Wicked Witch and Cozy Mysteries

Happy October! O goody my favorite month of the year! Fall leaves, chilly weather, pumpkins, hearty soups, HALLOWEEN!! It’s such a lovely and homey time of year. This year I decided to create a reading project for myself. I will read books corresponding with different holidays and seasons. The project was inspired by another friend who is currently reading books about all different religions. I decided to read about how people celebrate the seasons and get myself revved up for the changes and festivities.

Well seeing as autumn and Halloween are two of my favorite seasons/celebrations, I was all too ready to jump into fall/Halloween themed books. The superstition and magic surrounding Halloween are what always make me feel like a kid again, so this holiday I am ready to keep the spirit alive and learn a little about Halloween and harvest.

Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier was my first seasonal read. Lucy Stone is a small town Maine newspaper reporter, mother, and small time sleuth. In this novel, Lucy must find a murderer, plan the Halloween party, and keep up with her reporting. Over the summer the town acquired a witch. Lucy first meets Diana, the Wiccan priestess, when she goes with some girlfriends to get their fortunes read. What Diana reads in the cards, Lucy blows off as mere superstition and guessing, but the cards never lie and soon, Lucy finds that Diana might have been onto something. A burnt body is found in the woods and nobody knows who the killer is, but Lucy’s neighbor, Ike, sure seems ready to blame Diana for all the trouble in town. In a time when we like to think of ourselves as civilized and above silly superstition and judgment, Lucy soon finds that the town may be on a witch hunt!

The “Lucy Stone Mysteries”, as Meier’s series is called is classified as gentle reads or, since this is a mystery, cozy mysteries. Think of it like “Murder She Wrote”, that great ‘90s TV show with Angela Lansbury. There’s a quaint small town with an adorable downtown area, friendly neighbors, and a main character that is affable and recognizable. Hey, she goes to farmers’ markets just like I do! Cozy mysteries involve some sort of a crime, an amateur crime solver, typically, and a charming location. Cozies don’t involve violence, or gore. They usually talk about home life and make you feel warm and fuzzy, making them perfect fall/winter reads.

Meier’s Wicked Witch Murder has all the elements of a cozy mystery. Lucy is easy for the reader to sympathize with. She holds down a job while being a mother and wife. The town is cute and picturesque. The mystery propels the story along and allows for other plots to be pursued. There was enough talk about magic and Wicca to make it a fall book, but if you are looking for something more focused on autumn and Halloween, this may be a bit off. I learned a few things about the Wiccan religion, but seeing as it's autumn, I wish it were set in fall instead of from summer into fall. 

All in all, the book is enjoyable for those looking for something light and easy. The mystery was not terribly intriguing or riveting, so if you are a true mystery lover, this might be too tame for you.

If you enjoy this book, another similar book also about a witch and Halloween, is Blackwork by Monica Ferris. If you like cozy mysteries, some popular authors are Rita Mae Brown, M.C. Beaton, and JoanneFluke.

Well onward and upward toward Halloween! 

Urban Witchery

“Once a Witch” by Carolyn MacCullough

Tamsin is a normal girl in a family of witches. She’s an outcast in a family of outcasts. Her grandmother predicted that Tamsin would change the fate of her family and would be the most powerful witch in generations, but it seems she was wrong. Luckily, Tamsin goes to boarding school in New York City and can at least be among people like her, those without Talent, and away from a family that makes her feel lacking. But with the family’s ancestral home in upstate New York, their pull is never far away. While back at home for the summer, a stranger comes around asking for the family’s Talent in locating a lost object. As she’s the only one present, Tamsin decides that she will find what the man wants by herself and prove to her family that she is an asset even without magic. But what starts as a ploy to impress the relatives, turns into a course of events that may bring back old enemies and ruin the family forever.

“Once a Witch” is an urban fantasy. Tamsin is a typical YA character, Angsty, upset with her lot in life, but likable. She drinks and smokes on occasion and is not perfect, but has ambition to make her own way in life away from her family, thus she is relatable. What adds to the novel are secondary characters Rowena, the perfect one in the family, and Gabriel, the hunky childhood friend. There were times I found myself not wanting to put this book down. It is short and flies by, so part of the appeal is finishing it quickly and finding out the ending. The plot has some points to build on, with the family history and all the Talents, but is not puzzling and is simple to follow. Overall it was nothing thought provoking, but a fun YA novel. To those who like urban fantasy, and modern day magic practices, give this a try. There is also a sequel to Once a Witch called Always a Witch. Another YA urban fantasy series that might be worth your time is Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz about New York's wealthiest family and their blood sucking secrets...

A Good Witch Work

Now here is the book I was looking for around Halloween. This is a fun, easy read. What I really like about it is you have the past and recent past combined together. The majority of the book takes place in 1991 with a Harvard PhD student. Connie is intelligent and research obsessed. Over the summer, she must clean up her grandmother's old house, while trying to find an untapped primary source. Well lucky her!! Granny's house has a mystery or two up its sleeve. Here begins the tale of Deliverance Dane and her descendants.

The book presented the fun side of research (there's a fun side?). Yes the FUN side, where you interpret and figure out what the clues mean and how to piece together evidence, search for sources, and interrogate witches (ok I've never done that). Anywho, the book presented an arguably realistic look at how one digs deep into history. Along with that, I love a good witch tale, and this was one that took a different spin on it. The history part of this book takes place around 1692, the Salem witch trials. What a terrible time in our nation's history, but what if those people weren't just paranoid, blaming others for their problems, or mad about the changing role of women in culture? What if witches exist???

I like this book and would certainly recommend it as a fun read. Katherine Howe is a good writer. It flows well between the centuries and plot points. The ending is perhaps a bit odd, but it is an overall good read. Not life changing or worthy of much discussion, in my opinion, but a fun witchy work (who doesn't love some alliteration).