Sunday, August 4, 2013

Review: A Cast-Off Coven: A Witchcraft Mystery

Review: A Cast-Off Coven: A Witchcraft Mystery


A Cast-Off Coven: A Witchcraft Mystery

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A Cast-Off Coven: A Witchcraft Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)
By Juliet Blackwell

I really enjoyed Secondhand Spirits: A Witchcraft Mystery, the first book in Juliet Blackwell's Witchcraft Mystery series featuring Lily Ivory. I found it well-plotted and well-written and was particularly impressed with its stellar characterizations. I was anxious to see if Blackwell could continue to impress me with book two.

Happily, the answer is "yes". Not only did Blackwell not disappoint, she drew me deeper under her spell with A Cast-off Coven. I am declaring myself a fan.

As the story begins (only a week after the events of Secondhand Spirits conclude), odd sounds, ghostly footsteps and doors opening and closing on their own have students from the San Francisco School of Fine Arts spooked and stopping into Lily's vintage clothing store in search of protective talismans. At her assistant Maya's request (and in exchange for some Victorian clothing recently found at the school), Lily agrees to check things out and attempt to calm the students' fears. Instead she finds a dead body and comes across evidence that has her wondering if someone at the school has summoned a demon.

A Cast-off Coven is a solid mystery and a nicely creepy ghost story with moments I found somehow reminiscent (in feeling) of the old Julie Harris - Claire Bloom film "The Haunting" (which is #1 on my official list of "Movies That Scared the Heck Out of Me When I Was A Kid and Still Pretty Much Freak Me Out Even Though I Am Now All Grown Up"). The story is wonderfully paced and plotted, with touches of humor, strong friendships and possibilities of romance.


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