Mulberry Wands — Kater Cheek

Susan never expected to find a corpse in her backyard, especially not one no larger than a doll. Her well-intentioned burial and investigation attracts the notice of the victim's kin, who blame her for the murder and want vengeance. Griff just wants a little more money. When his friend's squirrelly cousin offers him a side job selling magic wands, and he meets a strange but beautiful girl, he feels his luck is finally starting to change. And then he meets the owls. Paul is a human member of the Sunwards, a society of shapeshifting owls. When its parliament orders him to investigate a mage, he doesn't realize his feelings for Susan will test his loyalty to the society he pledged his life to.