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Fear Familiar #7
Bewitching Familiar
Bewitching Familiar by Caroline Burnes released on Aug 25, 1995 is available now for purchase.
249 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1995
10 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Burnes
66 books42 followersAlso writes as Carolyn Haines
Caroline Burnes started her writing career as a photojournalist for Southern newspapers at the age of 12. She came from a "newspapering" family and as a child was teased because of her writing ambitions.
"That girl’s got ink in her blood," the back-shop printers at the George County Times, the weekly newspaper in her hometown, would say as she stood on a bucket and helped lock up the old pages of type set on a linotype machine.
Growing up in the small town of Lucedale, Mississippi, Ms. Burnes found refuge in reading. The magic of the written word, particularly the strange and wonderful worlds of fiction, was rivaled only by her love of horses.
"If I could have had a chance to be a cowgirl, I might never have written a word," Ms. Burnes said. "As it was, a typewriter was a lot easier to come by than a horse, especially since both of my parents were journalists."
Ms. Burnes earned her B.S. degree in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi and began a career of covering politics, features and hard news across the South. A love of short fiction led her to write short stories, several of which received critical praise and attention. In 1988 Ms. Burnes took a career shift and began writing romantic mysteries for Harlequin Intrigue under the pseudonym Caroline Burnes.
In 1988 A Deadly Breed, a mystery involving horse racing in Mississippi, was published by Harlequin Intrigue, and since then she has published nearly 30 books with Harlequin Intrigue, which have been translated into nine languages.
"So many of my books feature animals," Ms. Burnes said. "Creating fictional animal characters gives me a chance to share my love of animals with my readers."
Ms. Burnes came to writing as a reader. "Since I began to write seriously about 15 years ago, I haven’t been able to read as much as I’d like. I’ve also become a much harder reader. A writer has to really work to pull me into the story and out of my very demanding life. If I had one wish, it would be for more hours in each day, more time to read and write and to ride my horses.
"I’m not a cowgirl by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have three fabulous horses who give me tremendous pleasure. I mostly ride English and do a little backyard jumping, but lately I’ve started team penning. Once again, the problem is that the cows are smarter than I am!
"I just have to be careful when I fall to land on something soft and not my hands," she said. "Brain damage is unlikely, but I need my fingers to be able to write." Ms. Burnes lives on a five-acre farm with her three horses, Miss Scrapiron, Mirage and Cogar; three dogs, Corky, Sweetie Pie and Maybelline; and five cats, Poe, Miss Vesta, Gumbo, Maggie the Cat, and Chester.
Caroline Burnes started her writing career as a photojournalist for Southern newspapers at the age of 12. She came from a "newspapering" family and as a child was teased because of her writing ambitions.
"That girl’s got ink in her blood," the back-shop printers at the George County Times, the weekly newspaper in her hometown, would say as she stood on a bucket and helped lock up the old pages of type set on a linotype machine.
Growing up in the small town of Lucedale, Mississippi, Ms. Burnes found refuge in reading. The magic of the written word, particularly the strange and wonderful worlds of fiction, was rivaled only by her love of horses.
"If I could have had a chance to be a cowgirl, I might never have written a word," Ms. Burnes said. "As it was, a typewriter was a lot easier to come by than a horse, especially since both of my parents were journalists."
Ms. Burnes earned her B.S. degree in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi and began a career of covering politics, features and hard news across the South. A love of short fiction led her to write short stories, several of which received critical praise and attention. In 1988 Ms. Burnes took a career shift and began writing romantic mysteries for Harlequin Intrigue under the pseudonym Caroline Burnes.
In 1988 A Deadly Breed, a mystery involving horse racing in Mississippi, was published by Harlequin Intrigue, and since then she has published nearly 30 books with Harlequin Intrigue, which have been translated into nine languages.
"So many of my books feature animals," Ms. Burnes said. "Creating fictional animal characters gives me a chance to share my love of animals with my readers."
Ms. Burnes came to writing as a reader. "Since I began to write seriously about 15 years ago, I haven’t been able to read as much as I’d like. I’ve also become a much harder reader. A writer has to really work to pull me into the story and out of my very demanding life. If I had one wish, it would be for more hours in each day, more time to read and write and to ride my horses.
"I’m not a cowgirl by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have three fabulous horses who give me tremendous pleasure. I mostly ride English and do a little backyard jumping, but lately I’ve started team penning. Once again, the problem is that the cows are smarter than I am!
