A Potion to Die For

Title: A Potion to Die For

Author: Heather Blake [Website] [Facebook] aka Heather Webber [Website]

Publisher: Obsidian Mystery

Series: Magic Potion Mystery, Bk 1

ISBN: 9780451416308

Length: 313 pages

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:

I had put in a purchase request because it looked interesting.  It happened to be due in a day, I was ready for the next book, and I decided to try this one.

Comments: 

I've read and enjoyed a couple of the Wishcraft books, so I wasn't surprised to find that I enjoyed this book as well.  Carly owns a potion shop.  Her cousin owns a hex shop.  She's a good witch who inherited the family secret ingredient.  Her cousin is the dark witch who want the family's secret ingredient.  And then a dead body shows up in her shop and her clientèle doesn't trust her potions quite so much.  Her cousin doesn't seem quite all that bad.  And other things are turning topsy turvy as well.

I really thought Carly should have been a little less black & white given her cousin more of a chance.  Which is saying something because I've been criticized for not seeing shades of gray.  Carly also seems a little flaky in some ways.  Nevertheless, I still liked her character and look forward to seeing more of her (and her ex, cousin, and others) in the second book due out in November 2014.

Murder Abounds in this Post...

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson, Bk 3) by Darynda Jones (library copy) -

 I don't think I have much more to say than when I posted on the first 2 books in this series.  I love the humor, I could do without the sex stuff (though I know others enjoy that part), and I'm definitely interested to see what happens next.  In particular for this book, I especially appreciated the ending bit... it was intense and emotional.  Book 4, Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, is due out this October (I think).

It Takes a Witch (Wishcraft Mystery, Bk 1) by Heather Blake aka Heather Webber (library copy) -

A witch cozy with a twist.  I enjoyed exploring that twist.  I liked Darcy as a character and found myself intrigued or charmed with several secondary characters.  And I appreciated the way the victim went from being someone to dislike to someone to feel sympathetic towards (I really wanted to say sorry for or pity, but those terms sound more negative than fits).  I look forward to reading the second book (due out in August) A Witch Before Dying.

Buried in a Book (Novel Idea Mystery, Bk 1) by Lucy Arlington (library copy) -

I picked this up knowing it was book related and excited to read it.  I found out the main character, Lila has a teenage son and I felt a bit more cautious.  In my experience, teenagers (as characters) can so often make a story less enjoyable.  Fortunately, I still enjoyed this book.  There's a trailer, but I couldn't find any code to embed it, so I'm stuck with a link.  I plan on reading the second book, Every Trick in the Book.

ETA: I'm pretty sure I saw a reference in there about a certain cozy mystery with a cupcake theme. Hmm... wonder what book that could be? ;p

An Appetite for Murder (Key West Food Critic, Bk 1) by Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleib (library copy) -

I have read and enjoyed Roberta Isleib's advice column books, so I know I like her writing.  I liked Hayley for the most part, but there were a couple things (I'm not sure I even really know what they are to describe) that irritated me a bit.  I think maybe how dependent she was on her friends or maybe that she repeated over and OVER how she had moved to the Key West for her ex.  On the other hand I was a fan of her restaurant reviews and her appreciation for cats.  I will read the next in the series, Death in Four Courses.