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A Bewitching Mystery #2
A Charmed Death
Maggie O'Neill was just a small-town girl, stuck in a dead-end job--until she started working at Enchantments, Stony Mill's finest mystical antique shop.
Now Maggie is Indiana's newest witch. Learning to cope with her newfound powers is tough enough, but add to that keeping the stock at Enchantments organized and remembering to tape reruns of her favorite show, Magnum, P.I., and Maggie's got a full plate.
But when she witnesses an altercation between a local teenage princess, and another customer in Enchantments--and later the girl turns up dead--she feels compelled to investigate. Though the police are at a loss, Maggie has some tricks up her sleeve, or to be more specific, some spells, charms, and mystical intuitions. And with the help of her boss (and favorite witch) Felicity Dow, Maggie is spellbound and determined to get to the bottom of this murder.
Now Maggie is Indiana's newest witch. Learning to cope with her newfound powers is tough enough, but add to that keeping the stock at Enchantments organized and remembering to tape reruns of her favorite show, Magnum, P.I., and Maggie's got a full plate.
But when she witnesses an altercation between a local teenage princess, and another customer in Enchantments--and later the girl turns up dead--she feels compelled to investigate. Though the police are at a loss, Maggie has some tricks up her sleeve, or to be more specific, some spells, charms, and mystical intuitions. And with the help of her boss (and favorite witch) Felicity Dow, Maggie is spellbound and determined to get to the bottom of this murder.
289 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 2006
77 people are currently reading
1952 people want to read
About the author
Madelyn Alt
9 books836 followersFrom the Authors Website
Madelyn Alt is the national bestselling author of the witchy and hip Bewitching Mystery Series, published by Berkley Prime Crime. The Bewitching series features small town single girl and fledgling empath Maggie O'Neill, her witchy boss, and an unlikely circle of ghosthunting friends, the N.I.G.H.T.S., as they investigate an increasing level of paranormal disturbance--not to mention a series of unrelated murders--in Maggie's hometown of Stony Mill, Indiana. In other words, they are: "Mysteries... with Hex Appeal."
Madelyn writes from her home, an 1870's era Victorian in northeast Indiana, which she shares with an extraordinary number of persons of the male persuasion of assorted ages and sizes, two Siamese cats who rule the roost, and a Shepherd-Lab mix sweetheart who is only too happy to let them.
Madelyn Alt is the national bestselling author of the witchy and hip Bewitching Mystery Series, published by Berkley Prime Crime. The Bewitching series features small town single girl and fledgling empath Maggie O'Neill, her witchy boss, and an unlikely circle of ghosthunting friends, the N.I.G.H.T.S., as they investigate an increasing level of paranormal disturbance--not to mention a series of unrelated murders--in Maggie's hometown of Stony Mill, Indiana. In other words, they are: "Mysteries... with Hex Appeal."
Madelyn writes from her home, an 1870's era Victorian in northeast Indiana, which she shares with an extraordinary number of persons of the male persuasion of assorted ages and sizes, two Siamese cats who rule the roost, and a Shepherd-Lab mix sweetheart who is only too happy to let them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
April 3, 2013
Basic Plot: Maggie continues to learn about her empathy, continues to stumble through amateur sleuthing, and continues to not have a boyfriend.
If I hadn't already picked up the next book in the series from the library, I'd most likely stop reading these books here and now, and never think twice about it. It's not that this is a *bad* book series, per say, but there are things about it that just hurt my brain.
Let's start with the characters, shall we?
Marcus: wears leather pants, has beautiful long black hair, rides a Harley, plays in a band, former military intelligence (but a very rebellious, anti-authority guy-WTF???), is basically described as sex on a stick, and is a tech geek who volunteers at the local high school teaching a computer course, cooks, cleans (in his leather pants, no less), and is essentially perfect. He also seems interested in our lead character, though he never makes a move.
Maggie: Our main character. I'm not sure what she looks like, though she describes herself as nearly 30 and complains about her weight/body image. That's about all we have. She also does some SINCERELY stupid stuff, but manages to come out smelling like a rose in the end. MARY SUE!!!!!
Tom: I have no idea why Maggie's attracted to this bigoted asshole. Though he has a right to be pissed at her, as she constantly butts into his investigations, where she really has NO business.
Liss: stereotypical old-world pagan, wise-woman mother-figure. Of course she's Scottish.
I could go on about the overbearing mother, perfect sister, and sweet best friend, but it's all too much stereotyped stock character blather to go into without sounding plain old mean.
ARGH.
The first book had some issues that were forgivable to me partially because it was respectful of paganism and because it was a "first in series" book. I'm generally willing to forgive a lot in a "first" book if I see potential for the series. This book made my suspension of disbelief HURT. A LOT. She told a completely unconnected-to-the-mystery character WHAT? In PUBLIC? WHAT??? This book wasn't even 300 pages, and it took me way longer to finish than it ought to have because i had to keep walking away from it before I did the unthinkable and hurt the book.
So why am I continuing on and why does the book get 2 stars instead of only 1? Well, the respect for paganism is still there (which carries a lot of weight in my book), the ending was decent, and the author surprised me a bit with the mystery. I thought I had the whole thing figured out pretty early in the book and I was actually wrong (probably clung to my "superior" opinion too long out of pride). I'll give the author some grudging kudos for not going exactly where I was expecting with the mystery.
I can see where some people would like these books a lot more than I do. For someone just looking for a light read, these could be literary popcorn. I think my standards are just a bit higher than Alt is delivering, though. If the next book makes me want to hurl it across the room, I'm stopping the series there and I will NOT look back. Screw with my suspension of disbelief at your peril, authors!
If I hadn't already picked up the next book in the series from the library, I'd most likely stop reading these books here and now, and never think twice about it. It's not that this is a *bad* book series, per say, but there are things about it that just hurt my brain.
Let's start with the characters, shall we?
Marcus: wears leather pants, has beautiful long black hair, rides a Harley, plays in a band, former military intelligence (but a very rebellious, anti-authority guy-WTF???), is basically described as sex on a stick, and is a tech geek who volunteers at the local high school teaching a computer course, cooks, cleans (in his leather pants, no less), and is essentially perfect. He also seems interested in our lead character, though he never makes a move.
Maggie: Our main character. I'm not sure what she looks like, though she describes herself as nearly 30 and complains about her weight/body image. That's about all we have. She also does some SINCERELY stupid stuff, but manages to come out smelling like a rose in the end. MARY SUE!!!!!
Tom: I have no idea why Maggie's attracted to this bigoted asshole. Though he has a right to be pissed at her, as she constantly butts into his investigations, where she really has NO business.
Liss: stereotypical old-world pagan, wise-woman mother-figure. Of course she's Scottish.
I could go on about the overbearing mother, perfect sister, and sweet best friend, but it's all too much stereotyped stock character blather to go into without sounding plain old mean.
ARGH.
The first book had some issues that were forgivable to me partially because it was respectful of paganism and because it was a "first in series" book. I'm generally willing to forgive a lot in a "first" book if I see potential for the series. This book made my suspension of disbelief HURT. A LOT. She told a completely unconnected-to-the-mystery character WHAT? In PUBLIC? WHAT??? This book wasn't even 300 pages, and it took me way longer to finish than it ought to have because i had to keep walking away from it before I did the unthinkable and hurt the book.
So why am I continuing on and why does the book get 2 stars instead of only 1? Well, the respect for paganism is still there (which carries a lot of weight in my book), the ending was decent, and the author surprised me a bit with the mystery. I thought I had the whole thing figured out pretty early in the book and I was actually wrong (probably clung to my "superior" opinion too long out of pride). I'll give the author some grudging kudos for not going exactly where I was expecting with the mystery.
I can see where some people would like these books a lot more than I do. For someone just looking for a light read, these could be literary popcorn. I think my standards are just a bit higher than Alt is delivering, though. If the next book makes me want to hurl it across the room, I'm stopping the series there and I will NOT look back. Screw with my suspension of disbelief at your peril, authors!
January 27, 2016
The fun subgenre of paranormal, cozy mysteries (double-sub really) usually dishes out cute situations, humorous pitfalls and of course a dash of magically-inclined charm. Maybe that’s why this failed? It just didn’t do enough of those traits.
Story isn’t too bad – an obnoxious teen gets killed, the small town finds it tragic, and our protagonist solves the crime. She works at a shop, Enchanted, under her employer, pro-witch type.
The start is semi-sluggish but needed to establish scene of crime. I didn’t feel enough enchantment to rush back to the book so it took me awhile to finish this one. The middle grows more interesting once some personal drama squirts some needed life into it. What really irked me was that the ending half got much better, only to have the last chapter or so result to stupidity.
Suddenly the heroine, a woman with her hand on her shoulders, starts acting stupid for the sake of the story. The whole trip for evidence was just hokey and unnecessary. The phone and picture convenient setup? Puh-leeze. Why steal a frame, who not just take a picture of it? Why wait almost the entire book for high res shots and then want them sent to your cellphone? And even if the person is recognized in the shot, how do you automatically know they are the killer because of that?
The heroine is likeable enough, although a bit too goody sometimes. Tom as her romantic interest is dull, have no idea why she cares. Instead of loving Felicity as a super sweet, supportive boss, she irritated me with her clicheness and wise woman persona. There is a clear cookie cutter formula used for characterization. And while I did feel bad for the grieving parents, the ‘victim’ was loathsome and I couldn’t care less about her.
Madeline Alt does write well. She keeps to the point, avoids over-elaborating, keeps pacing consistent, but needs to improve on unrealistic, staged dialogue, especially in the last quarter between her and her boss and best friend upstairs.
Romance is pretty much not there but there are some hints to come. I have to admit I’m curious on what’s going to happen in that department. The mystery isn’t complicated to solve; there weren’t enough players to strongly consider. I guessed before so it wasn’t a big surprise. On it being paranormal, sometimes it delves into that and other times it went so long without it I’d forget it was supposed to be a paranormal novel. I’m not impressed yet with the magic stuff but it has the potential to develop into something better later.
I may like the next book if I get my hands on it. The writer does her job well but there are some rough edges needing polishing.
Story isn’t too bad – an obnoxious teen gets killed, the small town finds it tragic, and our protagonist solves the crime. She works at a shop, Enchanted, under her employer, pro-witch type.
The start is semi-sluggish but needed to establish scene of crime. I didn’t feel enough enchantment to rush back to the book so it took me awhile to finish this one. The middle grows more interesting once some personal drama squirts some needed life into it. What really irked me was that the ending half got much better, only to have the last chapter or so result to stupidity.
Suddenly the heroine, a woman with her hand on her shoulders, starts acting stupid for the sake of the story. The whole trip for evidence was just hokey and unnecessary. The phone and picture convenient setup? Puh-leeze. Why steal a frame, who not just take a picture of it? Why wait almost the entire book for high res shots and then want them sent to your cellphone? And even if the person is recognized in the shot, how do you automatically know they are the killer because of that?