"I just have to be careful when I fall to land on something soft and not my hands," she said. "Brain damage is unlikely, but I need my fingers to be able to write." Ms. Burnes lives on a five-acre farm with her three horses, Miss Scrapiron, Mirage and Cogar; three dogs, Corky, Sweetie Pie and Maybelline; and five cats, Poe, Miss Vesta, Gumbo, Maggie the Cat, and Chester.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 17, 2018
Bewitching Familiar by Carolyn Barnes (Carolyn Haines) was a paranormal cozy mystery that included time travel set in a dark time of American history.
Ms. Haines' superior cat investigator, Familiar, is transported back in time along with two strangers to Salem, MA during the time of the witch trials. Familiar's point of view allows the reader to see what it must have been like for those poor women and men who were caught up in the mass hysteria throughout the village.
With a smoothly paced plot, strong characters who struggle with their memories of a future while trying to discern how and why they were brought to this time and place, motives that range from fear to greed and plenty of suspects who know more than they are willing to share, this is one time travel mystery that can keep a reader turning the pages.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.
Ms. Haines' superior cat investigator, Familiar, is transported back in time along with two strangers to Salem, MA during the time of the witch trials. Familiar's point of view allows the reader to see what it must have been like for those poor women and men who were caught up in the mass hysteria throughout the village.
With a smoothly paced plot, strong characters who struggle with their memories of a future while trying to discern how and why they were brought to this time and place, motives that range from fear to greed and plenty of suspects who know more than they are willing to share, this is one time travel mystery that can keep a reader turning the pages.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.
September 17, 2018
One of the original Familiar cat stories which has been re-issued by Carolyn Haines.
Familiar is the original detective cat (father of Trouble) and in this story he lives with Abigail.
After a car accident, Abigail, Familiar and the guy driving the car are all whisked back to 1682 to the Salem Witchcraft area.
Abigail is a single, successful woman which alone is enough to have her earmarked as a witch but having a black cat called Familiar really seals the deal.
Together with Samuel (the ex car driver) Abigail, Familiar and some other rescued women and
surviving Indians fight the paranoia and evil hunt of innocent women who are condemned to hang based on false testimonials and confessions they never made.
A scary and betwiching story set in a area that treated women with contempt and disrespect, where cats were killed just because they existed and where men were the ultimate abusers and rulers.
Familiar is the original detective cat (father of Trouble) and in this story he lives with Abigail.
After a car accident, Abigail, Familiar and the guy driving the car are all whisked back to 1682 to the Salem Witchcraft area.
Abigail is a single, successful woman which alone is enough to have her earmarked as a witch but having a black cat called Familiar really seals the deal.
Together with Samuel (the ex car driver) Abigail, Familiar and some other rescued women and
surviving Indians fight the paranoia and evil hunt of innocent women who are condemned to hang based on false testimonials and confessions they never made.
A scary and betwiching story set in a area that treated women with contempt and disrespect, where cats were killed just because they existed and where men were the ultimate abusers and rulers.
December 3, 2025
Cute addition to this series. I'm a fan on time travels and with Familiar involved it was a nice twist.
September 25, 2018
I love the Autumn season with all the fun holidays that includes ALL the upcoming wonderful Halloween stories for the treat for readers. Carolyn Haines delivers a very early Halloween treat with the "Bewitching Familiar", a 1995 re-issue book published this year. This is a brand new read to the Familiar detective series for this reviewer. This story line features Trouble the Black Cat Detective's father, Familiar, as the Sherlockian feline and his two humans that is a great introduction to the Familiar/Trouble black cat mystery series.
The story begins in 1995 with Abigail and Familiar being involved in an auto accident as a result of Samuel's careless driving skills. Samuel and Abigail check on Familiar and somehow they get transported back to 1692, just in time of the infamous Salem Witch Trials in Salem Village, Massachusetts.
In 1692, Abigail is a prosperous land owner and farmer with Familiar is her black cat which is unheard of in Puritan America. Samuel is the defense representative for the accused victims of witchcraft. Abigail is under suspicion with several others, such as Brianna March and Hester Prynne, who are accused by Silas Grayson and his evil group of villagers. Abigail, Samuel, and Familiar, along with several others are on the path to find out who turned in these innocent women and men to these trials for their own personal gains. Abigail, Samuel, and Familiar want to get back to 1995 as soon as possible, and yet they remain in Salem Village until the mystery of who is sending Abigail and several others to the hanging gallows is found and brought to justice.
