Cider - Shop now
$3.99 with 64 percent savings
Print List Price: $10.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.

Audiobook Price: $17.46

Save: $9.97 (57%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Holly Bell
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth (The Amanda Cadabra British Urban Fantasy Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Holly Bell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,048 ratings
Amanda Cadabra’s life LOOKS perfectly normal...
But looks can be very deceiving.

In the picture-perfect English village of Sunken-Madley, a young covert witch is laying low. Amanda Cadabra has her reasons.

Orphaned when her family’s van mysteriously plunged over a Cornish cliff many years
before, Amanda is keeping herself to herself, quietly working for her grandfather’s furniture restoration company, hoping the world will leave her alone.

However, soon Amanda’s peace is disturbed by the arrival in the village of the inquisitive Inspector Trelawney, dogging her footsteps as he investigates the strange fate of her family. But the persistent detective becomes the least of her problems, as a restoration job at the Tudor manor propels the young witch into a swirl of mystery and intrigue.

Events quickly conspire to drag Amanda into the building’s murky past and its even more dangerous present. Armed only with her wits, her grumpy feline familiar, Tempest, and a wand, Amanda Cadabra is going in.

A body, ghosts, hidden passageways, and a host of unanswered questions soon emerge. Can Amanda dodge the inspector long enough to solve the Manor’s many mysteries and unravel her own past before the scandal of murder engulfs the village?

Packed with intriguing mysteries and unforgettable characters, Amanda Cadabra and the Hidey-Hole Truth is a humorous fantasy mystery set in a world of delightful English villages.

‘Great fun!’
‘I was in the mood for something different and I struck gold’
‘Fabulous writing. An exceedingly fantastic read’
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 1 of 8
    The Amanda Cadabra British Urban Fantasy Mysteries
  2. Print length
    358 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    August 30, 2018
  5. File size
    2.6 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
Hydrate & focus with every sip Shop now

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 8 books in this series.

Customers also bought or read

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
Next page
Loading...

From the Publisher

Amanda Cadabra, Tempest the Cat

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth

Amanda Cadabra and The Cellar of Secrets

Amanda Cadabra and The Cellar of Secrets

Amanda Cadabra and The Flawless Plan

Amanda Cadabra and The Flawless Plan

Amanda Cadabra and The Rise of Sunken Madley

Amanda Cadabra and The Rise of Sunken Madley

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidden Depths

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidden Depths

Amanda Cadabra and The Strange Case of Lucy Penlowr

Amanda Cadabra and The Strange Case of Lucy Penlowr

Amanda Cadabra and The Hanging Tree

Amanda Cadabra and The Hanging Tree

Amanda Cadabra and The Nightstairs

Book 1
Book 2
Book 3
Book 4
Book 5
Book 6
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Customer Reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,048
4.6 out of 5 stars 320
4.7 out of 5 stars 224
4.7 out of 5 stars 207
4.7 out of 5 stars 201
4.5 out of 5 stars 245
Price $3.99 $3.99 $4.99 $5.99 $0.99 $6.99
Theme Sunken Madley Manor Asthma Research Centre Village Church Hall The Grange Sunken Madley Libary Cornwall
Present Season Spring Summer Autumn Winter Winter to Spring Spring
Past 16th Century 1940 1918 Regency Period Distant Past 1970s
Amanda
Tempest
Trelawney
Senara
Perran
Hogarth
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Buying Options
Customer Reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,048
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,048
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,048
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,048
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,048
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,048
Price $3.99 $3.99 $3.99 $3.99 $3.99 $3.99
Who Amanda Cadabra Tempest Thomas Trelawney Senara Cadabra Perran Cadabra Michael Hogarth
Based in Sunken Madley Sunken Madley Parhayle, Cornwall Sunken Madley Sunken Madley Mornan Bay, Cornwall
Job Furniture Restorer Familiar to Amanda Detective Inspector Unofficial Counsellor Furniture Restorer Former Chief Inspector
About Covert witch, reclusive but beloved resident of Sunken Madley. Grumpy feline reincarnated by Perran and Senara during Amanda's teens. Regards humans as an inferior species. Of the Devon and Cornwall Police. Assigned to the Cardiubarn Case: a van containing Amanda's family mysteriously went over a cliff when she was 3 years old. Grandmother and adoptive mother to Amanda, and wife to Perran. Neé Cardiubarn. Home educates and trains Amanda in witchcraft. Grandfather and adoptive father to Amanda and husband to Senara. Home educates and trains Amanda in furniture restoration and witchcraft. Assigns Thomas Trelawney to the Cardiubarn case. After retiring, Hogarth continues to guide Thomas. Family friend of the Trelawneys.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Delightful! Fun and funny! This is my first experience with Holly Bell, and as a dog person, I never thought I'd fall so deeply in love with a cat (Tempest). I honestly could NOT get enough of him!! The entire story is fun though, a wonderfully clean mystery packed with danger, intrigue, and (yes) murders. I was enchanted--a very fitting emotion for a quaint and often hilarious journey with a lovable witch and her even more lovable familiar.' - The International Review of Books

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07GZQH8P8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Heypressto; 2nd edition (August 30, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 30, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 358 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 1,048 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Holly Bell

Holly Bell

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Humorous and quintessentially English with excitement and magic.

Cat adorer and chocolate lover, British author Holly Bell’s life changed in a day. A best-selling author friend convinced Holly that she could write cozy mysteries, after many years' experience with non-fiction, photography and video making.

Holly devoured all of the Agatha Christie books long before she knew that Miss Marple was the godmother of the Cozy Mystery. Her love of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings meant that her first literary creation in this area would have to be a cosy paranormal.

Having derived immense delight from the adventure of writing Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole and its 7 sequels to date, Holly has more in the pipeline.

Her favourite feline is a black cat called Bobby. He is black. Like her favourite hat. Purely coincidental.

Holly loves to hear from readers. Find her on amandacadabra.com/contact, Facebook.com/hbamandacadabra. She always responds in person.

The Amanda Cadabra Cozy Paranormal Mysteries (in order):

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth

Amanda Cadabra and The Cellar of Secrets

Amanda Cadabra and The Flawless Plan

Amanda Cadabra and The Rise of Sunken Madley

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidden Depths

Amanda Cadabra and The Strange Case of Lucy Penlowr

Amanda Cadabra and The Hanging Tree

Amanda Cadabra and The Nightstairs

And from Holly:

‘Thank you for stopping by my page! Please follow my profile for offers, new books and video. And thank you for your reviews. They are truly valued.’

Holly

Join the newsletter for updates http://amandacadabra.com/come-on-in/

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,048 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this book entertaining with an engaging story arc and well-written characters. The plot features magic elements, and one customer particularly appreciates how it dives into the history of Cornwall. Customers describe the book as a light read.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

30 customers mention "Enjoyment"30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, describing it as a thoroughly enjoyable story arc that is delightful to read.

"...Very well written,then make sure your write a raving review so Holly will write more in the series. There are still some many things we need to know" Read more

"...Wrong. But it is a very interesting mystery. First you have to get through a whole bunch of background information...." Read more

"...tale with remarkably well written characters and a thoroughly enjoyable story arc...." Read more

"This was a fun, light read, and I am looking forward to the next book...." Read more

17 customers mention "Character development"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them interesting and well-written.

"...Such fun introductions to each character but never going off script to who they become and how cherished Amanda is by all, yes, cherished is a good..." Read more

"...The characters were excellent, and I still am not sure who are going to end up being true friends, or who may want to harm Amanda...." Read more

"...It is, instead, a cleverly written, engaging tale with remarkably well written characters and a thoroughly enjoyable story arc...." Read more

"...With many quotable moments, a good cast of believable characters, and a great plot the book is one that most will enjoy...." Read more

15 customers mention "Plot"12 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, describing it as an engaging tale with magic elements, and one customer particularly appreciates the setting.

"...have tremendous respect. It is, instead, a cleverly written, engaging tale with remarkably well written characters and a thoroughly enjoyable..." Read more

"...The plot moved along, and the Amanda, the central character, and those around her were enjoyable too...." Read more

"A wonderfully fun mix of mystery, magic, and old manor house the story takes us through the training of a young witch in the past, through her..." Read more

"...POV: Omnipresent, which presents some challenge to the story and is a primary disappointment for me, as a reader...." Read more

7 customers mention "History"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the background history in the book, with one customer noting how the town details feel authentic, while another mentions how it dives into the history of Cornwall.

"...I especially love the dives into the history of Cornwall and all things English...." Read more

"...What I enjoyed the most was the lore about the area. I want to visit there! More in this series will most definitely be on my reading list." Read more

"...A lot of the little details about the town rang true. Looking forward to reading the next book!" Read more

"of an unusual girl. A very small town with very few secrets, and most of those belong to her. Enjoy!!" Read more

6 customers mention "Readability"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read, describing it as light reading at its best, with one customer noting its clean language throughout.

"...BLUSH FACTOR: No worries here. Clean language throughout. No sex scenes. Excerpt ‘…‘..." Read more

"...for whom I have tremendous respect. It is, instead, a cleverly written, engaging tale with remarkably well written characters and a thoroughly..." Read more

"This was a fun, light read, and I am looking forward to the next book...." Read more

"...The first thing I noticed was the quality of the book itself. No typos, no poor grammar, and clearly had been edited by a human being with more than..." Read more

Delightfully well-written start of a series.
5 out of 5 stars
Delightfully well-written start of a series.
The author draws you in to a charming English village with well-developed characters, a lovely story that leaves the reader wanting more. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • S.G.
    5.0 out of 5 stars So much more than a cozy mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    When I started with the first Amanda Cadabra book I believed it would be a sweet easy read for a weekend. Oh was I wrong. I got the Covid-19 (omicron version) and suddenly found myself with two weeks of reading ahead of myself. Thank you Holly Bell for giving me such a riveting series to keep my mind off the hacking, wheezing, coughing, sneezing, stuffy nose, keep you up all night sickness.
    Amanda is of an age where she's not. Not a child, not an adult, never a teenager with angst, but never truly naive enough to get one over on her. In Sunken Madley they bring new meaning to,"it takes a village". Such fun introductions to each character but never going off script to who they become and how cherished Amanda is by all, yes, cherished is a good word.
    I have read all the books in the series now and I am not between the ages of 8-18, I am a well seasoned grandmother who's children grew up with Harry Potter. What I'm saying is this is a great read for any age. I especially love the dives into the history of Cornwall and all things English. I kept my Google open so I could look up where on the coast we were reading about, what we were having for tea and what the heck does that mean?
    Not only were the stories very exciting but learning to take them slower so that they were savored rather than devoured because there are many many differences between Old English sayings and modern American slang, so I have to slow down and let my brain catch up. Only then to find out that the old sayings are things I grew up with from my very English ancestor pioneers that have come back around. One example of a saying I never understood till this last book was the phrase, "a bridge too far". Never did I understand the context in what that meant. It's gems like this all through the book that make me want to go back and read them again.
    Start with book one and read through too the end of of the series because each book gets better and more in depth and each story is so different yet intrinsically linked. Very well written,then make sure your write a raving review so Holly will write more in the series. There are still some many things we need to know
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • C Wm (Andy) Anderson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Friendly, Chatty COLD CASE Tale from Britain...
    Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Every so often I will buy a book by a writer in the UK or in Australia just so I can recollect some of the terms used in those countries that have quite different meanings here in the land of the brave.

    I’m kidding folks. Just wanted to start this review off a little different than I normally do. Also, it is my way of giving notice that some terms used by the author, as well as the tone, will be different and might confuse American readers.

    Having so warned, in my clumsy way, I will proceed with my review.

    There are some aspects of this writing that I found interesting, and some that I felt could be improved. Simply put, the writing is what some instructors of the craft refer to as ‘passive.’ What I mean is, the author seems not to trust readers to understand what a given character is thinking, so she tells us. The excerpt below will highlight this.

    POV: Omnipresent, which presents some challenge to the story and is a primary disappointment for me, as a reader. Of course, part of my disappointment stems from my desire to NOT know every thought of every character. I’d rather know just the thoughts of the central person. Any thoughts that I might wish to know of others can be hinted at by the observations of that central character. Then, if his/her suspicion turns out to be in error, a twist is possible that shows how he/she (and us) have been fooled. With the omnipresence tactic, that is problematic.

    What I did enjoy, however, was the friendly tone. I couldn’t help but think that this writer will become a highly successful storyteller with the right editor. She displays an uncommon skill at sucking us into the story without second-guessing her plot and motivations of the characters.

    To say much more might disclose a spoiler, so I will pull back a little.

    BLUSH FACTOR: No worries here. Clean language throughout. No sex scenes.

    Excerpt

    ‘…‘Thank you,’ Trelawney accepted politely, sitting down on the sofa.

    Amanda gave him a glance of rueful sympathy due to a man under test by Granny. She sat down beside Trelawney, pulled the lid off the vintage tin, cut a slice and passed it to him on a delicate rose-patterned plate, with a white linen napkin underneath it. Senara eyed him keenly while he sampled the cream, jam and sponge confection.

    ‘This is excellent,’ he remarked with genuine appreciation, relieved that he would not have to dissemble.

    ‘Organic free-range eggs,’ she declared. ‘From Henpecke Farm. Local,’ Senara added, to put the outsider in his place.

    Trelawney was unabashed. He laid his cake fork on the plate, applying the napkin to his lips to ensure they were crumb-free before continuing. ‘I expect it’s especially important for your granddaughter to eat healthily.’ His glance returned to Amanda. ‘In view of your … condition.’ He added pointedly, ‘Especially considering the work that you do.’

    ‘It’s important for a girl to have meaningful work, Sergeant. I’m sure you agree,’ Senara stated, receiving her cup and saucer from Amanda. ‘Thank you, dear.’ She took a sip and redirected her piercing gaze at Trelawney. ‘I myself drove an ambulance during the War.’

    Yes, for three weeks before it ended, said Amanda wryly to herself, handing her grandfather his tea.

    ‘Just like Mrs Uberhausfest in Rattling Bridge Row,’ Senara announced. ‘We all did our bit. Of course, she did it for Other Side, but that’s all in the past and I’m the first to say that I’m glad we’ve buried the hatchet!’

    ‘I agree, Mrs Cadabra, that it’s important for everyone to have work that is meaningful.’ Trelawney was not to be diverted. ‘But it does seem an odd choice for someone whose condition is surely aggravated by a workshop where carpentry takes place.’

    Mr Cadabra supplied the response. ‘I trained little Amanda from when she first took an interest.’ He stirred his tea and continued mildly, ‘She used to toddle up the path and bang on the door, demanding for me to let her in. Not to be denied, were you, Amanda? I had to adapt a mask for you. All the same, Sergeant, I got used to keeping the workshop very clean just to be certain. And after all’s said and done, you can’t dampen enthusiasm, can you? So I started her off with bit of painting when she was just three years old, didn’t I, Ammy?’ he said to her, then looked back to the sergeant. ‘And it…’

    Bell, Holly. Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth (The Amanda Cadabra Cozy Paranormal Mysteries Book 1) (Kindle Locations 373-394). Heypressto. Kindle Edition.

    BOTTOM LINE

    I tossed and turned while trying to rate this story. Tossed between three stars and four. Finally, though, the friendly tone won out.

    Four stars out of five.

    I am striving to produce reviews that help you find books that you want, or avoid books that you wish to avoid. With your help, my improvement will help you and me improve book reviews on Amazon. Together, you and I can build a great customer review process that helps everybody. Will you join me? It is people such as you who have helped me improve over the years. I'm still learning, and I have a great deal yet to learn. With your help, I'll improve every day.

    One request: Be respectful and courteous in your comments and emails to me. I will do likewise with you.

    Thank you so much for indicating if this review helped you, or for your comment.
    27 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Rhonda Jones
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Ok, first, do not be fooled by the cover. The cover reminds me of a Nancy Drew mystery. I like Nancy Drew, thought this would be a lighthearted fun mystery. Wrong. But it is a very interesting mystery. First you have to get through a whole bunch of background information. About the first 35% of the book is about how Amanda became an orphan, why her grandparents adopted her, the history of witchcraft in the area going back hundred of years, good vs bad witches, teaching a young Amanda how to do magic, and how to hide her magic from normals, etc. etc. etc. Honestly, it was interesting but too much. I think it all had to do with an overarching plot line about who killed Amanda's parents. Unfortunately, in reading the blurbs and reviews of other books in this series it looks like that mystery will not be resolved for at least 5 more books. But the last half of this book went much faster and the mystery that was resolved in this book was interesting once we got to it. It was not a murder mystery, but a mystery of missing jewels. The characters were excellent, and I still am not sure who are going to end up being true friends, or who may want to harm Amanda. That gets back to this over arching plotline. Personally, I do not like books that have a mystery that drags our over several books. But many people do not mind that. I have it 5 stars because it did keep my attention and I did find it all interesting.
    15 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • jmj
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very different heroine.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 11, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This book is about a very different heroine.I have really enjoyed reading this story and cannot wait for the next episode.Recommended
    Report
  • Toots Sullivan
    5.0 out of 5 stars good fun
    Reviewed in Australia on January 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I found this to be a fun filled easy to read great story. It has a few excellent mysteries great characters full of intrigue. Written so that it’s compelling to find out more in the next book!
    Report
  • Brian
    3.0 out of 5 stars Some good parts
    Reviewed in Australia on July 7, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The character of Amanda is well defined with her upbringing and her battle with asthma. The various mysteries that she is faced with are a bit of a hodgepodge of unlikely and poorly thought out events. I am tempted to give the next one a go but I hope it improves.
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining
    Reviewed in Canada on January 5, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed the storyline and the interesting characters. Will read more in this series.
    Report
  • Henmiera
    4.0 out of 5 stars Likeable
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I've given 4 stars because I'm not sure what age group this book is written for. In the beginning the language is simplistic, sentences short story line disjointed then suddenly it's like a different author wrote the rest of the book.
    However, the story is quintessentially English village life the heroine a disabled, book smart, career minded young witch. I do look forward to book 2 to see if my review of the series changes.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report