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Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow #4
Hat Trick
Blythe Fairfield is finally getting the hang of her weird new life.
She owns a tea shop on Main Street. She’s dating the sheriff. Her late great-aunt’s notebooks are slowly teaching her what kind of witch she is, and her familiar has mostly stopped acting like tolerating her is a personal sacrifice.
Mostly.
Then the Cauldron Hollow Fall Festival rolls into town, and a dead body turns up behind the vendor trailers before the booths are even open.
The victim was a quiet leather worker traveling with the festival vendors. No enemies. No debts. No obvious connection to anyone in town.
At least, that’s the story everyone wants to tell.
As the festival barrels forward with tourists, bear sightings, and town gossip, Blythe starts tugging at threads nobody else seems to see. And somewhere between the funnel cake, fake smiles, and festival chaos, someone decides Blythe needs to stop asking questions.
Permanently.
It doesn’t help that Sheriff Paine is pulling away for reasons he refuses to explain. Or that Pippin keeps insisting being a Tallowmere should be enough to solve every problem, intimidate every enemy, and possibly improve Blythe’s posture.
But Cauldron Hollow has secrets it doesn’t show the tourists, and this one has been waiting twenty-four years to come due.
Blythe is about to learn there’s a big difference between a man running from his past and a man waiting for it to find him.
Sometimes the trick isn’t what’s in the hat.
It’s what’s been hidden in plain sight all along.
She owns a tea shop on Main Street. She’s dating the sheriff. Her late great-aunt’s notebooks are slowly teaching her what kind of witch she is, and her familiar has mostly stopped acting like tolerating her is a personal sacrifice.
Mostly.
Then the Cauldron Hollow Fall Festival rolls into town, and a dead body turns up behind the vendor trailers before the booths are even open.
The victim was a quiet leather worker traveling with the festival vendors. No enemies. No debts. No obvious connection to anyone in town.
At least, that’s the story everyone wants to tell.
As the festival barrels forward with tourists, bear sightings, and town gossip, Blythe starts tugging at threads nobody else seems to see. And somewhere between the funnel cake, fake smiles, and festival chaos, someone decides Blythe needs to stop asking questions.
Permanently.
It doesn’t help that Sheriff Paine is pulling away for reasons he refuses to explain. Or that Pippin keeps insisting being a Tallowmere should be enough to solve every problem, intimidate every enemy, and possibly improve Blythe’s posture.
But Cauldron Hollow has secrets it doesn’t show the tourists, and this one has been waiting twenty-four years to come due.
Blythe is about to learn there’s a big difference between a man running from his past and a man waiting for it to find him.
Sometimes the trick isn’t what’s in the hat.
It’s what’s been hidden in plain sight all along.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2026
About the author
Sara Bourgeois
363 books384 followersSara 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.)
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 20, 2026
I am binge-reading this series! I just can't put it down. Phenomenal book with unique characters and unusual mysteries.
Amazon synopsis:
Blythe Fairfield is finally getting the hang of her weird new life.
She owns a tea shop on Main Street. She’s dating the sheriff. Her late great-aunt’s notebooks are slowly teaching her what kind of witch she is, and her familiar has mostly stopped acting like tolerating her is a personal sacrifice.
Mostly.
Then the Cauldron Hollow Fall Festival rolls into town, and a dead body turns up behind the vendor trailers before the booths are even open.
The victim was a quiet leather worker traveling with the festival vendors. No enemies. No debts. No obvious connection to anyone in town.
At least, that’s the story everyone wants to tell.
As the festival barrels forward with tourists, bear sightings, and town gossip, Blythe starts tugging at threads nobody else seems to see. And somewhere between the funnel cake, fake smiles, and festival chaos, someone decides Blythe needs to stop asking questions.
Permanently.
It doesn’t help that Sheriff Paine is pulling away for reasons he refuses to explain. Or that Pippin keeps insisting being a Tallowmere should be enough to solve every problem, intimidate every enemy, and possibly improve Blythe’s posture.
But Cauldron Hollow has secrets it doesn’t show the tourists, and this one has been waiting twenty-four years to come due.
Blythe is about to learn there’s a big difference between a man running from his past and a man waiting for it to find him.
Sometimes the trick isn’t what’s in the hat.
It’s what’s been hidden in plain sight all along.
Amazon synopsis:
Blythe Fairfield is finally getting the hang of her weird new life.
She owns a tea shop on Main Street. She’s dating the sheriff. Her late great-aunt’s notebooks are slowly teaching her what kind of witch she is, and her familiar has mostly stopped acting like tolerating her is a personal sacrifice.
Mostly.
Then the Cauldron Hollow Fall Festival rolls into town, and a dead body turns up behind the vendor trailers before the booths are even open.
