The majestic redwoods of Santa Cruz County create a cozy world of magic and wonder. They also conceal a psychotic serial killer searching for his next supple victim.

Pitched as a thrilling paranormal murder mystery, Murder Under Redwood Moon (Black Rose Writing, 3/2024) is a debut, New Adult novel by Sherri L. Dodd. 

Murder Under Redwood Moon, described as a power-cozy, builds a foundation of diverse characters before careening toward its energized ending. The story follows Arista Kelly, a modern-day good witch, living her life amongst the grounded people of Boulder Creek, CA.

At the age of eight, Arista Kelly’s parents mysteriously left her in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Now at the age of twenty-three, she has settled quite nicely into an eclectic lifestyle, under the guardianship of her great aunt, Bethie. She enjoys the use of herbs and crystals and finds pleasure in the company of her beloved pet, Royal. She is also finally making moves to attract a long-time friend.

Quite satisfied with her mundane life, affairs become unsettling when a new recurring vision of an ominous tattoo as well as increased activity from the ghostly presence within her own cottage invade her once-harmonious existence. An even darker turn awaits as the body of an old friend is found in the nearby river. With other young women falling prey to a serial killer, she realizes the terror is coming for her.

If you enjoy an easy read of ghosts, magick realism, and a dash of romance, step into Arista’s world and her love of tea, crystals and all things natural.

Copies of Murder Under Redwood Moon are available at all major booksellers, including Black Rose Writing, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Raised in southeast Texas, Sherri L. Dodd grew up walking barefoot and catching crawdads in creek beds. A true lover of the outdoors, her childhood also ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and back country folklore. This inspired her first short story about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto children as they smelled it. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. Not long after, she and her mother headed to California. She has ping-ponged throughout the area ever since, with the Santa Cruz Mountains treasured as one of her favorites places to live.