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Bast Mystery #omnibus
Bell, Book, and Murder: The Bast Mysteries
Rosemary Edghill cast a keenly observant, friendly, yet faintly amused eye on an intriguing American micro-culture. The Bast novels offer a very new view of the practitioners of a very old faith. Edghill allows that there's still magic in the air.
Rosemary Edghill's Bast novels are a real treat. Bell, Book, and Murder contains all three Bast novels, Speak Daggers to Her, Book of Moons , and the first softcover edition of The Bowl of Night (excerpted in USA Today ).
Rosemary Edghill's Bast novels are a real treat. Bell, Book, and Murder contains all three Bast novels, Speak Daggers to Her, Book of Moons , and the first softcover edition of The Bowl of Night (excerpted in USA Today ).
448 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 1998
24 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
About the author
Rosemary Edghill
98 books137 followersShe was born long enough ago to have seen Classic Trek on its first outing and to remember that she once thought Spock Must Die! to be great literature. As she aged, she put aside her fond dreams of taking over for Batman when he retired, and returned to her first love, writing. Her first SF sale (as Eluki Bes Shahar) was the Hellflower series, in which Damon Runyon meets Doc Smith over at the old Bester place. Between books and short stories in every genre but the Western (several dozen so far), she's held the usual selection of odd and part-time writer jobs, including bookstore clerk, secretary, beta tester for computer software, graphic designer, book illustrator, library clerk, and administrative assistant for a non-profit arts organization. She can truthfully state that she once killed vampires for a living, and that without any knowledge of medicine has illustrated half-a-dozen medical textbooks.
Her last name -- despite the efforts of editors, reviewers, publishing houses, her webmaster, and occasionally her own fingers -- is not spelled 'Edgehill'.
Also writes under the name Eluki Bes Shahar.
Her last name -- despite the efforts of editors, reviewers, publishing houses, her webmaster, and occasionally her own fingers -- is not spelled 'Edgehill'.
Also writes under the name Eluki Bes Shahar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 31, 2021
4.5 stars
Oh, wow, did I enjoy these books! I'm torn between wishing Edghill had written more in this series and being grateful that she ended it where she did, a well-contained gem of a trilogy that didn't have a chance to go too far off the tracks. If you fiction that reflects the lives of ordinary witches, minus the Harry Potter/Charmed/Sabrina special effects, these are the books for you.
Here are some of my favorite things about this trilogy:
* Bast has very little idea what she's doing most of the time, but she does it boldly, because she feels like it's the right thing to do. I admire that (even though I often think she's doing THE EXACT WRONG THING).
* If you've been part of any urban Pagan/magical community in the last thirtyish years, you'll absolutely recognize all the players in Bast's circles. The inter-trad side-eye and occasional low-grade witch war. The potluck-related squabbles. Bast loves them as people but is cynical about them as a community and also kind of wants to boot a lot of them out the nearest airlock. Better than any other fictional representation I've encountered, Edghill writes Pagans who are people first and foremost, with all the foibles human flesh is heir to, plus magic and polytheism.
* Bast struggles, as I believe many neo-Pagans struggle, with whether anything she believes or experiences is real, or if she's just bought too deeply into Paganism's glamour. Bast lives, as many of us do, in the place where experience and conventional wisdom don't match up; it can be a deeply uncomfortable place to live, if you let it, and Edghill wisely lets Bast's discomfort shine throughout.
The parts that aged poorly aren't the ones I expected. Yeah, it was weird to see everyone running around New York City without cellphones, but I consume enough period fiction to accept that. I had a harder time grokking Bast's unwavering conflation of US legal structures with true justice. . It made the last book jarring, and yet it was in-character for Bast, so I had to roll with it. Such are the perils of the modern reader.
Oh, wow, did I enjoy these books! I'm torn between wishing Edghill had written more in this series and being grateful that she ended it where she did, a well-contained gem of a trilogy that didn't have a chance to go too far off the tracks. If you fiction that reflects the lives of ordinary witches, minus the Harry Potter/Charmed/Sabrina special effects, these are the books for you.
Here are some of my favorite things about this trilogy:
* Bast has very little idea what she's doing most of the time, but she does it boldly, because she feels like it's the right thing to do. I admire that (even though I often think she's doing THE EXACT WRONG THING).
* If you've been part of any urban Pagan/magical community in the last thirtyish years, you'll absolutely recognize all the players in Bast's circles. The inter-trad side-eye and occasional low-grade witch war. The potluck-related squabbles. Bast loves them as people but is cynical about them as a community and also kind of wants to boot a lot of them out the nearest airlock. Better than any other fictional representation I've encountered, Edghill writes Pagans who are people first and foremost, with all the foibles human flesh is heir to, plus magic and polytheism.
* Bast struggles, as I believe many neo-Pagans struggle, with whether anything she believes or experiences is real, or if she's just bought too deeply into Paganism's glamour. Bast lives, as many of us do, in the place where experience and conventional wisdom don't match up; it can be a deeply uncomfortable place to live, if you let it, and Edghill wisely lets Bast's discomfort shine throughout.
The parts that aged poorly aren't the ones I expected. Yeah, it was weird to see everyone running around New York City without cellphones, but I consume enough period fiction to accept that. I had a harder time grokking Bast's unwavering conflation of US legal structures with true justice. . It made the last book jarring, and yet it was in-character for Bast, so I had to roll with it. Such are the perils of the modern reader.
March 23, 2010
I actually picked up this book a few years ago, but for some reason, it got buried on my bookshelf, forgotten until late last year. It's actually three books in one: Speak Daggers to her, Book of Moons and The Bowl of the Night. I read the first two late last year, and just now finally finished the third.
The characters are interesting, and the mysteries are decent. It's not the most gripping, but there were moments. However, this is most definitely a "Pagan/Wiccan" book series. I really can't imagine anyone enjoying this unless they have, at the very least, an interest in this path. This is not vampires & werewolves urban fantasy - it's a mystery series that revolves heavily around the Neo-Pagan community. In addition to more than a passing interest, I also think a fair bit of knowledge on the subject - while not absolutely essential - would help considerably with following the stories.
If you don't know your deosil from your widdershins, and you don't know how to pronounce "athame", then I wouldn't recommend this book. However, if this path is one that is near and dear to your heart, you just might be pleasantly surprised at the honest and accurate writing.
The characters are interesting, and the mysteries are decent. It's not the most gripping, but there were moments. However, this is most definitely a "Pagan/Wiccan" book series. I really can't imagine anyone enjoying this unless they have, at the very least, an interest in this path. This is not vampires & werewolves urban fantasy - it's a mystery series that revolves heavily around the Neo-Pagan community. In addition to more than a passing interest, I also think a fair bit of knowledge on the subject - while not absolutely essential - would help considerably with following the stories.
If you don't know your deosil from your widdershins, and you don't know how to pronounce "athame", then I wouldn't recommend this book. However, if this path is one that is near and dear to your heart, you just might be pleasantly surprised at the honest and accurate writing.
November 12, 2018
Enjoyed the voice and the Wiccan background of the narrator Bast.
May 29, 2013
It's always unfortunate when speechifying gets in the way of a story. As I remember, back in the early 1990s, editorializing - stuffing an otherwise solid murder mystery with author opinions on social, religious or political issues - was fairly common. I first read the Bast mysteries about 12-13 years ago, and the editorializing didn't stick out like a sore thumb. This time it did.
Thankfully, that time seems to be pretty much over. If Edghill were writing her Bast mysteries in 2013, she wouldn't need to spend so much print on explanatory asides about Wicca, other-than-Christian religions in general and the various communities that form around religious groups; things that were considered "way out there" in 1990 are mainstream now.
If the reader keeps this in mind, the three stories in "Bell Book and Murder" are quite enjoyable. They will also make certain readers thankful that times have changed - as a society we are noticeably more open to diversity than we were a mere 15 years ago.
Thankfully, that time seems to be pretty much over. If Edghill were writing her Bast mysteries in 2013, she wouldn't need to spend so much print on explanatory asides about Wicca, other-than-Christian religions in general and the various communities that form around religious groups; things that were considered "way out there" in 1990 are mainstream now.
If the reader keeps this in mind, the three stories in "Bell Book and Murder" are quite enjoyable. They will also make certain readers thankful that times have changed - as a society we are noticeably more open to diversity than we were a mere 15 years ago.
September 5, 2021
This is an omnibus containing all three Bast Mystery novels - Speak Daggers to Her, Book of Moons, and The Bowl of Night. This is a lovely collection of Wiccan-centric murder mysteries.
April 22, 2018
I loved this book, all three books. I have a clue about Wicca and it does a good job of presenting it from the inside. A number of times the author goes over my head with the words she uses and I need to slow down to parse what she is saying. This is rare for me and somewhat interesting. I wish there were more. There are short stories that I will be hunting down. It was a hunt to find this omnibus.
I really liked the Real world take on the Magik that is Paganism and Wicca. There is a lot of thought behind it all.
I really liked the Real world take on the Magik that is Paganism and Wicca. There is a lot of thought behind it all.
December 14, 2017
Really good book, very well thought out and interesting depiction of wiccan life. Edge of your seat mysteries too. Only thing that let this one down was the 'Bowl of Night' book, which was the longest but also the least mysterious and interesting. Some may struggle with the slang and the very 90s New York paganism setting but overall a must-read for anyone into paganism in fiction.
June 26, 2018
Really enjoyed these stories. Bast has a very wry, humorous and honourable view of her world, and I enjoyed the added dimension of events taking place in a Pagan-flavored part of society. A recommended read!
December 24, 2023
l did not get into it as much as I thought I would. It did not keep me on edge and therefore it was not the fast read I expect of a mystery. I enjoyed the main character though and the way she describes being Wiccan in the 90s in New York City.
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January 27, 2020Reread 2019
June 27, 2024
These three novels set in New York City among the Neopagan community are unlike anything else I've read. I wish she would write more.
December 19, 2025
This had such great potential but unfortunately I struggle to get through books with unlikable and/or dumb main characters. The protagonist made a litany of selfish, dumb, inexplicable (even to herself) decisions. I felt like she made very situation worse. I stopped after the first book in this anthology.
December 15, 2016
One of those books I came to with no preconceived ideas whatsoever. Would the book(s) concentrate more on Bast's lifestyle as a modern day Witch and if so would they be stereotypical of what people think a modern Witch is? Would they concentrate more on the mysteries and if so would they be well plotted or would the twists be predictable and easily spotted?
Overall a book I'd rate as 'OK'. However ...
If asked to rate the Wiccan/Neo-Pagan element of the story alone I'd have to go with three stars ('I liked it'), to me it was the mystery element that let the book(s) down (the who/why-they-dun-it pretty obvious early on) along with, to a greater or lesser extent ...
The writing style. A purely personal preference but the stream of consciousness approach which the author seemed to favour just isn't altogether to my taste. Then there was the tendency towards repetition to say nothing of the use of slang which I found incredibly frustrating at times.
Then there was the fact I found certain aspects of Book Of Moons too similar to Speak Daggers To Her - dare I say verging on a re-hash? Something that might not have been of such a concern if I'd read the books as separate novels rather than presented as 'three books in one' as was the case in Bell, Book And Murder.
Not to dwell on the negatives though. As I said I enjoyed the Pagan aspect, finding the themes of religious intolerance and even downright bigotry (especially in the Bowl Of Night which was by far my favourite book of the three) fascinating if somewhat shocking reading.
Then there was Bast (aka Karen). A character I found to be wonderfully quirky, frustratingly naive, resourceful and yet blind to the obvious, all in equal measure. In other words a perfectly rounded character unlike some of the others who, well, lets just say I didn't feel were all they might be.
Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper
Overall a book I'd rate as 'OK'. However ...
If asked to rate the Wiccan/Neo-Pagan element of the story alone I'd have to go with three stars ('I liked it'), to me it was the mystery element that let the book(s) down (the who/why-they-dun-it pretty obvious early on) along with, to a greater or lesser extent ...
The writing style. A purely personal preference but the stream of consciousness approach which the author seemed to favour just isn't altogether to my taste. Then there was the tendency towards repetition to say nothing of the use of slang which I found incredibly frustrating at times.
Then there was the fact I found certain aspects of Book Of Moons too similar to Speak Daggers To Her - dare I say verging on a re-hash? Something that might not have been of such a concern if I'd read the books as separate novels rather than presented as 'three books in one' as was the case in Bell, Book And Murder.
Not to dwell on the negatives though. As I said I enjoyed the Pagan aspect, finding the themes of religious intolerance and even downright bigotry (especially in the Bowl Of Night which was by far my favourite book of the three) fascinating if somewhat shocking reading.
Then there was Bast (aka Karen). A character I found to be wonderfully quirky, frustratingly naive, resourceful and yet blind to the obvious, all in equal measure. In other words a perfectly rounded character unlike some of the others who, well, lets just say I didn't feel were all they might be.
Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper
July 19, 2014
I remember reading the first two of the Bast mysteries when they first came out way back when but I had never read the third one. The first two were as good as I remembered but it had been so long since I read them, I didn't remember how they ended.
The third book was also good except for one thing: I can't stand it when it's fairly early in a story and I say, "He/She/It did it!" I hold out hope against hope that I'm wrong and there will be a fantastic twist annnnndddd...nope. It was all there in plain sight the entire time.
Despite that, it was a good story and a good job of giving a small glimpse of the variety of flavors Pagans can come in (the Klingon Wiccans still give me a chuckle.) She also captured a good glimpse of some the fundy attitudes that are still in existence now as they were when this book was published, whether they be Pagan or Christian.
That is one thing you can say about all three of these books: the author gets the glimpses and details right, from Belle's loss of faith and Bast's own certainty of hers; Glitter's preference for purple, to the newbie who wants to be known and loved as The One Who Proved Wicca Really Is Older Than Dirt. That is what kept me reading in the end.
The third book was also good except for one thing: I can't stand it when it's fairly early in a story and I say, "He/She/It did it!" I hold out hope against hope that I'm wrong and there will be a fantastic twist annnnndddd...nope. It was all there in plain sight the entire time.
Despite that, it was a good story and a good job of giving a small glimpse of the variety of flavors Pagans can come in (the Klingon Wiccans still give me a chuckle.) She also captured a good glimpse of some the fundy attitudes that are still in existence now as they were when this book was published, whether they be Pagan or Christian.
That is one thing you can say about all three of these books: the author gets the glimpses and details right, from Belle's loss of faith and Bast's own certainty of hers; Glitter's preference for purple, to the newbie who wants to be known and loved as The One Who Proved Wicca Really Is Older Than Dirt. That is what kept me reading in the end.
May 19, 2021
Rosemary Edghill cast a keenly observant, friendly, yet faintly amused eye on an intriguing American micro-culture. Like The Witches of Eastwick, the Bast novels offer a very new view of the practitioners of a very old faith. ...Edghill allows that there's still magick in the air.
Rosemary Edghill's Bast novels are a real treat. Bell, Book, and Murder contains all three Bast novels, Speak Daggers to Her, Book of Moons, and The Bowl of Night .
After discovering this book by sheer chance....Its simply a fantastic read!
Just your average New York City woman in the hustle and bustle, making a living..involved with murder..Oh and she's a Witch too.
Karen Hightower, but in the 'real' world she's 'Bast'. A Priestess of her coven, who uses her savvy smarts, and magickal ways to find out who-done-it. Side note...I do very much wish Ms. Edghill would favor us with another 'Bast' adventure!
Rosemary Edghill's Bast novels are a real treat. Bell, Book, and Murder contains all three Bast novels, Speak Daggers to Her, Book of Moons, and The Bowl of Night .
After discovering this book by sheer chance....Its simply a fantastic read!
Just your average New York City woman in the hustle and bustle, making a living..involved with murder..Oh and she's a Witch too.
Karen Hightower, but in the 'real' world she's 'Bast'. A Priestess of her coven, who uses her savvy smarts, and magickal ways to find out who-done-it. Side note...I do very much wish Ms. Edghill would favor us with another 'Bast' adventure!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2015
Good, solid mysteries with more-than-usual thoughtfulness about the real-world impact of all the violence that so casually inhabits this genre. I love a tough, intelligent female lead, and the Wiccan world Bast inhabits is both realistically mundane and mysterious, everyday dreary and ecstatic. Bast's independent thinking leads her away from the societal center again and again, and the books don't shy from the repercussions of that, the sadness, the loneliness. Instead of Jessica Fletcher, happily nattering among the corpses, you have this darker, melancholic figure who just doesn't really know any more, except that she knows what she has to do, something right, something hopefully just. At the very least, she'll do the best she can to save her friends and herself.
May 20, 2014
1) "Speak Daggers to her" 3 stars
2) "Book of Moons" 4 stars
3) "The Bowl of Night" 3.5 stars
Aus Books & Reading
2) "Book of Moons" 4 stars
3) "The Bowl of Night" 3.5 stars
Aus Books & Reading
March 29, 2013
I was looking for some good Wiccan fiction, and this was a real let down. The description and premise were so promising, yet the contents were incredibly disappointing. The characters were one-dimensional and the plot "twists" were visible from a mile away. Not what you want in a mystery novel! The editing was atrocious -- filled with grammatical mistakes, typographical errors, obvious timeline issues and an embarrassing amount of unnecessary repetition. I read a first edition omnibus, so hopefully the later editions aren't as rough.
July 2, 2010
This is a collection of 3 mysteries, all featuring Bast and the NY Wiccan community. Between the first and the second, I read an introductory book about Wicca, which helped to make these books more understandable - so probably at least a little background would be useful.
Each of the 3 books is a standalone, but reading them in order does help to establish a context for the characters (since many of the same characters are in all 3 books).
I enjoyed them.
Each of the 3 books is a standalone, but reading them in order does help to establish a context for the characters (since many of the same characters are in all 3 books).
I enjoyed them.
July 18, 2014
This series came recommended to me years ago. It was very hard to find for me. Well, all I can say is it is Wicca and I was (sob) disappointed. I did not care for the protagonist, storyline or anything really. I read the trilogy because I kept desperately hoping the books would get better for me. I waited SO LONG to find and complete the series.
That does not mean anyone else will dislike it. After all, Edghill is a great author. Just not for me...
That does not mean anyone else will dislike it. After all, Edghill is a great author. Just not for me...
August 26, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this. It is a collection of three mystery books. I am glad that I read it now rather than when they were written. These books were written in the '90s when I had just graduated high school and I would not have understood much of the paganism in the books. Also I would not have understood much of the science fiction references that she made. But after watching reruns and studing Paganism I really appreciate these books. I would love to read more like these.
June 24, 2013
This book was so engaging that it made me envy her skill as an author. It is the type of book that you can open up to any random page, read a paragraph and be entertained. The perfect companion to a day when you might have to pick up the book, set it down again, and then pick it up to find some peace. I thoroughly enjoyed the mysteries and I wish that the author would take up this old series again.
December 8, 2017
I finished the first of three stories in the trilogy while sick in bed with a cold and found it a light read, but also engaging enough that I wasn't bored. If you were a Wiccan in the 90's you'll find this interesting, but if you you are looking for magical fiction this book is not for you. It's basically Silver Ravenwolf solves a murder mystery using her knowledge of and connections in the Pagan community but not magic.
August 18, 2016
Good books
These are enjoyable mysteries without much gore with a seriously likeable heroine. All three stories in this collection take place in the pagan new age community of greater NYC. The plots are not strong but the world building and the characters are terrific. Highly recommended.
These are enjoyable mysteries without much gore with a seriously likeable heroine. All three stories in this collection take place in the pagan new age community of greater NYC. The plots are not strong but the world building and the characters are terrific. Highly recommended.
October 19, 2008
A trilogy of mysteries. I'd read the first two years ago and remembered really enjoying them. I still love the writing. The mysteries themselves seemed somewhat obvious, but the real point of these stories is more exploring the Pagan/Wicca community of NYC. Great characterizations.
December 22, 2016
If it has one star I liked it a lot
If it has two stars I liked it a lot and would recommend it
If it has three stars I really really liked it a lot
If it has four stars I insist you read it
If it has five stars it was life changing
If it has two stars I liked it a lot and would recommend it
If it has three stars I really really liked it a lot
If it has four stars I insist you read it
If it has five stars it was life changing
July 24, 2015
Perhaps my favorite real world witchy book. When I read these in the 90's it was refreshingly real in it's portrayal of the Magic community and still a book I like to revisit. I will say that the original artwork for the series of books was much better..
March 18, 2008
A collection of three entertaining mysteries set in the NYC wicca community (originally published separately). Edghill's wry portray of the various wiccan personalities and types are spot-on.
March 20, 2008
An enjoyable mix of New Age Traditions very respectfully done. Well combined with a murder mystery thaty kept me reading long past the time I needed to go to bed.
April 9, 2010
I always wanted more of this series. Still hope there will be.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews