Cry Big Bad Wolf

The Alchemical Tales #4

by Elle Hartford

In this mysterious twist on tales like The Three Little Pigs and The Boy Who Cried Wolf, alchemist Red runs headlong into a new problem . . .   . . . how do you sort out the innocent sheep from the wolf in sheep's clothing?   It's Halloween time in cozy, rural Belville, but the town is feeling far from festive. All Red wants to do is enjoy seasonal treats with her magical canine companion William–and maybe, just maybe, finally strike up the courage to face her feelings for a certain friend. Instead, a robber is playing deadly tricks in the nearby forest, and Red's neighbors are looking to her for help.   One of those neighbors, Ryuko, is known to have a shady past. So when he comes to Red saying that he recognizes the signs of a criminal gang, she listens to him. The incredible part, though, is that Ryuko thinks this gang might be trying to unleash a terrifying magical wolf upon the town! In two shakes of a little piggy's tail, panic descends on Belville. When roadside robbery and rumors of dark magic give way to actual murder, Red knows it's time to face the shadows. The only problem is, no one in town is exactly what they seem to be . . . between the former mayor peddling conspiracy theories, a secret club determined to explore dark magic, and a new friend who declares herself to be a "shadow witch," who is genuine and who is not? Red will have to learn to trust her instincts in order to save her friends from the menace lurking just out of sight.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 2022

About the author

Elle has written in several genres but is currently working on a cozy mystery series with an alchemical twist. As a historian and museum educator, she firmly believes in the value of stories -- and fantasy in particular -- as a mirror for complicated realities. Though she grew up on the beaches of the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in New Jersey with a grumpy tortoise, a three-legged cat, and a very supportive partner. Find her blog and other stories at ellehartford.com.

Reviews

[Elle Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Red and William cozy yet, and I said that about the previous book too! This series just keeps getting better and better. Before anything else, I want to acknowledge the disability representation in this book. There are TWO characters with physical disabilities. As someone with a physical disability, I'm over the moon about it. I'm also so glad that Sakura, one of the disabled characters, is sticking around Belville. And I love that she's vivacious and amazing. There's actually another disabled character in this series, another badass who runs a mine, but she wasn't in this book.
Moving on, I absolutely loved the cozy fall vibes in this book. The mystery fit so well with the time of year. I was intrigued from the get-go, and the plot maintained my curiosity. There are plenty of twists in this book.
I loved the characters so much too. I'm glad we got to see more Ryuko and Gloria. And I love the new werewolf, Blake. You really feel like you could drop into Belville and be right at home.
Love played a strong role in this book. Here's my favorite quote:
"If you're going to be in love, you have to be willing to be honest about everything, even the dark stuff."

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again an enjoyable read, centred around Halloween. There has been a series of strange robberies from wagons coming into the town. These oddities seem to point to someone wanting to summon a dark entity. There are a few new characters introduced to us & also some new people in the town as well. Naturally there are a lot of strange things happening! Also, throughout the book, Red is battling with her feelings for Luca which adds to her stress which she doesn’t feel with at all well!

[P Diotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic addition to the series ! The interactions between the characters were great, as usual, and the plot was riveting (even though I guessed who the villain was early on). Sakura is definitely an intriguing character, and I took a liking to her right away. Also, I am happy to say I had an internal squeal moment near the end. ;) You'll have to read it to find out why!

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable!

I absolutely loved this story ❤️! The ending was great, I won't give spoilers, so go read it yourselves! Great writing by the author, I would have never guessed the villain! Looking forward to reading the next book in this series!