Jill wakes up to find a mysterious tunnel in her back garden, and Jack has exciting news about the store. Meanwhile, Jill is as busy as ever trying to find a missing vampire and to unravel the mysterious entries in Myrtle Turtle's diary.
After what is now 50+ books, you would think that the jokes and the humor would have grown stale. Fortunately, for us, that is not the case. Thankfully, the “staleness“ actually seemed to hit somewhere around books 15-30, though I can’t rightly recall exactly where. Fortunately, I found this series long after that point and so I forced myself forward until the series came back to life once more.
At this point, no forcing is required. What IS required is a sense of patience while I IMPATIENTLY await the release of the next book. I have expected that this portion series would have aimed much more towards Florence and her time at CASS, and while it does get a brief mention, this book focuses almost exclusively on Jill‘s PI practice, and all of the shenanigans that that entails.
Well, we see some of our old “friends” pop up, here and there, the jokes are fresh and the material is new and it’s really, honestly, quite astounding given the overall length of this series. And now, while it’s not quite a cliffhanger, we have an ending which leaves us waiting and wanting more.Well done, Ms. Abbott! Well done.
I am officially hooked! After 51 books, you might think a series would start to lose its spark, but this was just as captivating as the very first book. Adele Abbott has a way of keeping things fresh while maintaining that cozy, familiar magic we love.
Why I loved it: The Family Dynamic: I was so happy to see almost all the family members make an appearance. It’s their quirky interactions that really ground the series and make it feel like coming home.
Tight Plotting: There were multiple investigations running simultaneously, which can sometimes get messy, but the author handled it perfectly. I didn't spot a single plot hole!
The Perfect Palate Cleanser: This series remains my go-to "happy place." It’s light, mysterious, and not overly serious—the ideal break between heavier reads.
⚠️ Fair Warning: That Cliffhanger! Be prepared—this book ends on a cliffhanger that I would not have expected. It has me counting down the days until Book #52 is released.
If you’re looking for a fun, magical mystery that keeps you on your toes without being too dark, this is definitely the one to pick up.
This was pretty much a standard for the current segment of the series. Her daughter seems to be mostly banished to her boarding school, which is fine with me since I never liked the little brat! Grandma and the twins were being their usual irritating selves. I could have done without the return of the ear wax candles. EWWWWW! She did have a few more complicated spells to figure out, but once again she relied too much on standard easy tricks like "sleep," "forget," and "doppelgänger." I want to see more of the skills that make her the most powerful witch in the world. There's a hint of a new, darker threat on the horizon. I hope she gets to stretch her witch skills a bit more in the next volume. At 51 books in, I'm waiting for her to do something to bring Jill's competitive excitement back. She needs bigger challenges than she's been facing. I still enjoy the series. I'm in 'till the end!
Jill Maxwell has had a great career as a PI and the way she is able to figure out what happens to some of her clients' interests is very remarkable. I'm never bored nor have I ever disliked any of her shared adventures. This last book is even better and I'm happy to encourage the reader to see them all because they are funny, almost impossibly crazy and thrilling. They entertain me completely for all the time it takes to read them. Maybe too short of a time but I and most of her readers love her books and can't wait for the next one.
Jill is again tasked with sorting out complicated jobs that require her special skills. Again she rises to every challenge with hilarious results that have you gripped. I really love these books
Sometimes I wonder if Adele Abbott is a direct descendant of Lewis Carroll. They're both Brits, and have the same marvelous offbeat humor. Whenever I'm in the mood for a little nonsense, I need only visit the mad, mad, mad world of Jill Maxwell.
Can’t believe that I have read all 51 books in this series. It’s a fun read with a lot of fluff. I like to read this between history books and technical books.
I enjoyed reading this book. Not a lot really happened in this one though. I didn’t find it especially exciting but I’m looking forward to the next book in the series