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Witches of Winterfield #1
Pretty Hexed
She’ll have to solve this crime one spell at a time.
In the small town of Winterfield, almost everyone is a supernatural being of some sort. So, when stylist Belladonna Nightshade opens her front door to see the Tory mansion, home to the powerful and indomitable witch Elspeth Tory, in flames, her reclusive neighbor’s death is much more than a mystery.
Detective Benjamin Carmichael isn’t sure what’s different about Winterfield. New in town, and with no powers to call his own, he’ll have to investigate the old-fashioned way. Everyone seems to have a secret … and no one intrigues him more than the bewitching Belladonna.
When the case proves resistant to modern science and solid police work, Bella sets out to help the handsome detective. With the aid of Sterling the cat, Granny Pepper, Aunt Sumac, and her best friend Murielle, she must uncover the truth of what happened to Elspeth -- before she meets the same fate.
In the small town of Winterfield, almost everyone is a supernatural being of some sort. So, when stylist Belladonna Nightshade opens her front door to see the Tory mansion, home to the powerful and indomitable witch Elspeth Tory, in flames, her reclusive neighbor’s death is much more than a mystery.
Detective Benjamin Carmichael isn’t sure what’s different about Winterfield. New in town, and with no powers to call his own, he’ll have to investigate the old-fashioned way. Everyone seems to have a secret … and no one intrigues him more than the bewitching Belladonna.
When the case proves resistant to modern science and solid police work, Bella sets out to help the handsome detective. With the aid of Sterling the cat, Granny Pepper, Aunt Sumac, and her best friend Murielle, she must uncover the truth of what happened to Elspeth -- before she meets the same fate.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2016
224 people are currently reading
364 people want to read
About the author
Sara Bourgeois
238 books344 followersSara Bourgeois is a Midwesterner through and through. She spends her time writing, reading, herding cats, and standing in her driveway during tornado warnings. (You can't see them from the basement.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 16, 2017
This would be a five star review except for the grammar.
I really enjoyed this book but had a bit of a hard time with the grammar. At times it was as if the writer was writing a play, others it was normal. There were some typical grammar errors that a lot of authors have when their books aren't properly edited but the worst was when it slipped into reading like stage directions. Otherwise it was a good, quickly placed, cozy murder mystery. Well Worth reading and I will be happily reading the next story. I just hope the author has fixed the syntax errors or it will probably be the last one I will read.
I really enjoyed this book but had a bit of a hard time with the grammar. At times it was as if the writer was writing a play, others it was normal. There were some typical grammar errors that a lot of authors have when their books aren't properly edited but the worst was when it slipped into reading like stage directions. Otherwise it was a good, quickly placed, cozy murder mystery. Well Worth reading and I will be happily reading the next story. I just hope the author has fixed the syntax errors or it will probably be the last one I will read.
May 18, 2017
Editor please!
I really feel that this book would have been a lot better if there was some editing done to it. The idea was generally good but the use of people's names over and over I stead of personal pronouns like she or he made it drag. I'm sure that in real life Ben wouldn't go around calling himself Det. Ben. Or even think it. The grammar issues just kinda ruined the flow and made the story kind of stale. Plus I feel how she wrote about the person stalking them was weird. Anyway, read it for yourself.
I really feel that this book would have been a lot better if there was some editing done to it. The idea was generally good but the use of people's names over and over I stead of personal pronouns like she or he made it drag. I'm sure that in real life Ben wouldn't go around calling himself Det. Ben. Or even think it. The grammar issues just kinda ruined the flow and made the story kind of stale. Plus I feel how she wrote about the person stalking them was weird. Anyway, read it for yourself.
February 11, 2017
Needs editing
Please pick a tense. Constantly switching between past and present tense, sometimes even in the same paragraph, is very jarring. As is switching between first and third person.
Please pick a tense. Constantly switching between past and present tense, sometimes even in the same paragraph, is very jarring. As is switching between first and third person.
March 18, 2019
Belladonna and Detective Benjamin
Pretty good mystery with lots of witch lore.
Enjoyed the story and characters. Will be reading further in the series.
Pretty good mystery with lots of witch lore.
Enjoyed the story and characters. Will be reading further in the series.
March 5, 2018
Winterfield resident and witch, Belladonna Nightshade, inherits the local harridan's cat, and a fortune to take care of said cat, when Elsbeth Tory is murdered. Unfortunately, that puts her at the top of the list of suspects, and Detective Benjamin Carmichael, who's new to town, puts Bella through the wringer as he investigates. For Ben, it seems the entire town is keeping secrets, and he's right--most of the residents are magical in one form or another, but he doesn't know that. It's up to Bella to keep him out of the know, and she must also find out what happened to Mrs Tory, before something dark is unleashed in their sleepy little town.
Sounds good, yeah? Well, it wasn't. There was no cohesiveness to the plot, characters were not fleshed out (I don't even know what they looked like!), writing was painfully trite, and there was no resolution to some of the smaller plot points. Thank goodness it was a novella-length story; I would have hated to slog through much more of this. Here's what really bugged me:
- Belladonna Nightshade? Seriously? It would be a cool name for a band, or a fun moniker to call a pet, but an actual person?
- It was mentioned that Mrs Tory was not well-liked, but no explanation was given as to why.
- The author kept referring to Ben as "Detective Ben (or Benjamin)". WHY?! Give his title when he's first introduced as a character, and then have other characters address him as such, but DO NOT use his title within the narrative.
- Author kept switching from past to present tense.
- Mrs Tory's lawyer blabbed all to "Detective Ben" about the will and the cat and Belladonna. Just, no.
- Detective Ben then was the one who told Belladonna about it. Again, no.
- How did the mayor's wife come to know this, too? Who told her?
- No one in town seemed to like it when the witches used their magic, yet virtually all of them are magical as well. Made no sense.
- Bella's mother only showed up sporadically, as she'd been caught in a time-warp somewhere and somewhen. Now, that was an intriguing plot point, but the author never explained it!
- A mysterious, hooded figure kept appearing and apparently casting spells, but we never found out for certain who it was. Hello?
- The narrative was all tell and no show, and the writing was juvenile.
In short, Reader Jae was most displeased. Giving this a mere one star.
Sounds good, yeah? Well, it wasn't. There was no cohesiveness to the plot, characters were not fleshed out (I don't even know what they looked like!), writing was painfully trite, and there was no resolution to some of the smaller plot points. Thank goodness it was a novella-length story; I would have hated to slog through much more of this. Here's what really bugged me:
- Belladonna Nightshade? Seriously? It would be a cool name for a band, or a fun moniker to call a pet, but an actual person?
- It was mentioned that Mrs Tory was not well-liked, but no explanation was given as to why.
- The author kept referring to Ben as "Detective Ben (or Benjamin)". WHY?! Give his title when he's first introduced as a character, and then have other characters address him as such, but DO NOT use his title within the narrative.
- Author kept switching from past to present tense.
- Mrs Tory's lawyer blabbed all to "Detective Ben" about the will and the cat and Belladonna. Just, no.
- Detective Ben then was the one who told Belladonna about it. Again, no.
- How did the mayor's wife come to know this, too? Who told her?
- No one in town seemed to like it when the witches used their magic, yet virtually all of them are magical as well. Made no sense.
- Bella's mother only showed up sporadically, as she'd been caught in a time-warp somewhere and somewhen. Now, that was an intriguing plot point, but the author never explained it!
- A mysterious, hooded figure kept appearing and apparently casting spells, but we never found out for certain who it was. Hello?
- The narrative was all tell and no show, and the writing was juvenile.
In short, Reader Jae was most displeased. Giving this a mere one star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2017
Pretty Hexed
So, after reading a half dozen hopelessly bad books first, I finished the sample for this one and immediately opted to read the whole book all in all its a cute story with your normal mix of main witch, kooky family, best friend and a cast of small town characters that started out really well. Then, something went wrong in the crisis build up and almost as if the author ran out of room, everything got jammed in together The writing tense kept jumping from first person to second, which was confusing and irritating, put the good Scottsdale tongue-in-cheek and lost its momentum
So, after reading a half dozen hopelessly bad books first, I finished the sample for this one and immediately opted to read the whole book all in all its a cute story with your normal mix of main witch, kooky family, best friend and a cast of small town characters that started out really well. Then, something went wrong in the crisis build up and almost as if the author ran out of room, everything got jammed in together The writing tense kept jumping from first person to second, which was confusing and irritating, put the good Scottsdale tongue-in-cheek and lost its momentum
October 23, 2017
I loved the other series this author wrote but this one? I'm sorry but I couldn't finish it. The writing was that of a teenager. The grammar was a bit funky. The writing went from past tense to present tense in a way that was just weird. The male character was a bit of an idiot. In fact, most of the characters were not well fleshed out. The cat was the about the only character that made any sense in the entire book. The plot and storyline were good and caught my eye, but the execution of the plot was juvenile.
I really wished I could have liked this book but for the first time in my life I started a book and could NOT finish it.
I really wished I could have liked this book but for the first time in my life I started a book and could NOT finish it.
July 3, 2017
Riddled with Errors
I'll be honest. I couldn't finish reading the book. In fact, I barely started it before I gave up. There were so many grammatical and mechanical errors that distracted from the story. I know there will be some who criticize me for being too harsh, but I feel these types of mistakes are are either ignorance or laziness and have no place in published works. If someone takes the time to write, she should take the time to write well. I'm glad I didn't waste money on this book, though I definitely wasted time.
I'll be honest. I couldn't finish reading the book. In fact, I barely started it before I gave up. There were so many grammatical and mechanical errors that distracted from the story. I know there will be some who criticize me for being too harsh, but I feel these types of mistakes are are either ignorance or laziness and have no place in published works. If someone takes the time to write, she should take the time to write well. I'm glad I didn't waste money on this book, though I definitely wasted time.
January 5, 2017
Editor needed!
I really liked the story, there were simply way to many grammatical errors. I had to tell myself to ignore them. This book has so much potential, I wanted to shake the author and scream "invest in an editor!" Readers will be put off by the mistakes and it's a shame because the story is good.
I really liked the story, there were simply way to many grammatical errors. I had to tell myself to ignore them. This book has so much potential, I wanted to shake the author and scream "invest in an editor!" Readers will be put off by the mistakes and it's a shame because the story is good.
August 11, 2017
The plot was good, but the narrative skipping between 1st and 3rd person was awkward.
November 2, 2017
This review will be all over the place, the book is actually better than the review states, but with the inconsistencies I don't have much choice. Knowing the particular world this book is set in my future reviews will be better.
The Cons:
I almost did not read this story just because of the lead characters name:
1). Belladonna Nightshade. Why would you name a character after two names of the same plant and species?
2). Officer Terry is grilling the meat for a party in Belladonna's back yard. Someone had to have used dark magic to cause him to turn into a werewolf? Why is dark/black magic needed to turn into a werewolf when you are grilling food under the light of a full moon?
The pros:
Belladonna Nightshade starts investigating the death of resident Mrs. Elsbeth Tory, because as far as anyone in town knew, detective Benjamin Carmichael was a non-paranormal and not from the area. Also he did not know that he was investigating things that were paranormal in nature.
When Mrs. Tory died, Bella became the owner of Sterling, her new familiar. This is one cat that there is more to than meets the eye. It just takes Belladonna a while to figure out exactly what Sterling is, and also the very great responsibility she has just inherited.
Sara Bourgeois wrote a fun and fast paced tale that has well defined characters, a strong plot line, a good bit of humor, and is fairly fast paced. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
The Cons:
I almost did not read this story just because of the lead characters name:
1). Belladonna Nightshade. Why would you name a character after two names of the same plant and species?
2). Officer Terry is grilling the meat for a party in Belladonna's back yard. Someone had to have used dark magic to cause him to turn into a werewolf? Why is dark/black magic needed to turn into a werewolf when you are grilling food under the light of a full moon?
The pros:
Belladonna Nightshade starts investigating the death of resident Mrs. Elsbeth Tory, because as far as anyone in town knew, detective Benjamin Carmichael was a non-paranormal and not from the area. Also he did not know that he was investigating things that were paranormal in nature.
When Mrs. Tory died, Bella became the owner of Sterling, her new familiar. This is one cat that there is more to than meets the eye. It just takes Belladonna a while to figure out exactly what Sterling is, and also the very great responsibility she has just inherited.
Sara Bourgeois wrote a fun and fast paced tale that has well defined characters, a strong plot line, a good bit of humor, and is fairly fast paced. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
January 9, 2017
OQuirky cosy mystery that's entertaining read
Belladonna is a powerful witch who has a frequent visitor, her rich neighbour's cat named Sterling. That is until the night of the fire when Elsbeth died. Ben is the detective in charge of the investigation. But what the detective doesn't know that everybody in the town of Winterfield knows about magic and paranormal : shifters, witches, ghosts, and others paranormal.
The townsfolk haven't quite figure out Ben yet. Ben gets some a feeling weird things are going on. Things just don't add up. He and Belladonna are drawn toward each other. Evil is raising its head and it's up to Belladonna, her family, and coven to solve Elsbeth murder and mystery of what Sterling is.
This book has strong characters with quirky personalities. Misunderstanding happens when evil causes confusion among the townsfolk. Storyline is sometimes hilarious when the townsfolk avoid telling Ben what they are.
I was chuckling throughout the book. Excellent read and highly recommend.
bookwormsuzy@yahoo.com
Belladonna is a powerful witch who has a frequent visitor, her rich neighbour's cat named Sterling. That is until the night of the fire when Elsbeth died. Ben is the detective in charge of the investigation. But what the detective doesn't know that everybody in the town of Winterfield knows about magic and paranormal : shifters, witches, ghosts, and others paranormal.
The townsfolk haven't quite figure out Ben yet. Ben gets some a feeling weird things are going on. Things just don't add up. He and Belladonna are drawn toward each other. Evil is raising its head and it's up to Belladonna, her family, and coven to solve Elsbeth murder and mystery of what Sterling is.
This book has strong characters with quirky personalities. Misunderstanding happens when evil causes confusion among the townsfolk. Storyline is sometimes hilarious when the townsfolk avoid telling Ben what they are.
I was chuckling throughout the book. Excellent read and highly recommend.
bookwormsuzy@yahoo.com
November 1, 2018
Neat
I received this book free from one of the book sites. I do not remember which one! This is my honest and voluntary review.
This is a pretty good mystery. Witches, werewolf, murder, and family popping in from all over the place! Belladonna runs a beauty salon with a little magic. Elsbeth Troy is the 'grumpy ' old lady in town. Sterling, Elsbeth's cat, shows up at Bella's house while Tory Mansion goes up in flames.
Bella finds out that Elsbeth left Sterling 50 million dollars, 1 million a year going to Sterling's upkeep! Suddenly, the mayor's wife is quite interested in Sterling.
There's a heavy darkness in the air. The new detective is interested in Bella & she in him, but he's an ordinary. ..or is he? Why does Ben say things he doesn't want to say to Bella? Why does the townsfolk go from grumpy to nice? Why does it feel like all hell is going to break loose? Read this book and find out!
I received this book free from one of the book sites. I do not remember which one! This is my honest and voluntary review.
This is a pretty good mystery. Witches, werewolf, murder, and family popping in from all over the place! Belladonna runs a beauty salon with a little magic. Elsbeth Troy is the 'grumpy ' old lady in town. Sterling, Elsbeth's cat, shows up at Bella's house while Tory Mansion goes up in flames.
Bella finds out that Elsbeth left Sterling 50 million dollars, 1 million a year going to Sterling's upkeep! Suddenly, the mayor's wife is quite interested in Sterling.
There's a heavy darkness in the air. The new detective is interested in Bella & she in him, but he's an ordinary. ..or is he? Why does Ben say things he doesn't want to say to Bella? Why does the townsfolk go from grumpy to nice? Why does it feel like all hell is going to break loose? Read this book and find out!
February 7, 2023
I come here as a fan of SB's other works (Wicked Witches of Coventry and Familiar Kitten Mysteries/Mysteries of Meri), but had this been the first book I had ever read by her, I would have passed those up.
I hate to give a low rating, really I do, because her writing has improved immeasurably since. However, this is nothing short of tragic. It's a disjointed, unconnected mess. There is no cohesion. It's as if random plot ideas were thrown around without any way of connecting them together. Nothing made sense. The dialogue is terrible, and I believe as someone pointed out, as if written for a high school drama play.
I hate to give a low rating, really I do, because her writing has improved immeasurably since. However, this is nothing short of tragic. It's a disjointed, unconnected mess. There is no cohesion. It's as if random plot ideas were thrown around without any way of connecting them together. Nothing made sense. The dialogue is terrible, and I believe as someone pointed out, as if written for a high school drama play.
June 17, 2017
Cute witchy story
This fantasy mixed with reality story was very entertaining and absorbing. What made it less so was the grammar and lack of editing skills. The author shifted into present tense then past tense indiscriminately, causing confusion and consternation while reading the story. Better editing would make a tremendous. Difference in the enjoyment of reading this tale. I am afraid that I don't wanT to read any more of the tales of the witches of Winterfield because of these errors
This fantasy mixed with reality story was very entertaining and absorbing. What made it less so was the grammar and lack of editing skills. The author shifted into present tense then past tense indiscriminately, causing confusion and consternation while reading the story. Better editing would make a tremendous. Difference in the enjoyment of reading this tale. I am afraid that I don't wanT to read any more of the tales of the witches of Winterfield because of these errors
September 26, 2017
This book could have been an enjoyable light read, but the editing was a mess. Most of the novel was in third person, past tense, but occasionally, a paragraph or two would appear in first person present tense. Point-of-view also shifted frequently. I'd reach the end of a very long paragraph only to discover I'd switched heads with no notice. Wrong words weren't caught, e.g. should instead of she, etc. Aside from the editing, the book contained too much telling exposition.
There was enough of this to distract from the enjoyment of the story, for me, at least.
There was enough of this to distract from the enjoyment of the story, for me, at least.
December 4, 2018
"Pretty Hexed" is what's known as a "cozy" book. Easy to read, light, fun reading. I read the whole book in two hours.
The story is a fun "who-done-it?'. The main characters are great. The mystery is good. I enjoyed this book very much and will continue with the series.
The only suggestion I would have for the writer is to stick with one name for the characters. Introduce them with their full names. Then use EITHER the full name or the nick name. There was a LOT of going back and forth with names. I found that a little confusing at times.
All-in-all, tho', it's a fun, easy read! Thumbs up!
The story is a fun "who-done-it?'. The main characters are great. The mystery is good. I enjoyed this book very much and will continue with the series.
The only suggestion I would have for the writer is to stick with one name for the characters. Introduce them with their full names. Then use EITHER the full name or the nick name. There was a LOT of going back and forth with names. I found that a little confusing at times.
All-in-all, tho', it's a fun, easy read! Thumbs up!
June 23, 2018
Murder, witches and a cat - what more could you ask for
Terrific first book! Alright there are a few editing/proofing errors but try and ignore them as the story is really too good to miss. Can she solve the murder without becoming the next victim? Belladonna is portrayed well and the attraction to the new detective is well played. Loved the other characters too. A great paranormal cozy for all cozy readers. Recommended
Terrific first book! Alright there are a few editing/proofing errors but try and ignore them as the story is really too good to miss. Can she solve the murder without becoming the next victim? Belladonna is portrayed well and the attraction to the new detective is well played. Loved the other characters too. A great paranormal cozy for all cozy readers. Recommended
March 10, 2022
Read The Review
I only give 5 stars to books that are extraordinary. 4 stars is my usual for good books I enjoyed. This book gets 3 because the grammar was badly distracting, the background was not nearly fleshed out enough, and the story moved too quickly. I thought about only 2 stars but felt generous today. I read it in one afternoon. I'm not saying not to read it, but just be aware. I'm not reading any more unless I'm desperate for a short witchy read.
I only give 5 stars to books that are extraordinary. 4 stars is my usual for good books I enjoyed. This book gets 3 because the grammar was badly distracting, the background was not nearly fleshed out enough, and the story moved too quickly. I thought about only 2 stars but felt generous today. I read it in one afternoon. I'm not saying not to read it, but just be aware. I'm not reading any more unless I'm desperate for a short witchy read.
January 17, 2017
Review of Pretty Hexed
Cute. Held my interest . The pace was good. Interesting idea, a town full of witches. I guess that there are many "strange" things on this old earth, more than we kmow! The book does make me want to read the next installment.
Cute. Held my interest . The pace was good. Interesting idea, a town full of witches. I guess that there are many "strange" things on this old earth, more than we kmow! The book does make me want to read the next installment.
July 3, 2017
Enjoyable
Good start to this series. It is written in present tense, which can be a bit off putting, but it was manageable. There are a lot of twists and turns to the mystery, with a lot of magic thrown in.
Good start to this series. It is written in present tense, which can be a bit off putting, but it was manageable. There are a lot of twists and turns to the mystery, with a lot of magic thrown in.
July 23, 2017
Loved this book
The storyline is a lot like life that there is always the good and the evil that happens. The characters are really interesting and they come to the rescue and safe the day.
The storyline is a lot like life that there is always the good and the evil that happens. The characters are really interesting and they come to the rescue and safe the day.
June 7, 2018
3.5 stars. A nice light read. As others have mentioned, could’ve used a little more editing but the story was engaging. It’s a paranormal romance mystery story set in a town where most of the population isn’t human (witches and weres, oh my!)- if you like that genre, it’s worth the read.
July 3, 2019
Needs serious editing
The story was really good but the author used the passive voice,mixed up her tenses, and had awful transitions between paragraphs forget chapters. The editing and passive voice seriously made the story incomprehensible.
The story was really good but the author used the passive voice,mixed up her tenses, and had awful transitions between paragraphs forget chapters. The editing and passive voice seriously made the story incomprehensible.
August 2, 2020
Aside from some things missed during proofreading this was good
Enjoyable characters and a decent plot make this a quick, easy read. My only issue is the proofreading was poorly done and there were frequent mistakes.
Enjoyable characters and a decent plot make this a quick, easy read. My only issue is the proofreading was poorly done and there were frequent mistakes.
June 1, 2021
Enjoyed the storyline and I can't wait to read the next book.
What was detective Ben,s power. The storey was very cute but predictable. Easy reading on a rainy day. I will read the next book.
What was detective Ben,s power. The storey was very cute but predictable. Easy reading on a rainy day. I will read the next book.
November 11, 2021
The first book in a series of six books. A simple fast enjoyable read. The book is suitable for children and young adults, entertaining enough for adults. I wouldn't put it on my read again list, but it was a fun book to read.
February 26, 2017
I've read better witch books, but his is good for a fast and enjoyable read for a lost weekend. Now that th setting is in place will look for the next in the series.
May 30, 2017
Good beginning
A quick pace with memorable cast. Look forward to the next chapter. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys witches. Fun read.
A quick pace with memorable cast. Look forward to the next chapter. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys witches. Fun read.
June 21, 2017
Great job!!
I love Cozy mysteries, and this was right up there. It had good witches, bad witches, a werewolf, ghosts, cat, and an ordinary police detective with no special powers.
I love Cozy mysteries, and this was right up there. It had good witches, bad witches, a werewolf, ghosts, cat, and an ordinary police detective with no special powers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews