SOME LIKE IT WITCHY
May 5, 2015
Obsidian
When Darcy Merriweather agrees to help Cherise Goodwin hunt for a new home, she doesn’t realize she’s essentially signing herself up for yet another murder investigation. But when the pair goes to tour the old Tavistock place and stumbles across real estate agent Raina Gallagher, dead and clutching a magical amulet, Darcy isn’t left with much choice. The village Elder did task her with investigating all Craft-related crimes, after all; what else is a nosy witch to do?
I’ve always found Heather Blake’s Wishcraft Mysteries to be great fictional escapes, and this fifth installment, SOME LIKE IT WITCHY, is no exception. Blake’s wordbuilding is efficient yet effective; even the uninitiated will quickly feel at home. The characters who populate Blake’s Wishcraft Mysteries are unique, fully fleshed, and make for wonderful company, and their relationships are realistic and ever-changing. The romance between Darcy and village police chief Nick becomes more nuanced with every passing book, her connection to the village Elder continues to grow more mysterious, and even Darcy’s rivalry with nemesis Glinda Hansel is slowly turning a corner.
Chapter one launches you straight into the heart of the mystery, and the book’s all rise from there. The question of who killed Raina is compelling enough to carry the book, but it’s far from the only puzzle Blake introduces over the course of her tale; nearly every character’s got a secret, which keeps the suspense high, your interest piqued, and your brain churning. SOME LIKE IT WITCHY ends with Blake tying off enough loose ends to satisfy, but also leaving enough dangling to make readers want to run out and pre-order the next book. Find a lazy afternoon to dedicate to this one; your week will be brighter for it.
Katrina Niidas Holm
