‘When in full vampire persona he wore fangs and red contacts – too bad he was a fraud’
Canadian author WL Hawkin earned her degree in Indigenous Studies from Trent University, Ontario, and in the Art and Humanities from Simon Fraser University, British Columbia. She has taught high school, published poetry and Native rights articles, is a book reviewer and a published blogger. Her novels to date – the Hollystone Mysteries: TO CHARM A KILLER, TO SLEEP WITH STONES, TO RENDER A RAVEN and TO KILL A KING. She lives in British Columbia.
The author’s interest in prehistory, archeology, myths and magic is evident in her Hollystone mysteries – Hollystone is the name of a coven of witches who use their wits and ritual magic to solve murders! Adding time travel to her prehistoric thriller creates a series with a flight of fancy built so solidly that the odysseys related become credible adventures. She graciously supplies a glossary and pronunciation guide of terms and places to enhance the readers’ experience.
In initiating a series of novels, bringing the central figures of the series into focus is important, especially when the characters include witches! Slyly, Hawkin hints her theme as the book opens: ‘I came to the club that night to meet a witch named Jade but left wanting something else – something I’d never known or wanted before. Jade arrived at midnight, her long dark hair flying wild about her face, and I flashed the sign – the blood red pentacle etched on my forearm…’ Imagery and tone established, the odyssey begins.
The provided summary outlines the story well: " When a third witch vanishes from Vancouver, the witches of Hollystone Coven spin a charm to catch the killer. But spells create ripples and in the ensuing chaos, an innocent seventeen-year-old girl gets caught up in the charm. As obsessed with the killer as the killer is with him, High Priest Estrada vows to find the man and stop him. Then, at their Samhain ritual, Hecate speaks through their high priestess and shocks everyone with her prophecy: As one of you has spun the charm, now none of you are safe from harm. One who all felt they could trust, breeds deception cloaked in lust. One will gain their heart’s desire, while yet another pays with fire. Before the dark of winter night, four souls pass over into light. Once begun it cannot end, but circles round as circles bend. To save the girl and catch the killer, Estrada journeys from the West Coast of Canada to Ireland and Beyond. Abduction, death, fire, and faeries. Who is the killer? Why is he killing witches? And how can he be stopped before Hecate’s prophecy comes true?’
Hawkin writes with such fluid prose that the stage upon which she places her magical tale becomes visual and near cinematic. Superb characters and a keen sense of history and mythology blend with romance in this involving galaxy of a novel. Highly recommended.