by Terrance Mc Arthur

This week we have a review & giveaway of To Kill a Kettle Witch. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, along with a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

Celine and Amelie are Mist-Torn Witches, sisters with paired powers. Hold Celine’s hand and she can see into your future. Holding Amelie’s hand reveals your past. If their stories were made into a movie, the theme song should be the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Celine runs an apothecary and herb shop under the protection of Prince Anton, who is sweet on Celine and uses the psychic siblings to solve mysteries. Amelie is a trained fighter who likes to wear pants, but Anton keeps sending her on detecting quests where she has to dress like a lady. When a castle worker who is a semi-distant relation tells them that relatives they never knew are in trouble, off they go to another land in To Kill a Kettle Witch by Barb Hendee.

Prince Malcolm’s fields have been cursed, and he won’t let the gypsy-like Móndyalítko leave their harvest camp, even though there is nothing to harvest. He suspects the traveling workers and keeps them there until he can catch the curser. Accompanied by a shape-changing Móndyalítko, who pines for Celine, and guided by Anton’s most-trusted lieutenant, who Amelie tries to resist because of his non-monogamous reputation, the Mist-Torn sisters arrive with the castle servant and meet their late mother’s family, using their powers to verify if the clans are guilty or innocent of the crime.

It’s a fantasy-mystery novel with paranormal rising with the male companions seeking clues along with the sisters. The women uncover many dirty little secrets of the encampment and the castle, and they find themselves in many forms of danger, including unwanted suitors and suitors they might want. Barb Hendee is known for the Noble Dead series she wrote with her husband, J. C. Hendee. I am fondest of her solo work and its lean, spare style, where flashbacks move the action forward instead of bringing it to a stop.

Will Celine’s absence from Anton make the heart grow fonder? Will Celine decide “When I’m not near the boy that I love, I’ll love the boy I’m near?” Will Amelie give in to her desire for Jaromir? Will they ever hold the right hand and find the kettle witch who stirred up all this trouble? Will you get every one of the Mist-Torn Witches books and read them in order and live happily until you run out of books and you start brewing a potion to make Barb Hendee write faster? (Maybe you should.)

To enter to win a copy of To Kill a Kettle Witch, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “kettl,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May 28 , 2016. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address.

Check out more fantasy book reviews in our fantasy and fangs section.

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

Terrance V. Mc Arthur is a Community Librarian for the WoW! (WithOut Walls) Division of the Fresno County Public Library, roaming the Valley to meet the public’s information needs.