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Wicked Witches of the Midwest #1
Any Witch Way You Can
Bay Winchester is having a tough week. As the local editor of Hemlock Cove's only newspaper, she just happens to be present when a body is found in an area corn maze. To make matters worse, the police believe the murder may have something to do with the occult. This wouldn't be a problem for a normal reporter, but since Bay is descended from a well-known line of actual witches, the town is understandably on edge. Between the suspicious townspeople, the befuddled police presence and that random hot biker guy that may or may not have something to do with the murder -- Bay has her hands full. When you add the typical family problems, multiplying ghosts -- and one monster of a zit that she's sure came from her aunt's curse -- Bay is just struggling to make it through the week. Of course, when the killer sets his sights on Bay, things could get a whole lot worse.
240 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2012
4487 people are currently reading
6540 people want to read
About the author
Amanda M. Lee
303 books2,899 followersWhen 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.
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,112 reviews
November 1, 2014
2.5 stars...but I finished it and don't regret reading it, so I'll round up
In the author's note at the end of this book, Lee acknowledges that her book is not for everyone.
Indeed.
I won't say it was terrible, 'cause it wasn't. The author's ability to tell a story - in the choice-of-language sense - is not bad at all. The editing...well, it wasn't great by any means, but it wasn't too distracting. On paper, this sounds like it ought to be an enjoyable story.
It's got its issues, though.
1. Oh sweet good god, the dialogue. Usually when I complain about a book's dialogue, it's because the author doesn't know how to write it. It comes out sounding stilted and unnatural. Not so in AWWYC; the author does that part just fine. No, here it's just obnoxious. The entire book is built on bickering. Bickering between the MC and her cousins. Bickering between the aunts. Bickering between the cousins and the ghosts. Bickering between the aunts and the cousins. Bickering between the MC and the love interest. Bickering between the old lady and everyone. Enough already! It's hard to like a story when you want to send every last character to their rooms without dinner.
2. The plot. Why the plot? Because there wasn't much of one. We have a murder mystery in a book about a reporter who does very little investigating. Isn't that kind of a requirement for murder mysteries? The whole book is about her killing time until the next bit of information is revealed. She talks a big game about figuring out who the killer is, but doesn't do much more than Google a few things and badger some ghosts. And when the ghosts can't tell her what she wants to know? "Try to remember. It's important. And while you're doing that, I'm just going to go over here and bicker." The main character could have been absent from the book altogether and the story would still have gone on pretty much unchanged. The plot itself seemed like background that just provides an excuse to perform yet more ridiculous verbal slapstick.
3. The unrealistic characters. Are we really supposed to believe that the police chief just invites a random civilian into a murder investigation? Are we supposed to believe that this family described as outcasts because they're actual witches isn't going to actually experience anything harsher than an uncomfortable look from all the assorted townspeople? Are we supposed to believe the town reporter - one of only two in the whole town - doesn't actually do much reporting or bother to look into a mystery and has the leisure to take great swaths of time off to hang out with the fam? And even if you could contort yourself into an explanation for these things - which we readers shouldn't have to do, BTW - we've got the fact that the characters all have such similar voices that they're virtually interchangeable. (I was particularly irritated by the frequent mentions of how awful and self-centered teenagers are by someone who acts - and thinks - exactly like the teenagers.)
4. The predictability. The ending was no surprise at all. By about chapter four, I had figured out not only who the murderer was, but also who the love interest was.
5. The lack of magic. Dude. This is a book about witches. It's billed as urban fantasy. I read this stuff because I think people with powers are cool. There's next to no magic in the story...and it doesn't even occur to the characters to use it to help solve their mystery! They're terrible at being witches.
6. The running internal monologue. For every line of dialogue, there's another line of unspoken snark. Snark is one of those things that's more potent when used sparingly. Here, it just makes the MC sound like an insincere bitch.
So, you're no doubt thinking to yourselves (assuming you actually read all that, of course), how is it this book got 2.5 stars rounded up? Two reasons. For one thing, I didn't actually notice a lot of the bad stuff until I was done and actually stopped to think about it all. The fact that I got caught up in a story where nothing seems to actually happen says...something. Not sure what, exactly, but something. Secondly, if you go into this book expecting mindless fluff, you might not think it's too bad. And mindless fluff has its place; sometimes I want to escape in a way that doesn't require any brainpower.
So there you have it. This book really isn't very good, but it's a quick read and it serves a purpose. If your expectations are low, you'll probably get to the end feeling mildly entertained. But make no mistake - I may not think the book was a complete waste of time, but I have no intention of reading the rest of the series.
In the author's note at the end of this book, Lee acknowledges that her book is not for everyone.
Indeed.
I won't say it was terrible, 'cause it wasn't. The author's ability to tell a story - in the choice-of-language sense - is not bad at all. The editing...well, it wasn't great by any means, but it wasn't too distracting. On paper, this sounds like it ought to be an enjoyable story.
It's got its issues, though.
1. Oh sweet good god, the dialogue. Usually when I complain about a book's dialogue, it's because the author doesn't know how to write it. It comes out sounding stilted and unnatural. Not so in AWWYC; the author does that part just fine. No, here it's just obnoxious. The entire book is built on bickering. Bickering between the MC and her cousins. Bickering between the aunts. Bickering between the cousins and the ghosts. Bickering between the aunts and the cousins. Bickering between the MC and the love interest. Bickering between the old lady and everyone. Enough already! It's hard to like a story when you want to send every last character to their rooms without dinner.
2. The plot. Why the plot? Because there wasn't much of one. We have a murder mystery in a book about a reporter who does very little investigating. Isn't that kind of a requirement for murder mysteries? The whole book is about her killing time until the next bit of information is revealed. She talks a big game about figuring out who the killer is, but doesn't do much more than Google a few things and badger some ghosts. And when the ghosts can't tell her what she wants to know? "Try to remember. It's important. And while you're doing that, I'm just going to go over here and bicker." The main character could have been absent from the book altogether and the story would still have gone on pretty much unchanged. The plot itself seemed like background that just provides an excuse to perform yet more ridiculous verbal slapstick.
3. The unrealistic characters. Are we really supposed to believe that the police chief just invites a random civilian into a murder investigation? Are we supposed to believe that this family described as outcasts because they're actual witches isn't going to actually experience anything harsher than an uncomfortable look from all the assorted townspeople? Are we supposed to believe the town reporter - one of only two in the whole town - doesn't actually do much reporting or bother to look into a mystery and has the leisure to take great swaths of time off to hang out with the fam? And even if you could contort yourself into an explanation for these things - which we readers shouldn't have to do, BTW - we've got the fact that the characters all have such similar voices that they're virtually interchangeable. (I was particularly irritated by the frequent mentions of how awful and self-centered teenagers are by someone who acts - and thinks - exactly like the teenagers.)
4. The predictability. The ending was no surprise at all. By about chapter four, I had figured out not only who the murderer was, but also who the love interest was.
5. The lack of magic. Dude. This is a book about witches. It's billed as urban fantasy. I read this stuff because I think people with powers are cool. There's next to no magic in the story...and it doesn't even occur to the characters to use it to help solve their mystery! They're terrible at being witches.
6. The running internal monologue. For every line of dialogue, there's another line of unspoken snark. Snark is one of those things that's more potent when used sparingly. Here, it just makes the MC sound like an insincere bitch.
So, you're no doubt thinking to yourselves (assuming you actually read all that, of course), how is it this book got 2.5 stars rounded up? Two reasons. For one thing, I didn't actually notice a lot of the bad stuff until I was done and actually stopped to think about it all. The fact that I got caught up in a story where nothing seems to actually happen says...something. Not sure what, exactly, but something. Secondly, if you go into this book expecting mindless fluff, you might not think it's too bad. And mindless fluff has its place; sometimes I want to escape in a way that doesn't require any brainpower.
So there you have it. This book really isn't very good, but it's a quick read and it serves a purpose. If your expectations are low, you'll probably get to the end feeling mildly entertained. But make no mistake - I may not think the book was a complete waste of time, but I have no intention of reading the rest of the series.
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August 21, 2019..
I had this book checked on through Amazon Kindle Unlimited for months before I cracked it open. I suppose my subconscious self knew that it would be a fruitless endeavor. I was disappointed.
I had a very difficult time identifying with the characters for one thing. Second, I prefer inspirational tales. This was filled with hatefulness, spite, and gripey nonsense. Then the profanity slipped in little by little. In generations past, certain words were acceptable forms of profanity and some were not. In this generation, all profanity seems to be acceptable. However, I would prefer all of it be avoided.
So, even though this has been a relatively clean read (no sex in what I read), after sixteen chapters of low-grade entertainment (including escalation to even more offensive profanity) I have chosen to throw in the towel and skip along to another choice that I hope will be more compelling than this one. It just was not my cup of tea.
For those that are not offended by the usage of profanity, immature barbs and spars between adults, read on and hopefully, you will find this more entertaining than I was able to.
Just beware that even the author acknowledges that this series is not for everyone.
Note: These books are full of sarcasm and are a little bit snarky -- so read-only if you like to laugh and you aren't easily offended. This is the first book in the Wicked Witches of the Midwest mystery series.
..
I had this book checked on through Amazon Kindle Unlimited for months before I cracked it open. I suppose my subconscious self knew that it would be a fruitless endeavor. I was disappointed.
I had a very difficult time identifying with the characters for one thing. Second, I prefer inspirational tales. This was filled with hatefulness, spite, and gripey nonsense. Then the profanity slipped in little by little. In generations past, certain words were acceptable forms of profanity and some were not. In this generation, all profanity seems to be acceptable. However, I would prefer all of it be avoided.
So, even though this has been a relatively clean read (no sex in what I read), after sixteen chapters of low-grade entertainment (including escalation to even more offensive profanity) I have chosen to throw in the towel and skip along to another choice that I hope will be more compelling than this one. It just was not my cup of tea.
For those that are not offended by the usage of profanity, immature barbs and spars between adults, read on and hopefully, you will find this more entertaining than I was able to.
Just beware that even the author acknowledges that this series is not for everyone.
Note: These books are full of sarcasm and are a little bit snarky -- so read-only if you like to laugh and you aren't easily offended. This is the first book in the Wicked Witches of the Midwest mystery series.
..
July 24, 2015
after the first chapter, the banter between cousins became so predictable it ceased to be funny. Apart from a description of each of the witches' physical appearance most of them were unidentifiable by their dialogue, most of which was meaningless bickering.
The plot was so transparent that the who done it and who would do it were a foregone conclusion early in the book.
The only motivation for finishing it was to add it to my "Annual Book Challenge" book count. In retrospect, not a good reason.
The plot was so transparent that the who done it and who would do it were a foregone conclusion early in the book.
The only motivation for finishing it was to add it to my "Annual Book Challenge" book count. In retrospect, not a good reason.
April 7, 2015
When Bay discovers the body of a teen hung up on a cross in the middle of a corn maze she doesn't expect the ghost to come home with her. But he needs her help to solve the crime and get closure so it's up to her and her cousins to solve the crime before the killers turn their sights on them.
There is quite a lot to like about this book, but all the good just didn't quite add up to a good book. There is enough in there for me to try the next in the series but not enough for me to rate this book high. And I found the love interest to be one of the most annoying love interests I've ever read. So it's 2 Stars, but it's not a bad 2 Stars...it's a wait and see 2 Stars.
There is quite a lot to like about this book, but all the good just didn't quite add up to a good book. There is enough in there for me to try the next in the series but not enough for me to rate this book high. And I found the love interest to be one of the most annoying love interests I've ever read. So it's 2 Stars, but it's not a bad 2 Stars...it's a wait and see 2 Stars.
June 15, 2015
Crime solving witches...........I was game
This book was pretty cute, but at times I found myself growing tired of the constant banter between the witches. It was non-stop and seemed to take away from the character depth and story development. I wont personally continue this series, but I can see it being enjoyable by someone looking for a quirky cute mystery type read that's simple and doesn't have a lot of depth or unnecessary angst. It still had me giggling a couple times but overall it was a pretty "blah" read for me.
This book was pretty cute, but at times I found myself growing tired of the constant banter between the witches. It was non-stop and seemed to take away from the character depth and story development. I wont personally continue this series, but I can see it being enjoyable by someone looking for a quirky cute mystery type read that's simple and doesn't have a lot of depth or unnecessary angst. It still had me giggling a couple times but overall it was a pretty "blah" read for me.
October 13, 2020
If you like cozies with a lot of irreverence, then you will like this series. I liked the setting, it's close to home, and the characters were, well, interesting. These are super quick reads when you want something lighter than usual.
September 15, 2015
"Whatever" Seriously? Just an example of the great dialogue coming from the twenty something characters who act and talk as if they are teenagers! I was so excited to read a murder mystery involving witches and so disappointed with the character portrayals.I found the description of the three 50 something witches insulting and unrealistic. Velour track suits? Really? This is what 50 somethings even have in their wardrobes? The author portrays these middle aged women as doddering scatterbrains who would need "help" and protection from these 3 twenty somethings. Not witches with powers, intelligence and common sense. There is such a thing as eccentric, yes, but these gals are portrayed as sexless, meddling, scattered frumps who are good at cooking and like to do spells while drinking and dancing naked (to the horror of their daughters of course because they are, after all, old people). As expected, the oldest witch, in her mid eighties was way over the top eccentric. It was easy to figure out whodunnit as well. One thing that is clear from reading this book, the author, is no feminist and certainly not a witch.
November 22, 2013
What a great start to a new series. I laughed out loud through the whole book. The Winchester family (4 aunts and 3 cousins) own a B&B in small town of Hemlock Cove. The 3 cousins (Bay, Clove and Thistle) have grown up together and are more like sisters. It's a family of witches. Then murder comes to town. Teen boy killed and his heart cut out. Bay and her 2 cousins of course think they can solve the murder. Enters hot biker Landon who is more than he betrays. I don't want to give any real spoilers so I'm stopping here.
I guarantee you'll love the new series and the second book is out.
October 4, 2017
Absolutely loved the characters in this book, just not much to the plot....
Loved getting to know Bay and her family.... I enjoyed all the Snark and banter between the girls.... and how can you not love a ghost that watches GH??? Where this book lacked a little for me was definitely in the mystery, it was almost an afterthought, and for me who did it and why came out of the cornfield (quite literally).... my other problem is that I needed these witches to be Witchier... I needed more magic, hoping that will be in the next book???
*** narrator: the narrator did a really good job especially with distinguishing the cousins voices, she definitely gave a unique voice to each of them...
Loved getting to know Bay and her family.... I enjoyed all the Snark and banter between the girls.... and how can you not love a ghost that watches GH??? Where this book lacked a little for me was definitely in the mystery, it was almost an afterthought, and for me who did it and why came out of the cornfield (quite literally).... my other problem is that I needed these witches to be Witchier... I needed more magic, hoping that will be in the next book???
*** narrator: the narrator did a really good job especially with distinguishing the cousins voices, she definitely gave a unique voice to each of them...
May 5, 2015
Bay Winchester is a journalist and she’s also a witch. Her special skill is talking to ghosts. So when she is doing a story on the latest corn maze and the scarecrow at the center is actually a dead body with the heart cut out, she has some investigating to do.
***
Goddammit… *growls at book* … why is ‘spastic’ used as an insult? Use another word. Is this one of those US/UK things? Because I get constantly told that I HAVE to use US spellings/meanings etc. I don’t see why they can’t avoid words that are hugely offensive to others.
Well? Which is it? 1600’s or 1900’s ‘coz there’s a bit of a difference.
Wait… must be a typo, America wasn’t exactly colonized in the 1600’s.
Man… I get that these women are supposed to be close and abrasive, but wow… all they do is bicker at each other. And there is no point. It doesn’t advance the story to have a three page argument about who does or doesn’t smoke pot in the middle of a murder mystery. The MC is a grown woman who makes snarky comments and then denies them like a child.
And oddly, there’s not a lot of magic for women who are witches so powerful the town is frightened of them. There is some ‘I can talk to ghosts’ stuff, some herb slicing, and some naked dancing around fires and that is it. Not a spell, not an incantation. Nothing.
Jeez, Bay, if someone is having a really, really important vision of the future that warns the murderers are coming for ‘one of us’ could you NOT interrupt her constantly!
I’m going to guess that Landon is undercover.
Actually ALL the dialog is bickering.
41% *sighs* keeps reading.
How do ghosts ride in cars? I mean… shouldn’t they just fall through the seat?
Yep. I’d bet money Bay would be bitching, but not necessarily about that.
Narcissism? Ah, no, Bay. She has a very valid point. Two people have been murdered. And she has a right to be annoyed; she’s one of them. And you are doing precisely NO investigating. And you’re a journalist. Outside press ought to be contacting Bay for the story at the very least.
Ugh this author is so down on teens. So far they are: narcissistic, disdainful, pretend to be older than they are, have meltdowns, and huge egos, and are whiny, petulant, pouty, and annoying.
Which is weird, because that describes the main character.
I’m just skipping the bickering now. And really … people are DYING! Being worried your aunt will curse you with a zit on your nose, is just not that important. The whole of ch 18 is bickering. The whole chapter.
A whole page arguing about what they’ll have for lunch… a whole page.
*sighs heavily*
At page 211 the aunts remembered that there was a case like this a long time ago. *facepalms*
I’m skimming the rest.
Okay… Bay does minimal investigation mostly because there are not a lot of options for murderer. And it is supposed to be a murder mystery. No real mystery. She also doesn’t do any news reporting.
And there’s no real romance. The love interest is a bit… odd. I just didn’t feel it. And daft lines like ‘he’s too good looking to be a drug dealer.’
And the magicless witches were… I want to say purposeless. You could have written out her entire family without making much difference to the plot. They literally kneed people in the groins and hit them with rakes - no spells.
And who murdered Edith? Was that a loose thread or did I skip that when I was skimming? Went back and checked… nope. Sorry, Edith you exist only as a ghost who can suddenly search paper files (when you are incorporeal) and find valuable info for Bay. Maybe Edith should be the investigator?
2 stars
***
The women in my family were witches also – obviously – but they were also spastic at times. Much like Clove, Thistle and I, they were ridiculously close. It didn’t help that they ran the bed and breakfast together – and were constantly on each other’s nerves – and at each other’s throats.
Goddammit… *growls at book* … why is ‘spastic’ used as an insult? Use another word. Is this one of those US/UK things? Because I get constantly told that I HAVE to use US spellings/meanings etc. I don’t see why they can’t avoid words that are hugely offensive to others.
“No,” I shook my head. “That’s been our family home since it was built in the 1600s. Witches don’t usually become ghosts.” (p. 19) The Overlook is the biggest house in the county. It’s an old Victorian that the Winchester family built in the early 1900s.(p. 22).
Well? Which is it? 1600’s or 1900’s ‘coz there’s a bit of a difference.
Wait… must be a typo, America wasn’t exactly colonized in the 1600’s.
Man… I get that these women are supposed to be close and abrasive, but wow… all they do is bicker at each other. And there is no point. It doesn’t advance the story to have a three page argument about who does or doesn’t smoke pot in the middle of a murder mystery. The MC is a grown woman who makes snarky comments and then denies them like a child.
And oddly, there’s not a lot of magic for women who are witches so powerful the town is frightened of them. There is some ‘I can talk to ghosts’ stuff, some herb slicing, and some naked dancing around fires and that is it. Not a spell, not an incantation. Nothing.
Jeez, Bay, if someone is having a really, really important vision of the future that warns the murderers are coming for ‘one of us’ could you NOT interrupt her constantly!
I’m going to guess that Landon is undercover.
Actually ALL the dialog is bickering.
41% *sighs* keeps reading.
How do ghosts ride in cars? I mean… shouldn’t they just fall through the seat?
If I came back as a ghost, I’d be bitching like nobody’s business. (p. 140)
Yep. I’d bet money Bay would be bitching, but not necessarily about that.
“Yes, well, your family hijinks are clearly more important than my recent death.” There it was, the typical
teenage narcissism. One of the many reasons I was wary about ever having children.
Narcissism? Ah, no, Bay. She has a very valid point. Two people have been murdered. And she has a right to be annoyed; she’s one of them. And you are doing precisely NO investigating. And you’re a journalist. Outside press ought to be contacting Bay for the story at the very least.
Ugh this author is so down on teens. So far they are: narcissistic, disdainful, pretend to be older than they are, have meltdowns, and huge egos, and are whiny, petulant, pouty, and annoying.
Which is weird, because that describes the main character.
I’m just skipping the bickering now. And really … people are DYING! Being worried your aunt will curse you with a zit on your nose, is just not that important. The whole of ch 18 is bickering. The whole chapter.
“Now,” Clove said primly. “What do you want for lunch?”
“Middle-Eastern.”
“We just had that the other day,” Thistle complained.
“I’m hobbled. Don’t you think I should get the food that I want?”
“Oh, nice. You managed to walk down here fine – I don’t think that you deserve special treatment, especially considering how you hurt yourself.”
“If she wants Middle-Eastern we can have Middle-Eastern,” Clove caved.
“You always take her side,” Thistle muttered. “I don’t want Middle-Eastern.”
“What do you want?”
“Mexican.”
“Uh,” I groaned. “I don’t want Mexican today.”
Clove glared at us both. “You’re going to have to decide.”
“You’re the tiebreaker,” Thistle said.
“I don’t want to be the tiebreaker,” she argued.
I stuck my lower lip out and dramatically rubbed my ankle when she glanced over at me. “Fine, Middle-Eastern it is.”
Thistle opened her mouth to protest.
“We’ll get Mexican tomorrow,” Clove added.
Thistle didn’t look like she was entirely placated, but she also didn’t look like she wanted to engage in World War III over lunch – and I was prepared to dig my heels in.(p. 202)
A whole page arguing about what they’ll have for lunch… a whole page.
*sighs heavily*
At page 211 the aunts remembered that there was a case like this a long time ago. *facepalms*
I’m skimming the rest.
Okay… Bay does minimal investigation mostly because there are not a lot of options for murderer. And it is supposed to be a murder mystery. No real mystery. She also doesn’t do any news reporting.
And there’s no real romance. The love interest is a bit… odd. I just didn’t feel it. And daft lines like ‘he’s too good looking to be a drug dealer.’
And the magicless witches were… I want to say purposeless. You could have written out her entire family without making much difference to the plot. They literally kneed people in the groins and hit them with rakes - no spells.
And who murdered Edith? Was that a loose thread or did I skip that when I was skimming? Went back and checked… nope. Sorry, Edith you exist only as a ghost who can suddenly search paper files (when you are incorporeal) and find valuable info for Bay. Maybe Edith should be the investigator?
2 stars
August 23, 2019
3 Wavering Stars
Hemlock Cove is a picturesque town one that focuses on the supernatural and witches to draw in tourists, and yet the non-magical residents of Hemlock Cove rather than embracing the real witches they have residing in their town, look at them with distrust and distaste.
The book focuses on Bay Winchester who is a journalist and a witch, her gift involves talking to and seeing ghosts. When murder comes to town, Bay with her two cousins (Clove and Thistle) set out to solve the murder.
Parts of this were good, even though the first few chapters were a tad too slow in pace, however things went a little down, the mystery wasn’t much of a mystery. At the start I did like the banter between the cousins but towards the midway point it felt a tad repetitive, but luckily not painfully so.
I do wish the tiny dash of romance had been more like a heavy sprinkle but still a fun-ish light and quick read.
Acquired via KU.
Hemlock Cove is a picturesque town one that focuses on the supernatural and witches to draw in tourists, and yet the non-magical residents of Hemlock Cove rather than embracing the real witches they have residing in their town, look at them with distrust and distaste.
The book focuses on Bay Winchester who is a journalist and a witch, her gift involves talking to and seeing ghosts. When murder comes to town, Bay with her two cousins (Clove and Thistle) set out to solve the murder.
Parts of this were good, even though the first few chapters were a tad too slow in pace, however things went a little down, the mystery wasn’t much of a mystery. At the start I did like the banter between the cousins but towards the midway point it felt a tad repetitive, but luckily not painfully so.
I do wish the tiny dash of romance had been more like a heavy sprinkle but still a fun-ish light and quick read.
Acquired via KU.
July 10, 2017
Rating: 2 Stars
When two teenagers are found murdered with their hearts torn out, Bay Winchester gets pulled into the investigation whether she wants to or not. Finding a ritualistic serial killer isn't going to be easy, but Bay knows she can rely on her kooky family of witches to help her save the day. Hopefully her relatives don't kill each other before Bay can uncover the real murderers.
What a boring, travesty of a novel. There was such an intense focus by the author on the Winchesters family dynamics, that everything else in the book gets thrown to the wayside. I'm not exaggerating when I say that NO investigating took place in this novel. The one thing all cozy enthusiasts look forward to is a main character who puts effort into unearthing the killer. Bay did nothing of the sort, because the author made it impossible for her to investigate anything. Bay had to wait (and so consequently I had to wait through 150 pages), for the ghosts of the murder victims to remember who murdered them. What kind of mystery novel is based off of that sort of plot line!?
Not only was the plot feebly translucent (I figured out who the murderers where within the first 70 pages), but the family's interactions were beyond irritating. Why bother calling yourself a family, when everybody in it basically hates one another? The constant bickering, backstabbing and bullshit was enough for me to want to pull my hair out. I understand you're trying to write a novel where the family is unique, not only because they're witches but because each character has their own completely separate set of ideals. I get it, I understand where you're coming from. But this family is so dysfunctional, Dr. Phil would throw his hands up in defeat. You can be sure this will be the first... And last novel I'll being reading in this particular series.
When two teenagers are found murdered with their hearts torn out, Bay Winchester gets pulled into the investigation whether she wants to or not. Finding a ritualistic serial killer isn't going to be easy, but Bay knows she can rely on her kooky family of witches to help her save the day. Hopefully her relatives don't kill each other before Bay can uncover the real murderers.
What a boring, travesty of a novel. There was such an intense focus by the author on the Winchesters family dynamics, that everything else in the book gets thrown to the wayside. I'm not exaggerating when I say that NO investigating took place in this novel. The one thing all cozy enthusiasts look forward to is a main character who puts effort into unearthing the killer. Bay did nothing of the sort, because the author made it impossible for her to investigate anything. Bay had to wait (and so consequently I had to wait through 150 pages), for the ghosts of the murder victims to remember who murdered them. What kind of mystery novel is based off of that sort of plot line!?
Not only was the plot feebly translucent (I figured out who the murderers where within the first 70 pages), but the family's interactions were beyond irritating. Why bother calling yourself a family, when everybody in it basically hates one another? The constant bickering, backstabbing and bullshit was enough for me to want to pull my hair out. I understand you're trying to write a novel where the family is unique, not only because they're witches but because each character has their own completely separate set of ideals. I get it, I understand where you're coming from. But this family is so dysfunctional, Dr. Phil would throw his hands up in defeat. You can be sure this will be the first... And last novel I'll being reading in this particular series.
May 6, 2019
This was an enjoyable read. I was supposed to read this last month, but I never got around to starting the series. I am glad that I did because I thought that the story was great. The characters were really enjoyable and funny. I found the banter between the cousins funny and it made the book more enjoyable. I really liked the concept of a witch being able to see ghosts. I thought that it was really intriguing and it made the story different. I think the story would have been better if there was more magic and mystery. The ending was great. I cannot wait to read book 2. Overall, a great read.
July 28, 2015
great read. would recommend. a page turner for sure.
July 24, 2015
The only thing I got out of this was who never to take book suggestions from again. Unfortunately, since she loaned me the entire set, I have to read more of this drivel. Kill me now.
April 11, 2020
A good mystery but all that bickering got annoying real fast.
July 30, 2015
Funny and quirky with a little mystery and a little romance!
April 3, 2024
Quick, easy to read witchy mystery.
July 12, 2022
It was a fun read.
June 19, 2015
ABR's original Any Witch Way You Can audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
This book is the first in the series Wicked Witches of the Midwest, by Amanda M. Lee, Published December 12th 2012 by Winchester Shaw Publications. Narrated by Aris.
The genre of this book is paranormal, modern detective, fantasy and magic. Which are all my favorites.
This is a story of the Winchester family, a family of witches that consists of an old aunt (don’t let that fool you, she is quit handful), three middle aged sisters, each one has a daughter (three cousins). Bay Winchester is working as the local editor of Hemlock Cove’s only newspaper, while her two cousins Clove and Thistle work in a shop. A murder happens in the town, and Bay feels she can be in benefit in more than one way, with the help of her family, the town’s sheriff, and a biker, she will solve this case.
This was a fun, quick, and enjoyable story, once I started it was hard to leave it (I ended up listening to it in one day). I do, however, have to admit the setting had some big holes in it that left me wondering. The whole town knows that there is a family of witches, and all they do is gaze uncomfortably at them?? Or what kind of sheriff asks the local witch to accompany him to the crime scene?? Yet I felt that the characters were real and believable enough, they were likable. I mean it’s a family of seven women, their bickering and fighting made sense to me (as I’m living in four women family so I know). Although they weren’t as deep as I would have liked. The events were told by the narrative rather than shown, and while the story was fast paced and fun, the characters were kind of predictable and (there wasn’t a lot of events there to start with), interesting, but somehow kind of dull.
The narrator Aris did an excellent job with the story, I mostly enjoyed the bickering of the girls, she made it very fun and realistic at the same time, each character had its own accent and tone. Her voice gave the action parts more realism and made them far more interesting than reading. Needless to say I will be looking forward to listen to the second book, and I think I will be finishing this series.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
This book is the first in the series Wicked Witches of the Midwest, by Amanda M. Lee, Published December 12th 2012 by Winchester Shaw Publications. Narrated by Aris.
The genre of this book is paranormal, modern detective, fantasy and magic. Which are all my favorites.
This is a story of the Winchester family, a family of witches that consists of an old aunt (don’t let that fool you, she is quit handful), three middle aged sisters, each one has a daughter (three cousins). Bay Winchester is working as the local editor of Hemlock Cove’s only newspaper, while her two cousins Clove and Thistle work in a shop. A murder happens in the town, and Bay feels she can be in benefit in more than one way, with the help of her family, the town’s sheriff, and a biker, she will solve this case.
This was a fun, quick, and enjoyable story, once I started it was hard to leave it (I ended up listening to it in one day). I do, however, have to admit the setting had some big holes in it that left me wondering. The whole town knows that there is a family of witches, and all they do is gaze uncomfortably at them?? Or what kind of sheriff asks the local witch to accompany him to the crime scene?? Yet I felt that the characters were real and believable enough, they were likable. I mean it’s a family of seven women, their bickering and fighting made sense to me (as I’m living in four women family so I know). Although they weren’t as deep as I would have liked. The events were told by the narrative rather than shown, and while the story was fast paced and fun, the characters were kind of predictable and (there wasn’t a lot of events there to start with), interesting, but somehow kind of dull.
The narrator Aris did an excellent job with the story, I mostly enjoyed the bickering of the girls, she made it very fun and realistic at the same time, each character had its own accent and tone. Her voice gave the action parts more realism and made them far more interesting than reading. Needless to say I will be looking forward to listen to the second book, and I think I will be finishing this series.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
December 27, 2017
I'll review book one for the whole series, which I did get through (11 books plus collections of short stories). Parts of each book did make me laugh, so I kept going. Issues are the almost 30 year old characters (and their moms and grandmom) acting like 12 year olds and bullies. Its supposed to be endearing, how family behaves towards one another or funny, but came across as grating. Couldn't read the series one after the other due to the aggravating aspects, but one every once in awhile was ok. Would consider these Young Adult before all other categories (Cozy With Mystery) and then some of the simplicity and immaturity might be ok. Amanda's writing otherwise is decent and the books move - so if those flaws aren't like fingernails on a chalkboard for you, go for it. For me personally these are 2 to 3 star books due to the within-the-family bullying and overdone immaturity. But I've decided to be generous to authors in my star ratings.
May 23, 2020
4.25 * a generally good read, but I can see this not suiting everyone.
The story revolves around a family of witches and is soon a paranormal cozy mystery with ghosts. It is full of humour and I like that. The voice of the narrator is strong and snarky. That said, the whole of the family is strong and snarky and so full of drama-rama I was exhausted just reading about them. But they were fun. Although at times the dialogue, although funny in the main, it did seem to be decidedly new adult, and a tad immature. Suits me.
A couple of things jarred. Super hot guy... puts his hand on the MCs shoulder without invitation. My question is this, why doesn't she rip his hand off? And another time he touched her rear, in that case, the hand should require surgical removal from his own ass surely?
Other than that, I enjoyed this very much.
The story revolves around a family of witches and is soon a paranormal cozy mystery with ghosts. It is full of humour and I like that. The voice of the narrator is strong and snarky. That said, the whole of the family is strong and snarky and so full of drama-rama I was exhausted just reading about them. But they were fun. Although at times the dialogue, although funny in the main, it did seem to be decidedly new adult, and a tad immature. Suits me.
A couple of things jarred. Super hot guy... puts his hand on the MCs shoulder without invitation. My question is this, why doesn't she rip his hand off? And another time he touched her rear, in that case, the hand should require surgical removal from his own ass surely?
Other than that, I enjoyed this very much.
June 20, 2013
I found this story amusing. The characters and setting were very much rural Michigan. The interactions between the characters cracked me up.
July 30, 2015
2.75 . Sentence structure was poor. Plus, I was able to guess who done it right off the bat but I enjoyed the characters so much so that I might give book 2 a chance.
November 2, 2017
It's a mystery with a tiny little bit of romance, not nearly enough to satisfy. It's an OK read, no steam lots (too much) snarky dialogue from the 3 cousins and their mothers.
May 21, 2018
So funny.
January 14, 2021
I put this down maybe 30% of the way in. At first, I spent most of my time listening to the audio trying to figure out if the problem was the writing or the narrator. In the end, I decided, the writing was... fine... but could have been better, but at the end of the day, it was the narrator I couldn't get past. Her inflections were bad and occasionally either too wooden or too animated (both facets of the "bad acting" club) and she made the main character sound really young. The writing really didn't help with that (all the interactions seemed really forced), but at the end of the day, I'm calling this one DNF.
I guess I could pick the written version up from my local library if they have it, but I am not in a hurry to and I honestly doubt I will.
I guess I could pick the written version up from my local library if they have it, but I am not in a hurry to and I honestly doubt I will.
April 13, 2015
This book, oh, this book.
It has a great premise. Its execution is not even that horrible. It has as good a plot as you are going to find in this type of book. It has almost likeable characters. There is plenty of sequel bait if one likes it to have the opportunity for many more.
But the editing. Wait, there was no editing. If there was editing, the author needs a refund.
Here are a few of the phrases that stood out (note: I was listening to the Audible version and only wrote down quotes/words when convenient): "I rose my eyebrows confrontationally." Okay. I guess her eyebrows were up in arms about something. Still don't know how one can do that confrontationally unless they were advancing on someone else.
"Extended beer gut." I guess that would be as opposed to the flat beer guts.
"She was understandably curious, which I understand." Hmmm. I don't understandably understand.
"I mentally kicked myself." Glad for the clarification.
"Nodded mutely." Nodded speakingly I guess would be the opposite.
"Muttered blandly." Hmm. "Muttered spicily" would be if they were having Indian food, I guess.
And I added my comments only because that is what I thought when I heard those clips. I was taken out of the story time and time again by comments like these.
Every action had an adverb in front of it. They couldn't be slumbering, they had to be "happily slumbering." They "nodded mutely," when "nodded" would have been fine and dandy. She couldn't just be "curious," she had to be "understandably curious."
That is the kind of stuff that a good editor will deal with for the author. That is the kind of stuff that will make people not remember your story but remember your -ly adjectives and adverbs being unrelenting.
And then there was the dialogue. If I weren't so educated on YA books, I would dismissively say, (see, I can do it, too) "Oh, this dialogue belongs in a YA book." But I know that dialogue in YA books can be very quick and clever and not all snark, quirkiness, and attempts to be too cute for words.
There were a number of good parts of the book. I liked the characters when they weren't so snarky or know it all. I liked some of the parent-child interactions. But much of the book was cute and quirky for cute and quirky's sake.
Since I did listen to the Audible version, I will say a thing or two about the narrator. First, she read very, very swiftly. Second, she pronounced some words incorrectly. (See, that dang -ly popping up again.) "Vehemently" was pronounced "vee-HE-ment-lee." Strong emphasis on "he" when "he" is really not how it is pronounced. This word came up a number of times in various forms and all were mispronounced.
Now, since I didn't follow along with the text, I don't know if the wrong word was written a few times or if the narrator just read the word wrong, but that happened. Again, totally takes you out of the narrative.
She also seemed too arch. Again, that might have more to do with the written dialogue than the spoken, but it was an issue. Sometimes I felt it was totally the wrong tone to be taking.
I so wanted to love this book. As it was, I just finished it because I didn't want to start another one.
It has a great premise. Its execution is not even that horrible. It has as good a plot as you are going to find in this type of book. It has almost likeable characters. There is plenty of sequel bait if one likes it to have the opportunity for many more.
But the editing. Wait, there was no editing. If there was editing, the author needs a refund.
Here are a few of the phrases that stood out (note: I was listening to the Audible version and only wrote down quotes/words when convenient): "I rose my eyebrows confrontationally." Okay. I guess her eyebrows were up in arms about something. Still don't know how one can do that confrontationally unless they were advancing on someone else.
"Extended beer gut." I guess that would be as opposed to the flat beer guts.
"She was understandably curious, which I understand." Hmmm. I don't understandably understand.
"I mentally kicked myself." Glad for the clarification.
"Nodded mutely." Nodded speakingly I guess would be the opposite.
"Muttered blandly." Hmm. "Muttered spicily" would be if they were having Indian food, I guess.
And I added my comments only because that is what I thought when I heard those clips. I was taken out of the story time and time again by comments like these.
Every action had an adverb in front of it. They couldn't be slumbering, they had to be "happily slumbering." They "nodded mutely," when "nodded" would have been fine and dandy. She couldn't just be "curious," she had to be "understandably curious."
That is the kind of stuff that a good editor will deal with for the author. That is the kind of stuff that will make people not remember your story but remember your -ly adjectives and adverbs being unrelenting.
And then there was the dialogue. If I weren't so educated on YA books, I would dismissively say, (see, I can do it, too) "Oh, this dialogue belongs in a YA book." But I know that dialogue in YA books can be very quick and clever and not all snark, quirkiness, and attempts to be too cute for words.
There were a number of good parts of the book. I liked the characters when they weren't so snarky or know it all. I liked some of the parent-child interactions. But much of the book was cute and quirky for cute and quirky's sake.
Since I did listen to the Audible version, I will say a thing or two about the narrator. First, she read very, very swiftly. Second, she pronounced some words incorrectly. (See, that dang -ly popping up again.) "Vehemently" was pronounced "vee-HE-ment-lee." Strong emphasis on "he" when "he" is really not how it is pronounced. This word came up a number of times in various forms and all were mispronounced.
Now, since I didn't follow along with the text, I don't know if the wrong word was written a few times or if the narrator just read the word wrong, but that happened. Again, totally takes you out of the narrative.
She also seemed too arch. Again, that might have more to do with the written dialogue than the spoken, but it was an issue. Sometimes I felt it was totally the wrong tone to be taking.
I so wanted to love this book. As it was, I just finished it because I didn't want to start another one.
August 20, 2024
This is a fun paranormal cozy. I loved the chemistry between Bay and her family. The mystery is full of twists and turns. If you enjoy humorous paranormal cozy mysteries this is a book for you.
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