Grace Angelo, a witch and former cop, is looking forward to Hemlock Cove's biggest occasion of the year: the Founders' celebration. However, the party atmosphere is soon ruined by the discovery of a body in the old bell tower.
To make matters worse, her friend and bookstore owner, Dario, has had one of his most valuable and rare books stolen from his exhibit. But it's no ordinary book - it's a powerful spell book.
Desperate to know what these events mean, Grace and her special dog, Noah, are soon on the trail as local detective Zach Jackson hires Grace as a consultant. She'll need all her abilities, and those of her family, if she's to solve these two mysteries before anything worse happens.
A Cryptic Case is the second mystery in a new cozy witch murder mystery series by the best-selling mystery author Kennedy Chase. It does not contain any great violence, sex, or profanity but instead features teasing clues, a puzzle the listener can play along with, and adorable animals.
Kennedy Chase was born in New York in 1969 but moved to London when she was a teenager. She now lives in Notting Hill with her grey cat, Monty, and half a dozen Corgis and Pugs. (3 of each).
Kennedy is a writer of women sleuth mystery novels. She loves to bake in her spare time, and specialises in chocolate cake. On the weekends, Kennedy likes to retreat to the country for long walks with her dogs, all the while dreaming up new plots for her characters.
Join Kennedy's Mystery Parlour today for exclusive content, new book releases, and special offers: http://eepurl.com/6ckpj
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Hemlock Cove's biggest annual event, the Founder's Celebration is all ready to have a big kick off. As the mayor goes to light the ceremonial flame he is murdered. While this shakes everyone up, Grace's bookseller friend (and maybe someday boyfriend?) Dario, discovers that one of his most rare books, locked in a case has "disappeared," literally. Grace sets out to help the local detective, Zach, to try and solve the two mysteries. But beware, there is black magic at work here. Also present are Grace's sisters Hope and Joy and Joy's husband, Nathaniel, as well as her feline and canine companions, Charity and Noah. You will also meet some of the colorful characters that inhabit Hemlock Cove.
The story was great and the writing was clear. The only reason it has a 4 star instead of a 5 is that the action pretty much starts right away and you can't get a feel for the characters until later. Personally I find it difficult to immerse myself without some empathy with the characters. That being said, I did enjoy the story and as I have an understanding of them now I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
I liked the second adventure of the Angelo sisters much more than the first one. This feels like Kennedy Chase found her stride with this book. This book brought Grace's sister Joy more into the story, as well as her husband Nathaniel. Both were a very important part of the story and were crucial in finding out who the murderer was. The writing was crisp, the murder and the murderer were interesting and I am looking forward to reading the next book.
This was a surprisingly interesting murder case. It blended the reality of murder with the paranormal aspects of being a witch. The main characters were also slightly different as they are older than you normally have as leading sleuths.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am giving very little details as I want you to discover them yourselves.
I liked the book. I was into the story, and I think I will like other books in the series. I got a little confused near the end, when Not was driving through the country roads to get to the cove. I thought it was closed . But maybe I missed something. It's at good read for us that likes witched
This is the 2nd of Kennedy Chase's book in The Witches of Hemlock Cove series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books. It had just the right amount of paranormal activities with a touch of humor and a lot of small town living.
I loved the book. It is good to see the way the humans are with the animals. Grace is funny, serious when needed but always helpful. She must just know she is not a spring chicken. I cannot wait for the next book.
A magical mystery where good prevails over evil and yet nobody gets hurt. There is magic all around, a must read for mystic and witch lovers. Can't wait to read more.
I enjoyed this mystery, the town and the characters. I thought the paranormal elements were well handled and made sense in regard to the narrative. I would definitely read more books by this author.
It's nice to read a book that makes the characters real and not phony. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more in this series.
' A Cryptic Case' was a good addition to a cute and fun series. I enjoyed the story line and how it played out. The characters were intriguing. I look forward to reading more.
What's not to love about a quirky little town full of witches and mystery? Hemlock Cove is the sister village to Salem created by witches tired of the hate for witches in Salem. Grace and her sisters, Joy and Hope, live in a dilapidated guesthouse that Joy's husband is constantly repairing. As a consultant to the police, Grace is called to duty upon the murder of a politician. Of course there is a strange magical presence and it's up to Grace to solve the case. The characters are funny, normal, magical and successful. Her pets, Charity (cat) and Noah (dog), contain the spirits of her parents and are quite helpful with the case. Her former protege, Zachery Jackson, is looking really sickly and I hope the next book we can discover what has him so distraught. Even though this is the second book for the Hemlock Cove series this can be read without the first. If you like a fun mystery, something that makes you think with enjoyable realistic characters this story is for you. I was given a copy of this book by the author for my honest review.
This sequel to Mystic Murder further develops our connection to the Angelo sisters, witches in the small town of Hemlock, Massachusetts where the idea of witchcraft may still float around but still is not welcome. Denial is a lovely thing. When the town mayor dies during a major celebration, Grace, a retired cop is called into to consult and when a spell book disappears from a book case, she is sure that the two incidences are connected. Her investigation leads to hate, murder, and revenge based in the power of the dark arts.
Terrific. Her relationship with both the bookshop owner and the detective is growing by leaps and bounds. However things take downward turn when on Founder's Day not only a dead body but a stolen spellbound are discovered. How and why are the questions on everyone's lips. Can she aid the police in the investigation. Great storyline, terrific characters (that aren't under 30), wonderful familiars and a subtle romantic angle are woven into a plot that will keep you reading until the end.
I read a lot of books like this and was pleasantly surprised that it held my interest until the end. Love how all the characters intertwine. Would love to know more about what happened to her husband in Boston. It's a great read and can't wait till the next one.
I love this author, but just could not get into the book. It did not seam to flow for me, and I got a bit mixed up with the plot. She's a brilliant writer, Kennedy Chase, and I have read a lot of her books, so I will put this review down to me having things on my mind and not concentrating. I loved the first book in series.
Better than the first this book was much meatier with much more substance. Three non-practicing witches in a town that used to be full of witches. Dont really get to find out much about joy and hope. It mainly seems to be all about Grace. It would be nice to find out more about Joy and Hope since Hope is hidden away most of the time.