Wow, you are on to a great thing with this box set. 10 magical mysteries to solve. Each mystery is solved and written in just a way that it not only keeps you guessing but also keeps the reader engaged and wanting more, especially to see what happens to the characters. I think it was the paranormal side to the story that really caught my imagination and I loved. Not only is there the usual spells backfiring with new witch's that have just come into there powers but there is also some great supernatural characters and friendships. The author paints a very vivid picture with her words creating a beautiful and magical little village that is easy to imagine and I like the fact that is it is set In England, although I have never stumbled on a town like this one or should I say that I know of.
Murder at magic cakes cafe book one
I loved this book. It is a fun quirky paranormal mystery. I liked the mystery of who killed Evelyn's mother and with lots of suspects it was hard to guess, I especially liked the werewolves and had my fingers crossed that they weren't the killer (you will have to read or listen to the story to find out). It is a nicely crafted story that keeps you reading until the end.
The same night Evelyn is struck by lightening while rescuing her sister's cat from a free is the same night her birth mother does and her world gets turned upside down. She and her nephew travel to Maiden-Upon-Avon to find out more about the women she never met. It's not long before Evelyn starts to notice that there is something very different about the small town and it's not just because the detective in charge of the case refuses to see the death as a homicide. Why would a woman loved by the whole town commit suicide? Evelyn believes that the quicker she finds out the quicker she can leave the strange little town and all the weirdness behind. Then she mets her Grandmother and anything suddenly becomes possible, like helping to win the cooking competition for her mothers assistant, making friends with werewolves, annoying a certain detective just to try and get him to smile and even catching a killer.
A Midsummer Fright’s Scream: book two
The mystery was interesting and I liked the way Evelyn had a group of suspects right from the start but had to work out how they seemed to be in two places at once and just when you thought you had figured it out boom you get hit with a big twist. I must confess I don't know much about Shakespeare plays but even I found myself looking up the play on the internet to find out more, I was that hooked.
Evelyn thought the hardest thing she had to do was learn a few new magic spells and get her nephew to admit how he feels about her young waitress but then again it is coming up to midsummers night when anything can happen. The village is embracing the celebration by putting on the Shakespearean play, a car show, love music/dancing and fun and games but before the celebrations can get underway a car crashes into the cafe. The driver is found dead with a steak through his heart and clutching a silver bullet. He wasn't a vampire or a werewolf so why was these items involved? Could magic be the reason? The victim was a ladies man so there is going to be a lot of suspects including his best friend and his wife. With the most likely suspects having alibis and yet hidding secrets, police detective Alex asks for Evelyn's help with not getting the suspects to open up to her. Can she help solve the reason for the murder and how it was done? Can she also talk the moody policeman into letting his hair down, by putting on green tights to step into the roll of Puck, so the show can go on? What about helping her nephew find love? The one thing she doesn't mind letting slip is the weekly magical council meetings but with Werewolves, Angels and witches on the board maybe they might prove the be helpful in solving a few things.
Harvest Hemlock Horror: novella
This might be shorter than the rest of the stories in this box set but it is just as good. I had guessed the killer but still enjoyed it.
Alex is up to win an award for his contribution to the village of Maiden-upon-Avon but after a mix up with the dinner orders, an angry table companion who didn't win the award storming out the last thing he needed was to have the last winner get hit by the lighting falling on her. Instead of enjoy there time off Evelyn and Alex find themselves investigating a murder. It also turns out she was also poisoned and as Alex was the one to give her his dinner, was he the intended target? It is also discovered that in his past Alex had wrongly arrested her for embezzling from her place of work. Can Evelyn find the killer before they try killing Alex again especially as he doesn't think he is in danger.
Halloween Hex Appea : book three
There are a number of suspects and to be honest you weren't even sure if the right victim died until the end, which is always a sign of a good book but the clues are there. The Bond theme throughout the book was subtly done and made for some interesting costumes. I am really enjoying the budding relationship between the main character and the detective who is a little out of practice.
Evelyn is on her own catering for her landlords Bond themed birthday party, as her normal staff are stuck on trains. That's the only reason she would a tempt to use magic to turn a temperamental cat Trixie into a waitress. Tempers are already high with the guests as he introduces them to his new and much younger bride and the new waitress spilling the drinks doesn't help. Unfortunately things don't get any better when the birthday boy is found dead after drinking a cocktail with cyanide in and it wasn't even his drink. Someone also stole his wedding ring. Who was the killer trying to kill and why? surely it wasn't just for his ring? The new wife is scared that as the drink was hers, that someone might try again and asks Evelyn to help find the killer and the ring. Alex the detective might not suspect Evelyn but how can she explain Trixie and her sudden disappearance? At the same time Evelyn has to help run the village Halloween celebrations without the humans amongst the villages finding out that there lives could be in danger. Can she manage it all? Just when she thinks she might have a big clue, another body is found and she is left a deadly cupcake. Caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse who will come out on top? The killer or Evelyn?
‘Twas The Bite Before Christmas
I really liked the mystery side to this story, as every time I thought I had a handle on the killer the author hit me with another twist and with so much going on it kept me hooked.
Christmas is a magical time of year and for the village of maiden on Avon that is even more so with most of the villagers being of magic. But there is a problem with all the murders in the village and unrest, things are out of balance and Jack Frost is unable to sheppard in the cold weather needed for the new season and stuck as annoying talking seagull he needs Evelyn's help. The trainee witch also has her hands full with a rogue Vampire that is targeting her and her nephew Luke. The only way to help them both is to solve a Christmas party murder. A young girl was poisoned while eating a mince pie, as she brought them the only people who had access to them was her work colleagues but which one and why? The murder proves to be just as complicated as getting a certain grumpy detective under a sprig of mistletoe when another body is found, this time with bite marks in her neck. Is the vampire problem bigger than she thought? Or is it the same killer? If only Evelyn had a fairy godmother to help solve the case.
Snack to the Future
I love the play on words for the title of this book and the story continues in the same vain. I don't normally like books about time travel because it usually gets confusing but this wasn't the case with this book and the plot plays out nicely in both time lines. I enjoyed meeting a younger care free detective.
The main reason Alex became a police detective was after his sister Sam disappeared and her killer was never caught. So when he gets an invite to her memorial service he takes Evelyn for moral support but they both get more than they bargain for when it turns out the whole reason for the gathering was to reveal the killer. Before the host can name names the lights go out and the only stranger, a fortune teller from the circus is found dead. So which one of Sam's friends is the killer? Evelyn wishes she could find out what happened to Sam. At the same time novice witches Luke and Leah cast a spell which catches Evelyn in its magic and she is sent back ten years in time. Can she convince the much younger care free Alex that his sister is in trouble? And will finding out what happened to Sam mean she can solve the murder in her own time line? Or will her presence in the last mean the end of her future?
Much Ado About Murder
The romance side of the story also heats up in this book after some inferring from some well meaning mischief makers. The mystery was interesting and contained a number of suspects that kept you guessing. But it was the fun the author had with the magic in this book that was the highlight for me. Animals that gate crash a party as humans but still act as the animals they normally are, zombie attacks, lions in kitchens. Okay it sounds a little bit weird, put that way but somehow it worked and I really enjoyed it, so much that I didn't want the story to end.
DCI Alex Taylor is in trouble with his boss but there is nothing new there, lately he can't do anything right and even solving a few murders isn't good enough. But nobody expects him to commit murder, that is until he is found standing over the dead body of arch-rival Chief Inspector Sheppard. His sort of girlfriend Evelyn knows he would never kill anyone but even be is insisting that he be arrested. Suspended from duty it is up to Evelyn and the gang to prove him innocent. First she will have to work out what killed Sheppard and was magic involved? The more she learns the hard it becomes to keep the existence of magic a secret, especially from the main murder suspect himself. How can she explain the unicorn dagger was the reason Alex felt compelled to stab the victim? But the more Alex learns the more he becomes vulnerable. Can Evelyn keep the man she loves safe and catch a killer? With her friends and chocolate around anything is possible
The Wicca Man Murders
. They mystery was good and with a number of suspects it took a few twists, so I was kept guessing but it was wrapped up nicely. I also like that the detective is beginning to learn about magic, I see trouble ahead and I can't wait.
Evelyn is busy preparing for her boyfriends sisters wedding and the worst she thought would happen, would be spilling chocolate from the fountain down her out fit. If only. Alex is called away when a body is found and then another and another. What is the connection between the victims? Other than they were all suspects in previous cases. Is Alex the connection because he was the detective that worked the cases? Evelyn thinks there is more to it and despite Alex superiors insistence that she stay out she sets out to help the only way she knows how to, with a little bit of magic. A suspects is quickly identified, to quickly? And because he is hosting the big music festival that is going to bring lot of tourist to town the top brass want him released. Even with the threat of another murder. The legend of the Wicca man isn't helping and Evelyn fears that there might just be some truth behind the story when she finds a spell hidden in the statute. Could somebody be sacrificing innocents to make sure the Wicca man returns to wreck havoc? Evelyn and her friends will have to work together in order to find out the truth before the concert is over.
Summertime Clues
The mystery is good and surround in magic. The mix of magic and mystery works well together as the two worlds combine giving the reader an entertaining mystery that keeps you guessing. I did guess the killer because the clue was a bit obvious but it was still a lot of fun reading as Evelyn worked it out, especially with the added twist. Who doesn't love a book that contains mermaids, dogs that can be turned human and ice cream trucks
Evelyn and her boyfriend Alex, join her brother Luke and his girlfriend Leia on holiday at the seaside. There favourite band is getting back together and having met the leader of the band in there last case they get invited to a recording session. They arrive in time to find one band mate dead of an accident and to witness another ones murder. Alex as a policeman is warned not to interfere but when the a witness or suspect turns out to be a mermaid Evelyn and her friends have no choice but to investigate. People say you should never meet your hero's and investigating this case will they learn more about there favourite band than they ever wanted to know? Evelyn as a Novice witch is also receiving training from a new teacher and not her grandmother but can she really trust what she learns?
All Hallows Scream
Alex is finally learning some well kept secrets and with magic and magical creatures involved anything can happen, I mean how else can an evil being of magic turn up for tea. The spell casting is fun (with the rhyming) but doesn't always work out for the best, which for the reader is good because it adds some humour and quirk. The mystery was good, plenty of suspects and I was surprised with who it turned out to be.
Evelyn hoped to enjoy a night of Opera, especially as her boyfriend's mother is producing the amateur show, how ever her boyfriend turns up ready to arrest the leading man. Only for him to drop dead during the performance and in the middle of the stage. How was he killed? Is the first of many questions. With the most important being who killed him? As well as trying to help find the killer, Evelyn has the worry of her Father Lord Vilnius using Halloween to make a return, a ghost Hunter in the village and taking her haunted ghost walk and her detective boyfriend learning so many magical secrets that he is he making himself a target for attack.
A must read author and series.
I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review