chez_jae | Entries tagged with series: witch way librarian

The Witch Is Back (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #6)

The Witch Is Back by Angela M. Sanders

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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I powered through The Witch is Back by Angela M Sanders in less than 24 hours. Woo! It’s the 6th “Witch Way Librarian” mystery, starring witchy librarian Josie Way.

In the midst of an unexpected visit from her mother, Josie takes her on an excursion to the Aerie, the clifftop home where the recently deceased pastor once lived. There, Josie hears angry whispers from the books, and even her mother (who has long denied her own magical abilities) feels ill at ease. Shortly after their trip, several people in the small town of Wilfred receive poison pen letters. Josie’s indicates only that someone knows her secret. Now everyone is angry and suspicious, but the odd letters take a back seat to local gossip when someone is found dead at the base of the Aerie. The man’s wife swears it was murder, and from what Josie gleans from the books around her, she agrees. She needs the help of Sam, local police officer, but first, Josie knows she must tell him she’s a witch.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this one, from Josie angsting over her parents’ disintegrating relationship to angsting over her own relationship with Sam. She was convinced the poison pen letters were tied to the murder, and she struggled to identify the person behind the acts. Frankly, I was able to quickly suss out who sent the letters, but the identity of the killer caught me by surprise. Characters were fully realized and the plot pelted along in a sensible fashion. Some things were left unresolved, which was a tad disappointing.

Favorite lines:
♦ Wilfred was so small and the grapevine so robust that you couldn’t burn toast without hearing about it the next time you bought margarine.
♦ “Some of the world’s most dangerous rulers were masters of glamour who could convince people that the most horrible of actions were justified—desirable, even.”
♦ “Now what?” I asked. // “Pickles,” Mom said. “If you have them.” // “Not the sandwiches, the poison-pen letters.”

Fabulous read—engrossing and delightful. Five stars.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: Avalanche at Stars, game 1

Gone with the Witch (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries #5)

Gone with the Witch by Angela M. Sanders

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I knocked back the rest of Gone with the Witch by Angela M Sanders this evening. This is the 5th "Witch Way Librarian" mystery. Main character is Josie Way, librarian and novice witch.

After old bones are discovered beneath a decrepit outhouse in Wilfred, OR, resident Helen Garlington insists on a DNA test, believing they belong to her long-lost husband, Martin. When the DNA doesn't match up, Helen becomes morose, only coming out of her doldrums when she believes the contestant on a game show may be Martin. In an effort to help, Josie tracks the man down and invites him to Wilfred...where he's found dead the next day. Turns out, this wasn't Martin either, and the police claim the man died of natural causes. Since he was found at the same location the old bones were, Josie is convinced that foul play is afoot. She seeks help from the books in the library and ends up with Sherlock Holmes himself aiding in her investigation. However, the baffling twists and turns in the case may end up thwarting even the world's greatest (fictional) detective.

The baffling twists and turns certainly kept me riveted. It was painful to see Helen get her hopes up, only to have them crushed once more. There were other subplots going on, including newlyweds Roz and Lyndon having a conflict over where to live, and Josie's own, inner conflict over whether or not she should tell her beau, Sam, that she's a witch. Characterizations were marvelous--I really enjoyed connecting with old, familiar characters, and there were new ones introduced who seemed intriguing as well.

Favorite lines:
♦ Life was for the living--not for the waiting.
♦ Desmond had laid out three plates with sandwiches, paper napkins, and a jar of pickles. These boys knew how to entertain.

Fabulous story, kept me turning the pages. Five stars.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: "The Rubberband Man" ~ The Spinners

Witch Upon a Star (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #4)

Witch Upon a Star by Angela M. Sanders

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finished reading Witch Upon a Star by Angela M Sanders last night. This is the 4th part of the "Witch Way Librarian" series featuring small-town librarian and novice witch, Josie Way.

Josie is excited that her youngest sister, Jean, will be visiting Wilfred OR to attend a workshop at the newly opened retreat center. While she's happy to spend time with Jean, Josie can't help but worry about her. She is certain that Jean spent a huge amount of money to become a certified life coach, and Josie is afraid that the woman at the center of the trendy Ready-Set-Go lifestyle is nothing but a charlatan. Josie's anxiety is multiplied when two people connected to the workshop wind up dead: one stabbed in the back and the other poisoned. The sheriff, Sam Wilfred, wants Josie to stay out of the investigation, but the books in the library keep warning Josie. When Jean begins to receive threatening notes, Josie refuses to wait around for local law to run a by-the-book investigation. Jean refuses to be treated like fine china and insists on assisting. Together, the sisters must sift through clues and motives to identify a murderer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I powered through it, but several things did not sit well with me. ( Spoilers! )

While these points left me with a face full of 'WTF?', I remained engrossed in the book to the point that I was aggravated to set it aside to clean house on Sunday. Hah!

Favorite lines:
♦ His teeth were so white and skin so tan I felt I was talking to a ginger snap with buttercream icing.
♦ She had magic she took for granted. Lots of people did, really. Darla's hospitality, Roz's imagination, Lalena's insight, Duke's native understanding of machinery--all of these were glimmerings of magic.
♦ "Killers don't always wear black and cackle like fiends, you know."
♦ "How much Scooby-Doo do you watch, anyway?"

I would have awarded this a solid five, but I'm deducting a star for the things left hanging or never fully explained. Four stars.

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: Panthers at Golden Knights, Game 2 2023 Stanley Cup Final

Witch and Famous (Witch Way Librarian #3)

Witch and Famous by Angela M. Sanders

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Today I finished reading Witch and Famous by Angela M Sanders. It's the third installment in her "Witch Way Librarian" cozy mystery series. The main character is novice witch and librarian Josie Way.

