A Cast-Off Coven (A Witchcraft Mystery, #2)

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A Cast-Off Coven (A Witchcraft Mystery #2)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 1,760 ratings · 156 reviews

Students are spooked at the San Francisco School of Fine Arts, and Lily is called in to search for possible paranormal activity. In return she's been promised a trunkful of Victorian-era clothes recently discovered in a school storage closet.

But Lily finds something else: the body of a wealthy patron of the school. In between running the store and seeing her new boyfriend,...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published June 1st 2010 by Signet (first published 2010)

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Aug 14, 2012 Laura the Highland Hussy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review posted at Demon Lover's Books & More

This was such a fun book!

So 5 French nuns walk into a bar...no I'm kidding---they walked into an old convent in San Francisco. And they apparently stirred up something supernatural. This was in the early 1900s, before the Big Fire in San Francisco, and whatever those nuns did, it got buried in the rubble of the old convent. And when Lily is offered the chance to pick up some vintage clothing from the college, she jumps at it. But the closet it's bee...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Hennypenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-owned

Mostly I liked this, but there were a few flaws. The local scenery that is added is mostly fairly common knowledge, but the heroine has only recently moved to San Francisco. She either knows too much or too little about the city. For example she describes Lombard Street without saying when in the last three months she had first seen it (or driven it or did she ever drive on it). Someone moving to a new city isn't immediately familiar with it and someone with a brand new business isn't taking tim...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am enjoying this series, which combines mystery, magic, and fashion in a well-mixed potion.

San Francisco vintage clothing store owner Lily Ivory is offered a deal by the old and famous San Francisco Art School: come and see if she can do something about the "ghosts" that seem to be haunting the place and scaring the students, and in return she can have a room full of vintage clothes found in an unused room.

While touring the school to see what's going on, Lily and several school folks come acro...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Michelle Randall rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cozy-mystery, vintage-clothing, witches, ghosts-spirits

If you have read any of my previous reviews, you might already have figured out that Juliet Blackwell is one of my favorite authors. Not only do I love her books, but I think she is a pretty cool person too, as I follow her on Facebook and hear about the new books as she is writing and they are published. It is alot of fun to be able to keep up with your favorite authors!

This is the Vintage clothing, witch series and this particular book happens to be the second in the series, with the book Seco...more If you have read any of my previous reviews, you might already have figured out that Juliet Blackwell is one of my favorite authors. Not only do I love her books, but I think she is a pretty cool person too, as I follow her on Facebook and hear about the new books as she is writing and they are published. It is alot of fun to be able to keep up with your favorite authors!

This is the Vintage clothing, witch series and this particular book happens to be the second in the series, with the book Secondhand Spirits being the first book.

I really enjoy Lily Ivory, the title character. She is a little afraid of people and making friendships, and her history is hinted at each time she explains that. Not much is told, that he father left when she was a toddler, her mother couldn't cope with a child that was a witch and so her "grandmother" rasied her and tried to teach her about her magik. Now weather Graciela is actually her grandmother by blood or not, I am still not sure about, she kinda hints that she might not be, but Graciela also raised her father before her, so she is counted as a relative. Little is really told about her past, although I am finding that with each book, we find just a hint or two more about her.

Lily has only been in San Fransico for a few months, and she was drawn into a child abduction and a murder in the first book withing weeks of being in town. Now it seems like the local Art College is having a problem with a ghost that is scaring the students, and since one of those students is Maya, who works for Lily, she gets involved in finding out what is going on. The day they decide to visit the school, they don't find any ghosts, but a murder and once again Lily is sucked in and the local police are none too happy.

Lily is still investigation a relationship with Max, and weather there is any chance of one occuring or not, especially since he believes that witchcraft is a bunch of hooey and Lily is a witch. They continue to dance around each other and try to figure out what to do, until Max's family gets drawn into this particular event because his younger brother is a profressor at the Art School where Lily is investigating the haunting or rather what turns out to be more serious and scary, a demon on the lose. Max doesn't want to believe any of it, and yet it is right there in front of his faced, but he thinks he can solve everything with science, and this is going to take alot for him to figure out in his mind. He may never be able to deal with it and there goes a relationship out the window.

I really enjoyed this series, and continue to look forward to what Juliet puts out in the written word.(less)

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Sep 09, 2011 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-cozy-mystery, xx-2011-reads, fiction-mystery

As the second book in this great 'paranormal cozy mystery' series it was different to the first in that this was very much a murder mystery...along with a ghost haunting the site.

I really like this authors writing style as Lily Ivory is interesting and I even feel for her when her past is mentioned and how she was shunned while growing up. I also feel excited for her when she realizes that she has made friends, something she has not had in her life before.

The mystery in this book is once again...more As the second book in this great 'paranormal cozy mystery' series it was different to the first in that this was very much a murder mystery...along with a ghost haunting the site.

I really like this authors writing style as Lily Ivory is interesting and I even feel for her when her past is mentioned and how she was shunned while growing up. I also feel excited for her when she realizes that she has made friends, something she has not had in her life before.

The mystery in this book is once again well written and I did not guess who the murderer was until near the end. There were secrets everywhere when Lily investigates this crime but gradually they come to light.

Oscar often provides some comic relief and I do like his character. We are introduced to Sailor in this book and he was interesting with secrets of his own that he wants to hide away from. I am not sure how to take Aidan as yet but I do like him for that uncertainty if he is a good or bad witch. As for females in her life they are there to support her when needed. Now...Max...I am not really enamored of him and I'm not sure if that is intentional or not. I really don't feel the romance between him and Lily and she seems to be apologizing to him all the time. I guess I have never been a big fan of the 'Betwitched' TV Show (which is mentioned a few times throughout both books) where we have Samantha hiding her true self just to please Darrin. Trying to change oneself or trying to change another person is not good for any relationship.

I'm hope that in the next book (with Max away) we may see something develop between Lily and either Sailor or Aidan. This would be a more interesting and challenging relationship for Lily and she does not have to pretend to be something she's not.

One thing I'd have to say I did not like is some background information was repeated in this book for those that may have not read the first book or perhaps forgot. I think the book was written well enough that this was not required.

I'd recommend this series for anyone who enjoys Cozy Mysteries and/or Paranormal Witchy books!
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Jun 19, 2011 Rochelle rated it 1 of 5 stars

I can't believe I tortured myself by reading the second in the series. My excuse is extreme insomnia and trying to get to sleep. From the first book reveiw

"Totally uneven and poorly thought out. If the heroine was chased out of town at 8 yrs old then traveled the world, why is she so intent on being a Texan? Why does she have an accent? Why does the entire flow of the book have to stop so we can be treated to repeated examples of her Texanism? Why doesn't the heroine have a deeper curiosity abou...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Babs rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-paranormal

Really enjoyed this book. I'm still struggling, however, with the concept that the heroine is supposedly a very powerful witch (a few other characters in the book comment on how powerful she is), but she herself says she only has certain talents in witchcraft and she often doubts herself. However, it is probably the self-doubt that gets in her way. Also, the lack of her training in witchcraft - she left her training early in her teens, due to what a guess you would call social pressures - not fi...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Spuddie rated it 4 of 5 stars

#2 in the so-called "Witchcraft" series featuring Lily Ivory, a witch and vintage clothing shop owner in San Francisco. Lily is asked by her employee Maya, who is also a student at the San Francisco School of Fine Arts, to come to the school and look around on behalf of the woman who runs the school. She's offered a chest full of vintage clothing they found in a closet, but hopes Lily can use her powers to find out about a visitation by a suspected ghost in the bell tower of the school and perha...more #2 in the so-called "Witchcraft" series featuring Lily Ivory, a witch and vintage clothing shop owner in San Francisco. Lily is asked by her employee Maya, who is also a student at the San Francisco School of Fine Arts, to come to the school and look around on behalf of the woman who runs the school. She's offered a chest full of vintage clothing they found in a closet, but hopes Lily can use her powers to find out about a visitation by a suspected ghost in the bell tower of the school and perhaps do something about it. The noises and ghostly presence has ramped up recently and become disruptive.

While at the school, a man falls--or is pushed--down the bell tower steps on the exact site of a suicide several decades earlier. The natural conclusion drawn by many is that the ghost killed Jerry Becker--a rich big-wig with lots of money invested in the school, as well as a daughter, Andromeda, who attends there. Lily is pretty sure that Becker's killer was human, and since he wasn't well-liked and had lots of money, there are plenty of people with motive. Further investigation leads her to believe there is indeed an evil presence at the school, but not from a ghost--rather, from a demon that someone has summoned.

Along the way, Lily has to deal once again with Aidan Rhodes, a powerful witch who makes her uncomfortable on several levels, and Max Carmichael, a journalist whom she went out with once and who definitely interests her (and vice versa) but who is a bit of an enigma and who finds her whole witchiness very discomfiting. She also encounters several other men who briefly caught Lily's attention as the story progressed.

I enjoyed the book for the most part, although at times I'm not sure if the author is trying to pass Lily off as a witch...I mean, a real witch, or if she's got her living in some type of a paranormal world. I suppose given that she has a goblin familiar who disguises himself as her pet potbellied pig, I really shouldn't take any of it too seriously, right? LOL This should probably be classified as light urban fantasy rather than mystery. There are things that were semi-accurate, though--and some of it just accurate enough to perhaps confuse people who aren't familiar with *actual* witch/Pagan practice and belief.

The one other gripe I have is that the author's propensity to make every man Lily met or came across a potential love interest, however briefly, was really annoying. And of course there are at least a couple of permanent romantic interests to keep Lily pulled in two directions, which is one thing that has put me off many so-called mystery series that started with promise and then devolve into romantic baloney, with the mysteries taking a back seat--no, more like being hogtied in the trunk while the romance and sexual tension steer the series. (The whodunit in this one was sort of a no-brainer.)

That said, I like the writing style, I like Lily and her shop and her circle of friends for the most part, and Blackwell really is able to provide a wonderful sense of place, making the city of San Francisco one of the main characters in the book. I also love Oscar to pieces! LOL I'll give the series one more read, and if the next book is obviously continuing down the romance road, as much as I like the other parts of the book, I'll probably stop there. (less)

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Oct 28, 2010 Chibineko rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After having eagerly devoured the first book in this series (Secondhand Spirits), I couldn't wait to see what the second volume of this series would bring. Just like in my review for the first volume, I have to warn all readers who may not be aware of what they're getting into. This is not a mystery. Yes, crimes & murders do occur, but this series is very much an urban fantasy with a touch of mystery in it. It very much deserves to be placed in the UF category, especially since this author h...more After having eagerly devoured the first book in this series (Secondhand Spirits), I couldn't wait to see what the second volume of this series would bring. Just like in my review for the first volume, I have to warn all readers who may not be aware of what they're getting into. This is not a mystery. Yes, crimes & murders do occur, but this series is very much an urban fantasy with a touch of mystery in it. It very much deserves to be placed in the UF category, especially since this author has the chops to match up to genre biggies such as Charlaine Harris & Kim Harrison.

In this volume our favorite witch has been offered a deal that is hard to refuse: check out the ghostly goings on in the local school's supposedly haunted tower in return for a box full of vintage theater clothing. Wooed by the idea of getting more vintage goodies for her shop (which she uses as her own personal closet, just as any of us would), Lily agrees to investigate. When she finds signs of both ghostly AND demonic infestation, Lily knows that this task isn't going to be easy. Add in some interesting new characters & she just might have a chance of coming out of this alive.

I'm serious when I say that this is more UF than mystery, a genre category that was probably pushed on this series more because it doesn't fit the typical trappings of the UF story (gritty heroine, dozens of love interests, vamps & weres coming out of the woodwork, etc). This is way more lighthearted than a Harrison or Armstrong read & I absolutely love this series for it. I love that the main character has friends that are "normal", looks to others for help & isn't all death, blood & gloom all the time. (Not that any of that makes for a bad book, but in a sea of books with similar heroines it is nice to see someone do something different.)

I really do think that this book has managed to top the first one- with all of the main characters introduced in the first book, this entry dives into what makes it so much fun: lovingly described vintage clothing, spooks & the thrill of the chase. There's a few interesting new characters, one of which might have the potential to become either a new ally for Lily or a new love interest. (Or just a major PITA, but he sounds fun.)

If you haven't read the first book in the series, I really recommend that you check it out first just so you can get the gist of everything that is going on. You can read this as a standalone without really missing much, as the book does go over the happenings of the first volume, but it would probably be a better experience if you read Secondhand Spirits.

All I know is that Blackwell has a really good thing going on here & I'm hooked- I'm buying the next volume when it comes out, even if I have to stalk my store's delivery trucks to be the first one to get my hands on it. (less)

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Aug 03, 2010 Dorri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic-ties

This is one of those simply happy books for me. There is a bit of intrigue, a touch of magic, the hint of romance and a dash of scare tactics. It's a great ghost story and a charming novel.

From Book Reviews: Lily Ivory is not your average witch. She runs a vintage clothing store called Aunt Cora's Closet and has the magical ability to sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry. When students are spooked at the San Francisco School for the Arts, Lily is called in to search for paranor...more

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May 31, 2012 LL rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars material

This book was #2 in the Witchcraft Mystery series and it basically picked up right from end of the last book. This time, our protagonist witch, Lily, was (informally) involved in the homicide investigation of a potentially haunted school where someone was found dead on campus.

Lily was supposed to be a powerful witch whose skills were “untrained” (she didn’t complete her magical training before leaving town to start life on her own). In this book, it continued to allude to the...more 3.5 stars material

This book was #2 in the Witchcraft Mystery series and it basically picked up right from end of the last book. This time, our protagonist witch, Lily, was (informally) involved in the homicide investigation of a potentially haunted school where someone was found dead on campus.

Lily was supposed to be a powerful witch whose skills were “untrained” (she didn’t complete her magical training before leaving town to start life on her own). In this book, it continued to allude to the fact that her father was also a powerful, but “bad” witch. No particulars were given regarding his whereabouts or what happened in Lily’s earlier childhood. We as readers just knew that people where generally afraid of her and she didn’t have a close relationship with her mom. I wished the author would have elaborated a little more on Lily’s background and family history, because I had to continue to guess at it, even though this was already the second book in the series.

The murder mystery elements of the book were pretty well done. It certainly kept me guessing as to who the perpetrator(s) could be. Lily wasn’t the best investigator, but following her journey of finding clues, interviewing people, brewing concoctions and twisting spells were pretty entertaining to read. She was in no way kickass in the physical sense, but she was a brave and focused woman who was not afraid of facing dangers in order to save others. Besides her witchy abilities, she felt almost like a normal, average individual to me. I have to admit that reading about her day-to-day operations of her vintage clothing store was tedious at times, probably because I was eager for the story to move along, but it was overall still tolerable.

The relationship between Lily and Max (one of the key male characters in the book) continued to develop in this book. However, it was unfortunate that they reached a hiatus due to Max’s disbelief in all things supernatural. On the other hand, I continued to be fascinated by Aidan, who was also a powerful witch and at the same time the leading witch in the San Francisco area. Aidan gave Lily some magical assistance in the last book, so in this book, Lily was “paying back” her debt to Aidan by investigating the death at the school for him. Besides the fact that Aidan knew Lily’s father and that he was a very capable witch, there wasn’t much further information gleamed from this instalment regarding his origins. Not sure if it was intentional, but it just seemed that the author was holding back information related to Lily’s father and Aidan on purpose.

In general, the author built a world where witchcraft and the paranormal felt real, and they weren’t that much different than what we probably have in the real world. Her writing style was fun and easy to read, and there were some witty passages/dialogues that caused me to chuckle along as I read them. The characters were generally likeable, but I would have preferred to see more character development (e.g. there wasn’t much going on with Max and Aidan, both of whom could have had potential in becoming lead characters in Lily’s life). The “lukewarm” feeling that I got from this book may not be good enough to keep me pining for this series, but I would still continue on with this series. However, I would be expecting more in the next book for sure.
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Jun 09, 2011 Rhianna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jumbled plotting, dissatisfying climax (3 stars)

It's only been a couple of weeks since Lily Ivory faced off with one very nasty spirit in SECONDHAND SPIRITS but she's already being called upon to investigate another spirited situation. Students attending the San Francisco School of Fine Arts are hearing some pretty spooky noises in the school's bell tower. In exchange for her checking it out she's getting a trunk of Victorian duds for her vintage clothing shop, Aunt Cora's Closet.

But when Lily...more Jumbled plotting, dissatisfying climax (3 stars)

It's only been a couple of weeks since Lily Ivory faced off with one very nasty spirit in SECONDHAND SPIRITS but she's already being called upon to investigate another spirited situation. Students attending the San Francisco School of Fine Arts are hearing some pretty spooky noises in the school's bell tower. In exchange for her checking it out she's getting a trunk of Victorian duds for her vintage clothing shop, Aunt Cora's Closet.

But when Lily and her student guides stumble on the body of a rich and influential patron of the school the mystery of the bell tower ghost grows much deeper. Could the ghost have killed Jerry Becker? Could the rumored bell tower ghost be the one haunting the school or is there something more behind the secret closet where the Victorian clothing was discovered?

I didn't madly love SECONDHAND SPIRITS but I really like the concept and the characters so I'm giving the next couple of books in the series a go. Unfortunately A CAST-OFF COVEN was a worse entry. The plot jumps from character to character and scene to scene in a manner that feels rather disjointed. Sometimes there were just too many threads of plot to try and unravel. There's the young man who supposedly commited suicide in the bell tower. Then there are the mysterious French nuns that the Victorian clothing belonged to. Top that off with a bunch of art students that have confusing ties to one another and this feels like a bunch of ideas were thrown into a hat and pulled at random.

Where the secondary characters added a nice balance to the first novel they feel like laundry day undies in this one... only pulled out when there was nothing else to use. Maya's bits in this were almost non-existent and Bronwyn, whom I was rather charmed by before, felt flat. The men in the story all seemed to suddenly want to date Lily, who is aloof to them for no apparent reason other than she's a witch and doesn't seem to know how to act around men because of it. The only bits I really liked enough to keep this one from feeling like a total loss were the little bits with new character Sailor, very enigmatic and hopefully a character who might pop up again.

Overall this was pretty disappointing and generally speaking did not work for me as a reader. Even the actual plot climax happened in a such a way I was left going "uh that was it...?". While I don't think this series' entries can completely stand-alone this one is pretty skippable.(less)

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Oct 03, 2012 Sandra Strange rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror-supernatural, mysteries

Another set of clean, yet romantic, mysteries starring a strong female protagonist, with information and supernatural thrown in. The "detective" of the series is a witch, of all things, who owns a vintage clothing store in San Francisco (on Haight and Ashbury street corner of hippie fame). The mysteries are intriguing: you will learn all about those who deal in the supernatural, from witches, Wiccan followers, voodoo masters, gypsy practitioners, and even Satan worshipers, but in the context of...more

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Oct 26, 2010 Katyana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mystery, series, uf, ghosts-spirits

I liked this one better than the first. Now that the basics of the world are established, the author got to dig in and tell a really fun story.

I felt like the plot in this one was much more gripping. I was pretty into the details of the demon story as it unfolded, and I was largely kept guessing on the details (not ALL the details - I felt like Lily was a little slow to grasp a couple of things, but it was all good by the end).

I also really enjoyed seeing Lily become more connected to the world...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

The second in the Witchcraft Mystery series, A Cast-Off Coven is the sequel to Secondhand Spirits. Lily Ivory is a very powerful witch who used to be a social pariah until she moved to San Francisco and finally settled down with a solid job as a vintage clothing shop owner and made some friends - even a boyfriend at that. With her familiar Oscar (who I think seems more like a son to her than a pet - even though I still don't know what a witch's familiar is), she's starting to fit in among her gr...more

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Oct 21, 2010 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Juliet Blackwell's second book in the Witchcraft Mysteries, A Cast-Off Coven, was an incredible followup to Secondhand Spirits. It's amazing how readily addicted I became to this series. I remembered hearing about it at RT this year, but when I finally made my way to the beginning of the alphabet at the mass signing, her book was already sold out!

The series has a nice blend of the supernatural intertwined with the mystery and they're evenly balanced and well paced with a good dash of suspense. O...more Juliet Blackwell's second book in the Witchcraft Mysteries, A Cast-Off Coven, was an incredible followup to Secondhand Spirits. It's amazing how readily addicted I became to this series. I remembered hearing about it at RT this year, but when I finally made my way to the beginning of the alphabet at the mass signing, her book was already sold out!

The series has a nice blend of the supernatural intertwined with the mystery and they're evenly balanced and well paced with a good dash of suspense. Once again I found it a little hard to figure out the who-done-it. I had my suspicions, but really didn't guess it right until the character was revealed. But I was totally engrossed with the book that I almost could've read it in one day had I made myself do so!

There has been a little bit of time between books, can't remember how much, but book 1 events are mentioned and brought up here and there. And there were of course the familiar characters from the first book as well. This time Lily finds herself investigating strange noises at the college when suddenly a murder occurs and people are saying it was a ghost that did it. But Lily knows that's nonsense, ghosts can't kill people, there's a human murderer on the loose, but there is also something much more dangerous than that on the loose as well and it lives inside the school.

Lily has to do some serious investigating, looking into the school's history back when it was home to a small group of nuns who mysterious disappeared sometime ago after the earthquake. And there are quite a few suspects as well. Oh my goodness, I really couldn't pick just one, every time I started to suspect someone and thought I had the mystery solved something happened to prove me wrong! Yes, very enjoyable indeed! And there are still ghosts and other nasties involved as well!

There is also some more development in the romance area between Lily and Max, but just as things start to heat up, trouble occurs. We also get to learn a little more about Max's history and what happened with his wife. And there are other new characters that pop up as well, like Sailor, another person with the gift like Lily, but he is a very temperamental kind of fellow.

Aidan Rhodes returns as well and is still as secretive as ever. He and Lily definitely have something between them, but what exactly that is, is still hard to figure out other than both being of the magical wielding variety.

Overall a GREAT tremendous read! I don't read a lot of mysteries, but this series has become a fast fave! And I highly highly recommend it if you like paranormals and mysteries! It's the perfect balance!

Overall I give it 5/5 stars!! Can't wait for the next one!!(less)

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Nov 29, 2011 Jadaloves rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really hit pay dirt with this lovely little series by Juliet Blackwell. I was once again drawn into Lily’s world and couldn’t put the book down once I’d started. When Lily gets reports from the students of the School of Fine Arts, she is enticed into investigating the strange noises in exchange for some vintage clothing that was found in an old storage closet. But when Lily checks it out, she doesn’t count on finding the dead body of a school benefactor, or the sinister presence lurking in the...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Rosalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: keepers

Loved it! Sigh! Cosy mysteries (shaking her head). A good series drags you in and there you are, totally hooked. Luckily I don't have to hang around waiting for the next one (she says smugly, knowing there are more on the shelves).
I like the colourful array of characters, and Lily herself. I'm looking forward to learning more of her and I think that the choice she has made in men is excellent, despite the varied and assorted types she has around her. There is plenty of scope to flesh out the re...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Marti rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, paranormal

This was the second book in Juliet Blackwell's series about a witch who after having been cast off from her home in Texas, subsequently lived all around the world, finally she needed a real home and settled in San Francisco. Once there, she opened a vintage clothing and accessories store dubbed Aunt Cora's Closet. Lily, the witch, had lived much of her life denying her true identity and keeping almost exclusively to herself. However, situations needing Lily's "witchy" help have kept coming up. I...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book had a much stronger witchcraft presence than I was expecting- I thought it would be similar to Madelyn Alt's mysteries, but the paranormal element was actually much more present. The book deals with exorcising demons, practicing witchcraft (in a way that isn't silly and woo woo like in many other books), reading people's auras, creepy warlocks, etc. At times it was a little scary and made me want to check under the bed for the "night mares" that visit the main character at night, but a...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries, ghost-story, paranormal-romance

Sometimes a good gimmick mystery with good characters are great in the first outing and then fizzle in subsequent books. This one still sizzles with an interesting heroine with an intriguing past. Lily Ivory is a natural witch who has settled in San Francisco. She has a vintage clothing store. The search for items to stock her store often lead her to situations of magic, mystery, and danger.

Lily is asked to investigate a ghost at an art school in a former convent; in return she's been given a tr...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Leya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

A Cast off Coven is the second book in Witchcraft series. I recently picked up the first three books of the series when I was at the library. I love mysteries, especially the short, sweet and cosy ones. Add a dash of this and a dash of that, and I'm a happy reader.

I love that this author has the ability to make me forget time. I started reading it and a forgot myself in these pages. The cast of characters is amazing, obviously the main character, Lily, is a great character, but I believe that h...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Eero rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: witch, paranormal, demons

Main character: Claims to be powerful witch but acts like novice who don't know anything.

Secondary characters are all males that have less or more sexual intrest to our main character. And they all are of course handsome and sexy men, and there is four of them, but still main character complains that she don't get enough action and she is not nymph.

There is also plot some where, where in some art school is haunted by deamon and our main charater is only one who has any real intrest to investiga...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Gina rated it 2 of 5 stars

I liked 'A Cast-Off Coven' okay, it is the 2nd book in the series and I haven't read the first one. I might have liked it better if I had read the first book. But it was an easy read, easy to pick up and put down when I needed to.

A not-so-young(31) witch moves to San Francisco, collects and sells old (vintage) clothes in her shop and solves mysteries on the side. Lily is sometimes naive to be 31 but that is explained away as she didn't finish high school or socialize much because of finding out...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Lynsey (The Demon Librarian) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: whodunnit, there-s-been-a-murrrrrder, smack-your-witch-up, romantic-elements, paranormal-mystery, ghost-tastic, audible-or-itunes-book

Another enjoyable paranormal mystery from Juliet Blackwell.

This, for me, was on a par with the first book in the series, Secondhand Spirits. Our resident witch and vintage clothing expert this time takes on a suspected haunting at the Art Department of the local college. Strange noises and occurrences have the student body completely freaked out, and Lily Ivory, known for being knowledgeable about "those sorts of things" is called in to help.

There were a lot of new characters introduced that w...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Jacque Brant rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: living-large-in-paranormal

Started this yesterday at 4am and just finished it!!! Awesome book!! Loved the 1st one and I do have the whole series thus far and just love Lily!! A witch who has so many secrets that she doesn't even know about!!! I'm looking forward to finding them out!! And so many hot men in her life...but they all are secretive as well. Love the plots and character flows. I've had these in my Nook for awhile and just started them....now my curiosity is peaked!! A total page turner and also makes me want to...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, mystery, paranormal

This is the second book in the Witchcraft Mystery series by Juliet Blackwell. This book opens shortly after the end of the first book, Secondhand Spirits. This time, Bronwyn, the Wiccan herbalist who has a small corner of Ivy's vintage clothing store, Aunt Cora's Closet, knows that Ivy is a natural witch. Maya, the young student who is now working for Ivy, does not. Maya thinks that Ivy is some kind of "sensitive" and brokers a deal with the provost of the local arts college for Ivy to do some i...more

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Dec 30, 2012 C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: up-to-2012

I have a habit that fares well. With music, I know a few songs before collecting every album an artist has. With books, print longevity and used stores are hit & miss. If an author looks good and there’s a bargain, I snatch it up. Since it takes time to absorb a lifelong pile... I do acquire all related titles before opening any of the books. This risky approach saved my interest in Juliet Blackwell!

I was wise to start with Madelyn Alt, whose witch content is very light (too light as of volu...more

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Jun 23, 2010 Margie rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading a review on Lesa's Book Critiques, I recently read the first in this series ("Secondhand Spirits") about a witch who had recently moved to San Francisco. I admit I was dubious about it, partially because it is a paperback original. However, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the story and the writing, so I gave the second book a try.

Since I live near San Francisco (San Jose), it's always fun to read about a familiar setting. Also, the main character of Lily Ivory is comple...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Karyogini rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-on-2011

Becoming more than a cozy read. :)

It still is a very informative book for spells and what not... I feel like I'm getting educated in the word of witches. There's a lot of world building still for a second book. I don't like that part too much. :( It's an easy read but it feels like we always have to go back to the basics which were already tackled in the 1st books.

Anyway, lots of interesting things develop in this book. :) I like it. :) I want to read the 3rd book already to know what happens n...more

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About Juliet Blackwell

Juliet Blackwell (aka Julie Goodson-Lawes, aka Hailey Lind) started out life in Palo Alto, California, born of a Texan mother and a Yankee father. The family soon moved to what were, at the time, the sticks of Cupertino, an hour south of San Francisco. Walking to and from kindergarten every day she would indulge in her earliest larcenous activity: stealing walnuts and apricots from surrounding orc...more Juliet Blackwell (aka Julie Goodson-Lawes, aka Hailey Lind) started out life in Palo Alto, California, born of a Texan mother and a Yankee father. The family soon moved to what were, at the time, the sticks of Cupertino, an hour south of San Francisco. Walking to and from kindergarten every day she would indulge in her earliest larcenous activity: stealing walnuts and apricots from surrounding orchards.

By the time she graduated middle school, the orchards were disappearing and the valley at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay had become the cradle of the silicon semi-conductor. A man named Steve Jobs was working in his garage in Cupertino, just down the street. Juliet's father advised his daughters to enter the lucrative and soon-to-flourish field of computers.

"Bah" said Juliet, as she went on to major in Latin American Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz (they had, by far, the best parties of any department). Rather than making scads of money in computers, she read, painted, learned Spanish and a little French and Vietnamese, lived in Spain and traveled through Europe, Mexico, and Central America. She had a very good time.

uliet pursued graduate degrees in Anthropology and Social Work at the State University of New York at Albany, where she published several non-fiction articles on immigration as well as one book-length translation. Fascinated with other cultural systems, she studied the religions, folklore and medical beliefs of peoples around the world, especially in Latin America. Juliet taught the anthropology of health and health care at SUNY-Albany, and worked as an elementary school social worker in upstate New York. She also did field projects in Mexico and Cuba, studied in Spain, Italy, and France, worked on a BBC production in the Philippines, taught English as a second language in San Jose, and learned how to faux finish walls in Princeton, New Jersey. After having a son, moving back to California, and abandoning her half-written dissertation in cultural anthropology, Juliet started painting murals and portraits for a living. She has run her own mural/faux finish design studio in Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco, for more than a decade. She specializes in the aesthetic renovation of historic homes.

Finally, to round out her tour of lucrative careers, Juliet turned to writing. Under the pseudonym of Hailey Lind, Juliet penned the Art Lover's Mystery Series with her sister Carolyn, about an ex-art forger trying to go straight by working as a muralist and faux finisher in San Francisco. The first of these, Feint of Art, was nominated for an Agatha Award; Shooting Gallery and Brush with Death were both IMBA bestsellers, and Arsenic and Old Paint is now available from Perseverance Press.

Juliet's Witchcraft Mystery series, about a witch who finally finds a place to fit in when she opens a vintage clothes shop on Haight Street in San Francisco, allows Juliet to indulge yet another interest—the world of witchcraft and the supernatural. Ever since her favorite aunt taught her about reading cards and tea leaves, Juliet has been fascinated with seers, conjurers, and covens from many different cultures and historic traditions. As an anthropologist, the author studied and taught about systems of spirituality, magic, and medicine throughout the world, especially in Latin America. Halloween is by far her favorite holiday.

When not writing, painting, or haranguing her funny but cynical teenaged son, Juliet spends a lot of time restoring her happily haunted house and gardening with Oscar the cat, who ostensibly belongs to the neighbors but won't leave her alone. He started hanging around when Juliet started writing about witches...funny coincidence.
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Books by Juliet Blackwell

Secondhand Spirits (A Witchcraft Mystery, #1)

Hexes and Hemlines (A Witchcraft Mystery, #3)

If Walls Could Talk (A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery #1)

In a Witch's Wardrobe (A Witchcraft Mystery, #4)

Dead Bolt (A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery #2)

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A Cast-Off Coven (A Witchcraft Mystery #2)

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