Hat Out of Spell

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow #3

by Sara Bourgeois

Blythe, Pippin, Anya, and Paine deal with another magical murder mystery!
Full blurb coming soon.

Genres: Mystery

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2026

About the author

Sara Bourgeois is a Midwesterner through and through. She spends her time writing, reading, herding cats, and standing in her driveway during tornado warnings. (You can't see them from the basement.)

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book! I haven't been able to put the series down. I read one book and immediately jump into the next one. There are fascinating characters and complicated mysteries. I highly recommend this series.

Amazon synopsis:
She has a job at the local grocery store. A talking cat who insults her daily. A date with the sheriff that actually went well. And a cemetery full of dead relatives she's been restoring one headstone at a time.

Then one of those headstones gets a new neighbor.

Griffin Midnight, a witch with more charm than sense, came back to Cauldron Hollow after breaking Blythe's best friend's heart. Now he's dead in the Tallowmere family cemetery with a bottle of wine and two glasses, and the whole town is looking at the two women who had the most reason to want him gone.

One is Anya, Blythe's best friend, who screamed at Griffin in public. Twice.

The other is Blythe, whose family graves someone turned into a crime scene.

Between a grandfatherly tea shop owner hiding a secret, a council member with a grudge against her house, and a killer whose magic is so subtle nobody knows it's there, Blythe is running out of time and suspects. Pippin says the answer has been in front of her the whole time. Pippin says a lot of things.

But when Blythe opens her great-aunt Moira's notebooks, she finds more than clues. She finds a secret that will change everything she thought she knew about her family, her best friend, and the familiar who's been keeping his mouth shut since the day she arrived.

Some spells you cast. Some spells you inherit. And some hats are harder to take off than they are to put on.

[Mary Longo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each book in this series has something unexpected that somehow fits the storyline and builds on it. The third book, "Hat out of Spell," has more surprises for Blythe Tallowmere and the reader. I enjoyed it very much and think that you will, too.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

outstanding storytelling and great writing

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Hat Out of Spell took the main character of Blythe Fairfield, her family history as well as the paranormal nature of the community of Cauldron Hollow to new levels.

The author does this using the complicated murder of a recently returned and detestable man, using the investigation to examine darker, more intriguing areas of Blythe ‘s ancestry, that of the cemetery she’s renovating, and in-depth interviews into the community of witches and craftsmen who support them.

It’s small town dynamics but powered by a strong paranormal force, The Veil and old laws that Blythe has no understanding of.

I just love this story, all the many complex plots threaded together, some resolved, but many more intense storylines that are just getting out there for Blythe to think about and accept. Like her Aunt Moira, and what her future might look like.

Now to wait for the next book to be released.

What a fantastic series and group of characters.

Just terrific. Great storytelling.

Highly recommended. Love the author.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)
If the Hat Fits #1
Under The Hat #2
Hat Out of Spell #3
Hat Trick #4 - June 23,2026
Bear Many Hats #5 - July 21,2026

[Spinneretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

When Blythe discovers another body, this time it is in her family cemetery and her friend Anya is a prime suspect. Things are changing in Cauldron Hollow for Blythe, and even as she learns more about what she can do and who she is, she has to face new challenges.

Blythe’s new life is now several months old. She is informally dating the handsome sheriff, she has made new friends, and she is beginning to find her witchy feet too. It’s just a shame that she keeps finding dead bodies…

This book picks up several months after the end of the last book, and Blythe has a few new issues to deal with, after all, witchy matters aren’t always simple! It’s an entertaining read, with likeable characters, and I a kind of mystical feel. It’s part of an ongoing story, so you have to read it in series order, but the series is an entertaining one.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Blythe and Pippin’s next steps are, and I think any paranormal mystery lover will enjoy the book.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blythe has been working at Hill's Groceries & More for three months now, and HAT OUT OF SPELL also finds Blythe hard at work restoring an ancestral Tallowmere cemetery which she discovered in the previous book.

When Anya’s former fiancé returns to town after several years away, it’s no surprise that he ends up dead soon after his return. But there are several possible suspects to his murder, and Blythe is determined to figure out who did it.

I flew through this story once again, and am really enjoying the evolution of Blythe’s character. We learn more about her abilities, and I can’t wait to see what is next!

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

All cats have snark, in this story, the snarky cat talks and gives you his opinion, whether you want it or not, typical cat behavior. The characters are vivid, the plot is straightforward, and the premise is finding out who killed the charming witch who came back and why. The answers uncovered a witch selling bogus tinctures and a witch who practiced secretly and stealthily. I certainly recommend this book and look forward to the next one.

[Janet Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Choices and Consequences

Blythe continues to grow as a witch. Her abilities at crime fighting and crime solving are expanding. A Casanova type witch is dead and his former fiance and Blythe's best friend Anya is the suspect. Blythe, along with her familiar Pippin, are trying to prove Anya's innocence. A very entertaining series. Enjoy!

[Linda Kirkland · Rating 5 out of 5]

HAT OUT OF SPELL... A GREAT READ!

HAT OUT OF SPELL... A GREAT READ!

Continuing the "Cauldron Hollow Series"... Can't stop reading! Amazing how Sara can come up with new, fresh ideas for each of her series!

Dive in! You won't regret it!

[Dallass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, found this to be entertaining, and I have been enjoying the developing relationships between the characters. Fast paced enough to keep my attention, and will be picking up the fourth book asap

3.5 stars

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and like the characters. For some reason, a few scenes were just difficult for me to follow. It also didn't feel like there was closure to a few threads in the story. I do plan to continue with the series

[Lisa A. Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome read

I love this series, and this book. It is a fun read but also thrilling, and a good who done it! Highly recommend for those who like magical cozy books.

[Janet Epperson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Such a good series. Pippin the cat is awesome.

[Katherine J. Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book

The more of this series I read, the more I want it to continue. It is intriguing and addictive which is the right combination for an awesome read.

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed it! This is a well written and has well developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!

[janece collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly magical series!

These books are wonderful, the imagery and writing are beautiful. The characters, compelling and complex. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Stan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and games with witches

Someone is murdered in Blythe's cemetery and it is up Blithe and Pip in to sole the murder before she becomes the next victim

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blythe is rehabilitating her family cemetery, but something unexpected happens. Pippin is extremely unhelpful per his usual cat behavior. This was a good, fast read.

[Carolyn Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful series

I really like this series. You start with a girl who didn’t know she was a witch and follow her all the way through. I just love Pippin.

[Elizabeth Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astounding

I didn't think that the story line would hold. It is improving. I can't wait to continue. At least it's daytime.

[Lonny Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable series about the new witch in town coming into her powers with the help of a sassy feline familiar.

[Bonny Fuller-Fells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anya finds another body

This time it's in her family cemetery. A womanizer has returned to town after 3 years and nobody wants him, but who killed him?