Engine Repairs

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at the idea of a ‘retirement home for witches’—until *Engine Repairs* proved it could be both hilarious and genuinely tense. Lester’s worldbuilding is deceptively casual: the supernatural details (a banshee who files noise complaints, a warlock who brews *questionable* tea) are dropped in like gossip at a diner, never overwhelming the core mystery. The plot hinges on Rhea’s death—a mechanic whose talent for ‘persuading’ engines to cooperate makes her murder feel personal—and Lester smartly avoids the cozy-mystery trap of making the victim a saint. Rhea was prickly, secretive, and *really* bad at returning tools. That complexity makes the whodunit compelling, especially as Steve, our reluctant sleuth, digs into her past. Ashley Music’s narration is a masterclass in tonal control. She leans into the humor (her delivery of a ghost’s complaint about ‘modern haunting standards’ had me snorting) but never undercuts the stakes. The pacing is brisk, though I’ll dock half a point for a mid-book lull where the red herrings pile up a little too neatly. And while the paranormal elements are fresh, the *actual* engine-repair details sometimes feel vague—Lester’s strength is dialogue, not torque specs. Still, the audiobook’s charm lies in its contradictions: it’s cozy but not saccharine, magical but grounded, and narrated with the precision of a well-tuned carburetor. If you like your mysteries with a side of snark and just a *hint* of the occult, this one’s a smooth ride—though you might want to check your brakes afterward.