The victim was a quiet leather worker traveling with the festival vendors. No enemies. No debts. No obvious connection to anyone in town.
At least, that’s the story everyone wants to tell.
As the festival barrels forward with tourists, bear sightings, and town gossip, Blythe starts tugging at threads nobody else seems to see. And somewhere between the funnel cake, fake smiles, and festival chaos, someone decides Blythe needs to stop asking questions.
Permanently.
It doesn’t help that Sheriff Paine is pulling away for reasons he refuses to explain. Or that Pippin keeps insisting being a Tallowmere should be enough to solve every problem, intimidate every enemy, and possibly improve Blythe’s posture.
But Cauldron Hollow has secrets it doesn’t show the tourists, and this one has been waiting twenty-four years to come due.
Blythe is about to learn there’s a big difference between a man running from his past and a man waiting for it to find him.
Sometimes the trick isn’t what’s in the hat.
It’s what’s been hidden in plain sight all along.
May 18, 2026
Good
When a festival comes to Cauldron Hollow, it begins with a murder of one of the vendors there, which results in Blythe doing her thing of investigating without actually investigating!
It’s not long before she is unlocking secrets. Meanwhile her relationship with Paine is progressing slowly, her new teashop seems to be doing fairly well, and Blythe finds herself settling in, in Cauldron Hollow.
This book picks up more or less where the third left off (albeit a little later) and continues Blythe’s story. There are a few intriguing events in the book, with no real resolution, but I admit to having my suspicions about them, and how certain characters may be involved.
It’s a fairly fast paced story, although not heavy on the action, it flows very quickly- enough that I wasn’t always certain when a new day had begun. However, this doesn’t detract from the enjoyable tale, and the interesting town and its residents, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next for Blythe and Pippin.
When a festival comes to Cauldron Hollow, it begins with a murder of one of the vendors there, which results in Blythe doing her thing of investigating without actually investigating!
It’s not long before she is unlocking secrets. Meanwhile her relationship with Paine is progressing slowly, her new teashop seems to be doing fairly well, and Blythe finds herself settling in, in Cauldron Hollow.
This book picks up more or less where the third left off (albeit a little later) and continues Blythe’s story. There are a few intriguing events in the book, with no real resolution, but I admit to having my suspicions about them, and how certain characters may be involved.
It’s a fairly fast paced story, although not heavy on the action, it flows very quickly- enough that I wasn’t always certain when a new day had begun. However, this doesn’t detract from the enjoyable tale, and the interesting town and its residents, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next for Blythe and Pippin.
May 18, 2026
just a excellent story
Rating: 4.75⭐️
Well, if that wasn’t just an excellent book. The mystery was one where you knew who did it after a while. But the investigation takes Blythe and her familiar, along with Anya, on a path that leads towards many places and players. So the plot winds up being poignant, character driven and layered with smaller pieces of other mysteries .
The author meaningfully scattered bits of information about the community throughout in new ways that knowledge of who did the murder early isn’t as key as you think.
And there’s another stranger mystery brewing that will lead to the next book in the series.
Sara Bourgeois is another autobuy/autoread for and this series is a great example why.
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
Bear Many Hats #5 - July 21,2026
Rating: 4.75⭐️
Well, if that wasn’t just an excellent book. The mystery was one where you knew who did it after a while. But the investigation takes Blythe and her familiar, along with Anya, on a path that leads towards many places and players. So the plot winds up being poignant, character driven and layered with smaller pieces of other mysteries .
The author meaningfully scattered bits of information about the community throughout in new ways that knowledge of who did the murder early isn’t as key as you think.
And there’s another stranger mystery brewing that will lead to the next book in the series.
Sara Bourgeois is another autobuy/autoread for and this series is a great example why.
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
Bear Many Hats #5 - July 21,2026
May 28, 2026
Predictible & my least favorite
The first few books in the series were easy, fun, one day reads. This one the killer was given away way to soon leaving the rest of the book kinda boring. They never said how the killer made it thru the locked door at the end. Nor does she use wards or magic often. Also someone was sick in the book & that part was just left unfinished. Lastly, I have come to absolutely despise when an author gives you a story only if you sign up for their emails. I understand the marketing concept, but it's gotten really old after you have signed up for so many you have literally hundreds clogging your mailbox! I'm going thru chemo & live w a monster so they last thing I want to do is deal w emails. Everything leaves a trail and if I enjoy your books I'll be back. Now I won't and won't be for any author only allowing additional reading material on their condition of clogging your email!
