Genre: Mystery/Paranormal
Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496721532
Kensington Publishing
336 Pages
$7.99; $6.89 Amazon
$7.99; $6.89 Amazon
April 28, 2020
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Halloween is the biggest holiday of the year in Salem, Massachusetts -- but when B&B owner Charlene Morris finds the dead body of a witch, it spells trouble...
Charlene, recently widowed, has renovated her historic mansion just in time to greet guests arriving for the town's annual Halloween festivities. She's lucky to have a helpful staff to provide support -- as well as a handsome ghost named Jack standing invisibly by her side.
Unfortunately, while the revelers head out on haunted tours, have their fortunes told, or grab a drink at Brews and Broomsticks, a killer walks among them. When Charlene discovers Morganna, a local Wiccan dead in her shop, she starts getting cozy with the local coven, looking for clues to locate the crafty culprit. Salem may be famous for the false accusations of witchery in centuries past, but this time someone is genuinely guilty -- of murder...
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Charlene Morris is both excited and nervous to finally be opening her new B&B to her first customers. She's moved to Salem after the sudden death of her husband a year and a half ago, wanting to get away and start a new life for herself.
Unfortunately, when she moved in, she found out she had a permanent roommate -- the ghost of Dr. Jack Strathmore, who was murdered in the home three years ago. But now, after getting used to him, she wants him to stick around because she's grown fond of him. No one else can see or hear Jack, so they've made a pact that he won't disturb her guests.
Among her first guests are police detective Sam Holden's sister, Sydney, and brother-in-law, Jim, so she especially wants her first guests to walk away with a good impression of her new business. When Charlene takes her guests on a ghost tour, courtesy of Kevin, a local bar owner who's running the tour, she and they stop at a glass-making shop where she meets the owner, Morganna, who makes the beautiful creations. But when they return to the shop later on, she and Jim find Morganna dead in the back, and one of her guests becomes a major suspect.
Later she finds that Morganna wasn't the woman she appeared to be, and had made strong enemies in the Wiccan community. But with her young guest Dylan's life on the line, Charlene wants to help, and finds herself deep within their community. Did one of the witches murder Morganna? If not, who could have done it? And are they going to go after a second victim, namely her?...
This is the second book in the series, and I must say that I'm enjoying it immensely. I also have to say that I'm a sucker for books with a ghost (never a poltergeist), who manages to find their way into the protagonist's life. I always wish that the ghost could eventually find their way to become human again by doing something spectacular so they could eventually be together. Ah, well; even though I don't read romances much, I guess I'm really a romantic at heart.
Anyway, when a young man at her B&B is suspected of killing the witch, Charlene turns to Brandy Flint, who owns the local winery and is a witch herself, for help. Brandy's mother Evelyn, who is extremely powerful, comes to Charlene's aid with information about Morganna. Even though Sam is continuously telling Charlene to leave it be, we know she never does, thinking she's only asking questions.
But it brings her into contact with a new friend - Kass Fortune - who owns the local tea shop next door to Morganna's, and also gives her information on the woman. What follows is Charlene's first foray into the Wiccan world, and trying to learn about them and understand what happened. Unfortunately, it also brings her into the circle of the killer, who has a better idea of what to do with Charlene.
The plot is quite interesting, and I enjoyed reading about the Wiccan world. I do like Evelyn, and would like to see more of her in later books. But the conversations between Charlene and Jack are showing two damaged souls, each in their own way, who have found a place -- such as it is -- with each other to care for. Standing in the way is also Charlene's attraction to the very living Sam Holden, who has no idea about Jack, nor does anyone else.
The mystery was done well, and there were plenty of red herrings thrown in to keep things going. The murderer was discovered late on, even though one could figure out who and the reason why if you paid close enough attention. When we reach the end it all comes together nicely, while giving us a teaser of sorts leading to the next book (no cliffhanger, don't worry). All in all, it's a book to be entertained by, and it does its job admirably. I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.
More on Traci Wilton's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/traci-wilton/
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