The Case of the Banishing Spell

Hillcrest Witch Mysteries #2

by Amorette Anderson

If you could banish something in your life, what would it be?

When a local innkeeper calls Penny in to investigate a bloody paw print, Penny suspects that foul play is afoot. With the help of her telepathic cat, PI Penny takes on the case.

One clue leads to another, and soon Penny suspects that magic beings could be causing the trouble! Who else would she call on for help but her smokin’ hot neighbor, Dr. Max Shire -- who has a PhD in all things magical and happens to be a vampire?


At the same time, Penny and her coven of witchy sisters are learning the Banishing Spell. The problem is, it’s not really going well! In fact, it’s going terribly. Each attempt leads to worse results -- until the sisters are tempted to give up altogether!

Can Penny banish trouble from her little mountain town?

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Cozy Mystery, Fantasy

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2018

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope Banks, Private Investigator and Witch
In Training lives in Hillcrest in Colorado, with
her familiar, Turkey, the magical talking calico
cat.
Penny inherit the book called The Art and Science
of Becoming a Witch from the deceased witch,
Claudia Terra. Claudia guarded magical portal
that was just beyond her house on Hillcrest Pass.
Now the small town has become exposed to all
magical being of all shapes and sizes.
Penny and her coven are supposed to take over
guarding the portal.
Meantime several werewolves have crossed over
the portal. It was interesting learning about the
historical information between the evil white Lux
wolf and the good black Tenebris werewolves
and their lawful/unlawful habits from the five
hundred old vampire.
The Historical Society hosts an annual bonfire
dance. It will be held at the Hillcrest Inn.
The innkeepers find a bloody, muddy paw print
in the room a stranger is staying. Then the
stranger is found dead body. A knife is stuck in
his back. But did the knife kill him or was he
dead when stabbed??
All the Hillcrest Coven know is that they must
learn the Banishing Spell to keep Hillcrest safe.
Original plot with several subplots involving an
creatively, colorful, myriad of characters both
human and magical.
A Recommended Read with suspense, mystery,
humor and a touch of romance.

[Krystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The truth hurts

Another great read. Great characters that even though a bit lackadaisical in their approach to witchcraft have the best interests of the town and it's residents forth most in their minds and hearts. It is a wonderful development as they grow and mature through the books.
Her PI practice is floundering but a call from the owners of the Inn gives her a new case. Alright so she won't be paid but wild raspberry jam is nothing to sneeze at. A bloody paw print of a wolf. Where did it come from? As she and her coven investigate they come across murder, werewolves and pure greed. Can they stop this before it's too late? Is the new tourist promoter up to no good? Who killed the werewolf? Is the story about the good and bad werewolves true? Can they get rid of the bad? Will her police officer boyfriend accept who she really is?

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dawn and Neville are the owners of the local inn. They call Penny as some strange things are happening in one of the guest rooms. A bloody paw print is on the wall.
Neville swears he saw two wolves and thinks Raul, the guest has them.

Penny & Marley oneofthe coven, does a stakeout late at night and she sees several people breaking in the inn and leaving until two people go in and come out the window and transfroms in to wolves.

Raul is find stabbed and he calls Chris but he doesn’t believe Penny’s story.
With the help of Dr. Max Shire she finds out the Lux are bad and the good Tenebris are werewolves regarding land rights on earth.

Can Penny and the coven work the banishing spell and get rid of the Lux and protect the portal?

What will happen with Max? Will Chris come around or will Penny have to choose?

I love this series the story is always great and there are alway laughs out loud moments. The characters are shoot to read about. The author knows how to keep the reader engaged in the story.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review. I’m loving this series! Penny and her friends find out werewolves are real. I love the character development and especially bits about Penny’s cat Turkey.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Fun, entertaining, witty, easy to read, page turner. I hated to put the book down. This book is so much to read. It's suspenseful too.
I highly recommend it. Will read again and have.

[Anne Leazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny Banks, a new witchy private detective,and her feline familiar, Turkey, have begun a new business that is a little low on active investigations in this new paranormal series. A client phone call from Dawn, a long-time friend of Penny's and the part owner of Hillcrest Inn, has discovered a bloody paw print in her one of the rooms in her establishment. Dawn thinks that Raul Rivera, a newly arrived strange guest, owns a large dog that caused that print in his room. Neville, Dawn's husband and owner of the inn, told Penny that he saw two werewolves near the inn instead of a dog. Penny believes some paranormal activity had arrived to Hillcrest, Colorado.

After the head witch of the Terra coven died, the earth portal is now unguarded, Penny fears the werewolves are coming in to settle in her hometown of Hillcrest, Colorado. She thinks it could be a wolf paw print from one of the new arrivals. Penny is the lead witch in her coven after inheriting a spell book from the deceased Claudine Terra, the guardian of the Hillcrest Pass Portal. She and her coven mates are learning the Banishing spell as part of the training of becoming full-fledged witches in hopes to banish the unwelcome guests from earth.

As a result, a murder happened at the Hillcrest Inn, with the werewolves and three humans are on top of the growing suspect list. Can Penny and her friends solve this murder mystery before another human dies at the hands of magical power or human greed?

Penny and her coven members are learning the Banishing Spell with disastrous results from the Art and Science of Becoming a Witch spell book. While she is investigating this murder, Penny needed some information on the werewolves, so she contacts her sexy vampire neighbor, Dr. Max Shire, for the historical information between the evil Lux and good Tenebris werewolves regarding land rights on earth. She is attracted to Dr. Shire, and yet, she is dating Chris Wagner of the Hillcrest Police Department, who does not believe in the magical abilities to add into her already complicated love life. Will she and her coven learn the Banishing Spell in time to save Hillcrest from evil forces?

This is the first book in this series that I have read from Ms. Anderson. Penny is an endearing character who is a bit scattered that does things the very last minute, such as being unprepared for stakeouts and hikes. This character starts out in an emotionally stunted state from her past that she well aware of. Penny grows into a confident young woman after through some self-examination of becoming her own person. I hope that Ms. Anderson continues to explore Penny's personal development in later books, she has an excellent start of building Penny into a beloved detective character. I was very happy to see this self-growth of Penny into a smart and confident young woman throughout this story.

I love quirky magical mysteries, this story has the elements of a great mystery, interesting characters, magical abilities, ongoing character development and well-written dialogue among the characters. This story is hysterically funny and I did laugh a LOT while reading this book. All the ingredients are there for a good paranormal series, with Ms. Anderson taking special care with Penny's unique character development and well-plotted mysteries, this will be an excellent paranormal mystery series.

Overall, this book is a good light feel good read. I cannot wait to see what adventures that Penny and her friends will find in future storylines. I was given an ARC for a honest review.

[John Shrek Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

👻🧛‍♀️😈❄️⛰ 5 stars ✨

Witch Mystery, Hillcrest Witch Cozy Mystery, Volume 2 by Amorette Anderson

Read on: KyBook (1,2,&3), iBooks, Kobo, Good Reads, SmashWords, among others.

Started: 17 November 2018
Finished: 19 November 2018
Amazon: ? /I m told that Amazon just launched the book, so those who buy from them — can. (23 November 2018)

Title:
Saving a town from modern life, is hard work . . . .

I would think that most, if not all private investigators would at least remember that most of their jobs is best done by being “Private”! If you shoot off your mouth to everyone you come across, you ll never solve anything except possibly “Who has the biggest mouth in town”.

Precepts: Small town, Single main road into/out of town, Only one inn, Rarely has overnight guests (Has one currently), Large event planned (2 nights off), Concerned that guest will disrupt event, Guest doesn t broadcast his intentions (See below), Based in Colorado,

Assumption that guest will have visitor(s), has wolves in the area, Guest doesn t broadcast his intentions (Strictly for the story, reasonable (IMO)), The story has a secret, yet no one else should have their own,

Could be an unknown werewolf (female) - given her Indian heritage- she could be a natural. If the Witch in training could quit trying to read/follow some books by a person who hasn t demonstrated any actual knowledge (stating obvious gems of knowledge that have been quoted over the years, isn t actual knowledge of how to run a business).

One of the other Witches in training (small coven) lives in a THOW (Tiny House On Wheels), and evidently certain towns in Colorado allow stealth camping. {Usually if you stealth camp -and the local police find out- the camper will receive various amounts of grief}. Ahh, outside of the town s limits. You only have to worry about county and state jurisprudence. Too many public lands to get into trouble unless you really screw up.

Unlike most stealth campers, their THOW doesn t have dark tinted windows, or evidently blackout drapes. Followed by parking under a street light isn t exactly the most intelligent action for an all night surveillance. Naturally the van is spotted and so are they by the person of interest.

Some unique characters in this town werewolves, witches, goblins, ghosts, philosophical vampires: “Thoughts are everything. You can’t have a conversation about anything without talking about consciousness. That’s because consciousness is everything.”

The witches in training are learning the most important part of their craft: To do everything with all natural ingredients/aspects/attitudes as possible.

You have to get this book and read it for all the details that I didn t cover. Trust me, you can both thank me later and have a new series to read!

John Shrek Walters

[Saundra Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is easy to fall into this zany cozy series. Light, enjoyable reading. Penny’s familiar, her cat, Turkey, has quickly become my favorite character.

Things are going fairly well for the Hillcrest Coven. They are making headway through the ASBW. Each is becoming a bit more proficient with magic. But when their town is threatened by werewolves, will they be up to the challenge?

The Historical Society hosts a bonfire dance every fall. Not only is it a big hit for the townspeople, but it provides a good chunk of the Hillcrest Inn’s yearly income. The inn’s yard is the yearly location. The innkeepers, Dawn and Neville, definitely need this event to go off without a hitch.

When there is a large bloody paw print in one of their guest rooms, being rented by a stranger in town not long before the date of the bonfire, it is a cause for alarm. More than that, Neville is positive he spotted two large wolves on the street outside the inn. Could their new guest be keeping a dangerous, endangered creature right there in his room?

It is a good thing Penny is a friend, and will work for jam in this case. She and Marley set up a stake out, only to be thrown into the middle of more late night activity than they ever would have suspected for their town. When the guest turns up murdered, Penny is square in the middle of a murder investigation that very well could involve werewolves!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

You could read this Book #2 in the Hillcrest Witch series out of order as things are sort of explained through the book, but you will have a better appreciation of things if you read the prequel and then #1 first. I love where the author is taking this series, seeing how this book went. Penny is faced with a lot here, both with a new murder that takes place while she is surveilling for what should have been a simple mystery and that she knows is caused by a magical being the police refuse to listen to her about, and things start to get shaky between her and Chris as she feels she needs to let him in on the new witch thing. Her coven is forced to rush into the banishing spell to take care of the situation themselves, which doesn’t go well at all at first. Things finally reach a major breaking point for Penny, and she starts to see why she is the way she is and begins to really grow up in this part of the story, both as a person and as a witch, and it’s a wonderful thing to see. Her cat, Turkey, of course is a big part of the story and makes it all the more enjoyable as he is really protective of his human. Really looking forward to seeing how the next book goes the way this one ends.

I received this as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

PI Penny Banks is back on the case - this time with a bloody paw print at the Hillcrest Inn. The owners were not exactly flushed with money, but a very large and delicious pot of wild raspberry will have to do in payment. But when Marley and Penny decide on a stakeout, what they see is more than they bargained for - a stream of visitors sneaking around and breaking into the inn and finally when the police arrive, 2 men jumping out of the window, and landing on the sidewalk as wolves. But Chris, Penny's policeman boyfriend is not prepared to accept that werewolves exist and he is certainly not ready to know that Penny is in fact, a witch in training.

It is really nice to see how Penny is beginning to take things into her stride and grow into the young lady witch that she is destined to be. Although this can be read as a standalone, reading the earlier books will help you see just how Penny has developed, and this time, even more so as she choses to face her own fears and issues. Another great read from Amorette Anderson. Totally enjoyed and recommended. I received and ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Lybo Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the premise of this series, & watching the young women grow into their new found power. I was getting pretty frustrated with Penny for going off half cocked most of the time & not being prepared for anything she undertakes. How can she call herself a detective when she only learns enough to just get by. Thank goodness she has a smart cat to keep her at least partially on track. However, in this book, she does take a big step forward into maturing. She is coming to realize though that there are some things Chris is not ready to hear, & she should not push it. But that is not the "Penny-way", & she will have to come to terms with things. Her new case starts off when the local hotel couple asks her to find out what a bloody paw print is doing in a room they just rented to a stranger in town. That was the same morning that the husband saw 2 large wolves in front of their place. Wolves are an endangered species, so Penny takes on the case at full throttle, & decides it calls for a steakout. Only it turns out to be more than what Penny or Marley bargan for, as the activity level that evening skyrockets, leaving 1 dead body.

[Alan Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must confess when I started to read his book I found it difficult to be involved. This was my first of reading this type of story, lasses who believed they had the powers of a witch, a cat communicating with the master character Penny by telepathy, giving her advice on what to do in a situation as well as about men?? who could turn into werewolves and frighten Penny and her friends into action to cast a spell to be rid of them. She was passionate about her village and most of the people who lived including her relatives. Anybody who meant harm to the village would have to answer to the witches and they meant business. I had promised the author I would read his book and post my thoughts and hence I kept reading it. The more I read into the novel and started to "get" the characters the more I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in series. They are quite different from your usual novel but I find this difference great for a change and have no hesitation in say to you read on.

[Penny Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book so far. I enjoyed it and read it in one day. Penny is a new witch and a so so private investigator. Her friends call her to investigate a bloody paw print found in one of the rooms at the local inn. The inn owner awakes and sees two wolves in front of the inn, which has Penny wondering if there are other magical creatures in Hillcrest. The visitor to the inn is found dead making her investigation even more important and has her realizing magic might be needed to solve this one. As a result the coven starts practicing the banishing spell with some hilarious results. Are Chris and Penny done? And what does that mean for Penny and Max? I'm not adding anything else, I don't want to give away the story, but I can say I did not guess who the murderer was. I was given a free copy of this book and am leaving an honest review. Truly if you like magical creatures, bumbling witches, murder and romance, this book has it all, and you will like reading it.

[Cynthia Gutzwiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penny gets a call from a local inn stating there is something strange in a room. She gets there and finds it to be a paw print. The inn owners also saw two wolves walking down the road. Noone knows about wolves being in town, but this print is wolf.
She goes to her boyfriend to try and talk with him about being a witch and seeing werewolves. Chris, her policeman boyfriend, is in denial. So she goes to The vampire in town, who has the most information for her. He is 500 years old and is very patient with Penny. He gladly shares all information she wantes. Penny does like the way he looks, because after 500 years, he knows how to exercise to make a smoking hot body. The first try at the banishing spell was either a total success and the werewolf was gone or a total flop and she needed more advice and help from her vamp. Which one is it?
I received this ARC book for a totally honest review

[Jill Anna Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

” The Banishing Spell- A Hillcrest Witch Mystery Cozy Book 2” by Amorette Anderson is a tale of just where a bloody paw print can lead.....Will Penny Banks and her unusual band of cohorts succeed in “banishing “ the owner of the telltale pawprint...without awkward mishaps?!? And as the murderous investigation deepens ...will Penny become a more seasoned witch with greater skills as a private investigator...as she probes the increasing likelihood of dangerous magical creatures calling Hillcrest their new hunting grounds?!? And what of her confusing love life?!? And what has Turkey to say about all of this crazed mayhem?!? Read this new installment of the Hillcrest Mysteries by Amorette Anderson. MUCH enjoyed and Highly Recommended.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny Banks is pretty much a mediocre detective and a witch in training. She gets called to check out a guest at the local inn that the owners are worried about. She discovers that the guest is a werewolf, and there are also others in the area. And some of them are deadly.

This was a story that I wasn't too sure about for most of the book. Although it was well written with a decent plot, and a fair amount of humor, and I did wind up getting caught up in and enjoying the story. The main character was extremely petulant. Most of the story was like reading about late twenty somethings behaving more like middle, or high school kids. The main character finally does grow up towards the end of the book (I wish it would have been sooner.)

[Pam Morarre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this third entry in the Hillcrest Witch Mystery series. Penny is a bit ditzy, but still very likeable. The thing I liked best about this book is the growth that Penny goes through. She is a much more centered and strong young woman at the end of the book, and that makes her more likeable in my opinion. Once again my favorite character was Turkey aka Thomas Edison Allbright, Penny's charming and intelligent calico cat familiar. This book has werewolves, both good and bad, and growth among the members of the coven. I don't think it is a spoiler to say by the end of the book Penny is on her way to truly being a witch. I received an ARC copy of this book for free in order to review it before it is released.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny is on the case when called to investigate a bloody paw print found by a local innkeeper. After interviewing the innkeeper and her husband, Penny is shocked to discover that there might actually be werewolves in Hillcrest.

Penny and her knitting circle of witches soon learn that a banishing spell might be the ticket to ridding Hillcrest of its current problem. Now if they could only figure out how to get the spell to work properly and no one else loses their head of hair (oh my!).
With a great deal of humor, lots of fun characters, and a mystery to solve, this reader had a hard time putting the book down. I can’t wait for the next book to see what adventure Penny and the girls get themselves involved in.

[Mererid Evanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is another excellent light-hearted witchy story in the Hillcrest series. This time werewolves have slipped through the mountain portal and there is a mysterious death. The coven really ought to consider resealing that portal! I especially enjoyed reading about the Knitting Circle's (somewhat dilatory) efforts to learn their craft. Their guide tells them they need patience, precision and playfulness, and the different members seem to reflect these qualities. The charismatic vampire Max looks like playing a bigger part in the series, which is interesting. It was also fun to see Penny, wearing her PI hat, tackle her first overnight surveillance. The mystery elements, including the police efforts, were well-handled, I thought.

[Linda McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny and her knitting club are trying to become witches — through a how-to book they’ve photocopied they can all reference during club meetings. They’re working on a banishment spell, but so far they’ve achieved a flour explosion and unfortunate baldness. When werewolves good and bad arrive in their little town via an unguarded portal from another realm, can their magic meet the challenge? The wanna-be-witches are all likeable with individual quirks. Among the townspeople are are a dishonest realtor, an evil animal-control officer and a murderer. Can their amateur magic stand up, or will it be “curses, foiled again?” This book is good, clean fun. I received a free advance copy, but my honest, voluntary review is is to recommend it. Penny and coven are a hoot!

[Debbiebooknerdyoung · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great way to spend the afternoon. Curled up by the woodstove reading a hilarious witch cozy mystery.
Penny, her little coven of witches in training, and Turkey are desperately trying to keep any magical creatures from coming through the portal in Hillcrest. Not an easy task when issues with confidence are making spell learning difficult.
A few speed bumps have Penny and her beau at odds with each other. Chris is human, and thinks Penny might be losing her mind when she starts talking about magical creatures. Well that doesn’t bode well for the relationship.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Penny and Turkey are so lovable, you can’t help but be drawn into the story.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Magic is the center of my world right now. Everything else feels irrelevant "

This book was wonderful. Penny is beginning to grow up and her maturity is bringing with it respect from her peers and respect for herself. However, is she able to handle it all?

Confronted with her most intriguing case yet, Penny begins to stretch her abilities to realise that she might have to let go of some of her props, her ideas and relay on what drew her and the knitting circle/Terra coven to witchcraft in the first place.

