Christmas is in the past and the new year is shining bright for Bay Winchester…right up until a local inn catches fire and she realizes that something more than snow is afoot in Hemlock Cove. Bay and her husband Landon Michaels don’t hesitate before charging into the fire—there are children at risk after all—but when the fire seems to have a mind of its own…literally…things take a shift for the worse. It seems there’s a firebug on the loose in northern Lower Michigan. What does he or she want, though? As Bay starts digging, clues lead her back to a real estate agent she crossed paths with weeks before. He wants the property that burned, but has he somehow come into contact with the sort of magic that can make his dreams come true? Or is it something else entirely? On top of that, two of the victims who were saved from the fire refuse to wake up. They’re in magically induced comas, and the doctors can’t figure out why. All that’s certain is their lives are in danger, and Bay is the only one who can save them. Bay isn’t about to let an enemy take her down, but when Aunt Tillie starts acting squirrelly—even more squirrelly than normal—she becomes suspicious of the woman who always seems to have her pulse on everything paranormal. What is Aunt Tillie hiding? Fire is raging across Bay’s world and she only has one chance to put it out. Will she manage to rise to the occasion, or is the Winchester world about to burn?
When I was a kid, I was torn between whether or not I was going to grow up and be the Incredible Hulk or Wonder Woman. I flirted with being a Jedi Knight for awhile, but I wasn't up for the intense travel associated with the gig. In my teens, I settled on being a writer -- although I had no idea the effort that would entail. Not only am I a writer now, but I'm a writer in several different mediums. I'm a longtime newspaper reporter, an avid reader and a voracious science fiction fanatic.
There's a firebug in Hemlock Cove he/she is targeting the local inns and B & B's. Bay and Landon are on hand when one of the fires gets out of control and with the help of Bay's magic they manage to rescue the residents all of whom sustained no major harm, apart from the owner's who (for some reason) will not regain consciousness. After some digging Bay discovers there is a group (consortium) buying up land and properties all around Hemlock Cove intending to rebrand the inns as a chain of inns run by witches. Clever marketing but the plan is it the Winchesters will not well the Overlook this consortium will force them out of buisness. Bay was already invested in find i g the culprits behind the fire but now it's personal..
I’ve been following Bay and the whole Winchester clan for many years, since finding the first book, which I mistakenly thought was by an author I was already reading. What a lucky chance! As the series goes on, and as many of Amanda M. Lee’s series intermingle, it feels like some wonderful potluck picnic with all adored relatives, well, and those few ones that you try not to make eye contact with. The series has grown richer and richer with all the details, backstory, and interrelationships. You know the drill. Margaret is a menace, Aunt Tilly likes to be in control, and there’s always the bacon. Ooh, and wait till you find out what they name the dog. So cute.
Bay was really whiny in this one. She actually reminded me of Clove and her kvetch-ness. Ugh. However, the sulky didn’t last too long, thank goodness.
There are a lot of things going on here. A mysterious fire burns a local inn, but parts of the building were left unharmed even though Bay saw the walls and roof burning because she was inside during the fire. Bay soon discovered the fire is magical in origin. Now she has to figure out who or what started it and why. The owners of the inn were in the building during the fire and now the woman and man are in comas with no medical reason for being so. That must mean they’re comatose due to magic.
Aunt Tillie is hiding something and lying more than normal when Bay confronts her.
Mrs. Little is up to something and threatening the Winchesters that they’ll be selling their inn soon. How is she going to do that? She’s got a plan.
Landon gives his puppy numerous names, but Bay vetoes all of them because Landon wants to name him a food name. Meatball? Bacon? Lasagna? Bay says, “No. No. NOOOOO FOOD NAMES!!!” Winnie threatens both of them to name the puppy in the next 3 weeks or she’ll name him herself.
Scout, Gunner, Stormy, Evan, Rooster, and Hunter help with some magical things, so that was cool.
Next is book 25 “The Usual Witchspects” due to be published this November. Yay!
My next read is book 34 by Bobbi Holmes in the Haunting Danielle series. “The Ghost and the Poltergeist”. Such a terrific series!!
This is an entertaining paranormal cozy mystery series. A great cast of characters and a spectacular storyline. The Winchester family is a family of which is living in a town that pretends to be filled with witches. Winchesters are witches pretending to be humans pretending to be witches. Three mothers and three daughters all magical one great aunt who is also magical and a bit wild. Bay Winchester is married to an FBI agent. Her two cousins run a paranormal store in town and bay owns the local newspaper. Their mothers and aunt on a bed-and-breakfast on a bluff just outside of town. Their land sits on a Nexus of power that the Winchester family has lived on for a very long time. Overtime their family has fought many battles against evil and triumph. Once again evil is roaming around town causing issues. Can Bay and the family Stop the evil in time to save the town. All the normal characters are here the good ones and the bad ones. Even a few of their friends from other series pop in. Read on and see where the adventure takes them.
Bay and Landon head into danger when the Blue Moon Inn goes up in flames. The fire seems to be reacting abnormally to the endeavours of the firefighters, and Bay is desperate to save the family and guests inside. But why are the owners in what appears to be a kind of stasis asleep for no apparent reason?
Tillie is hiding things once again and far too stubborn and determined not to talk. Some rather inventive hexes are suggested during dinner theatre as she plays divide, distract, and conquer with her family.
As usual, nothing is straightforward, and as a beleaguered wife finally reaches breaking point, there's a whole lot more to deal with, and it's hard to work out who is connected to which problem.
It's going to need the whole team to get to the bottom of this one... Stormy and Scout will once again be right beside the Winchesters. It's always helpful to have a hellcat and a pixie on your side when the chips are down!
This was yet another madcap adventure in the land of the Winchester witches. It was a quick read (3 hours) that will easily keep you engaged. You really need to have read the rest of the series in order to know what’s going on. Additionally, there are numerous characters from some of the author’s other series who play important roles in this book. That can get a bit annoying as I only follow one of her other series as they all tend to sound the same after a while. Still, this was a very entertaining book which I can definitely recommend. The following was my favorite quote from the book:
“You can’t threaten me,” Mrs. Little growled. “We just did,” I countered. “You’d better batten down the hatches, because Hurricane Winchester is coming for you, and it’s going to be a Category Five storm.”
I've loved ALL of the books in this series. The stories have been genuine and fresh. I was having trouble (and still am to a degree) with the constantly repeated lines, like rolling my neck until it cracked, running their fingers through their hair, and others, but I'm very happy I stayed with it. I'm not sure, but I think I'm correct in that I should have started this series first. I read the Spells Angels Mystery series first. It tells Scout and Gunner's story. I highly recommend that series, too! I'm waiting for the next book in that series to come available in July. Amanda M. Lee's very talented! She has an Amazing Imagination too, boot! I'm heading into the last book (# 25) in this series. I'm really looking forward to it. Have a Superb day, everyone. ☮️✌️☺️
Life seems to be a continual wild whirlwind ride with the Winchester witches and friends and this novel is no different, as it opens with a magical fire overtaking the local blue Moon inn.
Thankfully Bay and her FBI hubby Landon were able to intervene, rescue the children at the inn and stop the fire, rescuing the other occupants there.
The plot thickens as more information is uncovered and before long, the Winchester clan is involved and will stop at nothing to thwart the evil attempting to take over their town and their home. These witches rock, no question, and do it with wild witchy style.
Adore the Winchester clan and the wicked witches of the Midwest - full of sass and magical flash and hearts of gold, other than Aunt Tillie who is a hoot and a half! Great story, fun and fabulous characters with a surprise ending and an absolutely worthwhile read
I've read this series for years and I find myself liking each book that comes out more and more. The story, characters and humor make this my hands down favorite cozy mystery set.
This book finds us in Tillys garden, where she's hiding more than her most recent crops from prying eyes. Amidst the chaos of a new puppy, a wedding and Tilly herself everyone has to come together to save not only the day but the souls of 2 women. With some luck, determination and trademark snark the Winchester family we've grown to love pulls off another caper that does not disappoint. I can't wait to read about the clown revenge on Margaret Little in the next book!
I love this series! Aunt Tillie is hysterical. I love how Bay has become as strong as Aunt Tillie but with different strengths and a lot to learn. All her friends are strong fierce women too. So as Bay, Landon, Chief Terry & Evan all work together to solve a mystery. This book was hysterical, action packed & a lot of sarcastic family drama that kept me captivated. Loved this read and was surprised by the bad person was when the mystery was solved. Can't wait until the next book.
It's not surprising that with such a cluster of so many powerful witches and other beings, that taking down anything less than a god doesn't raise a sweat. They are becoming a bit casual about killing. Working harder to avoid that and keeping magic hidden could present a challenge. Somehow I expect a Willow in Buffy moment where the overpowered magical girls decide they need to scale back their use of power. Humor continues to be the best part of the writing.
A wild ride so many twists and turns you can’t guess where they are going. A rich,complex story with beautiful character growth. While Bay’s powers control ghosts, they are not the answer to every problem. When Bay and Landon rush into a burning building and save everyone, you expect business as normal. But it becomes apparent there are several aggressors in town. With more than the Winchesters as targets Bay reaches out to her friends as she looks to save her town and then her family.
We are back in Hemlock Cove, and I couldn't be happier. I was introduced to Amanda Lee with this specific series and have been a fan ever since. I absolutely enjoy the crossover characters from her other series that help out in this book. There is a magical fire that doesn't do damage to an inn but leaves a couple in a coma like state. Mrs. Little is scheming and becoming more dangerous with each revenge scheme she attempts. Tillie is hiding a big secret and making Bay edgy. Fast read which only took several hours to complete. You will find it hard to put down.
Though this series is still in my top 5 of favorites, I'm not sure what is going on with Bay. She is definitely acting a lot different than she had been. She seems more...needed(?). At times she is the old Bay... strong minded, fierce and in control, and then she seems to have lost some confidence. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but that's how I'm feeling about it. Other than that, I did enjoy this storyline where other characters come in to l lend a hand.
Maybe it's time to take a break from the Hemlock Cove Universe. I no longer seem to appreciate/tolerate the continual snark and repetitive threats and comments. The book could have been a short story if it had just focused on the mysteries and solutions - which were quite fun and resolved well. More than half was useless whining and commentary. It doesn't seem like killing off the villain has the same moral impact on the team that it used to either.
If you are a Winchester fan, then get ready for a dose of laughter. It seems that there is an arsonist in Hemlock Cove and that means that Bay is in the middle of the investigation. She teams up with her pixie witch friend, Scout, and her fire witch friend, Stormy, to catch the arsonist. Of course, there are other magical problems along the way and Aunt Tillie is in the thick of things. Join the hilarity as they get through just another day in Hemlock Cove.
Once again, Amanda M Lee has me laughing aloud throughout one of the books in Wicked Witches of the Midwest series! Aunt Tillie is my favorite character in this series. I'm voting for her to become a hero super star, lol. I personally love all of the snark in this author's writing. She keeps me entertained and laughing my socks off. If you love good laughs and witchie stories then read this series. I highly recommend it.
Somebody tries to burn the Blue Moon inn in Hemlock Grove. Bay and Landon save those inside and stop the fire. Kevin Dunne is with a group wanting to buy all the Inns.
The Winchesters have to find a way to save the inn and stop the fires.
Lots of action and interaction with characters from different series by the same author.
I had a good time reading this, but I wasn’t aware that we’d be revisiting the magical fallout from a past investigation. Landon and Bay still haven’t named the puppy, and Mrs Little is getting pushing it. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next book as Tillie is on the war path - again!
Once again, this author has kept me entertained and waiting for the next punchline in the next surprise. I love her stories. I love her sense of humor. She should never apologize for her sense of humor. If you read this unlike it, look at her other series. They're great as well
What a world we would live in if everyone turned into a branches when things didn't go our way. Wow! Bay and the crew get things done and saved a some women from a very deadful fate. They saved a family, saved their inn, and finally named Landons dog. Oh and Aunt Tillie was a little more, well Aunt Tillie! On to the next adventure!💚💙😉
This book was a much needed Therapy lesson for me. It took to the end to get what I needed to hear because I was going through something similar to Joanne. I do feel that Bay is a little bit darker in this book. I wonder if that is because of her being a necromancer. It Seems like her temper is a little shorter than normal. Still one of the best series
I have read the entire series and I can say I am looking forward to the next book.It's too bad it's ten months away. I like that characters for other series are involved. It makes the witch community seem so much more. I wonder though if too many non magical people knowing what's going on is going to cause major problems?
New problems for the Winchesters. I'm having difficulty with the character Landon now. He is becoming revolting instead of worthy of Bay. Since he's human, he's got to be putting on weight and how long can Bay continue to watch his gluttony and horrible table manners? Bay deserves more than good sex.
I really loved reading this book. This, by far, is my favorite series. It was funny and entertaining. The story and characters were incredibly interesting and engaging. I'm seriously looking forward to seeing what happens next. This book is definitely worth checking out.
I downloaded this book as soon was available. The storyline was so riveting that I could not put it down. I loved the banshee storyline. Also loved that a certain realtor got his just reward. Can't wait for the next title in the series!
Great book, amazing series. I love seeing Aunt Tillie take Margret Little down a few pegs. I truly enjoy the way Bay handles Viola and her nonsense every time Bay has to call on her to aide in whatever misadventure she’s gotten into this time