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May Day Murder by Jennifer David Hesse

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I finished reading May Day Murder by Jennifer David Hesse last night. This is the fifth installment in the "Wiccan Wheel" series of paranormal cozies. The main character is solo practitioner Keli Milanni.

Keli has left the prestigious law firm she worked for to venture out on her own. As a solo witch she's used to doing things alone. Although she's busy trying to attract new clients, Keli takes the time to give a ride to Erik, a friend of a friend. She learns he's a Druid who blames his recent string of bad luck on a curse placed on him by his ex-girlfriend, Denise. When Erik asks if Keli will drive him to Denise's house so he can repay her some money he owes, Keli reluctantly agrees. Unfortunately, they stumble upon Denise's dead body. Local police soon identify Keli as a person of interest, refusing to believe her claims that she'd just met Erik and never met Denise. Having her name attached to the murder has a negative impact on Keli's fledging law practice; therefore she takes it upon herself to do some investigating of her own. Soon she's the one suffering from a run of bad luck leaving Keli to wonder if she's also been cursed. One of her practicing friends advises her to fight fire with fire, and Keli is getting desperate enough to try it.

I was so engrossed in this story that I literally dreamed about it one night as I mulled it over in my subconscious. LOL! I will say this, it was incredibly foolish of Keli to blithely drive Erik all over town and then enter a home with him. That's how women get murdered, Keli. Her BFF, Farrah, was no better as she took up with a bad boy and went MIA. There were two main plot points that seemed to be connected (Denise's murder and the sabotaging of Keli's business), but it turns out they were not. While the murder was solved, the other situation was not resolved. Can I say I suspect Keli's former co-worker, Crenshaw? Ha ha! He doesn't seem the type, but I think he fancies Keli and is miffed that she left the established law firm where they both worked.

Favorite line: No one could possibly have called me a meddling kid at that point.

A gripping, well-written mystery. Five stars.

Yuletide Homicide by Jennifer David Hesse

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Early Thursday evening, I finished reading Yuletide Homicide by Jennifer David Hesse. It's part of the author's "Wiccan Wheel" mystery series, featuring attorney and practicing witch, Keli Milanni.

As a solitary witch, Keli has long kept her faith a secret, but she's slowly coming out to those closest to her, including her boyfriend, Wes. She is looking forward to the approaching Yule and its symbolic rebirth. Thoughts of the holidays must be put aside, however, when Keli's boss has her and her stuffy colleague, Crenshaw Davenport, work undercover as auditors at the office of a real estate mogul who has recently announced his mayoral candidacy. Edgar Harrison is being blackmailed, and it's up to Keli and Crenshaw to learn what they can.

Unfortunately, Harrison is found dead beneath the Christmas trees after the company's holiday party. Keli doesn't believe it was an accident. As she delves deeper into the matter, her own life is endangered. She'll need to use her wits and her witchcraft if she's to solve the murder before someone silences her for good.

This was a fun, lively story. It's good to see Keli becoming more comfortable with her Wiccan side. I also enjoyed getting reacquainted with familiar characters, from Keli's zany friend Farrah to stodgy old Crenshaw. Largest complaint was how much of a Mary Sue Keli became in this book. She has her boyfriend, Wes, but along comes and old flame, Mick, who wants her back. Young buck Zeke is also sniffing around, and previous books have hinted that Crenshaw fancies her, too. Enough, already!

Favorite line: "You could be in here doing some naked witchy ritual."

An enjoyable enough read to earn four stars.

This working girl stayed up too late last night to finish Midsummer Night's Mischief by Jennifer David Hesse. It's the first in the author's "Wiccan Wheel" mystery series.

In addition to law, attorney Keli Milanni also practices Wiccan. She's in the closet about that to friends and family both. However, when a client of hers passes away, and a valuable antique book is stolen from the woman's home just days later, the family blames Keli for not exercising due diligence. With her job on the line, Keli may need to tap into her magical abilities to find the culprit.

There are no shortage of suspects, most of whom are related to Keli's client. When Keli finds herself falling for Wes, her client's grandson, her investigation begins to clash with her personal life. As Keli gets closer to uncovering the truth, she receives threatening messages, warning her to mind her own business. Keli has no intention of backing off. With her faithful sidekick, Farrah, several contacts in the area of rare books, and her faith to guide her, Keli is determined to locate the stolen book and save her job.

This story was light-hearted and fun, for the most part. I thought Keli took some risks in her quest to uncover the truth. Characters were well-done, and the plot moved along. I got a little tired of reading about her vegan diet, however. I did appreciate that the mystery involved a stolen item, rather than a murder. We need more mysteries like that!

Favorite line:
♥ "Coworkers," I replied. "Muggles."
♥ "Well done, Scooby Gang. And then what? Do we rig up a giant fishnet?"
Gotta love a book that includes both Harry Potter and Scooby Doo references!

I'm waffling between a three and a four here. I'll go with four, because the mystery was a unique premise.

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