part-time sleuth. When magic leaks from the hidden town of Loobly into reality, only chaos and confusion occur in Chess’ former California hometown. The town council of Loobly assigns Chess with the assignment of returning to “Over There” with her magical black cat, Kafka, and Nik, a charming detective Chess is attracted to. They must uncover who’s behind a mysterious murder, find Loobly citizens marooned there, and recover a stolen notebook that holds the secrets to maintaining the balance between worlds.
Though A Cat’s Guide to Danger stands well on its own from the other two books in the series, author Jacqueline Diamond artfully sprinkles in backstory without bogging the book’s pacing, which is brisk. Diamond’s characters are loveable, especially Kafka who is quite funny. She also does an amazing job of world building with a strong blend of mystery, fantasy, and even light romance.
A Cat’s Guide to Danger is perfect for readers who love mysteries with a sprinkling of mystery and magical mischief.
Book 4 of the Forgotten Village Magical Mystery Series
Jacqueline Diamond’s A Cat’s World of Strangers is the fourth addition to the Forgotten Village Magical Mystery series. Like the other three books in the series, Book 4 book continues to build on the series’ gentle suspense and whimsical paranormal elements that make the series so appealing.
The story blends mystery, magic, and small-town secrets in a way that feels both comforting and intriguing. Diamond creates a world where the ordinary and the supernatural exist side by side, and the result is a cozy mystery with an imaginative twist. The presence of cats adds warmth, personality, and a delightful sense of mystery, making the book especially enjoyable for readers who love animal-centered stories.
One of the strengths of the novel is its inviting setting. The forgotten village feels like a place full of hidden histories, unusual residents, and secrets waiting to be uncovered. The magical elements are woven naturally into the plot, enhancing the mystery without overwhelming it. Readers who enjoy light paranormal mysteries will likely appreciate the balance between enchantment, humor, and suspense.
The characters are engaging and easy to root for, and the mystery keeps the story moving at a satisfying pace. While it is part of a series, the book offers enough intrigue and charm to stand on its own, but I strongly suggest readers read the first three books to avoid confusion.
Overall, A Cat’s World of Strangers is a delightful cozy magical mystery filled with charm, curiosity, and feline appeal. Jacqueline Diamond delivers an entertaining read for fans of small-town mysteries, paranormal cozies, and stories where cats may know more than they let on.
“private eye Rick Tracy”, very funny.