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Bay Winchester is living the high life. She’s engaged, owns her own business, and is undergoing a magical transformation, complete with growing powers at every turn. All that changes when a local teenager goes missing at a festival and nobody knows who took her.
The girl’s friends saw the abduction but the description they provide doesn’t match anybody in town. The only other witness is Marcus, her cousin Thistle’s boyfriend, and he was seriously injured in the attack and can’t provide additional information.
Bay is determined to solve the case, although she’s not sure where to look. On top of that, her normal partner in crime is otherwise engaged, which means her mother has decided to tag along for the ride.
Bay is the sort of witch who is willing to put herself on the line to save those who need saving. Unfortunately, this time around, the answers she finds only lead to more questions. On top of that, her great-aunt Willa and cousin Rosemary have arrived in town out of nowhere and they seem to be harboring their own secrets, and it’s something that could change the entire trajectory of Bay’s life.
The Winchesters are loyal, and it’s going to take all of them working together to solve this one. It seems new magic is afoot, and whoever is wielding it is deadly.
Magic, mystery and mayhem are about to collide. Batten down the hatches. The Winchesters are about to take you on a wild ride.

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2020

1370 people are currently reading
482 people want to read

About the author

Amanda M. Lee

307 books2,907 followers
When I was a kid, I was torn between whether or not I was going to grow up and be the Incredible Hulk or Wonder Woman. I flirted with being a Jedi Knight for awhile, but I wasn't up for the intense travel associated with the gig. In my teens, I settled on being a writer -- although I had no idea the effort that would entail.
Not only am I a writer now, but I'm a writer in several different mediums. I'm a longtime newspaper reporter, an avid reader and a voracious science fiction fanatic.

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5 stars
2,410 (64%)
4 stars
971 (26%)
3 stars
296 (7%)
2 stars
32 (<1%)
1 star
9 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
28 reviews
November 11, 2020
Not as good as the early books

Her books have become too full of telling each other how much they are in love and planning sex sessions. The underlying story was interesting.
Profile Image for Amber.
1,478 reviews49 followers
December 5, 2020
As always there is something going on with Winchesters! Bay is engaged and is in the beginning stages of planning a wedding and then Brian Kelly and a Willa are back causing havoc for the family but that doesn't stop Tillie and Bay helping solve the disappearance of a young teenager.
I love these characters! I love the storylines. I am always hooked from the very beginning!
If you only check out one new series this year or even next year check out this series from Amanda M. Lee. She is a very talented author that is not recognized enough! I love her works and this book was not any different than what I expected! She always exceeds my expectations and leaves me wanting more! 
3,325 reviews13 followers
September 8, 2021
The storyline in this book is a little darker than the others but it's just as good. There's still the relatives to be dealt with once we see what they're up to.
5 reviews
January 12, 2021
Total enjoyment

Amanda M. Lee is my go to when I'm under stress and cannot physically get away. This past year (2020) has been stressful for all of us. I just want everyone to know that Miss Lee's books are even better than wine!
Profile Image for Dallass.
2,275 reviews
March 18, 2022
Sorry, this just didn’t do it for me.

Don’t know if it’s just because I read this when I was tired, but this just didn’t work for me. I wasn’t all that fussed with the Paisley and her clique, and there are times when I really just want Clove to zip it. Winnie was a pill as she horned her way into the investigation, and I wish Landon would give the bacon schtick a rest. Then there was the return of Willa and Rosemary. You just know they’re going to stir up trouble. Too much going on splitting the focus.
Profile Image for Kally.
16 reviews
November 6, 2020
Loved it

If you've just found this series, I urge you to start from book 1. There's this wonderful layering of the characters that enriches each story. These people are now part of my extended family. I just wish I had a bit of magic as well. You'll have lots of laugh out loud moments with an occasional snort.
Profile Image for Mike Lewis.
1,761 reviews8 followers
November 7, 2020
Absolutely awesome and amazing supernatural cozy mystery series

This is an absolutely amazing and awesome supernatural cozy mystery series. A cast of characters that will blow your mind and enthrall your imagination. A storyline that never ceases to amaze me. Each book is more exceptional than the one before it. Every time when you read the new book you think this is the best one there has been. Then the next one comes out and you think the very same thing. Bay Winchester a young witch is for the most part the main character. But her entire family and cast of Co characters all right beneath her standing on the same level. You have her two cousins Thistle and Clove who are also witches. You have her mother and two ants the mothers of her two cousins who are also witches. Then you have great aunt Tillie. Who just happens to be considered one of the most powerful whichs around. Then you have Landon Michaels an FBI agent who just happens to be bay Winchesters fiancé. As well as the cousins significant others. We also have the chief of police who happens to be Bay Winchesters mother‘s boyfriend. As well as a large cast of other peripheral characters. Reading this series you will never be disappointed with the story the mystery the magic and the outrage action and humor of it all. Check it out I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Profile Image for Jill.
660 reviews8 followers
November 22, 2020
This review was originally published on Myth and Magic Book Club

Myth: 4/5

Bay Winchester, newspaper owner, controls ghosts and helps her FBI fiance solve crimes?

The Wicked Witches of the Midwest are a set of cozy mysteries set in a small town in northern Michigan. Bay, her fiance Landon and the Police Chief Terry are a solid crime solving team. While Bay mostly helps with her ability to talk to and control ghosts, she also owns and runs the town paper. This at least gives a plausible reason to be poking around murder mysteries when they strike.

Bay and Landon just recently got engaged, so their banter in this book follows the path of being together forever and compromising (and yes, don’t worry, everyone in the book tells them how gross they are to watch and listen to).

This time they are investigating a kidnapping. A teenager in town was taken during one of the town festivals. While we’re used to Bay and sometimes Aunt Tillie showing up to help investigate, this book took a little turn in that Winnie, Bay’s Mom and Chief Terry’s girlfriend decided she wanted to help. If that’s not enough, Bay’s old boss, who tried to push her out of the newspaper before having that backfire and ultimately leaving town, is back and possibly up to no good?

There are a lot of threads in this story, some of which get resolved in this book, while others will likely carry over into other stories. Amanda Lee also has a lot of cozy mystery series, and there is definitely foreshadowing of a little crossover action happening in our future.

Magic: 3.5/5

I love that Bay is now a badass, and gulp, maybe the most powerful Winchester Witch (we’ll see what Aunt Tillie has to say about that). I also like that Landon pretty quickly has backed off from uber protective to “she can take care of herself.”

Bay not only takes care of herself, with the ghosts she can call on command, but she also uses them to take care of others.

Overall: 4/5

The Wicked Witches of the Midwest are probably my favorite cozy mystery series. The town gives off that small town, Stars Hollow vibe, and the Winchester Women are a delightful ensemble.
Profile Image for Amanda Jane.
1,337 reviews10 followers
November 9, 2020
A family visit..

When Aunt Willa and Rosemary turn up in town Bay's antenna is twitching but distraction comes when Marcus is found unconscious at the petting zoo and the 3 teenage witnesses say that he was punched by a fat man who then abducted their friend Amelia. But something rings wrongly about their behaviour, Paisley, the apparent leader, is cold and faking emotions, Emma and Sophia her acolytes need to check before answering. Then strangely a shadow monster starts attacking Bay can get rid of the threat with her new expanded powers but it appears to be under the control of someone.. who though?

Tillie is on the warpath when she hears about Willa a situation not improved by the fact that Willa is in cahoots with her nemesis Mrs Little. Rosemary seems awfully smug and references a fiancé of her own who's keen to move back to Hemlock Cove..

Who is the mysterious fiancé? and what are Willa and Rosemary up to? What exactly is going on with the abduction of Amelia and why does it feel so wrong?
Profile Image for Kathy.
2,207 reviews30 followers
December 5, 2020
Wicked Witches of the Midwest #17
This may be the last book in this series to date, as the next book is not due out until mid to late 2021, but it was obvious when the book ended that there absolutely will be another one. This book left a few dangling plot lines, which will hopefully be taken care of in the next installment.

I'm glad the Snark and humor was more evident in this one than it has been in the past couple of books. I actually had a couple of laugh out loud moments. No tears though… Just an overwhelming need to smack teenagers in the back of the head.

Aunt Willa and Rosemary are back. Rosemary is engaged to another old nemesis of the Winchesters. A girl is reported kidnapped and Marcus is gravely hurt trying to prevent it. When he wakes up with no memory of what happened, Bay, Landon, Winnie and Chief Terry do their best to figure out what’s going on. Unfortunately, the more answers they get, the more questions they have. Narrator: Hollis McCarthy.

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December 4-5, 2020 – Audible Audiobook
199 reviews
June 9, 2021
Great read

Trying to plan a wedding and everything just keeps getting in the way. Unwanted and unexpected people and events continue to wreak havoc in the lives of Bay, Landon and the rest of the family. Clive is driving everyone nuts with her pregnancy demands, Marcus has been hurt and a teenager is missing. Figuring it out will take some time, good detective work and even better instincts but, the real worry are all the distractions.
This was an excellent continuation in the series. The Winchester crew are always good for several laughs,, solving some mysteries and some interesting magic.. Aunt Tillie is her usual cray cray self but,, Clove has lost her mind now as well as Thistle.. I highly recommend it and am off to read the next book right now.
Profile Image for Theresa .
1,858 reviews77 followers
November 16, 2020
4.5 Stars... Teenagers and magic don't mix... When Marcus is injured in an apparent teenage kidnapping, Bay and Landon must sort through the facts and separate them from fiction … All is not what it appears to be and in the end there is a hefty price to pay... In addition, some unwanted family and enemies return to Hemlock Cove with seemingly untoward plans that could spell catastrophe for the Winchester witches... Peace and quiet and wedding plans were supposed to be on the agenda, but with these comical characters anything but certainly occurs... Another fun and entertaining read in this beloved series:)
Profile Image for Angela Griffin.
1,683 reviews5 followers
November 21, 2020
A pleasant read

It's good to be back amongst Winchester madness! Bay and Landon are finally maturing in their relationship; too bad Winnie seems determined to pick up the childishly wilful mantle instead! With a missing person and an assault to contend with now just isn't the time for Brian and Rosemary to reappear! There are surprisingly numerous editing misses, and the mystery and climactic battle is rather pedestrian; so much so, the reader can infer that this situation may not have been what the ghost's warning referenced. Why does it feel like Brian and the tidbit concerning Rosemary may be a REAL problem in the making?!
Profile Image for Rachel A. Clayton.
26 reviews
January 16, 2021
Good but not Great

This wasn’t my favorite book in the series. There was a lot of dialogue in the beginning that didn’t really excite me, and there seemed to be some loose ends in the story. (Spoiler alert) Where did erasing memories come from!?!? This is book 17 and all of a sudden they just start erasing people memories? There’s a crime in every book that involves regular people witnessing witchy happenings, and they’ve never erased a memory before! I still loved delving into the lives of the characters and will read the next in the series for sure. I just hope the next one is bit more exciting and not so many loose ends.
621 reviews1 follower
November 4, 2020
I couldn't put this book down!

This book was so good. I love to see how much Bay has grown as a witch. Thistle is still mouthy but we also got to see her vulnerable side in this book and how she handled Marcus being hurt. Of course Clove is pregnant and trying to use that to her advantage. It will be interesting to see what happens when she has the baby. I definitely loved seeing that the situation with Willa and Rosemary was not resolved in this book but will be focused on in another book. I look forward to seeing how it ends!
Profile Image for Rhonda.
129 reviews
August 11, 2021
I love the snarkiness of Amanda Lee's characters. The story lines/ideas are just out-of-this-world! However, I wish she take the constant sexual needs down a notch and stop making every male character so rigid when their partner gets into some type of trouble. I hate the guys saying "You're grounded", "I'm angry 'cause you got in troubles way", etc... I mean, come on, these girls are bad-ass characters who can take care of themselves. Please let's get the guys to stop complaining and instead start celebrating their women; it is, after all, 2021!
Profile Image for ♥ Joy Joy ♥.
462 reviews36 followers
December 19, 2021
I remember a time I used to be so in love with this series and the author's works in general. But now, series by series is continually dropping from my TBR. Everything has become so repetitive within the series itself, as well as the main characters beginning to blur with other main characters from the MANY other series.

If anything, I would now only recommend this to future writers as an example of why having a crap ton of on-going series all at once is a bad idea. So disappointed. There are still 3-4 other series on my TBR but I'm not holding my breath.
4 reviews
January 27, 2023
fluffy

I’ve listened to this series through book 17. I have enjoyed many of this author’s books. This series is just too saccharin sweet. I appreciate the lack of graphic sex, however the sappiness is way over the top. I realize it’s fiction, but this isn’t anywhere near believable. Plus, Ms. Lee should do a bit of research regarding the focus and function of FBI agents. If Landon is going to hang out all day, every day in a small town, and make his own schedule, he should be a PI or policeman. This is nowhere close to believable, even for fiction.
302 reviews1 follower
November 5, 2020
Great Story and Setup for the Next

A teenager disappears. Marcus is given a concussion. Aunt Willa & Rosemary show up in town. The story gets even more complicated but eventually is explained and partially resolved.

Bay gets stronger in her power and her relationship with Landon gets even better.

The unresolved parts will be part of the next book and I am eagerly awaiting it.
156 reviews
November 6, 2020
Excitement abounds!