The heroine is likeable enough, although a bit too goody sometimes. Tom as her romantic interest is dull, have no idea why she cares. Instead of loving Felicity as a super sweet, supportive boss, she irritated me with her clicheness and wise woman persona. There is a clear cookie cutter formula used for characterization. And while I did feel bad for the grieving parents, the ‘victim’ was loathsome and I couldn’t care less about her.
Madeline Alt does write well. She keeps to the point, avoids over-elaborating, keeps pacing consistent, but needs to improve on unrealistic, staged dialogue, especially in the last quarter between her and her boss and best friend upstairs.
Romance is pretty much not there but there are some hints to come. I have to admit I’m curious on what’s going to happen in that department. The mystery isn’t complicated to solve; there weren’t enough players to strongly consider. I guessed before so it wasn’t a big surprise. On it being paranormal, sometimes it delves into that and other times it went so long without it I’d forget it was supposed to be a paranormal novel. I’m not impressed yet with the magic stuff but it has the potential to develop into something better later.
I may like the next book if I get my hands on it. The writer does her job well but there are some rough edges needing polishing.
September 29, 2022
* I take my writing seriously and consider comments the reward. Please do not leave “like button” clicks, until you are accompanying them with remarks for me. *
I prefer later instalments of series. Introductions are passed, we know the setting, and protagonist. We're freer to acquaint others and get going. Familiarity contributes to enjoyment and book #2 is fantastic, segued deftly by Madelyn Alt.
Susan Wittig Albert panders to midway readers, bogging well-informed fans down. She re-introduces every individual, re-hashes their history. Madelyn’s tiny refreshers catch us up from previous events, using a ‘what’s happened since’ angle that is rewarding. Here’s why I love this volume.
'Maggie' is at a fascinating neutrality with friendship and spirituality. She’s hesitant about metaphysics but only retains a few customs from church. Her friend of 18 years is busy with a beau. But their bond is intact and Maggie is fond of her new circle too. It is a pleasure to acquaint ex-nun 'Gen' and Amish 'Eli' more. It really goes to show, embracing supernatural wonders needn't be limited by religion.
Mystery-solving involves numerous people and phases. Scattered pieces are realistic. We see where clues come from. End scenes were silly in that there were a million ways to avoid pickles. An exciting and utterly unexpected culmination makes up for it. A 3:00 AM finish for me!
I prefer later instalments of series. Introductions are passed, we know the setting, and protagonist. We're freer to acquaint others and get going. Familiarity contributes to enjoyment and book #2 is fantastic, segued deftly by Madelyn Alt.
Susan Wittig Albert panders to midway readers, bogging well-informed fans down. She re-introduces every individual, re-hashes their history. Madelyn’s tiny refreshers catch us up from previous events, using a ‘what’s happened since’ angle that is rewarding. Here’s why I love this volume.
'Maggie' is at a fascinating neutrality with friendship and spirituality. She’s hesitant about metaphysics but only retains a few customs from church. Her friend of 18 years is busy with a beau. But their bond is intact and Maggie is fond of her new circle too. It is a pleasure to acquaint ex-nun 'Gen' and Amish 'Eli' more. It really goes to show, embracing supernatural wonders needn't be limited by religion.
Mystery-solving involves numerous people and phases. Scattered pieces are realistic. We see where clues come from. End scenes were silly in that there were a million ways to avoid pickles. An exciting and utterly unexpected culmination makes up for it. A 3:00 AM finish for me!
May 27, 2018
First I've read in this series....thought Maggie was a bit timid for just finding her powers...sort of wished she wasn't so, but the ending turned out hopeful...will try another in this series..
January 15, 2009
The second book in the Bewitching Mystery series.
It's about 2 months after the first book took place and the town of Stony Mill is still unsettled after the murder of one of it's residence. Sadly more mayhem is in store for the town in the shape of a young Lolita who meets an untimely end. Maggie, who seems to be channeling her favorite TV hunk Magnum P.I., starts poking her nose in where it doesn't belong - and once again it lands her in (Cliche Warning!) hot water.
I knew who did it immediatly upon that person's introduction. (That is the only way I can say that without giving it away - trust me - I rewrote the sentence several times to make sure!)And yet I couldn't stop reading this book even after I knew I was right about who done it. Seriously - I came home tonight and had no intention of finishing the book - my knitting is practically screaming my name to get my attention - but no. I had to finish the book.
I liked that the second book was a little darker and delt with a 17 year old power hungry conniving little wench. I know I went to school with girls like that - I imagine a lot people did. I also liked that Maggie seemed to grow up a little bit in this book. I still wish she would tell her mom to piss off - but at least she knows her mom has her twisted in knots - so there is a little hope that one day she willtell her mom where to go and how to get there develope a healthier relationship with the matriarch of the family.
I am looking forward to the next book to see if some of the left unresolved stuff gets addressed.
It's about 2 months after the first book took place and the town of Stony Mill is still unsettled after the murder of one of it's residence. Sadly more mayhem is in store for the town in the shape of a young Lolita who meets an untimely end. Maggie, who seems to be channeling her favorite TV hunk Magnum P.I., starts poking her nose in where it doesn't belong - and once again it lands her in (Cliche Warning!) hot water.
I knew who did it immediatly upon that person's introduction. (That is the only way I can say that without giving it away - trust me - I rewrote the sentence several times to make sure!)And yet I couldn't stop reading this book even after I knew I was right about who done it. Seriously - I came home tonight and had no intention of finishing the book - my knitting is practically screaming my name to get my attention - but no. I had to finish the book.
I liked that the second book was a little darker and delt with a 17 year old power hungry conniving little wench. I know I went to school with girls like that - I imagine a lot people did. I also liked that Maggie seemed to grow up a little bit in this book. I still wish she would tell her mom to piss off - but at least she knows her mom has her twisted in knots - so there is a little hope that one day she will
I am looking forward to the next book to see if some of the left unresolved stuff gets addressed.
January 11, 2011
I really wanted to like this book. I admit to being one of those people who do occasionially pick a book by the cover. I expected this book to have some magic and comedy based on the cover and the review statements. The problem is that the magic and humor in this story are like the dash of salt you toss into cookie dough. You hardly notice it's there. The main character, Maggie, is likable and has good potential but she is boring. She pines after a guy with no redeemable qualities - seriously we aren't given one reason to like this guy or hope that she gets together with him. The mystery does get interesting near the end as clues are revealed and Maggie gets closer to solving the murder. But then she suddently goes into horror-movie-victim-syndrome and makes one ridiculous move after another (ie She is in the room with the murderer - her phone rings - murderer tells her to answer it- she does but doesn't give one hint of info to the person about where she is or who she is with. It's like she is trying to become the next victim.) As a reader, I never worried for Maggie's safety. This author plays everything too safe and too mild.
December 7, 2016
3.5 stars, actually. The second installment of this cozy mystery series is leaps and bounds over the first...lots of quotable lines that I loved.
Maggie is coming to terms with her newly found abilities, and it's none too soon...a teenage patron of the store she works at has been murdered, and the police don't seem to have any leads. It's going to take some witching, some good ok' Hoosier resourcefulness, and a little bit of luck to help solve this mystery.
Maggie is coming to terms with her newly found abilities, and it's none too soon...a teenage patron of the store she works at has been murdered, and the police don't seem to have any leads. It's going to take some witching, some good ok' Hoosier resourcefulness, and a little bit of luck to help solve this mystery.
March 15, 2014
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It is a fun mystery mixed with magic realism. While it was easy to read, I got lost a few times with the characters and the back story. I would recommend this!
September 20, 2022
Lots of very outdated computer language that was hard to read in 2022, didn't leave me satisfied, felt rushed at the end. Sort of meh
July 17, 2013
Ah, Maggie, Maggie, Maggie. So smart one minute and so silly the next! I just love reading about Maggie O’Neill’s character and cannot wait to see what she is going to do next. Maggie thinks that she is being so logical, but she is always jumping to conclusions and doesn’t see what is right in front of her most of the time. Maggie is still holding on to the faint hope that Tom is really interested in her. It has been a couple of months since Tom and Maggie first met in The Trouble With Magic (book #1) and Tom hasn’t called Maggie since. Now they are thrown together again to solve another crime, even though Tom doesn’t want Maggie to help in any way. On the other hand, you have Marcus, a sexy bad boy who seems to enjoy spending as much time with Maggie as possible. Maggie is convinced that Marcus could never be interested in a girl like her, however, despite all evidence to the contrary. Marcus’s Aunt Marian seems to be doing her level best to get the two of them together, but Marian must not know about Marcus’s May/September relationship with Maggie’s boss, Felicity “Liss” Dow. Um, hello, this is a small town – everyone knows all the gossip on everyone else! I think it is more an issue of Maggie’s lack of self-esteem more than anything else. After all, this is the same girl who tried to call Tom fifteen minutes before their first date to cancel it and then ran out on him before he showed up at her door. I mean, I get nervous before dates, too, but I don’t think I’ve ever run out on someone after I accepted a date. Okay, actually, that is a lie. Now that I think about it, I actually have done that. In my defense, they were not picking me up at my home, but I guess it is still not very nice.
Maggie is enjoying her new job at Enchantments. She spends a great deal of her spare time at the store, but she always seems to have plenty of time to get involved into cases and to get herself into all kinds of trouble! In Maggie’s defense, her mother and her sister often get her more involved than Maggie would do on her own, as is certainly the case here. If Maggie’s mother hadn’t dragged her off to Amanda’s home to accept the expensive clock as a return, Maggie never would have gotten her hands on a CD full of information about the dead girl. Turns out Amanda wasn’t the little princess everyone assumed she was. Amanda had been keeping a blog about her many sexual escapades, but all of her partners were given nicknames. Now all Maggie has to do is match the men with their nicknames on the blog and she can give the police a list of suspects with strong motive to kill. Easier said than done! I wouldn’t be too thrilled to read explicit details about someone else’s sexual exploits to solve a crime, but I guess you do what you gotta do. Fortunately, there are only hints and tame details presented to the reader so you don’t need to be worried about reading this book in public!
The mystery is pretty easy to solve, but it is the characters and the setting itself that I find the most interested. Maggie is a likeable character and I feel like she has a lot to offer, but she doubts herself too much. I see quite a bit of myself in Maggie, which is probably why I find some of her actions so frustrating! Maggie is smart, funny, naive, and stubborn. She will do anything for those she loves and she has some great friends and family around her. While everyone seems to have an opinion about Maggie’s life, she is doing her level best to walk her own pathway through life. Getting involved in witchcraft is Maggie’s first decision that will change her life. Maggie is still a bit afraid of who and what she is, however, so she makes excuses to avoid her fellow witches. I am sure that this is a temporary reaction and look forward to Maggie becoming more involved with her powers as the series continues. Maggie doesn’t use much more than her own impressions and feelings in this book, but there is enough of a magical touch to the Bewitching Mystery series to make them something unique and special.
Maggie is enjoying her new job at Enchantments. She spends a great deal of her spare time at the store, but she always seems to have plenty of time to get involved into cases and to get herself into all kinds of trouble! In Maggie’s defense, her mother and her sister often get her more involved than Maggie would do on her own, as is certainly the case here. If Maggie’s mother hadn’t dragged her off to Amanda’s home to accept the expensive clock as a return, Maggie never would have gotten her hands on a CD full of information about the dead girl. Turns out Amanda wasn’t the little princess everyone assumed she was. Amanda had been keeping a blog about her many sexual escapades, but all of her partners were given nicknames. Now all Maggie has to do is match the men with their nicknames on the blog and she can give the police a list of suspects with strong motive to kill. Easier said than done! I wouldn’t be too thrilled to read explicit details about someone else’s sexual exploits to solve a crime, but I guess you do what you gotta do. Fortunately, there are only hints and tame details presented to the reader so you don’t need to be worried about reading this book in public!
The mystery is pretty easy to solve, but it is the characters and the setting itself that I find the most interested. Maggie is a likeable character and I feel like she has a lot to offer, but she doubts herself too much. I see quite a bit of myself in Maggie, which is probably why I find some of her actions so frustrating! Maggie is smart, funny, naive, and stubborn. She will do anything for those she loves and she has some great friends and family around her. While everyone seems to have an opinion about Maggie’s life, she is doing her level best to walk her own pathway through life. Getting involved in witchcraft is Maggie’s first decision that will change her life. Maggie is still a bit afraid of who and what she is, however, so she makes excuses to avoid her fellow witches. I am sure that this is a temporary reaction and look forward to Maggie becoming more involved with her powers as the series continues. Maggie doesn’t use much more than her own impressions and feelings in this book, but there is enough of a magical touch to the Bewitching Mystery series to make them something unique and special.
May 28, 2012
This is the second book in Ms. Alt's "A Bewitching Mystery" series. I'm not sure why I keep reading this series because, so far, the books have been kind of boring. This book picked up the pace about three-quarters of the way through the book. Also, there was a surprise who-dunnit twist. I had figured out who-dunnit pretty quickly in the first and fifth books. In this book, I thought I had the murderer pegged but was pleasantly surprised with the twist!
As I read through the book I had the distinct impression the author was trying really hard not to offend anyone. For instance, the murder victim has a secret blog about her sexcapades that the high school kids in town know how to access. The author briefly describes the blog including secret descriptive names for the blogger's sexual partners. And that's about it. She doesn't go into any details about what is in the blog with the exception of making a comment about how flexible the blogger is and how many partners she seems to have had. I don't really want to read explicit descriptions of sex acts and I am not disappointed that the characters don't use every four-letter word in existence, however, I think she has gone a little too far by not including a little color and maybe some believable dialogue would have livened up the story. I kept wondering if she was trying to keep it clean in case one of her children (if she has any), mother, or grandmother read the stories she wouldn't embarrass herself or them.
I don't know if I am going to read the 3rd book in the series, but I probably will - hoping against the odds that the 3rd book will be a little more exciting. Plus I can't wait until she finds her furry four-legged black friend that is in the fifth book - that's my real motivation for plugging through these!
As I read through the book I had the distinct impression the author was trying really hard not to offend anyone. For instance, the murder victim has a secret blog about her sexcapades that the high school kids in town know how to access. The author briefly describes the blog including secret descriptive names for the blogger's sexual partners. And that's about it. She doesn't go into any details about what is in the blog with the exception of making a comment about how flexible the blogger is and how many partners she seems to have had. I don't really want to read explicit descriptions of sex acts and I am not disappointed that the characters don't use every four-letter word in existence, however, I think she has gone a little too far by not including a little color and maybe some believable dialogue would have livened up the story. I kept wondering if she was trying to keep it clean in case one of her children (if she has any), mother, or grandmother read the stories she wouldn't embarrass herself or them.
I don't know if I am going to read the 3rd book in the series, but I probably will - hoping against the odds that the 3rd book will be a little more exciting. Plus I can't wait until she finds her furry four-legged black friend that is in the fifth book - that's my real motivation for plugging through these!
August 18, 2012
i liked the myster
i liked the story line
i liked the twists
i hated the damn main character that pushes her way into shit saying that the police cant do anything but if she would have handed over the evidence to the police they would have had the evidence sooner to crack the case but oh no she has to do it because shes better than everyone else.
then theres her powers
i thought the first book would have smashed her resistance to her powers or at least make it so she studied and practice so she could have control but instead she pushes those around her to use powers when she wants them then turns around and acts like the powers are evil and on top of that ignores her powers when she doesnt want to admit she has them and when people die its obvious she could use her own powers but instead tries to use other means and hold up the police cuz she thinks she can do better since apparently shes spiritually open when actuality shows she is just as head in the sand and hypocritical as people who dont have powers...
her attitude frustrated me to the point where i didnt enjoy the story as much as i could have considering she is an adult and she acts like a preteen.
i liked the story line
i liked the twists
i hated the damn main character that pushes her way into shit saying that the police cant do anything but if she would have handed over the evidence to the police they would have had the evidence sooner to crack the case but oh no she has to do it because shes better than everyone else.
then theres her powers
i thought the first book would have smashed her resistance to her powers or at least make it so she studied and practice so she could have control but instead she pushes those around her to use powers when she wants them then turns around and acts like the powers are evil and on top of that ignores her powers when she doesnt want to admit she has them and when people die its obvious she could use her own powers but instead tries to use other means and hold up the police cuz she thinks she can do better since apparently shes spiritually open when actuality shows she is just as head in the sand and hypocritical as people who dont have powers...
her attitude frustrated me to the point where i didnt enjoy the story as much as i could have considering she is an adult and she acts like a preteen.
March 17, 2018
This book is even better than the first!!!! I loved reading this, it is such an addictive read, I couldn't stop reading this magical journey!
I adored this storyline so much, it is brilliantly written in such a way that compels you to want to know more, not to mention all the twists and surprises that happen in this roller coaster of a book. One of the things that I loved so much about this book was the paranormal aspect as this is something that interests me in my real life and reading the depth and the details of this story shows how much this author has researched into this topic and that makes the story even better!!!
It's amazing reading more about the characters, you definitely get to know them all better and better in this book. You have characters that we met in book one but also some new ones. I have to mention Marcus, I think he is one of my favourite characters to read about and I would love to know more about his history and his abilities. Of course i need to mention Maggie, i love her courage and resiliance. She is in a world that she is new to and she takes to it so well, even when she is scared she still copes in her own way. I love how curious she is although it gets her into trouble!
This is an amazing book that I think everyone should read! I can't wait to read the next book in this outstanding series to is so addictive and I would recommend this book, series and author to everyone!!!!
I adored this storyline so much, it is brilliantly written in such a way that compels you to want to know more, not to mention all the twists and surprises that happen in this roller coaster of a book. One of the things that I loved so much about this book was the paranormal aspect as this is something that interests me in my real life and reading the depth and the details of this story shows how much this author has researched into this topic and that makes the story even better!!!
It's amazing reading more about the characters, you definitely get to know them all better and better in this book. You have characters that we met in book one but also some new ones. I have to mention Marcus, I think he is one of my favourite characters to read about and I would love to know more about his history and his abilities. Of course i need to mention Maggie, i love her courage and resiliance. She is in a world that she is new to and she takes to it so well, even when she is scared she still copes in her own way. I love how curious she is although it gets her into trouble!
This is an amazing book that I think everyone should read! I can't wait to read the next book in this outstanding series to is so addictive and I would recommend this book, series and author to everyone!!!!
September 1, 2022
This was awful. I’m sorry. Sometimes works that are so specifically set in a past time can be charming and nostalgic; but I cannot be arsed to have the main character keep explaining that she unplugs the phone to plug in the computer to use the internet, or how women are too genteel to call “the yearly” a bloody PAP SMEAR.
Maggie is written as a supposedly almost 30-year-old woman, but she truly thinks and acts like a dated octogenarian retiree who cannot keep up with the time period. She is written as a “feminist” in the sense that she can drive a stick shift and say “I am no man’s victim!” but then she hates any woman who she deems is prettier, is in a happy relationship, or has any modicum of success more than herself; and slut shames anyone who doesn’t match her morals. The seething jealousy made me exhausted- and somehow the reader is supposed to cheer her on.
All of Maggie’s thought monologues seemed to be for extra word count because they certainly had no bearing on the plot. Not to mention, Maggie goes from Catholic skepticism of witchcraft to using it for MURDER?! What???
I’m not touching the love triangle because I just couldn’t care.
I can’t. This took me forever to read because I had to physically walk away after every few pages. Usually I’m able to get past a few writing quirks because I’m interested in the characters’ journeys but I certainly won’t be continuing the series.
Maggie is written as a supposedly almost 30-year-old woman, but she truly thinks and acts like a dated octogenarian retiree who cannot keep up with the time period. She is written as a “feminist” in the sense that she can drive a stick shift and say “I am no man’s victim!” but then she hates any woman who she deems is prettier, is in a happy relationship, or has any modicum of success more than herself; and slut shames anyone who doesn’t match her morals. The seething jealousy made me exhausted- and somehow the reader is supposed to cheer her on.
All of Maggie’s thought monologues seemed to be for extra word count because they certainly had no bearing on the plot. Not to mention, Maggie goes from Catholic skepticism of witchcraft to using it for MURDER?! What???
I’m not touching the love triangle because I just couldn’t care.
I can’t. This took me forever to read because I had to physically walk away after every few pages. Usually I’m able to get past a few writing quirks because I’m interested in the characters’ journeys but I certainly won’t be continuing the series.
December 16, 2025
Interesting story and I particularly enjoyed the witchy aspects. However, I was disturbed by that there was way too much understanding for middle aged men who had had sex with an underage girl. I don't care if she had seduced them and then blackmailed them over it. That's still statutory rape. I have no compassion whatsoever for that. Anyone who allows themselves to be seduced by a teenager is a horrible person.
Also there was the gaping plot hole where the main character was on the phone while she was with the murderer. The murderer did not have any weapon trained on her. She could have quickly blurted that she was with him and that he was the murderer, therefore making it impossible for him to, then, try to kill her without major suspicion being cast on him.
How she eventually defeated him by calling on the elements to help her was pretty cool, though.
I was also annoyed by how much the main character was focused on trying to be skinny.
To be fair, this book was written 20 years ago, so maybe I shouldn't be judging it by current standards.
I did enjoy the author's thoughts and commentary on religion and spirituality. Very relatable and beautiful. I also really liked Liss, the main character's boss.
Also there was the gaping plot hole where the main character was on the phone while she was with the murderer. The murderer did not have any weapon trained on her. She could have quickly blurted that she was with him and that he was the murderer, therefore making it impossible for him to, then, try to kill her without major suspicion being cast on him.
How she eventually defeated him by calling on the elements to help her was pretty cool, though.
I was also annoyed by how much the main character was focused on trying to be skinny.
To be fair, this book was written 20 years ago, so maybe I shouldn't be judging it by current standards.
I did enjoy the author's thoughts and commentary on religion and spirituality. Very relatable and beautiful. I also really liked Liss, the main character's boss.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2020
This was a fast paced read. I like that Maggie is getting more comfortable with her powers but that she is still uncertain and a bit afraid of them; it makes it more realistic. I an over Tom and she needs to be as well. Marcus is the right guy for her, and I think Marcus realizes it and is giving her time to get used to the idea, just like she has to get used to her powers. As far as the mystery goes, I was not expecting the town doctor to be involved; that was a big surprise. I was not surprised that the young girl was messing around with people she should not have been messing with; that part was disturbing but not a surprise twist. I am glad that Tara, Marcus' cousin, had nothing to do with Amanda's death and that the binding she was doing at the beginning of the book was to reveal the truth and not harm. While I did not enjoy the underage girl gets sexually involved with older men so she can blackmail them plot I do like this author and will be reading the next book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2025
you know, it’s okay. first off, i did not read the first book but with the super small amount of references to it, i doubt it mattered much.
there is a lot of missed potential here imo. also a lot of filling up blank space. there is a rule in writing that says: If it isnt related to the plot, you should not be writing it down. Well this book has a whole lot of that. there are better books out there, and you should read those (unless maybe if your a massive witchery geek).
SPOILERS FROM HERE.
I really feel like the ideal murderer would have been Tom, especially with that crazy "he was just sitting outside with his skimask on" which sounded super fake and made up. and that is was all corrupted and would have done some genuienly emotional damage to the main character, instead of the nice chap who owns the store next door. and then the docter being the murderer? like who cares?. not me atleast. very dissapointed by that. and the MC just saves herself in the last moment by some unknown forces, like the most cheesy "you dont want your book to end with this plot" thing out there. Ugh.
there is a lot of missed potential here imo. also a lot of filling up blank space. there is a rule in writing that says: If it isnt related to the plot, you should not be writing it down. Well this book has a whole lot of that. there are better books out there, and you should read those (unless maybe if your a massive witchery geek).
SPOILERS FROM HERE.
I really feel like the ideal murderer would have been Tom, especially with that crazy "he was just sitting outside with his skimask on" which sounded super fake and made up. and that is was all corrupted and would have done some genuienly emotional damage to the main character, instead of the nice chap who owns the store next door. and then the docter being the murderer? like who cares?. not me atleast. very dissapointed by that. and the MC just saves herself in the last moment by some unknown forces, like the most cheesy "you dont want your book to end with this plot" thing out there. Ugh.
May 13, 2017
#2 in the Bewitching Mystery cozy series
I'd rate this 3.5 stars, if I could. Maggie is an appealing heroine, just learning about her magick capabilities and exploring how to expand them. She works at Enchantments and has gotten involved in a group of paranormal-interested people who have helped her grow. When a teenage girl dies soon after making a purchase at the shop, Maggie feels involved in the search for her killer. She mostly uses guesswork and intelligence to figure things out, but there are some things that sort of fall into her lap, perfectly timed to help her out, which made things a little unbelievable. But since this is a paranormal type of series, that's OK. I suspected about the killer about halfway through but only from the book's set-up and not through figuring out the how or the why. I liked this one much better than the first in the series, and this one kept my interest throughout and was a light read.
I'd rate this 3.5 stars, if I could. Maggie is an appealing heroine, just learning about her magick capabilities and exploring how to expand them. She works at Enchantments and has gotten involved in a group of paranormal-interested people who have helped her grow. When a teenage girl dies soon after making a purchase at the shop, Maggie feels involved in the search for her killer. She mostly uses guesswork and intelligence to figure things out, but there are some things that sort of fall into her lap, perfectly timed to help her out, which made things a little unbelievable. But since this is a paranormal type of series, that's OK. I suspected about the killer about halfway through but only from the book's set-up and not through figuring out the how or the why. I liked this one much better than the first in the series, and this one kept my interest throughout and was a light read.
February 25, 2019
Like its predecessor, this book is a light and cozy read about the people of small-town Stony Mill. The use of stereotypes is liberal, so though the characters are predictable, I found them mostly likeable because sometimes you just want to read about kind, uncomplicated people.
Where the book falls short is the murder mystery. That plotline is very thin, with dull motives and duller clues. Maggie's decision to withhold and bumble around with evidence is hard to sympathize with when she has no stake in the outcome, and when she finds herself in real danger, you can't help but wonder if she didn't realize murder is a serious crime.
I'm giving this book four stars instead of three because I really did enjoy it up until the denouement, and I'm genuinely interested in checking out the next books in the series. BUT I hope Maggie will wise up and evolve as any person snooping around this many homicides ought to.
Where the book falls short is the murder mystery. That plotline is very thin, with dull motives and duller clues. Maggie's decision to withhold and bumble around with evidence is hard to sympathize with when she has no stake in the outcome, and when she finds herself in real danger, you can't help but wonder if she didn't realize murder is a serious crime.
I'm giving this book four stars instead of three because I really did enjoy it up until the denouement, and I'm genuinely interested in checking out the next books in the series. BUT I hope Maggie will wise up and evolve as any person snooping around this many homicides ought to.
November 13, 2017
Maggie has earned a lot about her new craft and is having some difficulty controlling the emotions (she usually faints if the emotions become too overwhelming). A young female, Amanda, and her friends come into the shop and Amanda buys a very expensive clock for her mom for Christmas (it was close to $500). Where did she get that kind of money?
Plus the girls and most of the small town are talking about a hidden blog which Maggie stumbles upon with the help of another young witch. Then there is the altercation between Amanda and another young woman, Tara. After that, Amanda disappears.... and turns up dead.
Who is behind her disappearance and death? Was it murder? Is the secret blog cause her disappearance? You would be surprised of the outcome. This has become a bewitching little series for those of us who like the cozy mysteries.
Plus the girls and most of the small town are talking about a hidden blog which Maggie stumbles upon with the help of another young witch. Then there is the altercation between Amanda and another young woman, Tara. After that, Amanda disappears.... and turns up dead.
Who is behind her disappearance and death? Was it murder? Is the secret blog cause her disappearance? You would be surprised of the outcome. This has become a bewitching little series for those of us who like the cozy mysteries.
March 2, 2019
After the events in book 1 of the series (The Trouble With Magic) Maggie has been left in charge of Enchantments whilst her boss, Liss, recovers (Maggie does have some assistance at the weekends and some evenings from a High School girl), as well as all the work Maggie is also trying to get a handle on her Empath abilities and her witchcraft. When she sees an altercation between a local "princess" and a Goth girl (the latter is related to Marcus - one of the coven) her empathic side isn't happy, even less so when Amanda, the Princess, ends up dead (and Maggie witnessed Tara - the Goth - doing a binding spell), now Maggie needs to use both standard and paranormal skills to work out what happened to Amanda ... and why.
March 12, 2017
This is the second book in the series and picks up shortly after the first. The mystery part of the book is a well a little lame and I would like there to be more of connection between the magick in it and the mystery . This book had more but still it was confusing there was a spell but the connection with solving the mystery seemed weak at best. also the main character needs more confidence. This is one of those feel sorry for me cause I don't fit in and I don't have enough confidence to stand out either characters. Hopefully there starts to be more character development. SO as you can see I haven't given up I have the third book and see how it goes before making a final decision.
July 13, 2017
I love the kind characters such as Liss and Marcus, and even Maggie herself. I felt the twist in this book was actually fair well-hidden, and that the final climax was written perfectly to leave the reader a little breathless through the whole thing.
With any luck, Deputy Fielding will overcome some of his issues and Maggie can learn to piece things together just a wee bit faster.
All in all, however, this is a wonderful series if you're looking for a quick cozy mystery series and magic is one of your interests.
With any luck, Deputy Fielding will overcome some of his issues and Maggie can learn to piece things together just a wee bit faster.
All in all, however, this is a wonderful series if you're looking for a quick cozy mystery series and magic is one of your interests.
December 1, 2017
Maggie is slowly becoming more. However, she is still struggling with her faith that her Grandmother drilled into her skull growing up and what she is learning about the invisible world around her. She again get herself in another murder mystery in this installment. It's ironic she doesn't see herself as a heroine. Her human failing is that her love life. She doesn't have one and is trying to come to term with that emptiness. I would advise her not rush, because her sister does not seem to be that happy. She is leaving vicariously through her husband's career.
August 25, 2021
Maggie O'Neill is enjoying her new job as a store clerk at Enchantments Antiques and Fine Gifts in small town Stony Mill, Indiana, when Amanda, the queen bee of the local high school, comes in looking for a Christmas gift for her mom. It's quickly obvious that Amanda is not the nicest of persons and is used to being in charge. When Amanda soon turns up dead by unnatural causes, Maggie can't help but do some investigating of her own. Maggie is also studying witchcraft with her new boss, and learning to listen to her intuition.
October 5, 2017
I was so excited to read this series once I found out about it and even though I gave the 1st book 3 stars I just can't give the 2nd one anymore than 2. I really really wanted to enjoy this series and read all of them but sadly I will not continue on. I can understand Maggie's apprehension in the 1st book but having her still scared of her own shadow in the second and then not able to stand up for herself is just too much for me.
August 25, 2017
Very gentle mystery with a bit of a possible romance and in a mild paranormal setting. Good characters, well put together variation of today's world that the characters move in. Very excellent descriptions of settings without boring one with minute details. Just the right amount of detail throughout. Good enough to re-read in a year or so. Want to read more by Alt.
March 5, 2018
I liked this one better than the first book, mainly because we're starting to get more of a progression into the paranormal aspects of the story (obviously I'm a fan). I actually guessed who the "villain" was before Maggie did, so I wasn't surprised by the ending. And although I had a few eye-roll moments, I'm enjoying the simplicity and cheesy-ness of this series.
October 31, 2018
I read the first in this series many years ago. Having read all the books in every mystery series I’m currently interested in, I got kind of desperate and decided to go back to this mystery series. Well, I remember why I didn’t continue. The book was decent but not great. I might continue with the series if I feel desperate again, but it’s not a first choice.
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