Our little Penny is growing up.... What kind of witch will she be? I for one can hardly wait to find out. Highly recommended 5/5

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a murder with a twist -two in fact! PI Penny Banks is asked to check out a stranger who is "just passing through". No one passes through Hillcrest. During Penny's overnight surveilance the stranger is murdered. Enter were wolves. Using a "teach yourself witchcraft" book Penny and her novice coven have to return the werewolves to their own realm. Not so easy as they are only just embarking on their journey as witches. The book charts the progress of the aspiring witches as they try to solve a murder and remove the werewolves. A nice easy read with some humour as well as some tension. There is obviously plenty more to come from Hillcrest and its witches.

[Monina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2. The Case of The Banishing Spell by Amorette Anderson

Penny gets a call by the Innkeeper, where she is asked to investigate a suspicious bloody paw print in a guest room. Penny sets herself up on surveillance duty and has asked Dr. Max Shire to explain to her all about werewolves because that is what seems to be the problem from the clues she is getting, and from what Turkey is also digging up, Turkey is Penny's familiar. Meanwhile, Penny's knitting group, also known as, her coven, has been trying to do the banishing spell, but has failed after several attempts, but during a party, Penny and her coven is able to do the Banishing spell and save Hillcrest from the evil werewolves.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story finds Penny and her three friends who have formed a coven to learn the next spell in their quest to become witches..Their is trial and error as they practice the banishing spell on nonliving things first.. one time they try to do it on some flour in the kitchen, that doesnt go to well, they all end up wearing LOTS of flour.. so funny, laugh out loud moment.
Each story also has a mystery that needs to be solved and this one has a werewolf that leaves a bloody foot print and a dead body at the INN.
Im really enjoying this series and the mysteries that need to be solved as well as the new magical characters that enter into the earths realm..

[PAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how Amorette Anderson does it, but each one is better than the last. I would really encourage you to read her work, you will absolutely love her characters. Her storyline is solid and just calling to you to keep reading. Her characters are well fleshed out, and you are just going to fall in love with them. Penny our protagonist grows in each novel, and she takes you along on this journey. Oh, by the way she has a cat that gives her advice! Honestly you will not be able to set this novel down. So, I suggest you get a cup of hot chocolate and a curl up in a nice cozy corner. You are going to be there awhile. As you can tell I highly recommend this novel.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author has done it again! This is the third book in the series and it's as good, if not better, than the first. It has witches, vampires, and werewolves. Penny has to discover what happened when a "man" is found murdered in a friend's inn. There's a large, bloody pawprint as a clue. And, she must decide if she will tell Chris that she is now a witch-in-training. And, Max is still as hot as ever. Will Chris accept her? Do yourself a favor a buy this series by this fantastic author. You won't be sorry.

[Sandy Van domelen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most intriguing books I've had the pleasure to read. The main character and her friends are really great, the type of women I could see as my friends. The storyline was mesmerizing! Every time I thought I had something solved, I found things going into a different direction. The familiar is one of the characters I fell in love with and am happy how things ended, or I should say have begun. So looking forward to more! A definite read for anyone enjoys a great mystery along with great characters and a super storyline!

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book so much more than the last book. Penny goes so much in this book. We do find out why she acts like a child still at the age of 27. She also has a heart to heart with herself about her relationship with Chris. This book is a big growing up one for Penny. The mystery in this book is a fun one to read. It is going to be fun to see Penny really come into her powers and see where it will lead her.



I received a free copy of this book via the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Chad Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series! Amorette gives laughs and tears with her stories that are very much like the lives we humans live. I look forward to the next book in the series so I can see what my friends are up to now.

I enjoy Penny’s interactions with others that leave me
Smiling, laughing and yes shedding tears too. Other than being able to use magic she experiences what we mere mortals do on a daily basis.

I urge everyone to curl up with this wonderful series. You’ll be glad you did. It’s a great way to pass these winter days.