This is book forty three of the Midlife Mysteries & Magic series and the local sheriff has asked Phoebe and Stella if they can help out with the case of an elderly woman Olive who has gone missing from her house in Salem, with all the doors and windows locked, and witnesses saying there were a load of lights which suddenly went out, even though her power was off, and she hasn’t been seen since. Stella’s husband Todd is the sheriff and he knows to pass any cases onto them that might have a supernatural tendency, even though he has no magic himself! They had been having a relaxing time, sharing some magic lessons with their teenage daughters, whilst Nana gives a hand. Phoebe is pregnant with triplets and finding lots of things are a struggle a few months in, but never could have imagined what was about to happen and how it was linked to the love of her life, her fated mate and God of the Underworld, Aidon. Nana worries that they could be walking into another trap set by Lyra, who kidnapped Stella and Phoebe recently, but Aidon is going with them and won’t let them out of his sight. They soon find themselves in the heart of Salem, with so much more than just an old woman to search for. It seems this old woman was a witch and there are powerful symbols written on the floor and Aidon can sense that some powerful magic was done there recently.
A hidden vault brings correspondence that shows Olive was a member of an exclusive cult, the Order of Umbra, and finding this cult leads them to a secret pocket realm, set up and controlled by another demigod. A secret magical society running around under the Pleiades’ nose is not acceptable, especially as Phoebe has no idea of what type of magic they are using. The secret realm leaves them chasing a series of riddles, dark magic and an ancient energy with a heart of malevolence pulling them into a multitude of traps. Someone wants the power Phoebe inherited from Hattie, the former Pleiades, but they also want something much more precious to Phoebe and Aidon. Something they would never give up on! Everything will converge into a battle for their very souls, as their fates are tied to another in a prophecy about the secrets of the gods and a despised enchantress. Looks like the trio have certainly got their hands full and they will need to ask their friends Tseki and Murtagh to step in and lend a hand. They have lots of research to do, to find answers about where to go next and full of riddles and puzzles re the prophecy, but the storyline is almost non-stop action, as they get themselves into loads of trouble seeking answers and have to fight their way out. I loved the extra blast the triplets gave Phoebe, a couple of times, as they fought against those who wanted her dead. Being a witch, then a Pleiades and mated to a god, certainly has its benefits when it comes to the powers their kids will have! A certain goddess of discord had better watch out, as she will find Phoebe and her friends to be much harder to remove that she thought, and they will fight with their lives if necessary, to help protect Phoebe and Aidon’s unborn triplets. A full on adventure with loads of twists and turns, but with age old jealousy and hunger for power at the core of it all!
I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.