Back of Book: 

A peculiar detective takes on a monastic murder mystery in a darkly funny fantasy short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Legends & Lattes series.

Nobody really liked Brother Gorm, but his untimely and abrupt descent from the abbey’s bell tower has the Order of Venerous the Petulant on edge. Desperate to settle the case before the bishop returns, the abbot enlists the highly unorthodox investigator Miss Gentle. As she clanks through the abbey in a full suit of armor, the cantankerous detective has no problem asking awkward questions—but will she get any answers?

Travis Baldree’s Miss Gentle and the Case of the Very Flat Monk is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting.

Book Number: One 

Genre: Adult | Short Story | Fantasy | Mystery 

Review: 🌟🌟

A short mystery set in a remote abbey with a magical twist. 

When Brother Gorm falls off the abbey's bell tower, an investigation commences to figure out just what caused his death. That's when the abbot summons Miss Gentle, an elderly woman in a suit of armor, to crack the case. 

When I saw Sarah Beth Durst announce she was going to be a part of an Amazon Original Stories collection, I figured I'd give them a try. I didn't know that these were going to be cozy fantasy mysteries going into them, but they certainly are. 

Upon starting this story, I had a hard time picturing the world and keeping the characters straight. This made it really hard to care about the mystery going on or even to try to solve it. 

The only interesting tidbit about this story to me was Miss Gentle themself. They obviously have some strange secret that they are hiding, and it's unclear right away why they are even at the abbot. I did find some relief when I learned their backstory, but not enough for me to find this story satisfying. 

Overall, "Miss Gentle and the Case of the Very Flat Monk" is a short mystery in which I found myself quite bored from the start. I didn't care about any of the characters and found the worldbuilding to be subpar. There are a few fantastical elements that are interesting, but not enough to keep me engaged. 

Audiobook Note: I knew going into this one that Travis Baldree narrates his own books, but I still forgot this fact until I started listening to it. It was neat to finally listen to him narrate his own work as I’ve never done so prior to this. I can't say I'm a huge fan of his short stories, but he does a stellar job with character voices. I would have completely zoned out if it wasn't for the character voices that Baldree did. 

Back of Book: 

A book-loving witch finds magic and mystery in a whimsical short story about the transformative power of friendship and community by the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop.

After a challenging divorce, Ashley joins a witchy book club in search of a new social life. But when members start being transformed one by one, Ashley and the remaining book club members must uncover the culprit behind these sinister spells. With time running out until she’s the next target, she turns to her grimoire for answers. Because what better way to catch a magical culprit than through stories?

Sarah Beth Durst’s The Wednesday Witches Book Club is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting.

Book Number: Two 

Genre: Adult | Short Story | Fantasy | Mystery 

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

An eccentric detective turns to the fantastical to solve a cold case in a short story by the Hugo Award–winning author of The Tainted Cup.

On a long carriage journey with her assistant Din, brilliant investigator Ana Dolabra ponders a solution to an impossible crime that has remained unsolved for centuries. A lavish wedding for two noble scions of the Empire descended into chaos when the newlyweds were found murdered in their marriage bed. But Ana—an expert in ancient myths, awakened beasts, and magic—knows that nothing is impossible, only unimaginable.

Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Lion’s Tusk is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting.

Book Number: Three

Genre: Adult | Short Story | Fantasy | Mystery 

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

New rulers meddle with the whims of the old gods in a lush and twisty short story of devotion, intrigue, and murder by the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

At a remote mountain temple, an inquisitor arrives to question a priestess about a pair of murders. The keeper of the sacred garden, its bees, and its ever-changing hedge maze does have her secrets. But what will protecting them cost her as she uncovers layers of conspiracy on both sides?

Heather Fawcett’s A Labyrinth of Honeybees is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting.

Book Number: Four

Genre: Adult | Short Story | Fantasy | Mystery 

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

When egos clash during an assemblage of wizards, grandstanding displays of magic become a matter of murder in a witty and suspenseful short story by a New York Times bestselling author.

Curmudgeonly conjurer Shiverick joins a conclave of fellow wizards on the strangest beach in the world expecting the usual flashy outfits, hammy miracles, and predictable suspicions that his own powers are nil. After all, he’s never so much as cast a spell in public. When accusations of fraud end in a flamboyant murder, Shiverick must piece together the truth amid the chaos. An observant and logical thinker, it’s his time to shine.

Scott Lynch’s The Wizard Who Kept Himself Suspicious is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting.

Book Number: Five 

Genre: Adult | Short Story | Fantasy | Mystery 

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

This spellbinding short story from the award-winning author of The Reformatory reimagines the Wild West through the eyes of a young Black girl with a gift.

1871: Ten-year-old Lucy Freeman and her family flee threats in Kentucky for a new life in the post–Civil War frontier. Their refuge is Zipporah Ranch, a hidden settlement founded by Black women and children that thrives, if the folktales are true, on magic. But a mob of bounty hunters is bringing hell to paradise, and it’s Lucy’s own secret magical ability that may be the only defense.

Tananarive Due’s Battle of the Round House is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting.

Book Number: Five

Genre: Adult | Short Story | Fantasy | Mystery 

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

This spellbinding short story from the award-winning author of The Reformatory reimagines the Wild West through the eyes of a young Black girl with a gift.

1871: Ten-year-old Lucy Freeman and her family flee threats in Kentucky for a new life in the post–Civil War frontier. Their refuge is Zipporah Ranch, a hidden settlement founded by Black women and children that thrives, if the folktales are true, on magic. But a mob of bounty hunters is bringing hell to paradise, and it’s Lucy’s own secret magical ability that may be the only defense.

Tananarive Due’s Battle of the Round House is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting.

Book Number: Seven (Last Book) 

Genre: Adult | Short Story | Fantasy | Mystery 

Review: ?