This is the first book that I have read from the Familiar, the black cat detective series. Now, I know where Trouble inherited his intelligence and supervisor detecting skills. Ms. Haines created a wonderfully imaginative story and provided outstanding research on the Salem Witch Trials and add her her own personal imaginative twists on a tragic part of American History. This story kept my attention from the first sentence from the 1995 accident to the last word of the book. I love Familiar, the black cat, with his well-thought out theories and plans. He possesses the "knowledge" of what to do to provide aid to his human friends and find necessary clues and evidence that ultimately leads to the culprit(s) who committed these heinous acts.
The romance between the two main characters is a very nice touch to the mystery since they are the only two who can understand what is going on in 1692 in their 1995 mindspeak. The author have woven an excellent mystery with actual historical events with some unique and creepy changes along with a dash of romance. As a result, I did some research on this topic after reading about the witch trials to learn some new interesting facts about these events. I love good well-written books that provide interesting facts about the actual historical events that I love to learn about that time period.
I gave this book a five star rating that deserves a ten star rating. This is a fabulous read that is very hard to put down once you start reading. If you love books with a Halloween fun twist with a dose of history, this book is for you. I will be reading more of the Familiar cat mystery series in the near future.
I was given an ARC for a honest book review.
The story begins in 1995 with Abigail and Familiar being involved in an auto accident as a result of Samuel's careless driving skills. Samuel and Abigail check on Familiar and somehow they get transported back to 1692, just in time of the infamous Salem Witch Trials in Salem Village, Massachusetts.
In 1692, Abigail is a prosperous land owner and farmer with Familiar is her black cat which is unheard of in Puritan America. Samuel is the defense representative for the accused victims of witchcraft. Abigail is under suspicion with several others, such as Brianna March and Hester Prynne, who are accused by Silas Grayson and his evil group of villagers. Abigail, Samuel, and Familiar, along with several others are on the path to find out who turned in these innocent women and men to these trials for their own personal gains. Abigail, Samuel, and Familiar want to get back to 1995 as soon as possible, and yet they remain in Salem Village until the mystery of who is sending Abigail and several others to the hanging gallows is found and brought to justice.
This is the first book that I have read from the Familiar, the black cat detective series. Now, I know where Trouble inherited his intelligence and supervisor detecting skills. Ms. Haines created a wonderfully imaginative story and provided outstanding research on the Salem Witch Trials and add her her own personal imaginative twists on a tragic part of American History. This story kept my attention from the first sentence from the 1995 accident to the last word of the book. I love Familiar, the black cat, with his well-thought out theories and plans. He possesses the "knowledge" of what to do to provide aid to his human friends and find necessary clues and evidence that ultimately leads to the culprit(s) who committed these heinous acts.
The romance between the two main characters is a very nice touch to the mystery since they are the only two who can understand what is going on in 1692 in their 1995 mindspeak. The author have woven an excellent mystery with actual historical events with some unique and creepy changes along with a dash of romance. As a result, I did some research on this topic after reading about the witch trials to learn some new interesting facts about these events. I love good well-written books that provide interesting facts about the actual historical events that I love to learn about that time period.
I gave this book a five star rating that deserves a ten star rating. This is a fabulous read that is very hard to put down once you start reading. If you love books with a Halloween fun twist with a dose of history, this book is for you. I will be reading more of the Familiar cat mystery series in the near future.
I was given an ARC for a honest book review.
March 5, 2017
Time travel, romance and witch trials, these are the main ingredients in this book. It was a good read, but not phenomenal. I really don't care much for time travel books, so that may be why it took me so long to read it.
September 19, 2018
A black cat named Familiar, a mysterious trek into the past, and the Salem Witch trials. What could be more fun (and a tad frightening)!
Familiar and Abigail West are transported to colonial Salem, which is being torn apart by wild accusations and trials of many locals for practicing witchcraft. And of course, there are the executions. With the sensibilities of a 20th century woman, Abigail is set on ending this horror while somehow finding her way home.
Familiar, a black cat with who solves mysteries, aids her in these quests. This story reads like historical fiction, a real treat to this cozy reader! The research is impeccable and the story is engaging--just terrific! We have a bit of romance of course, but the focus is on dealing with the injustices (and frustrations) the time travelers find in this era of false accusations and bigotry. And it’s always fun to see how Familiar keeps his people in line.
I loved this book, reading it in one setting and wanting more. So happy this series is being re-released and available. Cannot wait for the next installment!
Familiar and Abigail West are transported to colonial Salem, which is being torn apart by wild accusations and trials of many locals for practicing witchcraft. And of course, there are the executions. With the sensibilities of a 20th century woman, Abigail is set on ending this horror while somehow finding her way home.
Familiar, a black cat with who solves mysteries, aids her in these quests. This story reads like historical fiction, a real treat to this cozy reader! The research is impeccable and the story is engaging--just terrific! We have a bit of romance of course, but the focus is on dealing with the injustices (and frustrations) the time travelers find in this era of false accusations and bigotry. And it’s always fun to see how Familiar keeps his people in line.
I loved this book, reading it in one setting and wanting more. So happy this series is being re-released and available. Cannot wait for the next installment!
September 22, 2018
Familiar is the original Cat detective.
When Abigail gets pushed out of the way of a car by Familiar, she realizes he saved her life. Or did he??Unfortunately Familiar is not as lucky.
When Abigail wakes up she finds herself and Familiar back in Salem during witch trial times, along with the guy who was driving the car. I am sure you have heard of the Salem Witch Trials, but can you imagine yourself living during those times?!
Story of fighting for the hunt of innocent women hung based on false confessions and testimony. As well as romance as Abigail and Samuel work together to try and save these women.
A bewitching story where women are treated with no respect at all and are known to “bewitch” a man. And black cats.... can Familiar keep from being killed also?
When Abigail gets pushed out of the way of a car by Familiar, she realizes he saved her life. Or did he??Unfortunately Familiar is not as lucky.
When Abigail wakes up she finds herself and Familiar back in Salem during witch trial times, along with the guy who was driving the car. I am sure you have heard of the Salem Witch Trials, but can you imagine yourself living during those times?!
Story of fighting for the hunt of innocent women hung based on false confessions and testimony. As well as romance as Abigail and Samuel work together to try and save these women.
A bewitching story where women are treated with no respect at all and are known to “bewitch” a man. And black cats.... can Familiar keep from being killed also?
September 21, 2018
Everyone has heard of Salem and the Witch Trials. But did you ever imagine yourself living in those times?
Abigail and her current companion Familiar - a black cat- find themselves in Salem during the Witch Trials. Abigail doesn't know how she woke up from the 1990's to the late 1600's in Salem. And why does she have a black cat?
This is a great mystery set in Salem. Who is responsible for the Witch Trials and why? Read and find out what you missed in history class. Great book!
Abigail and her current companion Familiar - a black cat- find themselves in Salem during the Witch Trials. Abigail doesn't know how she woke up from the 1990's to the late 1600's in Salem. And why does she have a black cat?
This is a great mystery set in Salem. Who is responsible for the Witch Trials and why? Read and find out what you missed in history class. Great book!
October 14, 2018
Another fantastic page turner!
I am totally in love with this series! One
of the best I've read. Familiar is one fabulous
cat!!! I just couldn't put this book down! So
spell binding and riveting! So full of mystery
and intrigue, with some love and humour on
the side. Great twist at the end that I didn't
see coming. I love history, so the story line
was perfect. Gteat, great read!! Thank you,
Carolyn Haines!!! Can't wait for the next with
Familiar!!!!!
I am totally in love with this series! One
of the best I've read. Familiar is one fabulous
cat!!! I just couldn't put this book down! So
spell binding and riveting! So full of mystery
and intrigue, with some love and humour on
the side. Great twist at the end that I didn't
see coming. I love history, so the story line
was perfect. Gteat, great read!! Thank you,
Carolyn Haines!!! Can't wait for the next with
Familiar!!!!!
May 15, 2015
Romance novel involving time travel. 2 people and a cat travel back in time to the Salem Witch trials. The story revolves around their attempts to save the innocent people and stop the trials. The cat is intelligent and is included in the storyline as an active participant and includes his commentary.
December 21, 2015
This is an unusual romance novel, involving time travel and the Salem witch trials. The way time travel occurs is a little bit different, and kind of hard to get your head around. Overall it's not a bad read if you like this sort of thing. Familiar, the cat, is the star of the show, as usual.
April 22, 2008
A very good series
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews