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Brimstone Witch Mystery #2

As Dead As A Vampire

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Listening Length: 6 hours

Cassia Winter is a witch. She investigates crime in the supernatural town of Brimstone.

There’s an increase in the illegal use of black magic in Brimstone resulting in the crime rate escalating. Taking her gran’s advice, Cassia takes up residence in town so she can observe anyone who’s acting out of character.

It’s not long before Cassia comes across the murdered body of a vampire. Cassia discovers he was a particularly nasty vampire who had countless enemies – and there are many residents who are happy to see him dead. But which one of his enemies actually killed him?

173 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2017

272 people are currently reading
287 people want to read

About the author

April Fernsby

46 books78 followers
Sign up to April's newsletter to get her new releases when they are free: www.aprilfernsby.com

April Fernsby lives in the north of England in a county called Yorkshire. Yorkshire has its fair share of hauntings and supernatural events, including a witch called Mary Bateman, aka The Yorkshire Witch, whose skeleton now hangs in a local museum.

April loves all things supernatural and mysterious. Her favourite book as a child was ‘The Faraway Tree’ as it took the reader into a different world where unusual creatures lived. April looked for a similar tree near her house but never found it.

Her Brimstone Witch series involves the main character, Cassia Winter, going through a cellar door and into another world where magical creatures live, and mysteries abound.

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5 stars
266 (46%)
4 stars
178 (31%)
3 stars
103 (18%)
2 stars
16 (2%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
5,236 reviews2,346 followers
June 16, 2017
As Dead As A Vampire (A Brimstone Witch Mystery Book 2) by April Fernsby is another fun magical read! Witches, trolls, magical butterflies, werewolves, shape shifters, vampires, and creatures like no other lives in Brimstone. Cassia is a witch, just found out a couple of weeks prior, and now her Gran wants her to go from our world to Brimstone, the magical world, for a few days to get to know the residents. While she is there, a murder happens. She is the equivalent of a sheriff, although new, it is her job to investigate without getting killed her self or getting her familiar killed, Stanley. It is a fun, magical, GREAT mystery, with so many twists that it stumped me! These books get better and better! Can't wait for the next one.
Profile Image for Sandra Nedopričljivica.
751 reviews79 followers
November 3, 2017
I've enjoyed in this second book, great Halloween reading. I wish one fabulous broomstick for my birthday, it seems funny. For one Scorpio witch it should be practical! :)
Profile Image for An Imaginary Cat.
165 reviews7 followers
April 8, 2021
I'm glad I gave this series a chance!

I liked the plot much better than that of the first book, and I have to say I much preferred the writing in this one. I mentioned in my last review that her writing was often too repetitive for me: she kept saying the same things again and again, only through the lips of different characters. Well, she's tuned that down a lot! Except for a couple of sections which are still really repetitive, the whole book reads great! ✨
Profile Image for Nadine.
1,906 reviews2 followers
January 12, 2020
This book is So. Much. Fun!

Gran sends Cassia to Brimstone, to involve herself in Brimstone life. I just love Brimstone! But there is something brewing in Brimstone, something dark… Black magic! And that black magic is affecting the inhabitants of Brimstone in a negative way. As a beginning witch Cassia still has so much to learn! Things are somewhat confusing for her and her cat Stanley, but oh so hilarious for us, the readers! I love Stanley to bits. So caring, so serious, and so courageous! Just wait to see what he does in this installment!!! He’s also very funny without meaning to be. And insecure, just like Cassia. It makes her so relatable and real.

This book was just So. Much. Fun! And so good!!! A bit silly at times, but I mean that positively: I love a bit of silly fun! And have you ever been insulted by a TREE? LOL!

The ending was ever so slightly too fast, but that’s mainly because I enjoyed it so much I didn’t WANT it to end. The case was completely solved and the explanation was good, it was just a bit fast. But I highly recommend this book!
670 reviews9 followers
August 3, 2018
I'm really enjoying this series, this book left me wanting a flying broomstick of my own and with a warm afterglow from a great book.

Quirky and fun, this book has more supernatural creatures than you can poke a stick at. I loved the mystery, after all, who do you suspect when everyone has a motive? Well written, this was a lot of fun, the characters were great and it left me wanting the next book.

I love the development of Cassie as a character, she's learning a lot and doing a great job of getting a handle on being a witch.

The narration was perfect for the book, the character voices match the characters personality and the pacing of the delivery was spot on.

I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
Profile Image for Celia Buell (semi hiatus).
632 reviews32 followers
November 18, 2023
I really liked this one, but maybe not as much as the first one.

I will say, this one kept me on my toes. I enjoyed Cassia's growth and her embrace of Brimstone and attempt to regain more memories. I love how excited she is about everything, even in the midst of the murder crisis.

I don't love her investigation methods. She is very direct and makes a lot of decisions that seem dangerous by questioning suspects up front.

Then there's the whole Luca and Astrid thing. At first, I thought it was a classic love triangle, but with that ending, I'm not so sure. Who is she, and could she be behind something?

I'm so glad I have the entire series as ebooks. I'm looking forward to riding this out.
676 reviews3 followers
July 25, 2018
Gentle murder ?

A very well written murder mystery . It helps if you have read the earlier book but it can be a stand alone as the mystery is not affected by the character knowledge you would gain from earlier reading. It had lots of " suspects " and the ending was somewhat of a surprise it was so well crafted but also perfectly feasible unlike so many " surprise endings " . Loved the scardy cat and the unusual characters that live in this magic village Well worth reading and look forward to the next in the series

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jae.
888 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2020
Having recently learned she's a witch, Cassia Winter has been helping her grandmother investigate minor crimes in the magical town of Brimstone. Her gran decides it's time Cassia started handling investigations on her own, and she sets Cassia up in an apartment in Brimstone. The crime rate in town has been on the upswing, and it's Cassia's job to get to the bottom of it. While looking into an act of vandalism in the local bookstore, Cassia encounters a nasty vampire named Uriah Firenze. He's in the habit of loudly haranguing the other supernaturals in town, and he's made plenty of enemies. When Cassia finds Uriah dead, staked through the heart, her investigation takes on a greater importance. Sure, he was a horrible person, but the Winter witches don't let anyone get away with murder in their town.

The story was okay. Cassia is a fun character, and I really enjoy her familiar--a talking cat named Stanley. Many of the secondary characters were not fleshed out well, and the plot sort of bumbled along. How it unfolded made sense, but it was as if Cassia had no real plan and simply skipped from one situation to another.

Giving this an average rating.
Profile Image for Toni.
2,368 reviews24 followers
July 27, 2018
Cassie Winter is a Justice Witch and with her familiar, a cat named Stanley, they are sent by her grandmother to basically start to learn about the people in the town of Brimstone . Her grandmother feels that things are not what they seem in the town. Evil is afoot and to be able to do her duty she needs to learn about the people. When she gets there she meets up with her old friend Lucas. As she tries to get acquainted with the people in the town. Then the local vampire is killed and now Cassie has to not only acquaint herself with the town but find a murderer as well. Her and Stanley will go through some situations that are scarey and can be life threatening. Obstacles are put into her path because she is a stranger and like most investigations people get very antsy and secretive. Twists and turns and enlightening clues and semi clues take her and Stanley on a journey.
Fantastic story and read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Sue.
596 reviews19 followers
July 27, 2018
Justice Witch, Cassia Winter, and her cat Stanley are sent alone to Brimstone to observe the town and learn about its residents. No sooner do they arrive at the paranormal town when the death of an unpopular vampire occurs and Cassia must use her new magical powers to investigate.

The book is a fun read with a lot of wit and humor, mystery, and a bit of romance. The characters are enchanting and it is fun to see Cassia learn her new role of Justice Witch along with learning her new magical powers. This is a paranormal mystery, so you are introduced to many different characters including witches, trolls, vampires, and the likes.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kitty_ranma.
500 reviews11 followers
September 7, 2018
Child friendly.
Audio and written versions.
A great continuation for a series. I can't wait for more of this series, I want to say more about this story but I absolutely hate spoilers, so I won't do it to you by going into details.
The narrator brings the story to life.
Reasons I enjoyed this audio book:
Wonderful characters, Page-turner, Great world building, Unpredictable, Original, Easy-to-read/listen, Entertaining, Action-packed, Funny, Whimsical.
Bookshelves/tags:
contemporary, elves, fairies, fantasy, humorous, magic, mystery, nonhuman, read, recorded, series, shifters, suspense, witch, wizards.
This Audio book was given to me at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.
Profile Image for Krystyna.
5,134 reviews55 followers
June 13, 2018
Who did he annoy enough to kill him?

A terrific little read. Okay there might be a few proofing errors but they really don't detract from the storyline. Still getting used to be a justice witch she is set on learning as much as she can about the inhabitants of Brimstone. However the death of one, a vampire, throws her headlong ibto another case. Can she and her wonderful cat solve the mystery without getting into danger themselves? Will she and her lifelong friend ever be able to be more? Will the "mean" girl get her? Great light read that is fun and quirky.
484 reviews2 followers
August 12, 2018
Loved this book! It's a cozy mystery with witches, vampires, and all sorts of fun characters. It's my first book of the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am becoming a fan of the cozies, and with some supernatural stuff thrown in, it's definitely my cup of spiked tea ;) Great story, great narration, loved it! :) I'd definitely recommend this one, and would love to read/listen to more in the series :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
514 reviews5 followers
September 21, 2020
A good story

While I found the writing style and narrative a little simplistic the actual story is very good. Follow the heroine to the magical town of Brimstone where the townspeople are every form of magical creature you can think of. Our protagonist a mortal girl just discovering the fact that she's a Justice Which embarks on a case of murder with half the town hiding secrets it's not going to be easy. Together with her talking cat, she unravels the clues to find the culprit. Full of wonderful characters snark humour and lots of magic this is well worth a read, Baz
Profile Image for Michelle VanDaley.
1,703 reviews5 followers
July 25, 2018
My review is based on the audiobook.
Book 2 continues Cassia's journey into discovering her powers and who she is. Along the way she comes across crimes that need solving. The story has a steady pace. I love hearing about Brimstone and all of it's colorful characters. The author does a great job of unveiling the clues to the mystery. The narration was on point. I look forward to more in this series and from this author.
1,372 reviews8 followers
July 27, 2018
I wish I would have read the first book but I do love good witch book and it is so well written that the characters are so funny and you can catch it is like a stand-alone story but either very good. I loved it and I hope there is more to come for this series as I am only halfway through the book right now.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
864 reviews4 followers
June 23, 2020
Magical mayhem

A cute refreshing story, maybe even better than book 1! I loved it! The characters are awesome, a beautiful witch, her childhood friend, her familiar, and evil magical creatures! There are lots of magical mayhem and suspense, unexpected twists and turns, and unpredictable mystery and murder! It is entertaining and delightful, the ending leaves you wanting to read the next one!
Profile Image for Lilith's.
216 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2023
I liked this one better. We got to learn more about Brimstone and its citizens. The mystery was better executed, there wasn't people changing their mind every other chapter, Cassia an Stanley behavior was on point based on everything, it was well written... Well, all I can say is I loved it. I'll give it 4 stars since I didn't really like the ending (too convenient and somehow "magical"), but overall it was a great book.
111 reviews
June 12, 2017
I loved the book. Cassie is worried about her magic, but it looks to me as if she is doing fine. She just luck confidence. I do not know what is Luca doing, having a girlfriend but making loving eyes at Cassie, not nice. His girlfriend is nasty. I love Stanley, he is scared brave and totally for Cassie.
Wish April writes faster so that I can read book 3.
Profile Image for Beverly.
302 reviews20 followers
October 30, 2017
Brimstone Mysteries continued

Another cute witchy mystery! I think I need to raise my ratings on this series. I am enchanted. Cassia now has her own broomstick and a few magic spells. She is gaining confidence, gaining respect among the citizens of Brimstone and making friends. I've already got the third book on my Kindle.
Profile Image for Scarolet Ellis.
7,445 reviews53 followers
July 28, 2018
This is the first time I have read anything from this author. I really wish I would have read book #1, cause I feel like I missed something but it is fine. I loved reading this bookit has mystery which I love to read. I recommend this book to everyone who loves mysteries.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
16.7k reviews155 followers
July 29, 2018
He is a vampire but he has caused so much trouble that when he found murdered. She has been given the task to find out what has been happening and who did it. See how she will find the suspects and who had the chance to do it. What will she fine? Watch out for the surprise at the end

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
958 reviews2 followers
July 30, 2018
Gran tells Cassia she needs to go stay in her apartment in Brimstone for a few days to get to know the towns people better. Cassia goes to unpack her suitcase there are only two items in it the rest are already in the closet and bathroom. Cassia has a run in with the vampire Uriah then finds him dead the next morning.
1,769 reviews24 followers
August 24, 2020
I'ts Complicated

A wanderfully witchy paranormal cozey murder mystery with comfortable and familer caracters trying to solve a murder and in comes new and nasty range of caracters making things more challenging. Aquier a copy of " As Dead As A Vampire " so you yourself can enjoy reading it as much as I have. ☺🙄Kat
725 reviews8 followers
June 18, 2017
Great little cozy

I did enjoy this second in the series. The mystery was a little tough; I was surprised at the end by who really did it. Good job on this series. It's cute and entertaining light reading.
Profile Image for Nichelle Harper.
18 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2017
Great series

I love books that allow you to feel close to the characters. The author is amazing at bringing the reader into the world. You can actually visualize the surroundings and the characters. I've read books 1 and 2 plus the novella and I can't wait for more.
96 reviews
August 7, 2017
Enjoyable little Murder mystery

I found this little murder mystery to be highly entertaining with interesting characters and enough plot twists to make me want to keep reading until the end. No sex and very little violence.
Profile Image for Marcus.
764 reviews4 followers
January 22, 2018
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
This was a quick, funny, engaging book to read with different magical entities presented. The story, although interesting, appeared to be written on a preteen level.
Profile Image for Terri.
286 reviews9 followers
June 10, 2018
Murder and Broom Riding!

Cassia has moved to Brimstone! With her confidence growing, Cassia gets her first broom. Visiting an invisible club is not as much fun as she thought it would be! But what is up with Lucas?
Profile Image for Barbara.
19.2k reviews8 followers
July 29, 2018
I am going to go back and read the first book I would say with these books do not read them out of order as one book ties into the next one. A well-written book that makes you want the next book right away. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews

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