Lake Forest Witches Books in Order

The Lake Forest Witches books are playful, witchy cozies with a very good comic engine. Petunia Patterson is a witch, but not the kind who has everything under control. Her magic works, sometimes too well, and one of her biggest problems is Pansy, the cat who used to be a man until one of Petunia's potions went wrong. Add in neighbor Noah Becker, Aunt Maxine, and a town where magical trouble keeps turning into criminal trouble, and the series finds its rhythm fast.

That rhythm starts in Meows, Magic & Murder, when Petunia finds a body in Noah's yard and becomes a person of interest. The first book sets the pattern. Petunia is trying to manage ordinary life, romantic tension, odd family magic, and police suspicion all at once. The magic is not separate from the mystery. It is part of why things keep getting messier.

Pansy steals scenes.

Later books keep expanding the world without losing the small-town feel. Meows, Magic & Manslaughter brings Petunia to a poolside murder while the mayor is already after her over local rules. Meows, Magic & Missing heads to a witches convention where Aunt Maxine is tied to the death of a Grand Witch. Then come poisoned champagne at a cat show, a Halloween festival and a real wand, Christmas trouble that may involve elves, and a vacation mystery involving a crystal ball and a candy factory death.

The tone is light, but the world has enough structure to stay interesting. Petunia grows into her powers, Noah becomes a steady partner, and Lake Forest starts to feel like the kind of town where magic is just one more neighborhood complication. These books are especially good if you like your cozies with pets, relatives who know more than they say, and a heroine who is always one spell away from a fresh disaster.

If you want Madison Johns at her most whimsical, this series is an easy pick. Start with Meows, Magic & Murder and expect potions, telepathic cat commentary, romance, and mysteries that never stay ordinary for long.