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Grace Angelo, a witch and former cop, is looking forward to Hemlock Cove's biggest occasion of the the Founders' celebration. However, the party atmosphere is soon ruined by the discovery of a body in the old bell tower. To make matters worse, her friend and bookstore owner, Dario, has had one of his most valuable and rare books stolen from his exhibit. But it's no ordinary book - it's a powerful spell book. Desperate to know what these events mean, Grace and her special dog, Noah, are soon on the trail as local detective Zach Jackson hires Grace as a consultant. She'll need all her abilities, and those of her family, if she's to solve these two mysteries before anything worse happens. A Cryptic Case is the second mystery in a new cozy witch murder mystery series by the best-selling mystery author Kennedy Chase. It does not contain any great violence, sex, or profanity but instead features teasing clues, a puzzle the listener can play along with, and adorable animals.

3 pages, MP3 CD

First published March 6, 2016

120 people are currently reading
158 people want to read

About the author

Kennedy Chase

23 books115 followers
Kennedy Chase was born in New York in 1969 but moved to London when she was a teenager. She now lives in Notting Hill with her grey cat, Monty, and half a dozen Corgis and Pugs. (3 of each).

Kennedy is a writer of women sleuth mystery novels. She loves to bake in her spare time, and specialises in chocolate cake. On the weekends, Kennedy likes to retreat to the country for long walks with her dogs, all the while dreaming up new plots for her characters.

Join Kennedy's Mystery Parlour today for exclusive content, new book releases, and special offers: http://eepurl.com/6ckpj

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Community Reviews

5 stars
191 (45%)
4 stars
134 (32%)
3 stars
79 (18%)
2 stars
11 (2%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Dharia Scarab.
3,255 reviews8 followers
April 1, 2017

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
383 reviews6 followers
October 30, 2017
Hemlock Cove's biggest annual event, the Founder's Celebration is all ready to have a big kick off. As the mayor goes to light the ceremonial flame he is murdered. While this shakes everyone up, Grace's bookseller friend (and maybe someday boyfriend?) Dario, discovers that one of his most rare books, locked in a case has "disappeared," literally. Grace sets out to help the local detective, Zach, to try and solve the two mysteries. But beware, there is black magic at work here. Also present are Grace's sisters Hope and Joy and Joy's husband, Nathaniel, as well as her feline and canine companions, Charity and Noah. You will also meet some of the colorful characters that inhabit Hemlock Cove.
Profile Image for Nichelle Harper.
18 reviews1 follower
June 23, 2017
Loved it

The story was great and the writing was clear. The only reason it has a 4 star instead of a 5 is that the action pretty much starts right away and you can't get a feel for the characters until later. Personally I find it difficult to immerse myself without some empathy with the characters. That being said, I did enjoy the story and as I have an understanding of them now I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
Profile Image for LittleDeadRedGoddessPersephone.
977 reviews27 followers
September 28, 2017
I liked the second adventure of the Angelo sisters much more than the first one. This feels like Kennedy Chase found her stride with this book. This book brought Grace's sister Joy more into the story, as well as her husband Nathaniel. Both were a very important part of the story and were crucial in finding out who the murderer was. The writing was crisp, the murder and the murderer were interesting and I am looking forward to reading the next book.
Profile Image for Jeannie and Louis Rigod.
1,991 reviews39 followers
June 24, 2017
This was a surprisingly interesting murder case. It blended the reality of murder with the paranormal aspects of being a witch. The main characters were also slightly different as they are older than you normally have as leading sleuths.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am giving very little details as I want you to discover them yourselves.
Profile Image for Ruthann Mccoy.
106 reviews
March 26, 2018
A Cryptic Case

I liked the book. I was into the story, and I think I will like other books in the series. I got a little confused near the end, when Not was driving through the country roads to get to the cove. I thought it was closed . But maybe I missed something. It's at good read for us that likes witched
Profile Image for Toni.
363 reviews2 followers
March 16, 2017
This is the 2nd of Kennedy Chase's book in The Witches of Hemlock Cove series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books. It had just the right amount of paranormal activities with a touch of humor and a lot of small town living.
111 reviews
June 26, 2017
I loved the book. It is good to see the way the humans are with the animals. Grace is funny, serious when needed but always helpful. She must just know she is not a spring chicken. I cannot wait for the next book.
26 reviews
July 7, 2017
A magical mystery

A magical mystery where good prevails over evil and yet nobody gets hurt. There is magic all around, a must read for mystic and witch lovers. Can't wait to read more.
182 reviews7 followers
November 24, 2017
Good book of the paranormal

I enjoyed this mystery, the town and the characters. I thought the paranormal elements were well handled and made sense in regard to the narrative. I would definitely read more books by this author.
Profile Image for Anita Hargreaves.
748 reviews17 followers
June 23, 2017
Great book

Love a cozy murder mystery, these characters are feisty, warm and middle aged. What's not to like. Quick, complete read
189 reviews
July 8, 2017
Awesome

They just keep getting better and better. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Love the magi
Profile Image for renee evans.
1 review
July 25, 2017
Best read in a while!

Great reading! Seemed so real! Will continue to enjoy as many of your books that I can find! You go, girl!
7 reviews
August 16, 2017
Super

I have read all of her books somehow I missed this one so I came back to read it. I highly recommend reading all of her books she is a superb writer
Profile Image for Theresa Houston.
2 reviews
September 12, 2017
Cute

Loving this series so far. Only trouble is too many characters...first parts are confusing till I can keep them straight :)
Profile Image for Patti.
355 reviews5 followers
July 10, 2018
Easy read. Looking forward to #3
Profile Image for Lennie McDonald.
339 reviews5 followers
May 21, 2019
A wonderful witchy read.

It's nice to read a book that makes the characters real and not phony. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more in this series.
38 reviews
February 14, 2020
S great read

I started with this book, #2. It kept my attention the whole time! Now I need to go back and read the first one. Can't wait to read the full series!
Profile Image for Denise.
1,771 reviews24 followers
February 15, 2021
' A Cryptic Case' was a good addition to a cute and fun series. I enjoyed the story line and how it played out. The characters were intriguing. I look forward to reading more.
Profile Image for Linda.
73 reviews
May 2, 2023
This is a cozy mystery. It was an entertaining read.
Profile Image for tami burden.
104 reviews2 followers
March 12, 2017
A Cryptic Case

A very interesting story, great characters, well written and smooth flow. A great read for all ages! I enjoyed it very much.
Profile Image for Marisa.
1,074 reviews125 followers
apuntados
March 11, 2017
Amazon - 11/03/2017
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Anima.
2,747 reviews52 followers
March 12, 2016
What's not to love about a quirky little town full of witches and mystery? Hemlock Cove is the sister village to Salem created by witches tired of the hate for witches in Salem. Grace and her sisters, Joy and Hope, live in a dilapidated guesthouse that Joy's husband is constantly repairing. As a consultant to the police, Grace is called to duty upon the murder of a politician. Of course there is a strange magical presence and it's up to Grace to solve the case. The characters are funny, normal, magical and successful. Her pets, Charity (cat) and Noah (dog), contain the spirits of her parents and are quite helpful with the case. Her former protege, Zachery Jackson, is looking really sickly and I hope the next book we can discover what has him so distraught. Even though this is the second book for the Hemlock Cove series this can be read without the first. If you like a fun mystery, something that makes you think with enjoyable realistic characters this story is for you. I was given a copy of this book by the author for my honest review.
2,416 reviews42 followers
March 26, 2016
This sequel to Mystic Murder further develops our connection to the Angelo sisters, witches in the small town of Hemlock, Massachusetts where the idea of witchcraft may still float around but still is not welcome. Denial is a lovely thing. When the town mayor dies during a major celebration, Grace, a retired cop is called into to consult and when a spell book disappears from a book case, she is sure that the two incidences are connected. Her investigation leads to hate, murder, and revenge based in the power of the dark arts.
Profile Image for Krystyna.
5,134 reviews55 followers
July 1, 2018
A Founder's Day to remember.

Terrific. Her relationship with both the bookshop owner and the detective is growing by leaps and bounds. However things take downward turn when on Founder's Day not only a dead body but a stolen spellbound are discovered. How and why are the questions on everyone's lips. Can she aid the police in the investigation. Great storyline, terrific characters (that aren't under 30), wonderful familiars and a subtle romantic angle are woven into a plot that will keep you reading until the end.
Profile Image for Carolyn Merwin.
17 reviews
April 18, 2016
Very entertaining

I read a lot of books like this and was pleasantly surprised that it held my interest until the end. Love how all the characters intertwine. Would love to know more about what happened to her husband in Boston. It's a great read and can't wait till the next one.
Profile Image for martine mcdonagh.
35 reviews
June 16, 2016
Alright read.

I love this author, but just could not get into the book. It did not seam to flow for me, and I got a bit mixed up with the plot. She's a brilliant writer, Kennedy Chase, and I have read a lot of her books, so I will put this review down to me having things on my mind and not concentrating. I loved the first book in series.
Profile Image for Zoë.
475 reviews4 followers
February 6, 2017
Better than the first this book was much meatier with much more substance. Three non-practicing witches in a town that used to be full of witches. Dont really get to find out much about joy and hope. It mainly seems to be all about Grace. It would be nice to find out more about Joy and Hope since Hope is hidden away most of the time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews

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