The Merlin Mysteries Series by Kim Richardson

First day on the job? Missing teens. Dangerous magic. Zero backup. I’m Rhea Morven, rookie Merlin agent, walking magical anomaly, and proud owner of a cursed bloodline no one trusts. My first case dumps me in Gallows Gate, a hidden town full of secrets, politics, and creatures that bite. The assignment? Find three missing paranormals before the town tears itself apart. The twist? They’re not just anyone. They’re the children of the ruling council... moreFirst day on the job? Missing teens. Dangerous magic. Zero backup. I’m Rhea Morven, rookie Merlin agent, walking magical anomaly, and proud owner of a cursed bloodline no one trusts. My first case dumps me in Gallows Gate, a hidden town full of secrets, politics, and creatures that bite. The assignment? Find three missing paranormals before the town tears itself apart. The twist? They’re not just anyone. They’re the children of the ruling council. Now I’m stuck navigating vampire egos, witch rivalries, and suspicious council members who’d rather see me fail. Good thing I’ve got a sharp tongue, a dangerous kind of magic, and a very low tolerance for bullsh*t. Also, there’s a broody shifter with eyes like gold and a tendency to save my life. Not helpful for focus. They sent me here to fail, but I’m not leaving without a fight. Love found-family, magical suspense, and snarky witches who bite back? Welcome to The Merlin Mysteries, where a cursed bloodline meets a case from hell. less

Trouble follows me like a curse. Which, to be fair, is kind of accurate. I thought Gallows Gate couldn’t get any worse after the missing-teen fiasco. Turns out, it can. The Council’s breathing down my neck, dark magic is leaking through the cracks in the veil, and every supernatural creep in town seems to want a piece of me. Lucky me... moreTrouble follows me like a curse. Which, to be fair, is kind of accurate. I thought Gallows Gate couldn’t get any worse after the missing-teen fiasco. Turns out, it can. The Council’s breathing down my neck, dark magic is leaking through the cracks in the veil, and every supernatural creep in town seems to want a piece of me. Lucky me. Now I’m stuck juggling a probationary badge from the Merlin Group, a ghost with boundary issues, and a case that shoves me straight into the crosshairs of Gallows Gate’s most dangerous players. If I dig too deep, I risk blowing open every secret I’ve been trying to keep buried. If I screw this up, I’m finished. Fired. Erased. Maybe worse. But hey, no pressure. less

Being an Arcane witch should come with a rulebook. Or at least hazard pay. My magic is changing, again, and not in the fun, “look what I can do now” way. More like the “hope you enjoy staring into the void” kind of way. The Morven curse is awake under my skin, whispering, waiting, and I’m doing my best not to unravel in public. Then a boy drops into a magical coma at the Carnival of Masks, and everything goes to hell... moreBeing an Arcane witch should come with a rulebook. Or at least hazard pay. My magic is changing, again, and not in the fun, “look what I can do now” way. More like the “hope you enjoy staring into the void” kind of way. The Morven curse is awake under my skin, whispering, waiting, and I’m doing my best not to unravel in public. Then a boy drops into a magical coma at the Carnival of Masks, and everything goes to hell. The magic clinging to him isn’t witch, fae, demon, or anything else I’ve ever seen. It’s something older. Wrong. Hungry. To find whoever, or whatever, did this, I’ll have to chase shadows through Gallows Gate, play nice with people I don’t trust, and deal with the very inconvenient fact that a certain dragonborne warrior keeps getting under my skin. And through it all, the curse inside me is shifting. Growing. If I can’t figure out how to control it…. It will control me. No pressure. Just another day on the job. less