The entire town of Wilfred, OR, is abuzz when a glamorous movie star, Daphne Morris, arrives to interview a local author for her book club. The excitement wanes for both Josie and Roz when Daphne charms their romantic interests, leading to jealousy and hurt feelings. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when Daphne's on-staff chef is murdered, and it appears that Daphne may have been the target. Worst of all, the murder is eerily reminiscent of a scene in Roz's book, and her fan was found in the vicinity. Josie knows Roz is no killer, which means someone's out to frame her. With Sheriff Sam besotted by Daphne, it's up to Josie and her magical connection to books to solve the mystery and save her friend.

Cute story. Josie is a likable character, and the other regulars are quirky and fun, including Roz with her hot flashes, taciturn Lyndon, and psychic Lalena. I also adore Rodney, Josie's feline familiar. Even Daphne had her redeeming qualities, never mind that Josie, Roz, and I all wanted to punt her simpering ass out of town.

Favorite lines:
♦ Love and the desire for love are not the same.
♦ I'd seen people having more fun in a hostage situation.
♦ Roz was noticeably absent, probably plotting how she'd interrupt her and Daphne's TV segment with a blackberry pie to the face.

Roz is a stubborn, vindictive bitch after my own heart! :D

Very good book, with a nifty mystery, romance, thrills, pining, and magic. Five stars!

Current Mood: good

Seven-Year Witch by Angela M. Sanders

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of all...WOO HOO! I managed to hit one hundred again, even if it was a near thing. I blame my new-found love of Cal Leandros and the fact that I kept skim-reading books in that series (and continue to do so).

In the wee hours of this morning, I finished reading Seven-Year Witch by Angela M Sanders. It's the second book in the "Witch Way Librarian" mystery series. The story is told in first person pov by the main character, Josie Way.

Having only recently learned she's a witch, Josie has been honing her skills by studying letters left to her by her grandmother. Josie's particular affinity is for books, and the books in the library seem to talk to her, imparting their vast knowledge when she needs help.

Changes are coming to the small town of Wilfred. A new spa-like retreat is slated to be built at the old mill site, but one of the locals claims the land is cursed. In addition, FBI agent Sam Wilfred, descended from the town's founder, is back--along with the wife he's in the midst of divorcing. When Fiona goes missing and a bloodied weapon is found at the mill site, everyone thinks Sam killed her. The pond is searched and a body is found. However, it's not Fiona; it's the architect who was working on the retreat. Josie turns to her books to find out what's going on at the mill site before anyone else ends up dead.

A fun, clever cozy. Josie is a likable and relatable character. Most of us can even relate to her unwilling infatuation with Sam. Other characters were portrayed well, and the plot made sense. A few things I didn't like...( Spoilers )

Other than that, I enjoyed the story, and I'm looking forward to more in the series.

Favorite lines:
♦ "In or out," Darla said to the man in the doorway. "Pick one."
I couldn't tell you how many times I've said that to cats!
♦ "A building is so much more than wood and stone. People give it soul."
I completely agree! Ever notice how quickly an abandoned home or building deteriorates?
♦ Most cats smelled purely of love, I'd noticed over the years. Clean and soft, that was all.
Mine smell like spite and stoopid. LOL!
♦ "You don't happen to know her astrological sign, do you?" // "Narcissist with moon in nutjob, maybe?"
Sounds like a certain orange cretin we all know and loathe.
♦ "Maybe there are clues in there." // "You mean, like an open calendar with the entry 'knock off Fiona' on today's date? This isn't a Trixie Belden mystery."
Trixie references, for the win!

A fun, easy read with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. Four stars.

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: "Deck the Halls" ~ Stella Parton

Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I stayed up until almost midnight last night to finish reading Bait and Witch by Angela M Sanders. This is the first book in the author's "Witch Way Librarian" mystery series. The main character is Josie Way--experienced librarian and novice witch.

Josie enjoyed her job at the Library of Congress, but when she overhears a senator's aide making a corrupt deal and reports it, Josie is compelled to lay low, in fear for her life. She accepts a job as the librarian in the small town of Wilfred, Oregon, which is about as far from DC as she can get. Josie is immediately enchanted with the library and the old Victorian mansion it's housed in. Unfortunately, she learns that the library may be sold and demolished to make way for a modern retreat. The townsfolk are divided on the issue: some want to hold on to their historic library, while others welcome the new jobs the retreat would bring. All of that pales in comparison when Josie finds a body in the woods. Is the dead woman connected to the trouble in DC, or to the trouble brewing in Wilfred? Josie's life depends on the answer, but she has help in the form of the cat who adopted her as soon as she arrived, as well as from the books themselves. Josie learns she is descended from a line of witches, and now she must decide if she wants to block her power or tap into it.

I loved this book! Josie is likable and relatable, and I enjoyed meeting new acquaintances and making new friends right along with her. Rodney, the cat, is wonderful, and I was intrigued by how the books seemed to hum and whisper as they "spoke" to Josie. The plot was different, in that Josie spent more of her time trying to figure out how to save the library as compared to trying to solve a murder. The narrative flowed smoothly, and other characters were portrayed well.

Favorite lines:
♦ "Possibly the worst first day of work in history."
♦ I knew better than to fall for the furry booby trap of a cat's belly.
♦ I'd have much rather spent my days with Trixie Belden than quadratic equations.

Delightful, and I am looking forward to more in this series. Five stars!

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: Golden Knights at Wild