Rate this book

Where There's A Witch (2009)

by Madelyn Alt(Favorite Author)

4.06 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0425228711 (ISBN13: 9780425228715)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Berkley

series

A Bewitching Mystery

review 1: Where There’s a Witch is a critical turning point in the series. I could tell that change was afoot in book #4, No Rest for the Wiccan, and I was right! Maggie is dealing with the fallout of her sister, Mel’s, gossiping habit. Maggie, Marcus and Liss helped banish a dark presence that Mel unwittingly invited into her home and then Mel quickly shared the details with all of her closest friends, one of whom is married to the town’s newspaper editor. Stony Mill, Indiana is a nice little town, but they are pretty religious and very conservative. They definitely don’t understand the concept of good witches and automatically assume that Liss works with the devil. Life gets pretty uncomfortable for Maggie in this book and she is forced to choose sides. Will Maggie ... morestick with what is easy and safe? Her mother wants her to find another job and meet with the minister for counseling. Tom Fielding, the hunky police detective Maggie has been dating, wants Maggie to remove herself from the situation, too. He can’t seem to accept Maggie’s special abilities and, more importantly, Tom doesn’t appear to trust her. Or will Maggie choose to embrace her new life? Maggie can keep her job and stay by Liss’s side while learning more about her abilities and growing her powers so that she can continue to help others. She can defy her mother for the first time and stand up for herself as a thirty-year-old woman. And, more importantly, she can give the gorgeous Marcus a chance! The sparks have definitely been flying between these two and I definitely think that Maggie should give him an opportunity to persuade her to walk on the wild side! Maggie has her hands full as she decides between two very different men, as well as coming into her own for the first time in her life. Fortunately, she has some good friends at her side and the adorable Minnie, her new kitten, to offer comfort and support no matter what.I confess that I was much more interested in Maggie’s personal life than the mystery in this book. The mystery was very much on the back burner this time. The victim is Ronnie, a young woman who made some bad decisions and then turned up dead. But the setting and the spirit attached to the location where they find Ronnie’s body are much more important than the victim herself. What took place in the mysterious underground chamber that the construction crew uncovered? Why are there crucifixes nailed all over the walls? And who is Elias, the spirit who followed Maggie home? He seems to have some important information to share, but Maggie doesn’t understand it until it is too late to prevent another death. A careful reader will connect the dots long before Maggie does and should easily identify the murderer before the end of the book. For those who don’t want to have to worry about solving the mystery on their own, don’t worry, everything is laid out for you in the end.I thoroughly enjoy this cozy mystery series. The Bewitching Mystery series have a touch of the occult, but they are firmly grounded in the real world. Stony Mill feels like a real place and I love how the author allows seasons to pass and the weather to impact the story. It is now mid-July and absolutely blazing. With no moisture in sight, crops are wilting and tempers are fraying. A church carnival to raise funds to build a church addition is a welcome respite for all of the locals, even those like Maggie who are not actively religious. Maggie herself is a wonderful character. She doubts herself and her abilities, but is willing to keep trying and would do anything for those she cares for. I never thought of Maggie as being super attractive, but she has two amazing men who seem to be interested in her romantically so color me jealous! There is a special spark about Maggie that draws others to her. Strangers and friends confide in her, but Maggie never spreads gossip so she uses her empathic abilities well. I always enjoy seeing the world through Maggie’s eyes and find the series consistently delightful to read.
review 2: Basic Plot: A bizarre buried room is found when the local Baptist church has a groundbreaking to add a new wing, and pretty soon there's a dead body discovered inside. Unfortunately, this woman is recently deceased and not long buried, and Maggie O'Neill was one of the last people to see this woman alive.Alt continues to keep up a good pace with these books. They're still literary popcorn and not a hearty meal, but they are fun nonetheless, and I like them for what they are. The Enchantments staff is still dealing with the community backlash after Maggie's sister spilled the beans about Liss being a witch, so very little happens at the actual store in this book. Maggie FINALLY makes up her mind about her Tom-vs-Marcus non-dilemma (HONESTLY, why did this take 5 books to resolve???). Maggie's involvement in the mystery felt pretty natural, even if she did make a few boneheaded mistakes, and there was actually a sense of danger towards the end.I must confess my biggest issue with this book is that I figured out some major plot points 100 pages before Maggie did. Which kind of irritated me. Especially when the author is hitting the reader with clue-by-fours and Maggie (who has supernatural help in the form of a ghost following her around) is still pondering, "gee, what does this mean?" I wanted to bang my head against the wall a few times. This book was enjoyable enough to perhaps have been a 4-star book for me, except for that. This book wasn't long enough that I should be ABLE to figure out the major mystery a full 100 pages before the main character. I know it's not exactly Sherlock Holmes, but still. 100 pages???I'll be continuing on, but I'm going to take a book or two's worth of break before I do, so I don't get burned out. less

Download links for: Where There's a Witch

Advertising