by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of another fun mystery perfect for Hallowneen, The Witch and the Dead. We also have a link to order it from Amazon, and from an indie bookstore where a portion goes to help support KRL.

Darci Merriweather may be a practicing Wishcrafter in Salem, Massachusetts, but it’s not the upcoming Halloween season that has her on edge. What has her aflutter is moving out of her beloved Aunt Ve’s home into the newly remodeled and renovated home—one that she hopes to one day share with Police Chief Nick Sawyer and his daughter, Mia. It’s a change that inspires Aunt Ve to clear out her own garage, where she finds more than just old Christmas ornaments. Ve also finds the skeletonized corpse of her ex-husband Miles Babbage, whom she last saw on their wedding day, thirty years ago.

As the Enchanted Village’s Craft investigator, it is Darci’s duty to discover how her Aunt Ve’s very temporary husband somehow ended up in her garage. Despite being a mundane with no inherited witchcraft powers, the unappealing Miles somehow enchanted a large number of local women, single or not, in their village. That brings in a wide range of candidates who may have wished the clay artist dead, including that of the family Merriweather nemesis, Dorothy Hansel Dewitt. Although Darci has forged a tentative friendship with P.I. Glinda Hansel, despite all of the bad blood between them, her mother Dorothy has never forgiven them for taking what she believes was rightfully hers. Only recently did Darci discover that her deceased mother was in truth the ruling Elder of the Enchanted Village, and Dorothy covets that title that would grant her even more power.

Even in the midst of a building battle between dark sorcery and the white magic of Crafting, Darci never overlooks the needs of her family and friends. Her best friend Starla is facing the dilemma all crafters must confront when in a relationship with a non-magical partner, and Vince’s obsession with magic has him enmeshed with Miles’ fate. Darci’s sister Harper is about to meet her boyfriend Marcus Debrowki’s parents for the first time, and it was going to be a rocky introduction even before learning of the body in Aunt Ve’s garage. Darci’s inherited gift of granting wishes to mundanes will be of little use when attempting to solve the murder, sort out her friends’ love lives, and discover the secret of Miles’ dangerous allure.

Entering this Wishcraft Mystery series is truly like being welcomed into a fantastical but somehow realistic new world. The dialogue remains funny and warm, with Crafters and their familiars as fascinating as they are entertaining. Most entrancing is how the series further develops a mythology that involves darker themes and continues to build towards an upcoming confrontation. Few readers will be able to read the last chapter without joyfully tearing up, while also anticipating an exciting new battle for the Enchanted Village.

To enter to win a copy of The Witch and the Dead, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “witch,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 15, 2016. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & short stories in our mystery section.

Click on this link to purchase this book & a portion goes to help support KRL & an indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

The Witch and the Dead

You can use this link to purchase the book on Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).