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Bookish Adventures in Witch-Lit #1
Scandal & Gretel
There's a lot at Stake for a Witch in Medieval Germany, like being Tied to One.
Bohemian Lake's bookstore regularly spotlights a 19th-century author. This month it just happens to be a duo--the Brothers Grimm--and the adventure book club is off to explore the medieval magic of the Black Forest in South Western Germany. Part witch and part witch-hunter, Sera Popescu whose conflicting ancestry stems from Europe, is excited to see the half-timbered homes, hear the cuckoo clocks and travel over the narrow cobblestone streets. But the fairy tale scenario gets a little too real when one of the book club members opens up the cottage oven.
Could the charred remains belong to the Gingerbread Hag or is this just a prank for the tourists? As if things weren't grim enough, when they return to town, they discover two children are missing and their host has been arrested for murder.
Bohemian Lake's bookstore regularly spotlights a 19th-century author. This month it just happens to be a duo--the Brothers Grimm--and the adventure book club is off to explore the medieval magic of the Black Forest in South Western Germany. Part witch and part witch-hunter, Sera Popescu whose conflicting ancestry stems from Europe, is excited to see the half-timbered homes, hear the cuckoo clocks and travel over the narrow cobblestone streets. But the fairy tale scenario gets a little too real when one of the book club members opens up the cottage oven.
Could the charred remains belong to the Gingerbread Hag or is this just a prank for the tourists? As if things weren't grim enough, when they return to town, they discover two children are missing and their host has been arrested for murder.
Holed up in a small German village full of riled up witch-haters, it's up to Sera to find the story's happy ending--or wind up over the pyre.
"Fairytale fans get ready to hear the cuckoo clocks, taste the gingerbread and experience murder most Grimm--first of the Bookish Adventures in the new Witch-Lit mystery set."
Scandal & Gretel is the twelfth book in the Bohemian Lake Series, and the first of the set dedicated to half-witch Sera Popescu and the Bohemian Lake's Adventure Book club. While the series is best enjoyed in order, each book is a complete mystery on its own. For those of you who are new to my books, the Bohemian Lake series is a world comprised of multiple sets. Each set focuses on a different Bohemian resident(s), although all of the books intersect.
Bohemian Lake Reading Order:
Penning Trouble: Murder, She Floats,
Haunted House Flippers: Cookies, Corpses and the Deadly Haunt
Penning Trouble: Murder, She Slopes,
Haunted House Flippers: Candy Canes, Corpses and the Gothic Haunt
Bohemian Murder Manor: Gypsies, Traps & Missing Thieves
Bohemian Murder Manor: Make-Believes & Lost Memories
Haunted House Flippers: Crumb Cake, Corpses and the Run-of-the-Mill
Penning Trouble: Murder, Ye Bones
Bohemian Festival Fiasco: Nuttier than a Pecan Pie
Bohemian Murder Manor: Ouija, Death & Wicked Witchery
Bookish Adventures in Witch-Lit: Scandal & Gretel
Scroll up and start reading now!
"Fairytale fans get ready to hear the cuckoo clocks, taste the gingerbread and experience murder most Grimm--first of the Bookish Adventures in the new Witch-Lit mystery set."
Scandal & Gretel is the twelfth book in the Bohemian Lake Series, and the first of the set dedicated to half-witch Sera Popescu and the Bohemian Lake's Adventure Book club. While the series is best enjoyed in order, each book is a complete mystery on its own. For those of you who are new to my books, the Bohemian Lake series is a world comprised of multiple sets. Each set focuses on a different Bohemian resident(s), although all of the books intersect.
Bohemian Lake Reading Order:
Penning Trouble: Murder, She Floats,
Haunted House Flippers: Cookies, Corpses and the Deadly Haunt
Penning Trouble: Murder, She Slopes,
Haunted House Flippers: Candy Canes, Corpses and the Gothic Haunt
Bohemian Murder Manor: Gypsies, Traps & Missing Thieves
Bohemian Murder Manor: Make-Believes & Lost Memories
Haunted House Flippers: Crumb Cake, Corpses and the Run-of-the-Mill
Penning Trouble: Murder, Ye Bones
Bohemian Festival Fiasco: Nuttier than a Pecan Pie
Bohemian Murder Manor: Ouija, Death & Wicked Witchery
Bookish Adventures in Witch-Lit: Scandal & Gretel
Coming Soon!
Bookish Adventures in Witch-Lit: Hyde & Seek
Penning Trouble: Murder in the Catacombs
Scroll up and start reading now!
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2019
148 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 2, 2020
This was a fun book. I loved the addition of the Hansel & Gretel fairy tale and the author's new version of its history. It was a nice twist to this cozy mystery. I just enjoyed it so much that I now want to go read more of the series.
August 12, 2019
When new Bohemian Lake resident (and witch), Sera Popescu, begins her new job at the local bookstore, Ye Olde Gas Lamp Literary, the book club is just finishing up their reading of Hansel & Gretel. However, the Bohemian Adventure book club is not your run-of-the-mill club. After the members read and discuss their selections, the entire group packs up and travels to the setting of their readings. So, no study of Hansel & Gretel would be complete for this group without a trip to the famed Black Forest!
Sera is to accompany the group acting as the personal assistant to bookstore owner and writer, Nelle Story. Among the group is Sera’s co-worker, Hansen Dressler and his sister, Dr. Gretchen Dressler who were born and reared in this fabled destination. And with the variety of personalities in the traveling book club, the trip promises to be interesting. But things get more than interesting when on the group’s first tour (of the infamous witch’s Gingerbread House), they discover a dead body stuffed into the cottage’s huge oven.
As with all the books in the Bohemian Lake series, the plot is interesting and different, the characters charming, and the dialogue pretty snappy. This one is also spooky with thrills, mystery, and even some romance. I enjoyed getting to know more about the new witch in town (who originally appeared in Book 10 of the series Ouija, Death, and Wicked Witchery, and look forward to getting even better acquainted with her in the future.
July 19, 2019
Suspenseful!
The blurb made me SO excited! Sera goes to the Black Forest and what she finds / sees / experiences there! I love the fact the story is set in the Black Forest. I’ve been there and it’s so charming! So that made this book extra special for me. But the Black Forest is not only charming, but also very, very creepy!!! Hansel and Gretel, just not as you know it! And there’s a cat. A black cat. Mysterious…
The book was really suspenseful! I really liked it! And I was wrong about the culprit, which I always like very much; I like being surprised in a mystery! At times, a little more of Sera’s thoughts and feelings would have been nice, I think Sera would come alive more. For example when she finds the burnt body. That would freak me out! Yet Sera’s feelings about it weren’t described at all. That would lift this story even more, but I really enjoyed it as is! And it was a very interesting case! I would’ve liked to have seen a bit more magic, but I’m sure there’s more magic in Sera’s future. Because it’s very clear at the end: Sera has a lot of unanswered questions still and there’s definitely more to come!
The blurb made me SO excited! Sera goes to the Black Forest and what she finds / sees / experiences there! I love the fact the story is set in the Black Forest. I’ve been there and it’s so charming! So that made this book extra special for me. But the Black Forest is not only charming, but also very, very creepy!!! Hansel and Gretel, just not as you know it! And there’s a cat. A black cat. Mysterious…
The book was really suspenseful! I really liked it! And I was wrong about the culprit, which I always like very much; I like being surprised in a mystery! At times, a little more of Sera’s thoughts and feelings would have been nice, I think Sera would come alive more. For example when she finds the burnt body. That would freak me out! Yet Sera’s feelings about it weren’t described at all. That would lift this story even more, but I really enjoyed it as is! And it was a very interesting case! I would’ve liked to have seen a bit more magic, but I’m sure there’s more magic in Sera’s future. Because it’s very clear at the end: Sera has a lot of unanswered questions still and there’s definitely more to come!
July 19, 2019
Sera Popescu is a half-witch who is new to the Bohemian Lake area. She has a job at the bookstore and is joining the Bohemian Lake’s Adventure Book club. The book of the month is Hansel and Gretel and the club is visiting the Black Forest. In a convoluted tale of Hansel and Gretel the group is waylaid in their trip investigating missing young women, missing children, and a search for a special book.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to more of the Bookish Adventures. The Bohemian Lake series encompasses the citizens of Bohemian Lake and their adventures and the Bookish Adventures are just a new part of this series.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to more of the Bookish Adventures. The Bohemian Lake series encompasses the citizens of Bohemian Lake and their adventures and the Bookish Adventures are just a new part of this series.
July 29, 2019
First in the Bookish Adventures in Witch-Lit series.
I just love this author's stories! She has several series that cross into each other but follow different residents of the Bohemian Lake community. I haven't read all of them yet, but I'm trying! I think this is my favorite so far. It's a bit darker than some of the others but still a cozy. This particular one is set in the Black Forest region of Germany which sounds fascinating and a little creepy rather than in Bohemian Lake. I really like Sera our main character and can't wait to see how her powers develop.
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
I just love this author's stories! She has several series that cross into each other but follow different residents of the Bohemian Lake community. I haven't read all of them yet, but I'm trying! I think this is my favorite so far. It's a bit darker than some of the others but still a cozy. This particular one is set in the Black Forest region of Germany which sounds fascinating and a little creepy rather than in Bohemian Lake. I really like Sera our main character and can't wait to see how her powers develop.
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
July 18, 2019
Sera Popescu heads to Germany's Black Forrest where the real story from Brother's Grimm: Hansel and Gretel took place.
Sera discovers she is actually a decedent of the witch in the story, and the witch had still been alive all the way up till about a week prior.
The local townsfolk are not fond of witches, and are not above killing those they suspect of witchcraft.
This is another fun story from Rachel Stapleton. The story is fairly solid, as are the characters. There's some humor in it and it is a clean read without too much violence, and no profanity.
Sera discovers she is actually a decedent of the witch in the story, and the witch had still been alive all the way up till about a week prior.
The local townsfolk are not fond of witches, and are not above killing those they suspect of witchcraft.
This is another fun story from Rachel Stapleton. The story is fairly solid, as are the characters. There's some humor in it and it is a clean read without too much violence, and no profanity.
July 21, 2019
Sera Popescu has taken a job working for the owner of the Bohemia Lake Bookstore. The book store hosts a book club which is not only studying Hansel and Gretel, but has taken the entire club to the Black Forrest of Germany to see the supposed cottage in the story. On the tour of the cottage they make a grizzly discovery. Back in town two children have gone missing and the children's father (the owner of the inn where they are staying) is arrested for murder. To top things off, the town is rife with witch-hunters - and Sera is a witch - along with several others.
July 22, 2019
Scandal & Gretel is the first Lit Witch book, but the twelfth book in the Bohemian Lake series. This book was very interesting. It presents a totally different tale of Hansel and Gretel. I really like the character of Sera. Her adventures in the Black Forest were quite creepy. Is anyone in the book who they seem to be? This book really captured my interest and I could not put it down. If you enjoy well written, magical mysteries, you should read this book!
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September 18, 2019Witch hunters
Spooky and dangerous. Going to Germany with a book club to sightsee, the brothers Grimm fairy tales. Only if seems that they might be true. I am not walking in to a forest at night, scary! Read and enjoy!
Spooky and dangerous. Going to Germany with a book club to sightsee, the brothers Grimm fairy tales. Only if seems that they might be true. I am not walking in to a forest at night, scary! Read and enjoy!
September 9, 2019
A great addition to the Bohemian Lake series
I really enjoyed following Sera on this adventure and look forward to many more. A great addition to the Bohemian Lake books.
I really enjoyed following Sera on this adventure and look forward to many more. A great addition to the Bohemian Lake books.
March 6, 2020
Very interesting tale
You ladies have conjured a very interesting plot which seems to continue with a fine cast of characters making it h as rd to put down.
You ladies have conjured a very interesting plot which seems to continue with a fine cast of characters making it h as rd to put down.
March 2, 2020
Scandal and Gretel
This is a new series for me. I’ve enjoyed this first book both the characters and diverse plots. Looking forward to seeing how the next books work.
This is a new series for me. I’ve enjoyed this first book both the characters and diverse plots. Looking forward to seeing how the next books work.
July 23, 2019
Only with a group from Bohemian Lake would a visit to the Black Forest be so wild, wacky, lethal and exciting!
No small children nibbling gingerbread like mice here, no plague or famine, but certainly a few folks who are a little to wild with burning things up- like books and little old women. Echoes of a different much darker period of time or two in history- hysteria lurks in the broken darkness of too many hearts and minds.
A valiant, but confusing, group from Bohemian Lake works hard to enjoy their trip - and later works hard just to stay alive! Bohemian Lake folks seem to be infused with a wide variety of gifts: fun, supernatural and other- but their habits collectively of getting in trouble would seem to make them much more fun to read about from afar, than to visit or travel with!
More adventures surely lie ahead! I can hardly wait to read them!
No small children nibbling gingerbread like mice here, no plague or famine, but certainly a few folks who are a little to wild with burning things up- like books and little old women. Echoes of a different much darker period of time or two in history- hysteria lurks in the broken darkness of too many hearts and minds.
A valiant, but confusing, group from Bohemian Lake works hard to enjoy their trip - and later works hard just to stay alive! Bohemian Lake folks seem to be infused with a wide variety of gifts: fun, supernatural and other- but their habits collectively of getting in trouble would seem to make them much more fun to read about from afar, than to visit or travel with!
More adventures surely lie ahead! I can hardly wait to read them!
March 1, 2020
Scandal & Gretel (Bohemian Lake Book 12), my tenth read from author Rachel Stapleton and it won’t be my last. Extremely well written, the characters, well developed. I’m a character reader, I get into the characters. Who and what they are. Why they do the things they do. The things that make a reader get invested into the characters and thereby the book and this book has it all! No matter the genre you can always count on a good read, I will be reading more by prolific author Rachel Stapleton. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
January 19, 2020
This is a new series to fit in with the overall larger series that Rachael writes books for. It was nice to be introduced to new characters and a new line of mystery to meld with the big series. The story was interesting and kept me reading and I'm looking for more books with these specific characters.
December 6, 2019
Black Forest Adventures!
Sera, Bohemian Lakes newest resident, gets a job! Thrilled, her first assignment involves travel! The mystery is complicated and absorbing. Can Grimms Fairy Tales be true!? A wonderful read!
Sera, Bohemian Lakes newest resident, gets a job! Thrilled, her first assignment involves travel! The mystery is complicated and absorbing. Can Grimms Fairy Tales be true!? A wonderful read!
September 2, 2019
Enjoyed
This is the first book of yours that I have read and enjoyed the characters and the story line.I am looking forward to your next one.
This is the first book of yours that I have read and enjoyed the characters and the story line.I am looking forward to your next one.
February 20, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book. There was quite a bit of good in the book, but it is hard to keep track of all the characters. And I'm still not sure I actually liked Sera the main character. Just felt that the book was a bit disorganized.
February 9, 2021
Entertaining
Entertaining but a little confusing at times. This may be because I hadn't read other books/series in this world by the authors. Still it was interesting. This book looks to contain a continuing mystery thread that will pick up in the next book.
Entertaining but a little confusing at times. This may be because I hadn't read other books/series in this world by the authors. Still it was interesting. This book looks to contain a continuing mystery thread that will pick up in the next book.
June 6, 2020
Interesting and a little unusual
August 4, 2020
good story, twisted plots, friends, frenimes, and dubious allies. A must read.
you will be kept guessing!!!
you will be kept guessing!!!
August 16, 2020
Fun and different!
This book will keep your interest with the different direction that the story takes. Fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride.
This book will keep your interest with the different direction that the story takes. Fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride.
March 26, 2021
Good
This was a little different. Loved the Black Forest. Was afraid there would be German references that I would not understand, but it was all explained.
This was a little different. Loved the Black Forest. Was afraid there would be German references that I would not understand, but it was all explained.
August 9, 2024
love the books loved the characters looking forward to reading more of the books as soon as I can afford to get them. love the relationships being discovered between the different people.
May 25, 2020
Sera will become one of my favorite Bohemian Lake characters, next to Penny! I can’t wait to see how Sera’s story unfolds.
August 31, 2019
Not bad...
The story was good although the pacing was uneven making it easy to put down. The book referred to characters as if we knew them, yet it is the first in a series, strange!
The characters were wafer thin, they acted and reacted yet we never knew them.
Not much witchery either.
The story was good although the pacing was uneven making it easy to put down. The book referred to characters as if we knew them, yet it is the first in a series, strange!
The characters were wafer thin, they acted and reacted yet we never knew them.
Not much witchery either.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews