Happy Book Release Day! Some great books came out today. A few of them are Read to Death by Terrie Farley Moran; A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley; A Toxic Trousseau by Juliet Blackwell (which I am reviewing today); Dressed to Kilt by Hannah Reed; Toasting Up Trouble by Linda Wilken; Little Girl Gone by Gerry Schmitt; Gone with the Wool by Betty Hechtman; Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine; A Beauty Refined by Tracie Peterson; and Take the Monkey and Run by Laura Morrigan. I love waking up with new books on my Kindle (I am a book lover and proud of it)!
A Toxic Trousseau by Juliet Blackwell is the eighth A Witchcraft Mystery novel. Lily Ivory owns Aunt Cora’s Closet in San
Francisco, California. Lily sells gently
used vintage clothing and encourages her customers to wear the items (Lily
loves to wear the clothes from her store).
Lily is in the store when a young woman approaches her. It turns out that Lily is being sued. Autumn Jennings came into the store recently
and was disdainful of the merchandise.
Oscar, Lily’s shape-shifting familiar, gave her a nudge (well, maybe a
head butt) into some clothing. Ms. Jennings
is claiming that she was injured (from falling into some clothing) and is suing
for compensation. It turns out that Autumn
owns a vintage clothing store as well, though she carries older clothing
(Victorian, 20s, Edwardian) with designer labels that people could not wear on
an everyday basis (they are better for museum displays). Lily cannot afford a lawsuit and goes to talk
with Autumn (and takes Maya with her). They do not find anyone in the store and
then they hear thumping above. They go
to investigate and end up with a gun pointed at them. Autumn is unstable on her feet and then
collapses. Unfortunately for Lily, she
ends up a prime suspect because of the lawsuit.
Inspector Carlos Romero (whom Lily is used to working with on cases) did
not get assigned the case. Inspectors
Stinson and Ng get the case and they hope for a quick solution. Lily feels compelled to investigate. Sailor tags along to keep Lily safe (he has
certainly changed) and Oscar manages to join in (he does not want to be left
out especially if there is going to be food). Lily investigation leads her to a
cursed trousseau, a supposed haunted house, and a dog walker (who just happened
to be the process server). Lily is not
sure if there is anything magical in this case, but it is definitely
suspicious. In addition, Aidan Rhodes is
going out of town and asks Lily for a favor (she owes him one). Lily needs to take of Aidan’s satchel (which
everyone is afraid of) and handle witchy disputes (and some licensing
issues). Lily is going to need her wits about
her to get through this week! Join Lily,
Maya, Bronwyn, Sailor, and Oscar in A Toxic Trousseau.
A Toxic Trousseau was just
delightful. It was wonderful to visit
Lily Ivory, Sailor, Oscar, Maya, and friends in San Francisco. The
mystery was complex, twisty, and hard to figure out (just the way like
them). There is some misdirection as well (to throw
the reader off the scent of the real killer). I enjoyed the information on vintage
(Victorian) clothing and how certain colors were created (green wallpaper was
known to kill off people). Oscar’s hijinks are humorous and highly
entertaining. I did not want this book
to end. I give A Toxic Trousseau 5 out
of 5 stars (I loved it as you can tell).
A Toxic Trousseau has an enchanting (and romantic) ending! I cannot wait for the next book in A Witchcraft Mystery series. We will finally
get to meet Lily's grandmother, Graceila and her coven (and Lily's
mother). If you like magical cozy
mysteries, you will be delighted with this book and series. A Toxic Trousseau can be read alone, but I
highly recommend reading the previous books in the series. They will help you understand the characters,
their relationships, and their abilities.
In A Toxic Trousseau will get more information on the upcoming magical
battle and meet the enemy (it will surprise you).
The other books in A Witchcraft Mystery series are Secondhand Spirits, A Cast-off Coven, Hexes and Hemlines, In a Witch's Wardrobe, Tarnished and Torn, A Vision in Velvet, and Spellcasting In Silk. I received a complimentary copy of the novel in exchange for
an honest evaluation of the book.
Thank you so much for visiting! I hope all of you have had a very good day (did anyone else keep thinking it is Monday)! May you have a special evening that includes a delightful book to read. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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