What do you think?
Rate this book
Wardwell Witch Cozy Mysteries #2
Potion Sickness
The show must go on. The leading man, however, is unconscious.
Mari Wardwell came back home to Duskboro, just for the summer… at least that’s what she keeps telling herself. Now summer is winding down and she has a freelance gig, a growing soft spot for the local funeral director, and a talking cat who just appointed himself head dramaturg of the Duskboro Players’ inaugural production of Macbeth.
What could go wrong? It's not like the play is famously cursed or anything.
When Damien Carter – Broadway veteran and daytime TV legend – collapses mid-rehearsal into a sleep no doctor can explain, of course everyone thinks of the curse.
Mari knows better. Someone is to blame.
With whispers of backstage romance, an understudy hungry for the spotlight, and a director whose marriage just hit the tabloids, the suspect list is longer than the second act.
Alongside a sharp-nosed apothecary witch, a larcenous raccoon, and an eight-year-old investigator with a very thorough evidence log, Mari must unmask a poisoner, save a sold-out opening night, and keep her cat off the stage – because he knows every line of the Scottish play, and he is ready for his close-up.
Places, everyone – something wicked this way comes.
Mari Wardwell came back home to Duskboro, just for the summer… at least that’s what she keeps telling herself. Now summer is winding down and she has a freelance gig, a growing soft spot for the local funeral director, and a talking cat who just appointed himself head dramaturg of the Duskboro Players’ inaugural production of Macbeth.
What could go wrong? It's not like the play is famously cursed or anything.
When Damien Carter – Broadway veteran and daytime TV legend – collapses mid-rehearsal into a sleep no doctor can explain, of course everyone thinks of the curse.
Mari knows better. Someone is to blame.
With whispers of backstage romance, an understudy hungry for the spotlight, and a director whose marriage just hit the tabloids, the suspect list is longer than the second act.
Alongside a sharp-nosed apothecary witch, a larcenous raccoon, and an eight-year-old investigator with a very thorough evidence log, Mari must unmask a poisoner, save a sold-out opening night, and keep her cat off the stage – because he knows every line of the Scottish play, and he is ready for his close-up.
Places, everyone – something wicked this way comes.
Unknown Binding
About the author
Cleo Frost
3 books17 followersCleo Frost has been dreaming of being a witch since she was a little girl, but since that didn’t work out, writing about them is the next best thing. She writes paranormal cozy mysteries with quirky casts, talking cats, and lots of small town whimsy.
Cleo lives in the mountains of Upstate New York with her husband, a menagerie of cats, some aquatic snails, and a handful of chickens. When she’s not holed up at her desk in her historic (but hopefully not haunted) home office, she can be found wandering local trails, visiting craft breweries, and supporting her local music scene.
Cleo lives in the mountains of Upstate New York with her husband, a menagerie of cats, some aquatic snails, and a handful of chickens. When she’s not holed up at her desk in her historic (but hopefully not haunted) home office, she can be found wandering local trails, visiting craft breweries, and supporting her local music scene.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 22, 2026
First off, I love Cleo Frost and the world she’s built with Duskboro. I do. I love it with my whole chest. So of course when she offered the ARC for book 2, I was all over it like grey on a Millennial wall.
This time, we’re back in town for the production of… THE Scottish Play. That's right, the town is putting on a production of MacBeth. There’s ghosts, witches, curses… and that’s just the residents! The leading man falls down with a case of, wait for it, Potion Sickness. Now, it’s up to the lovable (ok, that’s a stretch) familiar to Mari’s long-dead grandmother, Englebert to save the day and the play. Hilarity and magic ensues.
Frost does something with her dialogue that is just otherworldly. You’re pulled in so thoroughly that you forget you’re reading a book. You SEE the characters in front of you, speaking to you. After a while, it just becomes your reality because you’re now a resident of Duskboro yourself. Every character feels familiar and known, and it’s a credit to her writing that the reader never questions it. Everything feels like it absolutely could happen, talking cat included.
Potion Sickness hits shelves just in time for the start of spooky season on Aug 31. I can’t think of a better way to kick off my most favorite time of the year than with a Cleo Frost book. So grab a fluffy blanket, a nice mug of tea, and settle in for a wild ride that will have you laughing out loud. I can’t wait to see what she gives us next!
As usual Cleo Frost gave us an absolute banger of a book, this one gets five cats (plus a Maude).
This time, we’re back in town for the production of… THE Scottish Play. That's right, the town is putting on a production of MacBeth. There’s ghosts, witches, curses… and that’s just the residents! The leading man falls down with a case of, wait for it, Potion Sickness. Now, it’s up to the lovable (ok, that’s a stretch) familiar to Mari’s long-dead grandmother, Englebert to save the day and the play. Hilarity and magic ensues.
Frost does something with her dialogue that is just otherworldly. You’re pulled in so thoroughly that you forget you’re reading a book. You SEE the characters in front of you, speaking to you. After a while, it just becomes your reality because you’re now a resident of Duskboro yourself. Every character feels familiar and known, and it’s a credit to her writing that the reader never questions it. Everything feels like it absolutely could happen, talking cat included.
Potion Sickness hits shelves just in time for the start of spooky season on Aug 31. I can’t think of a better way to kick off my most favorite time of the year than with a Cleo Frost book. So grab a fluffy blanket, a nice mug of tea, and settle in for a wild ride that will have you laughing out loud. I can’t wait to see what she gives us next!
As usual Cleo Frost gave us an absolute banger of a book, this one gets five cats (plus a Maude).
August 22, 2026
Review of advanced copy received from author.
This was the perfect sequel to Grimoires Gone Wild! I love a good cozy witch mystery and this hit every mark. Such an easy, light, fun read that is meant for everyone. I can’t recommend this enough! Definitely looking forward to reading more next!
This was the perfect sequel to Grimoires Gone Wild! I love a good cozy witch mystery and this hit every mark. Such an easy, light, fun read that is meant for everyone. I can’t recommend this enough! Definitely looking forward to reading more next!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews