A Wytch's Book Review Blog

Enter a Murderer (Roderick Alleyn #2) by Ngaio Marsh

The crime scene was the stage of the Unicorn Theatre, when prop gun fired a very real bullet; the victim was an actor clawing his way to stardom using bribery instead of talent; and the suspects included two unwilling girlfriends and several relieved blackmail victims. The stage is set for one of Roderick Alleyn's most baffling cases…

Roderick Alleyn has been invited to the theatre by Nigel Bathgate, during the performance what should have been a fake shooting turns into the real thing and Scotland Yard (in the person of Alleyn) needs to track through blackmail, bribery and lies to find out the truth behind the killing.

Marsh is still finding her feet as a author but Alleyn is becoming a more believable character in this the second book.

Bitter Harvest (Orchard #5) by Sheila Connolly

Now that Meg Corey's apples have been harvested and sold, she's enjoying some free time. But when the small but annoying mishaps plaguing her start turning sinister, Meg begins to worry that her first harvest may be her last.

It is Winter and the harvest is over, Meg, Seth and Bree should be able to relax but things are going wrong - just small things at first, the goats get out, a window doesn't shut etc.  Then a blizzard is forecast and Meg's furnace packs in! Seth will be able to fix it - but they need to get through the weather first and still niggling things are happening.  Maybe the item that Meg discovers in a closet can help solve all the problems.

Mystery Mile (Albert Campion #2) by Margery Allingham

Judge Crowdy Lobbett has found evidence pointing to the identity of the criminal mastermind behind the deadly Simister gang. After four attempts on his life, he ends up seeking the help of the enigmatic and unorthodox amateur sleuth, Albert Campion. After Campion bundles Lobbett off to a country house in Mystery Mile, deep in the Suffolk countryside, all manner of adventures ensue. It's a race against time for Campion to get the judge to safety and decipher the clue to their mysterious enemy's name.

Campion travels back from the States on the same ship as the renowned US Judge Crowdy Lobbett, during the journey he saves the Judge's life and once in the UK arranges for him (and his son and daughter) to stay at Mystery Mile in order to keep him and his family safe.  It seems though as if the Simister gang are ahead of them and no where seems to be safe, we have disappearances, blackmail, kidnapping and attempted murder! So Campion (and his somewhat unorthodox manservant Lugg) need to pull all the stops out to keep people safe.

A Killer Crop (Orchard #4) by Sheila Connolly

After an English professor-and old friend of her mother-is found dead in a cider house, orchard owner Meg Corey starts to wonder: Could her own mother have committed murder?

Everything is happening at once for Meg, her Mother has arrived to visit, the harvest has started and Detective Marcus is on the scene! Apparently Meg's mother's phone number is in the phone of a dead professor and questions need answering, especially when it turns out he didn't die a natural death.  Elizabeth Corey seems to be hiding something (and Meg is sure that something isn't murder!), so Meg needs to figure out what is going on, she needs to up her game with the harvesting (Bree is injured) oh and find the right time to tell her Mum about Seth - no pressure then!

Death Distilled (Whisky Business Mystery #2) by Melinda Mullet

Award-winning photojournalist turned whisky distillery proprietress and amateur sleuth Abigail Logan returns in the charming follow-up to Single Malt Murder.
It’s been three months since Abi Logan last checked in on Abbey Glen, the celebrated whisky distillery she inherited. With her oversize wheaten terrier, Liam, by her side, Abi returns to the quaint Scottish village of Balfour. But her relaxing Highland homecoming takes a stressful turn when she unearths an unseemly bit of village history, welcomes a group of Japanese whisky enthusiasts, and becomes shepherdess to an unexpected flock of sheep—all within the first twenty-four hours. Still, nothing’s more stressful than murder. . . .

Local celebrity Rory Hendricks is the hotheaded, hard-rocking former frontman of the Rebels—and Abi’s girlhood crush. After meeting him in person, Abi can’t say no to anything he asks, like photographing his upcoming show . . . or figuring out who’s trying to kill him. Turns out someone’s been bumping off his old bandmates, with the drummer dead under mysterious circumstances and the keyboardist in a coma following a hit-and-run. Now a series of threatening messages leads Rory to think he’s next on the chopping block. And the band has a devil’s share of broken hearts and bitter disputes in their past, leaving Abi a huge batch of suspects to sift through—all before the killer takes another shot.

Abi is hoping to have a nice quiet break when she arrives back at Abbey Glen, but with a body being found under the foundations for an extension to the pub, her friend Patrick mentioning that he has arranged for some Japanese whisky lovers to have a tour (and can she let Grant know please!) and a retired Rock Star wanting her investigative Journalist skills to find out who is killing off the previous bank members, she has more than enough on her plate! (oh and she has taken on a small flock of sheep as well - to save them from being killed).  Everyone seems to be hiding something and Abi needs to find out if what they are hiding inpacts on what is going on or not - no stress there then!

Mist Over Pendle by Robert Neill

The forest of Pendle during the early seventeenth century: a wild, inaccessible corner of Lancashire where the ancient fear of demons and witches is still part of life - and death.

When several local people die in mysterious circumstances, Squire Roger Nowell dismisses talk of witchcraft as superstition. But soon a series of hideous desecrations take place, and there are unmistakable signs that a black coven is assembling to plot a campaign of evil and destruction...

