Review: Murder in the Reflection (A Maggie Wright Cozy Mystery #11) by Tessa Aura

Murder in the Reflection

A Maggie Wright Cozy Mystery #11

by Tessa Aura

Published: July 24, 2026

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Cozy Mystery, Cozy Animal Mystery

 

Blurb:

Some mysteries are found in the water. Others, in the mirror.

The truth was there all along… hiding in the reflection.

When a woman is discovered dead beneath the willow trees at Ashford Crossing’s scenic pond trail, private investigator Maggie Wright expects secrets.

She just doesn’t expect half the town to have them.

Elaine Marsh quietly helped troubled locals carry burdens too heavy to face alone—meeting them on a park bench far from curious eyes. A grieving widower. A struggling addict. A respected professional barely holding things together.

Every one of them had something to hide.

With her loyal canine partner, Biscuit, and PI partner Harper Rhodes at her side, Maggie follows a trail of private meetings, cryptic notes, and uneasy lies. But the deeper she digs, the more the case reflects something she didn’t expect:

After finally putting old ghosts to rest, Maggie is beginning to realize solving the past and building a future aren’t the same thing.

But someone in town is watching.

Waiting.

And willing to kill again to keep the truth buried.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

My Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in the Reflection! The story kicks off with a beautifully established routine: Maggie and her loyal dog sidekick, Biscuit, are out for their morning walk on the trail. They exchange polite smiles, nods, and quick hellos with the other daily dog walkers—a charming small-town touch that I loved.

However, the peace shatters when a woman named Elaine Marsh is found dead right by the pond. Elaine hadn't been living in Ashford Crossing long, but she had already become a fixture on that trail, sitting on her bench every single morning. Passersby had quickly learned she was a wonderful listener who could keep their secrets because of her profession. With so many regulars passing by that very bench, Maggie and Biscuit realize the list of suspects is long.

Did someone panic and silence her to protect their secrets? Who was it? A random stranger on the trail? An unknown figure from her past? Or did Elaine have dangerous secrets of her own?

Eleven books in, and this series is as fresh and engrossing as ever. The way Tessa Aura weaves the small-town secrets of Ashford Crossing around scenic pond trails is incredibly atmospheric.

Wow! So many questions kept popping up in my head, which made me unable to turn the pages as fast as I wanted. The suspense had me hanging on every word as I waited patiently for everything to be revealed. Tessa Aura hides the truth perfectly in plain sight, making the mystery ingenious, unpredictable, and an absolutely stellar cozy mystery!

Check out all the books in the Maggie Wright Cozy Mystery series I’ve read.

Fatal Check-In #1

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Secrets in the Pines #2

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Murder and Memories #3

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Buried Truths #4

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Footnotes of a Felony #5

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Ledger of Lies #6

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Lockets, Lies and Deadly Pearls #7

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Murder Beneath the Ice #8

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Dead Quiet at the Cabin #9

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Security to Die For #10

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Murder in the Reflection #11

Goodreads

Amazon

Connect with Tessa Aura

Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

 

Read More

Book Tour + #Giveaway: Rathuun: King of the Prairie by David Fitz-Gerald @AuthorDAVIDFG @RABTBookTours

Frontier & Pioneer Western Fiction; US Historical Fiction; Action/Adventure

Date Published: March 20, 2026

 

With all the swagger of a classic western, a legendary buffalo claims his rightful place among the genre's most iconic heroes.

Meet Rathuun. Born in an idyllic canyon, tragedy strikes on his first day. A grizzly bear scatters the herd, devours his twin, and leaves him to shiver and die. But the buffalo calf with a white spot on his chin survives.

The plains are changing fast. Wagons roll west in endless streams. Telegraph wires stretch across the horizon. Locomotives scream down polished rails, slicing through the earth. Extinction

seems imminent when everyone wants to kill the biggest buffalo on the prairie. Native people shoot arrows and drive herds over cliffs. Hide hunters slaughter millions. An obsessed buffalo assassin is determined to wipe them all out and change the world forever. There's an army of barking rifles, and they're all pointed at Rathuun.

Will the hunters take Rathuun's head and leave his carcass to rot on the prairie?

This sweeping epic thunders across the American West, taking listeners to unforgettable western landmarks. If you like classic westerns, thrilling action, and high-stakes historical adventures, grab your copy by the horns.

Welcome to the prairie!

Excerpt:

From Chapter 1, opening scene

Rathuun heard a fierce roar that rattled between his ears.

He had just finished nursing for the first time since he was born a thrum, hours earlier. His mother’s warm breath had tickled his flank just moments ago.

It was a peaceful morning on the prairie, but in a flash, everything had changed.

The thunderous roar boomed again. The entire brum was on the move.

In his haste to lead his followers away from danger, Drumm sounded the alarm and leapt forward. The old bull crashed into Rathuun, sending the thrum sprawling.

Rathuun’s legs wobbled as he tried to stand. It was a miracle that the collision hadn’t broken him. There was an instinctive pull to follow the brum, and it was centered beneath his chin, between his front legs.

 
He blinked rapidly, whipping his head from side to side, searching for his mother. Moments ago, she had been beside him. “Hathah!” he bleated, searching for the young cow who was his whole world.

But he knew she was gone. Gone with all the others. Why had she left him behind?

He shivered at the realization that he was all alone. His heart throbbed against his ribs. It was a struggle to make sense of what had happened.

Everything turned upside down and sideways. The panicked brum quickly vanished as the plains swallowed the pounding hooves and flashing tails, leaving nothing but a faint echo of their distant bellows.

It was eerily silent in the wake of the wild scatter of the buffalos’ frenzied exodus. Rathuun took a tentative step forward, not knowing what to do or which way to go.

Dust choked the air. His third, translucent eyelid swept sideways across his eye, clearing away the grit kicked up by the fleeing brum. He stood, dazed and completely alone.

Or so he thought. The silence quickly gave way to horrible sounds.

Rathuun turned his head. Twenty feet away, something moved. A dark, hulking monster hunched over something. Rathuun’s blood pounded with fear. There was a heavy thump in his chest. Then he saw the creature.

It was a rumbler.

About the Author

David Fitz-Gerald writes frontier and pioneer western fiction from the wilds of western Vermont—about as far west as you can get without slipping into New York.

Though he’s never wrangled beeves to market, Dave was a top hand on his grandfather’s dude ranch in the Adirondack Mountains… before he turned ten. He’s lived most of his life on dirt roads. Whenever he gets the chance, he travels west to recharge his spirit on the windswept prairies.

He’s an Adirondack 46’er which means that he’s hiked to the top of every mountain in the park. In 2018, Dave completed the 1960s fitness craze by hiking 50 miles in one day. That’s one heck of a long walk, but not nearly as grueling as the iconic trails that he chases in his fiction.

Even after all these years, Dave still has his head in the clouds like Ken from MY FRIEND FLICKA, and a quiet, self-reliant spirit like Sam from THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN. That blend of wonder, heart, and spirit runs through the characters he portrays. His editor states he is “exceptionally good at creating real moments between characters”—and readers seem to agree.

Dave’s breakthrough series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail won Chanticleer’s Grand Prize for Book Series. He’s now the author of nearly twenty novels and counting, and as long as there’s coffee in the kitchen, Dave will be plotting one adventurous story after another.

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Bookbub

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/RathuunKingofPrairie

 

Read More

Book Tour: Room 13: A Fighter Pilot's Story by Kenneth Gilmore @RABTBookTours

History / War / Biography

Date Published: April 13, 2026

Publisher: MindStir Media

 

What happens when training ends—and real combat begins?

In ROOM 13: A Fighter Pilot’s Story, Colonel Kenneth Gilmore delivers a gripping, firsthand account of life as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam/Laos conflict, where survival was never guaranteed—and every mission could be your last.

This powerful military memoir traces Gilmore’s extraordinary journey from a college football coach to an elite U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, flying some of the most iconic aircraft of the era, including the F-102, F-101, A-1 Skyraider, and F-106.

But nothing could prepare him for the brutal reality of war.

✈️ 220 Combat Missions. One Life-Changing Experience.

Assigned to fly the A-1 Skyraider—an aircraft with one of the highest loss rates of the Vietnam War—Gilmore quickly learned that traditional training fell short in the face of enemy fire.

After being shot down during mission 130, he survived hours on the ground before rescue—an experience that would forever shape his life, leadership, and understanding of war.

🔥 The Seven Rules That Meant Survival

In the chaos of combat, Gilmore and a fellow pilot developed seven essential rules for survival—lessons forged under extreme pressure and life-or-death conditions.

These principles became the foundation of his leadership when he later returned to command and mentor fellow fighter pilots as an Operations Officer.

🎖️ A Story of Courage, Leadership, and Sacrifice

Over the course of his career, Gilmore flew 220 combat missions and earned numerous honors, including three Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism. His rapid rise through the ranks to Colonel reflects both his skill and leadership—but also came at a cost, pulling him away from the cockpit he loved.

 

About the Author

Colonel Kenneth Gilmore (USAF Ret.) is a decorated Vietnam War fighter pilot and author of ROOM 13: A Fighter Pilot’s Story. With over 220 combat missions in the A-1 Skyraider and three Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism, his experiences in air combat shaped both his military career and Phis life. Today, he shares his story to honor fellow pilots and educate future generations about the realities of war.

Contact Link

Website

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Read More