Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Calamity Corners #2

The Witch is in the Details

Rate this book
Nann calls them poppets, but the rest of the town calls them voodoo dolls and they keep popping up around dead people.

The mill's board has come together to address whether they will accept the town's buy out program and reopen the mill. Lakeshore Properties continues to seethe, wanting the property for their own gain. And Magic seems to swirl around the entire town.

Zinna has worked hard to create a program to show the board members how reopening the plant via a worker buy out would benefit the company and the town. But a board member drops dead before revealing a decision and his notes mysteriously go missing.

Deputy Keith turns up at Nann's bookstore asking questions regarding the voodoo dolls. Since Nann has an occult section in her bookstore and Aunt Nancy was either bonkers or a witch, maybe Nann has the goods on what's going on. Of course, Nann must remain unassuming. No need to let the handsome deputy in on her secrets. That is, until Tink is framed when a slew of poppets are found in her garage.

When more people end up dead with voodoo dolls attached, Nann and Pokey, her pig familiar, must figure out if Aunt Nancy has any documents that may lead to a killer.

***This is the Second Book in the Calamity Corners Witch Mystery Series***

107 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 25, 2019

412 people are currently reading
71 people want to read

About the author

Constance Barker

461 books204 followers
Constance Barker lives in the Midwest with her husband and two Akitas where she can look out from her screened porch onto a wooded area brimming with activity. Since she was a young girl she read mysteries, often given to her by her grandmother. She loved figuring out who the culprit was and sometimes she was right and other times startled at who the author picked as the assailant. Now she enjoys writing mysteries herself. When she isn't writing stories, she can be found in her favorite vacation spot, Las Vegas or shopping for bargains.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
183 (56%)
4 stars
98 (30%)
3 stars
38 (11%)
2 stars
4 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Krystyna.
5,134 reviews55 followers
November 18, 2019
Voodoo murder and an alligator with a taste for cheeks

A good read. It's about schemes and conspiracies within the participants that lead to several murders plus her being the ultimate kill on the list. Loved the way the characters are growing and the background laid down for the evil land development company (why were her aunt and uncle involved).
The future of the deserted paper mill is now the hot topic. The main members to decide the future are in town, a meeting is scheduled for the result and she has been coerced to attend by her friend. However before the decision is made the speaker falls down dead, a poppet in his pocket and his speech notes vanishing. More poppets, an attempted break-in at her book store, more murders, defensive action and an alligator with attitude. Will they find out who and why? Why was she told about the founders of the evil land development company? If what she was told was true, why do they want her house?
6 reviews2 followers
September 8, 2019
Enjoyable little book. I particularly like the interaction between the main character, her pig and the car Cricket.
Profile Image for Emily Pennington.
20.8k reviews362 followers
June 14, 2019
Nancy Ann Szymanski (“Nann”) moved her Greenpoint Books business to Amity Corners, NY, since it was closer to the house she had inherited from her aunt. Nann is a Druid witch. Druids tuned into nature, tried to uplift themselves and their communities, recycled, and gardened. Her friend Zinnia was leading the effort to buy the papermill from Nationwide Paper to benefit the company and the town with jobs and profit, and reduce the impact to the environment. They had a business plan and had locked in financial backing. As they were chatting, Roger Paine, CEO of the mill, and his daughter, Cindy Paine, entered the bookstore to rent a computer for an hour as Roger had email to send and his phone was not operable. They both invited Nann to come the meeting at the mill since she had a vested interest.

While Nann and Pokey were deciding what to watch on TV, the alarm to the store went off. She jumped into Cricket, her car, and drove to the store to see what was going on. The lock was broken into parts and the wooden door frame was cracked. She called 9-1-1 and Deputy Keith Schwenk arrived. She knew no one could get past her spell on the door, but the Deputy wanted to look inside and be sure nothing was taken.

At the meeting, the Nationwide Paper’s board of directors was there and Zinnia pointed them out by name. The recycling demo started and Nann hated the awful smell and the noise. The whole thing was terribly boring. Nationwide would make the announcement about whether they accepted the proposal at the town hall meeting the next night. But as Nann was downtown, she saw two men from Shoreline Properties, LLC and she was pretty sure their redevelopment company was trying to get ahold of the mill property -- and they were arguing with Roger Paine.

Before the Nationwide decision can be announced, Roger Paine collapses and a voodoo doll falls out of his pocket. Another person people dies with a voodoo doll attached to them; and Tink, Nann’s Fae car mechanic friend, is framed as they find more voodoo dolls in her garage. With dark magic in the air, who is the real murderer? Will Nann and Pokey find the culprit before even more people are killed? And can Nann help the Deputy without revealing more secrets than she wants him to know?

This is another fun mystery with a good story line and lots of suspense as the murders begin. The reader is getting to know some of the characters better now in this second Book of the series. Come along on this adventure and see what it's like living in this crazy town as Nann settles in!
Profile Image for Barbara Hackel.
2,873 reviews46 followers
May 29, 2019
Book 2 of the Calamity Corners series is just as interesting as book 1. It turns out there is a lot more magic around the area than even hinted at in the first book, and one of the funniest bits of magic involves Zinna turning into her crocodile/alligator(?) form to protect Nann. I loved her admission to Nann when it was all over! Hilarious!

Zinna has a proposal for the mills board, and a presentation is made showing how they can become a green business and a viable one. But the president of the board keels over with a heart attack at the meeting and no one will say if the mill owners will accept the buy back plan or not. And to make things worse, a poppet or voodoo doll is found on the president's body. This is a sure indication that someone is practicing dark magic.

Nann is trying to keep her business open and solve this mysterious and sudden death that she is sure is murder. When poppets turn up of the other board members and even of Nann, she must rush to head off the evil spell before someone kills her. Too bad Nann doesn't have anyone to help her with her white witchcraft, because the dark magic is taking over everyone.

I enjoyed the author's in depth creation of witchcraft spells and practices for Nann, as well as learning about other more nefarious practices happening nearby. The same main characters are featured in both books (Nann, Zinna, Tink, Pokey, Officer Keith, and Charlotte, the resident ghost) but it is apparent that the three girls have bonded and are much closer friends than before. The pace of the book changes to suit the circumstances, but underneath it all there are still concerns about Nann's Great Aunt and Uncle that never go away no matter how relaxed or frantic Nann becomes. It is so realistic that at times I wonder if the characters are modeled after people the author actually knows.

I think this is my favorite series of Ms Barker, and to paraphrase Zinna's words, I kinda liked it...a lot!
6,035 reviews45 followers
June 6, 2019
In Nann's world, especially since she came to Calamity Corners, always expect the unexpected, the great paradox that is her daily life. She is still coming to terms with the whole being a witch thing - and you might think that having one gal pal who is a were-thing, and another who is, shall we say, also a supe, might help her grasp that yup, this is your new reality. As they say, Denial ain't just a river in Egypt! And of course, she never knows who is in the circle of information, and who is not. Makes for daily challenges.

By the way, you gotta love the family shared eternal piggy, who talks on the right frequencies, as a familiar/companion animal.
No simple cat or dog here!

In their latest adventures, Nann and her friends must deal with dollies that have a vodoo reputation - and are used to frame Tink for murder. Do these creepy poppets come from her shop?

Irony, challenge, mayhem and love and friendships are tested.

I love this KU series! So much more fun than real life - and funnier because the hard stuff happens to someones who are hilarious and have an intense support network, and a great writer!

I received an advance copy of this book from Booksprout. I have read this and other books from this author on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

If you are a fan of irony, paradox and fun, read on to meet or further explore with a new favorite author!
1,187 reviews4 followers
June 25, 2019
Things go from bad to worse in Calamity Corners when the executives for the closed down mill decide to visit and hear the employee buyout plan. But before the announcement is made, the CEO drops dead and a popper is found with a pin sticking through the heart. Official cause of death is a heart attack. Nann, a Druid, decides to investigate but finds someone is magically attacking her. She has the support of her alligator-shifter friend Zinnia, Tink the shop goblin and her familiar porky, the pig. Can she get to the bottom of the murder and find out how to protect herself at the same time?

This is another great cozy paranormal mystery from the Calamity Comers Witch Cozy Mystery Series. The characters are simply great. They are well developed, interesting, slightly kooky and get themselves into humorous situations. The storyline is smooth, easy to read and full of surprises, twists and turns. There is a longer term underlying theme in the book and a shorter more immediate mystery. I really enjoy these characters because they are not your run of the mill paranormals and because of the great writing. If you like cozy paranormal mysteries, then give this one a read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Pete.
895 reviews7 followers
June 9, 2019
This series is shaping up to be a different, but very enjoyable, take on the witch mystery genre. Nann is a witch who has inherited a house in a very rundown area, and has set up her bookshop in the area. In the first book she discovers that the town has a resident paranormal population, and in this book she bonds closely with some of them, including an alligator shifter.
There are of course the less savoury aspects to the area, especially the paper mill which is currently shut down. It is when the locals come up with a rescue plan for the mill, and present it to the board of the company which owns it that trouble starts, with members of the board apparently being killed by voodoo dolls.
This is quite an exciting cosy mystery, but it still manages to retain a great element of humour, but what really makes it are the really well written, and developed, characters and the amount of detail about the way that spells are cast and so on. This all came together to really draw me in to the story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Sue.
596 reviews19 followers
June 10, 2019
Zinna has been working hard to get the plant reopened which has gotten the attention of the board members. They have decided to come to town for a demonstration of how the mill can run without hurting the environment. On the night that the lead board member is announcing the decision, he drops dead during his speech. Nann notices that things are not what they seem and when poppets (voodoo dolls) are discovered depicting all the board members and even Nann, she knows that black magic is swirling around town. When a second board member is found dead and Tink is framed, Nann (with the help of her pig familiar Pokey) dive head first into trying to solve the mystery before someone else is murdered.

This cozy mystery has a perfect mix of humor, magic, paranormal beings, quirky characters, twists and turns, and madcap adventures involving Nann and her friends Zinna and Tink.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
5 reviews
October 2, 2019
Nann withe two nn's is back. Zinnia has been working hard with the employes at the papermill to buy it out from the owners. They want to get back to work and hope they can get the board members to agree. As the meeting starts, the chairman of the board is just ready to give his answer to the buyout, when he keels over dead. When deputy Keith gets there and turns the body over, Nann notices that the cards with his speech is gone and a poppet doll is their.
Deputy Keith turns up at Nann's bookstore to find out about the dolls. Nann tells him that they are also called voodoo dolls. Before you know it, dead bodyies with voodoo dolls start showing up all over town. At one point, the killer tried to frame Tink by putting voodoo dolls in her shop.
Can Nann and her friends stop the killer before voodoo dolls are made for them. You will laugh untill you pee. I was given a copy of this book by the author for an honest review.
Profile Image for Bev.
3,275 reviews98 followers
June 15, 2019
Nann moved her bookstore, Greenpoint Book to be closer to the house where she lives. There is also a mill that is closed and there are some people that want to open it up as a 'green' mill which is better for the world around them. But there are people that are dying that has something to do with the mill. Not only that, but there are voodoo dolls left beside them. Someone is practicing Black Magic and that person or persons don't want the mill re-opened. Why? That is the question that Nann is trying to find out when she too gets a voodoo of her own. Will she get the answer before she too is unable to speak? You will need to read the book for the answer. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
Profile Image for Disney14604.
609 reviews6 followers
June 7, 2019
I think this is my next favorite series after the Dreamer Trilogy by this author. This is a must read for anyone who like mysteries.

This might be a cozy mystery but it has more oomph to it. Makes me want to know more. Nann (yes correct spelling) is a great character with depth from the beginning.

I love the natural and being with nature aspect of being a druid. Even her friends are into taking care of the environment.

Also loving the underlying mystery that goes with her great aunt and great uncle from book to book.

Just wonder about the amount research the author did for this book. Can I have a copy.

This is my honest and freely given review. I did receive an ARC book.
Profile Image for Jodi Sweet.
1,789 reviews9 followers
June 16, 2019
Nann, that’s with 2 n’s, (I love that!), is witness to a murder that is hidden as a normal death. But she saw the poppet with the needle in it. This all occurs at a town meeting where the decision to sell the paper mill to the workers hangs in the balance. The CEO dies right before his decision. This sends Nann into Nancy Druid mode (yes, she hates that name), and now she’s a target too.
This Series is so much fun, with a pig that is either a demon or sweet as can be, all depending on which radio station he’s tuned to, a friend that turns into an alligator, and another that is Fae.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
199 reviews1 follower
June 11, 2019
Nann is settling into her bookstore and Aunt's house, now mill ownership will hopefully get squared away. But someone doesn't want the status quo disturbed and has resorted to using voodoo dolls. Deputy Keith is asking questions and Nann must help him without revealing all she knows. This is a well written series and I enjoy following Nann and her friends navigate life and magic. Quirky characters just make the interesting story more fun.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Mike Lewis.
1,761 reviews8 followers
September 1, 2019
Entertaining supernatural cozy mystery series

An entertaining witchy cozy mystery series. A fun cast of characters and an entertaining story line. A druid which moves to her great aunt’s big old house on a bluff in a small New York town. Where she moves her Brooklyn New York bookstore into a neighboring small town historical building. She makes new friends an elf and an alligator shifter. Together they find and solve mysteries murder and mayhem. Very entertaining and worth the read check it out
Profile Image for JANE VAN HORN.
2,126 reviews12 followers
May 31, 2019
I love this series
This series is a bit different than most. Usually there is a family of witches, but in this one you have "Nann" with 2 n's who is a druid. "Nancy Druid" according to her friends Tink the 6 foot female elf mechanic, and Zinna the werealligator. They live in a town that barely exists and find trouble wherever they go it seems. In this book they are dealing with poppets that someone is killing people with and need to find out who and how to stop them before they kill nann.
341 reviews1 follower
June 12, 2019
This book continues with the mill employees attempting to carry out their plan to buy the mill. The relationship between Nann, Zinna, and Tink continues to deepen and they seem to feel more of a kinship towards one another. I think that Pokey is a hoot and I can't wait to hear what he says especially on the demonic channel. This series has been exciting to read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,024 reviews19 followers
July 21, 2019
Nann and her friends try to get the paper mill re-opened and get the townspeople employed. One thing leads to another and people start dying. Is it all connected to the paper mill or are there other factions at work. You will laugh at the antics of Nann and her friends; and of course Pokey her pig familiar. It is tiring tracking down murderers. Will the town become solvent again? Read this book and enjoy the entertainment it provides.
117 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2019
Another interesting read

Practicing Druid Nann is drawn unwittingly into another mystery this time to with the local mill and the board members who have come to town to discuss the buyout offer from the locals, when one of the board members dies followed closely by another it is put down to natural causes but Nann senses that magic is a foot .
Profile Image for Scarolet Ellis.
7,445 reviews52 followers
June 26, 2019
The Witch is in the Details by Constance Barker is a wonderful story that I have read. This is book number two in this wonderful series that I loved reading about cozy mysteries. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about cozy mysteries in their stories.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
416 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2019
Fun Cozy Mystery!
Nann, Druid Witch, Pokey her talking potbelly pig, and Zinnia, alligator-shifter best friend join forces to solve the latest mystery. Great new quirky characters and unique storyline with plenty of magic, twists, suspense and fitting HEA. Enjoy!

I received an arc copy and am happy to leave my honest review.
Profile Image for Janet Graham.
2,506 reviews11 followers
July 12, 2019
New England Coastal Witchcraft
This book is an excellent addition to the series. Things heat up in Cemetery Corners as the community tries to re-open the paper mill. This story has some great magic, plenty of suspects and motives. I received this ARC book for free from Booksprouts and this is my honest review.

850 reviews4 followers
August 4, 2019
The Witch is in the Details is terrific with lots of surprises. 4.8 stars

I enjoyed this story even more than the first of this series. The characters have a chance to get more involved with each other and their personalities are explored. Considering their hidden supernatural talents, this leaves lots of interesting aspects. Of course you will love the darling pig!
7,813 reviews65 followers
June 9, 2019
This was a fun read with lots of twists and turns that took me on a ride. The characters are well developed and the storyline flowed with ease from page to page.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Teresa.
1,120 reviews6 followers
July 13, 2019
Wonderful!

Nann (and she always advises "that's with two nn's" ), is a Druid witch. She also has a nose for mysteries, which she finds herself involved in every time! Great fun read, how many witches have a lot bellied pig for a familiar? Highly recommend!
66 reviews
July 15, 2019
Look out Nann

Nancy Druid ( Mann hates being called that) is on the case Just as they are to announce the future of the mill he drops dead. She spots a puppet Lift does she know they made one of her. How does she stop it? Can she stop it?
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
446 reviews
August 24, 2019
Wierd happenings all around - town cousellors, Art shop owners........

A cute story of voodoo, Druids, murders and lots more. An easy read with imaginative witchy happenings....you might also find it fun. Read it and see!
1,231 reviews4 followers
November 14, 2019
Good read!

Magic and mayhem abound in this imaginative cozy mystery. A serious blight on the historically harmful business practices that cause irreparable damage to ppl and the environment is dealt with in a spectacular fashion. I highly recommend this entertaining book. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Phthon.
2,335 reviews8 followers
June 12, 2019
This is a twisty kind of mystery! I never could solve it! I was just as surprised at the ending as Nann was! I really like this series! It is a lot of fun to read!
Profile Image for Matthew Murray.
1,002 reviews
August 6, 2019
Enjoyed

I have enjoyed your book and looking forward to your next one I liked the characters and story line with a little humor.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.