Bells, Spells and Murders: A Witch City Mystery

Greetings!  Fatal Promise by Angela Marsons comes out on October 19.  It is the ninth book in the DI Kim Stone series. Purls and Poison by Anne Canadeo will be out on October 30 along with Murder by the Book by Lauren Elliott and Lover Come Hack by Diane Vallere.  

Bells, Spells and Murders by Carol J. Perry is the seventh bewitching tale in A Witch City Mystery series.  Lee Barrett is starting her new job as field reporter for WICH-TV in Salem, Massachusetts.  Lee is set to interview Albert Eldridge regarding the Holiday Walk, but she ends up with breaking news.  Albert is dead in his office from blunt force trauma.  Detective Pete Mondello, Lee’s boyfriend, is assigned the case which means late nights for him until the killer is apprehended.  Lee starts nosing around, gathering clues and questioning those close to Albert.   She must work in her sleuthing in between work assignments, shopping for Christmas presents, decorating her tree and participating in a Salem holiday tradition.  Lee, with the aid of her visions and O’Ryan, sets out to wrap up the case before sleigh bells ring out on Christmas Eve.

I enjoyed reading Bells, Spells and Murders.  The author captured the holiday spirit in this merry cozy mystery.  While Bells, Spells and Murders is the seventh story in A Witch City Mystery series, it can be read alone.  Ms. Perry provides Lee’s backstory allowing you to know her and how she came to live and work in Salem.  Christmas in Salem was brought alive in this book.  Cold weather, shopping, baking, tree decorating, a Christmas play, Santa’s ringing bells for donations, family flying off for the holiday and twinkle lights are all included.  I loved how the bell theme was spread throughout the story (some of the references will have you giggling).  The mystery was interesting with several suspects, a red herring or two and pointed clues.  I wish the solution had not been so obvious, and I could have done with less repetition of case details.  I did tire of Pete telling Lee to stay out of the investigation.  He should know by now that she will keep investigating even if her life is in peril (there is no stopping Lee).  All the storylines are nicely wrapped up at the end of the book. My rating for Bells, Spells and Murders is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  Bells, Spells and Murders is my favorite book in A Witch City Mystery series.  There is love, humor, murder, family, friends and Christmas fun in one festive cozy mystery. 

The next A Witch City Mystery is Final Exam which comes out on February 26, 2019.  I appreciate you stopping by today.  Tomorrow I am going to share my review of A Simple Christmas by Charlotte Hubbard.  It is the third story in the Simple Gifts series.  I hope you have a lovely day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

It Takes a Coven: A Witch City Mystery

Hello!  Searcher of the Dead by Nancy Herriman will be published on March 13 along with Six Feet Under by Tonya Kappes and Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown.  Are you a fan of Wanda E. Brunstetter's book?  Then you should join What's Next, Wanda group on Facebook.  You can also follow the author on Facebook to get updates on her latest releases.  Many authors run contests on Facebook which allows you to win swag!

It Takes a Coven by Carol J. Perry is the sixth A Witch City Mystery novel.  Lee Barrett is finishing up the semester at Tabitha Trumball Academy for the Arts where she teaches TV Production and investigative reporting.  Lee has agreed to be maid of honor for Shannon Dumas in her upcoming nuptials to Dakota Berman and imagines a relaxing summer with cake tastings and getting fitted for her dress.  Then she is offered the opportunity of an internship (in other words an unpaid position) at WICH-TV as an investigative reporter.  This gives Lee a chance to look into the recent deaths of witches and the crows that have descended upon the city.  The crows have stripped all the apple and quince trees. River North is afraid that she has caused these incidents to occur and she is quite distraught about it.  When another witch is shot at, Lee dives into her investigation.   Lee has the aid of her scrying ability, O’Ryan (her cat), Pete Mondello (her boyfriend and local detective), and a crow named Poe.  It seems, though, the cause for the abundance of crows may have a more sinister, supernatural explanation.  Lee must work in her sleuthing between her numerous maid-of-honor duties (isn’t that what the wedding planner is for).  Will Lee get a fix on the killer before he strikes again?  What will it take to get the crows to leave Salem?

It Takes a Coven can be read as a standalone book.  The author provides Lee’s backstory along with details from the previous books in the series.  The book contains good writing, but I found the pace to be a too slow in the first half of the book (when the pace is too slow my mind starts to wander from the book).  It does pick up considerably later in the novel.  I did feel there was a significant amount of repetition (it gets tiresome).  Lee’s car was mentioned sixteen times (her corvette). I was happy to see more paranormal elements in It Takes a Coven (finally).  The paranormal elements give the story life and depth.   It also seems that Lee is starting to accept her ability (about time).  The characters are well-developed and established.  There are a couple of quirky characters like River North (though she can be a little over-the-top at times).  It was great that Aunt Ibby had a bigger role in this book.  She is my favorite character, and I hope she continues to have a prominent role in future books. The setting of Salem, Massachusetts is a delight (I have always wanted to visit).  I appreciate the author’s descriptions of the area and landmarks. There was not enough focus on the murder of the witches (of course, there is a quite a bit jammed into this one book).  I would have liked more active investigating and action.  Two pieces of information provided me the identity of the culprit.  The paranormal element behind the crows was more complicated (I do not want to say too much and spoil it for readers) and overshadowed the witch killings. I found it compelling. I did feel that the author tried to put too much into one book.  The wedding, crows, the murders, Lee’s new job, a talking crow, a funeral, cooking, scrying, eating, romance and so much more. All the loose ends are wrapped up at the end of It Takes a Coven, and there was a good epilogue.  There is a preview of Bells, Spells and Murder at the end which comes out on September 25.  It Takes a Coven is a lively book that will bewitch readers. 

For a list of the books in A Witch City Mystery series, click here.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I will be featuring The Candle Factory Girl by Tania Crosse.  I hope you have a bewitching day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader

Grave Errors: A Witch City Mystery

Welcome!  Dead in the Water by Denise Swanson will be out on Tuesday, September 5.  It is the first book in Welcome Back to Scumble River series.  I will be featuring this cozy mystery on the release day!

Grave Errors by Carol J. Perry is the fifth story in A Witch City Mystery series.  Lee Barrett is teaching a television production class at Tabitha Trumbull Academy of the Arts that is focusing on interview skills and investigative reporting.  The annual class assignment is to produce a video involving some aspect of Salem’s history and the students have decided to highlight Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).  Dorothy Alden, one of Lee’s students, is taking the class for personal reasons.  Dorothy’s sister, Emily passed away recently from an overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol.  Dorothy believes her sister was murdered and is looking for proof.  She hopes the class will give her the skills she needs.  Lee wants to help Dorothy and is quickly drawn into the investigation.  With the aid of her visions, O’Ryan (her cat) and her detective boyfriend, Lee sets out to get answers and closure for Dorothy. 

Grave Errors is the fifth installment in A Witch City Mystery series and it can be read as a stand-alone novel.  We are given a background history on Lee along a synopsis of her previous cases.  The writing style made the book easy to read, but the pace was a little slow. There to be too many mundane details.  I do not need to know every single meal Lee eats (each food item), when she changes clothes (and what she is wearing), going up steps, etc.  My rating for Grave Errors is 3.5 out of 5 stars.  There is a nice mixture of characters, and I really appreciate that the author does not throw them at the reader all at once.  The mystery had some good elements.  I thought the method of murder was very unique.  The culprit, though, can be identified long before the reveal.   I wish the author had put more effort into the mystery and spent less time on Lee’s love life.  I delighted in the supernatural elements and wish they had been played up more.  Lee has a wonderful gift and, after five books, she has yet to fully embrace (or accept) it.  The setting of Salem, Massachusetts is delightful (I would love to live in Salem).  I welcomed the history of the city that the author included (especially pertaining to Giles Corey).  It Takes a Coven will be the sixth novel in the series. It will be published in February 2018.

The other books in A Witch City Mystery series are Caught Dead Handed, Tails You Lose, Look Both Ways and Murder Go Round.  Thank you for visiting and reading my latest review.  I will be evaluating The Amber Shadows by Lucy Ribchester next time.  May each of you have a very special Saturday.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader