Curses Abound

Silver Screen Coven #3

by Dominique Daoust

Who knew MGM's latest rumour crisis would involve a curse?

Things are running smoothly for Annabelle and her friends: there's been no chaos at the studio and they've finally managed to get acquainted with their spellbook by trying out spells and testing their powers.

But things take a turn for the worse when an MGM commissary employee gets publicly fired. Did he really curse the studio or is someone taking advantage of all this superstitious panic to commit murder?

Annabelle and her coven will stop at nothing to debunk this curse fiasco. But with their spellbook now acting up and eager helpers making their presence known, will they be able to restore MGM's reputation without creating more rumours?

240 pages, Paperback

Published March 27, 2024

About the author

Dominique Daoust is the author of The Deadly Exclusives Trilogy and the Silver Screen Coven series. She is a journalism graduate from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. When not reading or writing, she likes to do yoga, drink margaritas, incessantly quote Friends and listen to rap while doing mundane household chores.

You can follow her on Facebook (@DominiqueDaoustAuthor) and Instagram (@dominique.daoust) for updates!

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a kinda kooky fun historical cozy. It’s set in Hollywood primarily at and around the MGM studios and a group of friends who work there. The friends have recently discovered they’re witches so there’s aspects of paranormal along with real old world Hollywood stars and a fictional mystery. While I did enjoy the story especially the authentic slang I would recommend reading the earlier books in the series, this is book three, as you jump in and there’s a lot of background that’s missed if you haven’t. There’s tons of fun in a Scooby gang kind of way there’s a curse, a suicide, a con artist and so much more that the gals have to try and sort out to get to the truth. Fascinating story, great world building, but definitely start with book one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cynthia Wasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third mystery in this series and it definitely delivered.The journey of Annabel and her new coven is delightfully entertaining, witty, and funny! Looking forward to book 4.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murderous Curses . . .

Annabelle and her friends are enjoying the summer at Velma’s beach house. After a rousing game with a beanbag and lots of teasing, Velma arrives with a tray of sandwiches for lunch and Annabelle, Mila, and Mae rush over. The girls are learning about their new powers after recovering their stolen spellbook. They seemed to be noticing that more pages seem to get added to the book each day, making the book quite thick and heavy, and causing the picnic table to wobble when Mae set it there! They remembered the pink elephant Mae accidentally conjured up on the beach last time… not very subtle. Finding a new page on familiars, they were all excited that each familiar would seek them out and match their magical energy. So Velma teased Mae that she should avoid a pink elephant this time.

When an argument occurred behind the MGM commissary, Freddy is fired in front of everyone. As they dragged him away, he cursed MGM studios and all those who work on the studio grounds with bad luck and failure. So when Paul Bern, a producer, allegedly committed suicide, the rumors started since he was the first victim of the curse! The receptionist also mentioned bizarre animal sightings which caught Annabelle’s attention at once – sightings of a black bird, a black cat, a red fox with a black ear, and even a bat roaming around the lot seeming to be looking for someone specific. Those creatures are often signs of bad luck! But Annabelle and the others suspect these creatures may be their familiars, not a curse at all! When Mr. Beauregard told Annabelle that Russell Bristol, the security guard, dropped dead in the middle of his night shift, she and the coven need to step up and find out what’s going on before the curse fear becomes uncontrollable. And what will they uncover when their spellbook starts misbehaving right when they need it the most?

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four friends with magical abilities, Annabelle, Mila, Velma, and Mae, work as assistants in various departments at 1930s era MGM Studios. After a commissary employee curses the studio while being fired, a number of strange and tragic events happen. From mysterious animals roaming the studio to unexpected deaths, everyone is on edge, believing in the curse. While the publicity department head hires a psychic to clear the curse, the friends do their best to get to the bottom of the mystery. With the help of their new familiars and a spell book with a mind of its own, the gals have a wild romp around the studio and 1930s LA.

Curses Abound is the third book in the Hollywood Coven series, but works quite well as a standalone story. The action is lively and nicely paced with dialogue straight from the Golden Age of Hollywood. With judicious sprinkling of famous celebrities and their scandals, the studio environment comes alive. The main characters are nicely fleshed out with complimentary talents and positions at the studio. The antics of their familiars, a bat, a blackbird, a cat, and a fox, add to quirkiness of the story. I look forward to more stories about this charming coven.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Silver Screen Coven series.

I've read the previous two in this series and I enjoyed them, and this one was a little delight too. These characters are always entertaining to read about. I love the touch of magic that's present in all of these, and the MGM backdrop adds a touch of glamour. I noticed some references to well-known public figures, which was a lot of fun.

Although this book is part of a series, I think it would work well as a standalone too. It's an interesting combination of paranormal mystery, cosy mystery and historical mystery, so it ticks a lot of the right boxes for me.

Thank you to Booksprout and the author for a free copy to review.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Reader_for_LifeTLG · Rating 4 out of 5]

A curse or murder most foul? - Annabelle and her witchy friends stumble onto what could be the result of a curse manifested in anger or a simple but grisly murder. Two people are dead, coincidentally, after the curse is cast, but only one is truly suspicious. The security guard was a quiet young man, well liked by his fellow guards and many of the MGM staff. Who would wish such a gentle soul harm? But as the quartet dig deeper, Russell doesn't seem so innocent. What did he get himself into that brought him to his end so soon? A wonderful cozy mystery with paranormal elements and a few details taken from the headlines of old Hollywood.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome ! Set in the glamorous 1930’s Hollywood era. The spellbook is reacting to the witches and their spell learning. Powerful magic indeed! But when it starts acting up ….? The characters are so easily familiar and engaging. Murder is afoot , let these awesome friends loose on the trail. Brilliant writing . I do so love this immersive series. And wonder at the marvellous author’s craft and storytelling prowess as I saw myself transported to the era by her wonderful descriptors . I was forwarded this book and my review is voluntarily given in my own thoughts

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely the best book so far in the series, how can it not be when we get animal companions in this one. Also how is the bat the cutest one? I didn’t expect that! I’m really liking this series so far, it’s just a lot of fun. Although I did find one thing kinda annoying, and that’s all the recapping. Almost every chapter had a recap of the previous chapter, and me being someone who reads multiple chapters at a time, I remember thinking “yeah I know I literally just read this” quite a few times. However all in all a really good book! I can’t wait for the next one!

[Coleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through voracious readers only, in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the lighthearted short mystery story. It as easy to finish in an afternoon. This cosy mystery was set in 1932 so no swearing, violence or anything else too stressful. A fun romp through a time in history interspersed with real people, real events, and a coven of novice witches who like to solve murders. Nice character development, enjoyable prose. The story unfolded at a nice pace. I think I’ll look into reading the previous two books in this series. Thanks for the light read!

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curses Abound is book #3 in the Silver Screen Coven series by Dominique Daoust.

I hadn’t read the earlier books and was able to read this as a stand-alone story. It was fun reading about old Hollywood and the stars. The characters were interesting and well-developed. I liked how they got their familiars. This was an entertaining paranormal cozy mystery.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary Strawbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome storyline! Its great group of friends that recently started a coven while working behind the scenes in Hollywood movie production. Trying to keep that secret was hilarious especially when the author introduces their familiars.
The story is well paced and ingauging. The psychic was a great character the author created. Surprisingly I didn't know the"whodunit?" Definitely recommend this to any coy mystery readers. It's a nice book for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!!

[Susan Reads Cozies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first read from the author. I wanted to know more from the beginning. This can be read as a standalone, but it will have you curious on how it all started. I was so excited by the end of the first chapter with the mention of familiars. Animals in a cozy mystery are always a plus for me. I could not wait to see what familiars they each had.
 
This was such a fun read with the Hollywood movie studio set in the 30’s. I have read paranormal cozies before. I have read historical cozies before. A historical, paranormal cozy is a first for me and it was great. I loved the friendship these women have. They are trying to solve a murder while also still learning about their powers. There was a little chaos with the supposed curse which made for an entertaining read.
 
I will be going back to read the previous two books so I can see how everyone got their powers.
 

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was alot of fun. It kept me guessing until the end and I loved that. It's not fun when I can figure it out half way through but that wasn't the case here. This was a thrilling story and I loved every moment I got to spend in this world. It's hard to imagine that the 1920's were a hundred years ago! Doesn't seem possible. Great book. I will be back for more.

[Sherry Priddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have highly enjoyed each book in this series. This one was awesome. I love the old Hollywood setting along with celebrities and their shenanigans. Can't wait for more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very entertaining and well written paranormal mystery is set at MGM during Jean Harlow's heyday. I was pulled in from book one. Likeable characters. Good plots. Dominique Daoust is an author worth reading.

[Joelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curses Abound, the 3rd book from the Silver Coven Series, is bewitching! The dynamic between the four female characters is well established in this 3rd installment with their own quirks and complementary personalities. The introduction of familiars is super fun! As always, following the gang throughout their mystery solving is very entertaining and keeps you on your toes!