Another installation in one of my favorite series! As with all the others in the series, this book was a roller coaster ride full of twists and turns. Some characters from the past reappeared in Hemlock Cove, making things just a bit exciting for the Winchesters, particularly Bay and Landon. It is always such a pleasure to ‘catch up’ with Bay, Thistle, Clove, Aunt Tillie, Landon and Chief Terry.
Profile Image for Elisa.
3,232 reviews43 followers
November 8, 2020
A great visit to Hemlock Cove, we got some laughs some tears a great mystery and catching up with everyone, even son old faces everyone would have loved never to see again lol
This story was jam packed with adventure I loved the storyline and I am really enjoying the new continuing thread with Brian and Rosemary I can't wait to.see how that plays out I'm.expecting a lot of tears from both of them by the end lol.
Profile Image for Brandy Barber.
969 reviews23 followers
November 9, 2020
Always fun

This book was a little different then the others. Landon is accepting Bay and her family now. I honestly thought he and Bay's mom was going to be cursed. I'm still holding on to that for the next book. They just had a personality change I wasn't expecting. Other then that the rest of the story was great. Still funny and exciting. Still love everyone. Looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Tchipakkan.
516 reviews20 followers
November 9, 2020
I hate waiting

This was a natural progression from the previous stories,and one of my favorite things is the deeply realized world, with dozens of continuing characters, and an expanding geography. But after only a quick visit, we have to wait again to see what happens next: to Clove to Thistle, with Brian and Dani.... Sometimes, not often, I wish I hadn't discovered the series yet so I could do the whole as a marathon. But I don't want it to end.
Profile Image for Dan.
254 reviews
November 10, 2020
Wonderful Story

Once again Amanda M Lee brings us a new story about our favorite family of witches. Bay leads the Winchester clan to solve the kidnapping of a teenage girl from the festival. High jinks ensues as Bay and Landon follow the leads and determine what is happening. The story moves along at a good pace and there is plenty of fun action throughout the book. A pleasure to read.
Profile Image for Starla.
952 reviews
November 10, 2020
The funniest Witches to read about

The Wicked Witches of the Midwest are the funniest witches to read about because of Aunt Tillie. The cozy mysteries are also fun to try to solve and follow along as Chief Terry, Landon and Bay work to solve the crimes that happen in Hemlock Cove. An awesome series. Personally I think you should read the entire series to get the most out of each book.
15 reviews
November 12, 2020
Happy reader!

I was happy with this one. Seemed like a couple of books ago things were a little off (maybe it’s just me), but the last two have been really back on track. I liked the way it ended, hinting at more to come. Btw, a couple of books ago Thistle was going to expand the store, taking over Scarlet Darksbane’s space for her gallery. I’d love to see her follow her artistic gift ... possibly in a magical way?
2 reviews2 followers
January 2, 2021
The final of 17

I am extremely confused and disappointed. There is ABSOLUTELY NO CLOSURE. I recommend this series to others. I'm embarrassed now with this ending. No resolution to the problems in the book except one.. I really would have loved seeing this in a tv series or movies. I love the characters so much that I purchased the next series of 6. Now I wish I didn't. So dissatisfied and disappointed... Bummer...
Profile Image for Michelle Bibliovino.
758 reviews17 followers
January 13, 2021
I always enjoy my time with the Winchester Witches. Their story has ups and downs, but I like the tasteful romance, the funny family shenanigans, and simple mysteries with a supernatural twist.

I was a little disappointed in the plot of this one. Usually I can suspend disbelief enough over Bay’s involvement in law enforcement encounters but a $1M ransom drop with only a sherif and one FBI agent was a bit much. Oh well. This is a quick, guilty pleasure read and I’m still here for it.
441 reviews
January 18, 2021
Missing

When a teenage girl goes missing behind Marcus's barn during a Hemlock Cove festival, Bay, Landon, and Chief Terry are on it. At the same time, it appears Margaret, Aunt Willa, Cousin Rosemary, and Brian Kelly are spending a lot of time together, and nothing good ever comes from that. This is a fun book, a perfect addition to the series. Although this book can be read alone, start at the beginning for laughs and love with the Winchesters.
Profile Image for Melody.
1,357 reviews11 followers
July 8, 2021
Not the most complicated mystery in the series, but still a pretty good read or listen. When a teenager is kidnapped and Marcus is knocked unconscious every one in the family circles the wagon to protect him and get to the root of what happened. Frankly the other girl’s stories were inconsistent as were their actions. But the family is distracted by the return of aunt Willa and her daughter along with her “new” fiancé.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews

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