The first few books in the series were easy, fun, one day reads. This one the killer was given away way to soon leaving the rest of the book kinda boring. They never said how the killer made it thru the locked door at the end. Nor does she use wards or magic often. Also someone was sick in the book & that part was just left unfinished. Lastly, I have come to absolutely despise when an author gives you a story only if you sign up for their emails. I understand the marketing concept, but it's gotten really old after you have signed up for so many you have literally hundreds clogging your mailbox! I'm going thru chemo & live w a monster so they last thing I want to do is deal w emails. Everything leaves a trail and if I enjoy your books I'll be back. Now I won't and won't be for any author only allowing additional reading material on their condition of clogging your email!
May 23, 2026
Another Sara Bourgeois hit series
When I found the Mysteries of Meri series I read through the ones already published in a few days and then the others on the same day they were released. I have not been able to get through some of her other series books as easily. This series i again can't get the next book fast enough. Great characters, great writing, and great story lines. Don't give up on this author because you can't get into one series, try another and you will find the ones for you. They are all different, not like some where each series feels like the others just different names.
When I found the Mysteries of Meri series I read through the ones already published in a few days and then the others on the same day they were released. I have not been able to get through some of her other series books as easily. This series i again can't get the next book fast enough. Great characters, great writing, and great story lines. Don't give up on this author because you can't get into one series, try another and you will find the ones for you. They are all different, not like some where each series feels like the others just different names.
June 8, 2026
This was sad - sad for the murder victim and for the murderer because it was old history and guilty imagination.
I had to eye roll at the trophy case in the school: "a glass case full of participation trophies, which I respected because a school that gave out participation trophies understood that showing up was sometimes the hardest part." Give me a break! Children who grow up expecting special treatment for showing up to work as "adults" will be very disappointed. I wonder what it's like in an office full of these people - do they validate each other and ooh and ahh over finished projects & paychecks? I'm pretty sure that life will smack them like Cher did in "Moonstruck" and tell them to Snap Out Of It!
I had to eye roll at the trophy case in the school: "a glass case full of participation trophies, which I respected because a school that gave out participation trophies understood that showing up was sometimes the hardest part." Give me a break! Children who grow up expecting special treatment for showing up to work as "adults" will be very disappointed. I wonder what it's like in an office full of these people - do they validate each other and ooh and ahh over finished projects & paychecks? I'm pretty sure that life will smack them like Cher did in "Moonstruck" and tell them to Snap Out Of It!
June 11, 2026
I have enjoyed every story in this series but this one. The reason? A person died because he might remember. It is far too true to life and something that could happen and probably did in real life, too many times. My enjoyment of it has nothing to do with it being a good story or not. It is an excellent story in a series of excellent stories, and that is why it got five stars. The characters are almost like old friends, people you both admire and treasure their friendship. The plot is straightforward and the premise is finding out who killed the leatherworker and why. The why was the sad part. I highly recommend this story and all the ones before in this series.
May 30, 2026
The Cost of Murder
Blythe has a new murder to solve. The victim leads her deep into the secrets carried in a guilty mind. In the meantime, she begins to establish her new profession as the tea lady. The usual subjects, I mean the friends Blythe has made in the months she has lived in Cauldron Hollow, try to protect and comfort her as she searches for a killer. My interest has been captured by this series. I have read five of the books starting with the prequel and I still want to read more. Enjoy!
Blythe has a new murder to solve. The victim leads her deep into the secrets carried in a guilty mind. In the meantime, she begins to establish her new profession as the tea lady. The usual subjects, I mean the friends Blythe has made in the months she has lived in Cauldron Hollow, try to protect and comfort her as she searches for a killer. My interest has been captured by this series. I have read five of the books starting with the prequel and I still want to read more. Enjoy!
June 17, 2026
This is a quick read with a steady pace. Blythe continues to settle into Cauldron Hollow and her "new" tea shop. A murder on the Fairgrounds opens up some history for the town and imagined fears that were never resolved. The murderer wasn't a real surprise but the motive was just sad. There is not resolution for an illness that seems to be plaguing one of the main characters. I have some ideas about what might be occurring but it is not fleshed out or really discussed much. I do plan to continue with the series.
September 7, 2026
Blythe is finally feeling like a part of Cauldron Hallow. She's accepted who and what she is and has started to embrace it. It's time for the Fall Festival and she will have a booth selling her teas along with some other items from her new store, Tallowmere Tea. She is really starting to enjoy her life. But then a young man turns up dead behind the booths at the Fall Festival and the whole town is talking about it. She works with Sheriff Paine and her talking cat Pippin to find out what happened. An interesting story. I am enjoying Pippin, he is a cat with an attitude for sure.
May 31, 2026
okay... Blythe is now running the local tea shop and I found her new venture to be quite entertaining as she learns to deal with the various customers, while she finds her feet in her relationship with the Sheriff, and also getting underfoot with his investigations. Their dynamic is quite entertaining ;D
Fast paced with fun characters, a quirky community, and an interesting setting. These books aren't long, so I was able to devour them in one sitting.
Fast paced with fun characters, a quirky community, and an interesting setting. These books aren't long, so I was able to devour them in one sitting.
June 22, 2026
Very normal Festival?
This story hit my heart. A very serious lesson in “think before you act”. How something from the past can be blown hugely out of proportion from one persons point of view yet mean absolutely nothing in another person’s perspective. People remember things differently. Check their memories before you judge might be the lesson here? Well thought out and well executed. A thinker read!
This story hit my heart. A very serious lesson in “think before you act”. How something from the past can be blown hugely out of proportion from one persons point of view yet mean absolutely nothing in another person’s perspective. People remember things differently. Check their memories before you judge might be the lesson here? Well thought out and well executed. A thinker read!
June 25, 2026
3.5 stars. HAT TRICK had slower pacing, but I enjoyed the story all the same.
There was an interesting underlying story regarding a bear that people keep seeing at night that will likely see closure in the next installment. I have my ideas around this, but I’m interested in finding out where this goes.
There was an interesting underlying story regarding a bear that people keep seeing at night that will likely see closure in the next installment. I have my ideas around this, but I’m interested in finding out where this goes.
May 19, 2026
good mysteries
Two mysteries in this story. The bear…..yup, I won’t type it and give it away, but I know what the bear is. As for the man who got killed. Wow, good twists and turns with that one. I really like Paine and Blythe as a couple. Can’t wait to see how the next book ends
Two mysteries in this story. The bear…..yup, I won’t type it and give it away, but I know what the bear is. As for the man who got killed. Wow, good twists and turns with that one. I really like Paine and Blythe as a couple. Can’t wait to see how the next book ends
June 3, 2026
Well written
This whole series is well written, keeps your attention and is clean through and through. I appreciate all of those things. Looking forward to the next installment. A new witch, a serious familiar and a cautious handsome sheriff, what's not to love.
This whole series is well written, keeps your attention and is clean through and through. I appreciate all of those things. Looking forward to the next installment. A new witch, a serious familiar and a cautious handsome sheriff, what's not to love.
June 8, 2026
This series is great!
Although, Pippin not giving answers is a bit aggravating, but over all the story flows well. I do have some problem with Adelma and Anya treating Blythe like an idiot and not giving her direct answers while she's clearly in danger.
Although, Pippin not giving answers is a bit aggravating, but over all the story flows well. I do have some problem with Adelma and Anya treating Blythe like an idiot and not giving her direct answers while she's clearly in danger.
June 17, 2026
this is a really good series. I have just finished book 4 and now I’m headed for book 5.
These books are well written, and they keep your attention. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who likes a little bit of the supernatural and talking cats..
These books are well written, and they keep your attention. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who likes a little bit of the supernatural and talking cats..
July 12, 2026
cats and tea and murder
Love this series. She is finding her way with her familiar. Trying to navigate being a witch and falling in love. Can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
Love this series. She is finding her way with her familiar. Trying to navigate being a witch and falling in love. Can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
July 29, 2026
Sometimes the person who gives theSrso information about a crime is guilty.
People can change from bad to good. Beware though they can always turn back to bad. You never know a person until you know all them. A few missing facts can change everything.
People can change from bad to good. Beware though they can always turn back to bad. You never know a person until you know all them. A few missing facts can change everything.
August 27, 2026
Makes you think
Another great book in this series.
Really makes you think about life, and choices, and memories.
Yet more great development between characters, and an interesting ongoing mystery.
Great read!
Another great book in this series.
Really makes you think about life, and choices, and memories.
Yet more great development between characters, and an interesting ongoing mystery.
Great read!
June 5, 2026
Great series.
Read
June 7, 2026Blythe and Pippen solve another murder
A fun book with likable characters and just enough magic happenings to spice up the storyline and keep me reading.
A fun book with likable characters and just enough magic happenings to spice up the storyline and keep me reading.
June 11, 2026
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!
July 15, 2026
Loving this series so far..I even stated it at the prequel and was hooked.
July 26, 2026
Loving this series easy to read
The relationship between the characters is developing nicely ( I do include the cat and tree ) and I am drawn to pick up the next in the series quickly
The relationship between the characters is developing nicely ( I do include the cat and tree ) and I am drawn to pick up the next in the series quickly
August 2, 2026
Love this series and the way Sara Bourgeois writes!
August 4, 2026
Blythe is now running the tea shop
At the town festival she has a booth. Another booth owner is killed, so she helps the sheriff find out who did it.
At the town festival she has a booth. Another booth owner is killed, so she helps the sheriff find out who did it.
August 13, 2026
Another great book. I’m obsessed with this series. I hope it ends up being a lot of books.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews