Running for office has always been cutthroat. In Gloamington, it literally is.
When the city council candidates start dying one by one, Ella Bloom and Malcolm Fawkes discover something the ballot itself has been spelled. Every name printed on it is marked for death—and the killer is running out of victims.
With each new attack, the race to find the killer grows more desperate. Who in Gloamington would want to silence every voice vying for a seat at the table? And why?
But with the Unseelie Court closing in, Ella's biggest threat may not be the spelled ballot at all. Some races were never meant to be won.
The spelled ballot is only the beginning. If Ella can't outmaneuver both a murderer and the queen of the Unseelie Court, Gloamington won't need a new city council. It won't need anything at all…
Spelled for Choice is the ninth book in the enchanting Ella Bloom Mysteries.
Sarah Noffke is a prolific USA Today Best-Selling Author, who writes YA and NA science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and urban fantasy. Most of her stories draw on her experiences living on the West Coast, growing up in Texas or traveling the world.
Her passion for art, culture and literature drives her to create stories that are full of whimsey, humor and philosophy. Her books appeal to readers who enjoy an escape, a bit of magic mixed with science and the unexpected--like a dragon who tells bad jokes and has a video game addiction, but fights for justice.
Noffke's books are top rated and best-sellers on Amazon. Her books are available in paperback, audio and in Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch and Italian.
To stay up to date with Sarah, please visit her website and subscribe to her newsletter: www.sarahnoffke.com
Not only are they finding out who did the murders but Ella has to go to the fae realm to meet the Unseelie Queen. I will not spoil it for you but it is a must read!
Loved Ella and Malcolm investigating again and Monterey assisting with magic tutoring. Bagpipes is a true companion that always seems to know what is going on. There were many surprises as well and sounds like more to come!
The minute this hit my inbox, I downloaded and jumped right in! I absolutely adore this cozy mystery series and love visiting the magical town of Gloamington with its extraordinary townsfolk and in this latest addition we see Ella getting ready to meet the unseelie queen to determine her fate BUT before that can happen Ella and Malcom must determine who is killing of council candidate members! They say politics is deadly and well now it is. It’s intriguing and mysterious but our dynamic duo follow the clues and save the day with a little help from some friends and then off to the land of the fae we must go. I will admit I did shed quite a few tears as Ella readied herself, not knowing if she will be allowed to return as we embarked into this strange and unknown land and found myself glued to the pages and unable to stop reading. Totally held my attention as the author threw in some twists and some unexpected surprises and then blew me away with an ending I did not see coming…… I cannot wait for the next book!
OOO, we finally get to the unseelie court, but before that, Ella and Malcolm have a murder to solve, they need to find out who did it and why. The suspects are lined up pretty quick, one who keeps coming up, one who features a lot as a loud mouth but ultimately harmless couple. The two potential surviving politicians and various others. As they unravel the mystery and ponder the urge to destroy a beautiful environment, Ella also has to work on the Queen spell and as she does so, she finds more things she can do with her magic. Including ordering a pizza (unlike the pirate) and then bringing direct to her by magic. Then at the end she survives the court, because of course she does, there could be no more series if she didn't, at a cost. However she learns more about Betsy and her beef with Ella and why. She discovers two important things that are exciting and hopeful. Can't wait for the next instalment.
I hate politics. I have to be a politician as a clergyman. It ain't easy. It needs balance. Even in elementary school I hated the competition for politics and sports. My decision to join the Navy was NOT to compete with my classmates for a "prime pulpit." I saw a need for balance about the politics of Vietnam and the need for a rabbi when my brother's choices collided with education failure. I liked balance and pinned a note while reading the book "I think that talking about books is the secret to happiness and could save us all." I like magic. I think magic and religion are my best friends as well part of my professional life. For more than 67 years, one book, the Bible has held me "spell bound." Reading cozy urban fiction, science fiction, or things from post Biblical rabbis fills my retired time. Just like they say about chicken soup "it could not hurt"
A number of arcs that have been introduced in the series are finalized in this book. All while multiple murders are under investigation. The murderer wasn't too difficult to determine but the means were pretty creative and stretched Ella beyond her normal boundaries. She saw quite a bit of growth in her abilities during this. A surprise ending (sort of) for one of the characters as well as an unexpected but welcome change for another character. Actually, a couple of surprises occur in this one. Plenty of fun with a bit of tension to keep it interesting. It also seems the series will continue so this isn't a finale! I look forward to more with Ella and Malcolm and team.
I always enjoy the mysteries in this series and totally love the characters. Ella is very much coming into her powers, and how can she not when she is being trained by a magical pirate. Bagpipe the cat adds humor and more mystery to the stories. I am excited for more new mysteries that Ella and Malcolm will have to solve with the help of Shadow and their friends.
I just love this series of books about Ella Bloom and Gloamington! Thank goodness Sarah, by telling us in her authors notes, told us there was going to be more books! When I started to read this book (9th in the series) I was like “well this will be the last in the series, that’s so sad…” but then it wasn’t!! Yayyy!!! 🤩🤩 Brilliant stories, brilliant characters that I’ve fallen in love with, and obviously a brilliant author!! Thank you Sarah Noffke
It’s a great new feel for Sarah, but the “magical” sidekicks are still definitely there. The twists you didn’t see coming (kind of like in a certain castle hallway) are definitely there, as are the ones that raise the hair on your arms because you just KNEW something was going on…. I’m glad this series will continue!!
Wow is it possible that each book in this series gets better the answer is YES , this book really had it all it was really really good I highly recommend it, a big fat 5 stars
I read all her books and love the twists and turns and how she comes up with some of her characters. She is simple and complicated at the same time. Never felt intimidated.I can imagine her cat,daughter and husband in the stories.
Wow! A little different start with most the beginning all about a murder mystery. It was another go around if who did it. Then finally the meeting between Ella and the Queen. Get ready for your mind to say what!