Hayden is terrified of mirrors which started when she was a child and she used to see people in them that weren’t there, or worst still, a mirror took her cat. Now as an adult Hayden is suddenly thrust into a parallel world (with a different pet cat) that everyday folk can’t see, so they don’t know it exists.

She arrives in a place called Destiny Falls. A magical world that moves around depending on the season. Here she discovers that her father, a father she never knew, lives with his family and his parents and they are a very special family as they are the keepers of the town. Oh, and her pet cat can talk to her and wants to be called ‘Princess Latifa’.

Not long into her stay in Destiny Falls a murder occurs and Hayden is sure she can help find the killer. But does she have the skills and will she put herself in danger?

Falling Into Magic is the perfect title for this book as essentially this is what happens to Hayden. One minute she is in the real world with a sinister-looking man coming towards her, the next she is in a strange place with her cat talking to her and a man telling her he is her brother.

The world-building was quite special and easy to visualise. Destiny Falls seems quite like the perfect place as the world changes depending on what you need or what help you require. In fact, the world felt quite cartoony. Not in a bad way but like the cartoons set in magical lands where everything is bright and beautiful. Plus, we have a witch living there too.

Whilst I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the world I wasn’t quite so sure with the writing as it felt like it was aimed at young readers and I did wonder if the book was more for the YA market than for adults. It was very much a case of telling you what is happening rather than letting the story pan out naturally and show the reader what was occurring.

It took me a while to get through it but I think not being a big fan of fantasies and cosy mysteries is partly the reason why. This is the first book in the series but it is where my journey ends. If you love fantasies and want something different that interweaves a murder mystery and is set in a weird and magical world then this is the book to read.