This is one of my go to "comfort" books and his was the annual read of it! Margery Whittaker has gone to live with a distant cousin after the death of her mother, upon arriving from London she discovers that murder and witchcraft is what her cousin Roger is up against - she adds her wits to his and together they hope to find out what is happening and to try and stop it.  

An interesting take on the Pendle Witch Trials.

The Cracked Spine (Scottish Bookshop Mystery #1) by Paige Shelton

Wanted: A bold adventurer who wants to travel the world from a comfortable and safe spot behind a desk that has seen the likes of kings and queens, paupers and princes. A humble book and rare manuscript shop seeks a keenly intelligent investigator to assist us in our search for things thought lost, and in our quest to return lost items to their rightful owners.

Never an adventurer, no one was more surprised than Delaney Nichols when she packed her bags and moved halfway across the world to Edinburgh, Scotland to start a job at The Cracked Spine, a bookshop located in the heart of the city. Her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, has given her the opportunity of a lifetime, albeit a cryptic one, and Delaney can’t wait to take her spot behind the desk.

The Cracked Spine is filled with everything a book lover could want, each item as eclectic as the people who work there; the spirited and lovable Rosie, who always has tiny dog Hector in tow; Hamlet, a nineteen-year-old thespian with a colored past and bright future; and Edwin, who is just as enigmatic and mysterious as Delaney expected. An extra bonus is Tom the bartender from across the street, with his cobalt eyes, and a gentle brogue—and it doesn’t hurt that he looks awfully good in a kilt.

But before she can settle into her new life, a precious artifact goes missing, and Edwin’s sister is brutally murdered. Never did Delaney think that searching for things lost could mean a killer, but if she’s to keep her job, and protect her new friends, she’ll need to learn the truth behind this Scottish tragedy.

Delaney has upped sticks from Kansas after a phone interview and she has ended up in Edinburgh, on her arrival she is taken under the wing of the taxi driver (and his wife) which helps as the job is odd! There are two other members of staff Rosie (and her small dog Hector) and Hamlet (real name unknown) as well as Edwin her boss, people seem to pick when they want to work during the day and if they want to go off and do something different (like visit a museum or stage play!) and Delaney has no real idea what her job will entail.

Before she can really get to grips Edwin's sister is killed and no one seems to want to really talk about it, add in a rather attractive bar owner (oh and the bar is called Delaney's which seems to be a good omen, Rosie witnesses a road accident and Hamlet seems to be acting strangely as well.  Delaney needs to decide if she can stick it out and if so she needs to find out more about everyone around her.

Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates (A Chocolate Covered Mystery #1) by Kathy Aarons

Best friends Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell are celebrating the sweet rewards of their combined bookstore and chocolate shop by hosting the Great Fudge Cook-off during the town’s Memorial Day weekend Arts Festival. But success turns bittersweet when Main Street’s portrait photographer is found dead in their store, poisoned by Michelle’s signature truffles.

As suspicion mounts against Michelle, her sales begin to crumble and her career seems whipped. With Erica by her side, Michelle must pick through an assortment of suspects before the future of their dream store melts away…

The first in a new series and whilst it was a little heavy going in places, and also I spotted the murderer fairly quickly the idea of chocolate and books is enough to make me want to read more and more!

PoisonBuried Punch (Black Cat Cafe #6) by Lyndsey Cole

Halloween - parties, costumes, decorations, pranks and . . . murder? Annie Fisher and her friends at the Black Cat Café are right in on all the town’s Halloween excitement with everyone competing for the best couples costume award.

But when a man turns up dead, a real-life Halloween murder comes to Catfish Cove. With Annie’s friend as the main suspect, she finds herself caught up in the whirlwind of sorting through stories, alibis, and new suspects. When loyalties change and true identities are revealed, Annie isn’t sure what is true or who is lying.

With each new twist and turn, Annie tries to stay one step ahead of the killer so she can clear her friend’s name and stay safe herself. As time ticks away and she gets closer and closer to the truth, she begins to question her own mortality. Who can she believe? And more importantly, who can she trust with her life?

It is Halloween and Catfish Cove is all fired up with various fun happenings for all ages, Detective Christy Crank has started dating Tyler (Chief of Police), however things go wrong when her ex-husband turns up and then turns up dead! With Christy being the main suspect Annie starts to dig and help her new friend out - but with the ex's previous life coming back to haunt Christy everyone has their work cut out!

RaspBuried Torte (Black Cat Cafe #5) by Lyndsey Cole

When renovations on an old house in Catfish Cove take a turn for the worse, Annie finds herself at odds with the new detective in town. Again. Not only did Annie find the body, but Detective Christy Crank seems to have a chip on her shoulder that she takes out on Annie.

Rumors of hidden fortunes in the walls of the old house bring out treasure hunters in droves. Could one of them have killed to secure their own fortune? And if so, who was it?

As Annie digs deeper to clear the name of her friend, and Cranky’s top suspect, Danny Davis, she uncovers lies about alibis that only add more suspects to her list. Dreams of wealth make plenty of people look guilty, but who is the real murderer?

Annie knows she has to figure it out with the help of her friends before Danny takes the fall for something he didn’t do. Will she make it in time before the killer comes back to cover their tracks?

Things seem to have settled down in Catfish Cove however with the renovation of a mansion into a B&B tempers start flaring, one of the owners is putting everyone's back up - but who did she upset enough that they killed her? No one seems to be telling the truth and Annie ends up running around to try and get Danny off the hook (as she is sure that at least HE isn't the killer!)