Witches & Words

Library Witch Mystery #4

by Elle Adams

It's the new year in Ivory Beach, and Rory is nursing a broken heart after the Reaper's abrupt departure from town. A distraction comes in the form of a batch of new tourists visiting the library, but when a holidaying stranger returns a rare book to her family and is then found dead, Rory finds herself in hot water again.

Handling rare books is second nature to Rory's family, but this one has a little more personality than Rory is used to. Not only is it refusing to divulge its secrets, the killer might still be lurking among the hotel's other guests. When Rory meets fellow witch Blair Wilkes, visiting from the town of Fairy Falls with her boyfriend Nathan, Blair offers to use her unusual magical talent to help Rory to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Complicating matters, the Reaper returns to town along with his terrifying boss. Working with the Reaper again might be the only way for Rory to solve the murder, but more than her heart is in danger this time.

Can Rory solve the mystery, repair her relationship with Xavier and stop the killer before he strikes again?

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Fantasy, Cozy Mystery, Magic, Audiobook, Fiction

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2019

About the author

Elle Adams lives in the middle of England, where she spends most of her time reading an ever-growing mountain of books, planning her next adventure, or writing. Elle's books are humorous mysteries with a paranormal twist and tons of magical mayhem.

She also writes urban and contemporary fantasy novels as Emma L. Adams.

Reviews

[Sassy Mystic Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable series

[Atlanta Whitlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m just in love with this series, things just keep heating up and I’m just loving all the events that are taking place. Elle Adams has done an amazing job and I’ve loved every minute of reading all about Rory’s adventures, things aren’t exactly easy for her because she’s just been brought into the magical world at 25 and she’s got a lot of catching up to do. I do think that Elle has made Rory a stronger character in this book, it’s clear that she’s doing her best to get over her fear of vampires and whilst others would think that she’s just doing her best to stay clear of them, that’s not the case in this book, she’s asking and voicing her concerns due to an ongoing case. I love that Elle has brought back Xavier as he is an awesome character, I know he’s the Reaper but still you can’t help but want Rory and him together. They are both tested in this book and the end results will honestly shock you, I know that I was shocked when I read them. I think Elle has done an amazing job with this book, I honestly couldn’t fault it…. Even Cass is getting nicer by each book, I can’t wait to see what happens next. I’m intrigued to see where Elle is going to take this series as it’s only getting more gripping by the book.

With having a brush with death but managing to avoid it and now having her dad wand as her own, Rory is doing her best to get back to normal… However, things still hurt as Xavier left without saying a word, other than the Grimm Reaper himself leaving her a note to stay away… But with it being New Years Eve she’s out celebrating with the rest of her family to bring in the New Year, however when Estelle mentions that the first flying star that’s in the sky she should say a wish out loud so that it comes true it throws Rory off as all she wants is to be able to spend time with Xavier, it’s clear he’s captured her heart but with him vanished she’s hurting instead. When one of the visitors who’s staying at the nearby hotel brings Rory and her family a book that needs to be returned back to the library, they all know it’s got to be done quickly as otherwise things can get a little crazy if returned after the time its needed back by, with Rory offering to take it back she has no idea what the book is about or what could be so important about it, so when she ends up getting a call from the guy who brought it back the next day, things take an interesting turn as he ends up dead… Will Rory be able to figure out what’s going on? What will Rory do when Xavier reappears? Will Rory and her family be able to figure out the contents of the book that got brought back???

[Katie Storer · Rating 4 out of 5]

sentient books, vampires and reapers - oh my!

This was a fun romp, despite grammatical errors which have nothing to do with spelling differences between British English and American English. I am enjoying the addition of the Grim Reaper’s magic. I am happy that each book has been built on different models. It is nice to see unique story lines rather than the formulaic plots some writers use.

Not perfect, but quite enjoyable.

[Ka · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of this interminable series. I guess at this point it's just easier to keep listening than to change the audiobook files on my phone.

Xavier seems to leave town (or is not seen around by anyone for a few weeks, anyway) and Rory is very upset about it. Then he comes back and tells her he was just away at a reaper convention and is still into her. So yeah, that was a big nothingburger.

Aside from her imagined romance problems, Rory has an actual problem, which is that the book a mysterious guy returned to the library on New Years' Eve seems to be cursed with sentience and refuses to cooperate with anyone at the library, even the owl. Also, she's learning to use her dad's wand to do magic. Lastly, there's another murder (of course). This one happens at a hotel nearby and the dead guy is the mysterious dude who returned the screaming book.

SUMMARY AND THOUGHTS ON THE PLOT, FOR MY MEMORY WHEN I READ THE NEXT BOOK:
So basically it turns out that the book was fake; it's just a mockup of a REAL book the library owns, which is apparently still out on loan somewhere. Somehow, these two vampire bounty hunter type guys learn that the library has a copy of this rare book and that it's currently loaned out (how??), and also that rogue vampires want the book and will be attracted to the town (which rogue vampires?? just... any? These hunters don't have a specific target? WTF)

The fake book is "returned" to the library (it has a spell on it to keep it shut so nobody finds out it s fake), but one of the guys, Mr Spencer, has a change of heart and calls Rory to tell her that the book is fake and might attract dangerous vampires to the library... however, before he can finish his sentence, he is pushed down a flight of stairs at the local hotel and killed.

The murderer turns out to have been the other vampire hunter (who is mad that guy #1 almost gave the game away), but then THAT guy almost immediately regrets killing guy #1 and uses vampire blood (which he just has on hand, I guess) to bring the dude back as a vampire. Not sure what benefit this provides either of them, since now HE is a rogue vampire and the local vamps won't be cool with it. Guy #1 is annoyed that he's been vampirized and murders guy #2 via defenestration, but apparently, guy #2 somehow prepared for this eventuality (how?? the author never specifies) and ALSO came back as a vampire. Now they are both rogues and mad at one another.

At some point Rory figures out that guy #1 must have been vamped, but before she can do anything about it, the guy kidnaps her and takes her to some kind of lair, where he explains all this nonsense and then they're almost immediately discovered by guy #2. During the ensuing fight, she manages to run away (WHY NOT JUST TELEPORT TO YOUR FAMILY, YOU DUMB WENCH?) and outside, just as they catch up to her, Xavier and his boss appear to confront them. Then Evangeline, the local vampire leader, also shows up and says that they're HERS to punish because they're rogues.

The two attempt to flee while Evangeline and the Grim Reaper are arguing, but Xavier catches up to them and sends them off to the afterlife with his scythe, to Evangeline's annoyance.

After this, Rory and Grim Reaper have a discussion where he agrees to let her date Xavier as long as she promises to not distract him from his important reaping job, and she agrees. (She then almost IMMEDIATELY breaks that promise, in book #6, by dragging him to the Normal world to meet her friend, even though she KNOWS he can't do his job if he leaves the area. The Normal friend can't visit the magical town or library itself, but apparently it does not occur to Rory that maybe her friend could come some OTHER place within Xavier's region. No, the only solution is CLEARLY to break this important promise. Sigh.)

Oh and throughout all this, Rory was aided by a girl named Blair Wilkes who gives off Main Character energy and is CLEARLY a crossover character from some other book series by this author. She's a witch who can detect if people are lying, and she actually seemed very nice, so maybe I'll check out her books and see if she's any more likable in her own series than any of this author's other heroines.

[Short, Sweet and Cozy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witches & Words is the 4th book in the Library Witch cozy mystery series and it is as enjoyable as the first three books. I was looking for something lighter and fun to read on vacation and this is perfect. The characters are likable and the cozy mystery is good. There is humor, family, friendship with lots of paranormal characters and activity. Aurora (Rory) learns of her magic abilities recently and is learning Biiblio Witch magic. Rory lives with her two Aunts and two cousins and they run the magic library. Rory is sad at the beginning because her kind-of boyfriend Xavier left without saying goodbye and she misses him. A man needs to return a book to their Library on New Year's Eve so Rory takes care of it. The book starts yelling and causing trouble. The man who left the book ends up dead. There is quite a bit going on which keeps the story interesting. The characters and humor make it so enjoyable. On to the next book in the series. The audiobook is well done and the narrator brings the characters to life. #Witches&Words #LibraryWitch

[Angela Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good job, Elle Adams!

I crossed over from "Witch On A Mission" to follow Blair's quest to find info about her family, and I'm glad I did. Although the note's translation wasn't shared returning to the "Library Witches" series offered the chance to catch up with Rory and her crazy new life!

Rory has really grown: she faces down vamps in spite of her justified terror; she sets her own terms with the Grim Reaper (yikes!); and, she's manifesting a new talent. The murder mystery is crafty with perplexing twists and a bit of misdirection along the way. And how satisfying for this reader that with all the assistance/obstruction provided by her family and winged cohorts, the clue that brought Rory to the solution was thoughtfully provided by one of my favorite characters from another series! I look forward to returning to Fairy Falls to find out what that note says!!

[Amanda Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about the tie in.. 3.5*

I feel rather confused after that.. I read the library witch series to get to the tie in with Blair and Nathan from Fairy Falls as it was implied that this was necessary.. I can't really see how.. they hardly appear.. don't get any help beyond a quick translation spell which frankly I didn't really need to read 4 books to find out..

I enjoyed the book in it's own right I just didn't need to read 4 books for a tiny piece of information. I would have read both series without this tenuous link. I had hoped for the two series to provide a new twist by linking together but we'll have to see what happens next.

In this tale, Mr Spencer returns a time sensitive book to the library. The book is sentient and loud

[Anne-Marie]

Happy New year

It's a new year at Ivory Beach but let's go back to New Years Eve...A strange man comes to the library to return a time sensitive book..but it's closed he searches out the Hawthorne's at the fireworks. Rory decides to go back to the library to handle the return...things go south from there
The book is returned and the gentleman is staying at the hotel. A body is discovered and of course Rory is in the thick of things...
The Grim Reaper and the vampires are in the thick of the story
Does everything work out or does Rory royally screw up this time
You'll have to read the book to find out

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Xavier leaves town without explaining why to Rory and she is heartbroken. When someone returns a book that starts screaming as soon as it arrives and the person returning it is murdered, Rory and her family had another mystery on their hands. The victim was staying at a local hotel but soon his is not the only dead body. The book won't reveal its secrets and other visitors at the hotel haven't seen anything. Rory meets another witch from another town who can tell when someone is lying so Rory invites her to help with the investigation. They think a vampire was involved but they can't find any proof.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would it be like to date a Grim Reaper's apprentice? I would assume they are both male and female or something similar in their species. The characters in this book are vivid, entertaining and sometimes downright spooky. The plot is easily followed and the premise is finding out how to unlock a sentient book and verify that it actually belongs to the library. The answers were both confusing and eventually enlightening. I definitely recommend this book.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute Library Witch mystery by Elle Adams, book #5 of this series. It’s always nice for me to have a change from my Medieval,Regency, Mystery & Mystery with romance books. No sex in this one so it should be fine for good readers 12 and up. It’s equally as good for adults, but for those parents out there who need to know, I think it’s fine for the younger reader too. 😊

[Rudi Stephan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series

What can I say? Rory continues to learn and strengthen as she tries to figure out how to open a mysterious (screaming) book as well as whether she and the reaper have a chance, given that his boss sees her as a dangerous distraction to the reaper’s apprenticeship.

[Linda (ellsky) Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun entry in the series. Some crossover characters from the Blair Wilkes series showed up to help with the investigation. I didn't guess the mystery's solution until the big reveal and found it quite inventive and satisfying. It was also nice to see more of the Grim Reaper and how he works.

I read this on Kindle Unlimited.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

The new year is about to begin and a there are a number of visitors in town. One of them is there to return a book that seems to me cursed and has to be returned by the midnight deadline or it will misbehave. Well the book decides to misbehave anyway and when the man who returns it is found dead, Rory begins to investigate to see if there is a connection between the book and the death.

[Lois Alston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story

Glad that the Grim Reaper is coming around. Sometimes Rory can be quite clueless to things that are happening around her and her entire family is right there with her. But there is always lots of excitement to be had in these stories.

[Mychael O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flirting With Death

Will Aurora never learn not to cross the Grim Reaper? Her on going flirtation with Xavier keeps leading her further into danger. This time she has two murders to solve, and a cursed book that won’t shut up, intrigued? Then buy the book. 😉

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable interesting reading

I love that the stories r somehow different after all I've read. I'm entertained n intrigued. Pleasant cozy read for that chilly fall day under a cover by a fire!

[Ona Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this books. Something new and exciting. These books is really fun to read and the library would be something to see as well as the library famous friends. Thanks for these books, highly recommended

[Lynnette E Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventure Filled

This book is filled with adventure with some romance added in. It's loads of fun to read. Rory continues to fo!low the mystery as it develops through the library.
The books and her annoying cousin keep things lively!

[Joy Rawlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story

Another great follow up story that keeps the reader guessing as to what is going to happen. Looking forward to reading the next book to find out what the next instalment has to offer.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine.

Short cosy mystery with a sprinkle of romance in to satisfy this romance lover.

I sped read through this book and thats not against it, its just a quick read and thats what I was wanting

[Angel Dey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this series

The ending of the last book was emotional, so I was excited to read this one to see the story unfold. This one was delightful and now I have the love story of the reaper I never knew I needed. I am definitely going to keep going with this series.

[Patricia English · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read by Elle, she is such a good writer, she draws you in and makes you feel at home and before you know it the book is over and you are like what happened, how did I sit here all that time. The books are that good, you just don't want to put them down.

[Jamie Rice · Rating 3 out of 5]

witches and words by elle Adams. the library is alive and manifests itself to the witches in the house as a talking owl. is dry and sarcastic sense of humour is really what for me through this one. besides him the series would be dry.

[Mickey Noel]

These stories just keep getting better!

I love this paranormal library and its inhabitants. The concept is unique and the characters are loads of fun! Well done!

[Joesephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my review for Book !

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted

A lot of things going on in this book. Not sure just what I thought but I still liked it.

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written and has well developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!

[Michelle Toney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

I love the characters, their world and the story line of this series. I loved the first book so much that I purchased the entire series. Highly recommend

[Clarence A Corter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witches and Words

I really enjoyed this fourth book in this series. Witches, vampires, murder and magic make an interesting story and keeps the readers attention.