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Witch City Mystery #1
Caught Dead Handed
She's not a psychic--she just plays one on TV. Most folks associate the city of Salem, Massachusetts with witches, but for Lee Barrett, it's home. This October she's returned to her hometown--where her beloved Aunt Ibby still lives--to interview for a job as a reporter at WICH-TV. But the only opening is for a call-in psychic to host the late night horror movies. It seems the previous host, Ariel Constellation, never saw her own murder coming.
Lee reluctantly takes the job, but when she starts seeing real events in the obsidian ball she's using as a prop, she wonders if she might really have psychic abilities. To make things even spookier, it's starting to look like Ariel may have been an actual practicing witch--especially when O'Ryan, the cat Lee and Aunt Ibby inherited from her, exhibits some strange powers of his own. With Halloween fast approaching, Lee must focus on unmasking a killer--or her career as a psychic may be very short lived. . .
Lee reluctantly takes the job, but when she starts seeing real events in the obsidian ball she's using as a prop, she wonders if she might really have psychic abilities. To make things even spookier, it's starting to look like Ariel may have been an actual practicing witch--especially when O'Ryan, the cat Lee and Aunt Ibby inherited from her, exhibits some strange powers of his own. With Halloween fast approaching, Lee must focus on unmasking a killer--or her career as a psychic may be very short lived. . .
407 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 2, 2014
608 people are currently reading
4569 people want to read
About the author
Carol J. Perry
38 books779 followersCarol J. Perry is the author of the Witch City Mystery series and the Haunted Haven series, both from Kensington Publishers. The Witch City stories take place in the magical city of Salem, Massachusetts--the "Witch City." Carol was actually born in Salem (on Halloween eve!) and knows the city well. The Haunted Haven books take place in Carol's adopted home state of Florida. As an experienced travel writer for magazines and newspapers, Carol knows her way around the Sunshine State too. The Salem books are based of course on a real city but Haven, Florida is made up of bits and pieces of some of the Sunshine State's charming older towns--bypassed by the theme parks. Readers of the Witch City books have come to know O'Ryan, a most remarkable cat. The new series introduces Finn, a lovable Golden Retriever.
Carol lives in the Tampa Bay area of Florida with her husband Dan.
Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Carol lives in the Tampa Bay area of Florida with her husband Dan.
Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 817 reviews
November 2, 2017
I really wanted to like this book; I'm from Tampa and there was both the nostalgia factor and the desire to support a fellow Floridian motivating me to press on to the end, but I just can't.
First off, the book is way too predictable. It's almost as if Perry stopped just short of neon flashing signs that read "LOVE INTEREST" and "MURDERER" above specific characters' heads. In the vein of problematic writing, why set it in Salem if you aren't going to employ some of the richness of the setting and character of the residents? You have to really sell it if you're going to employ such an overused location, and she didn't. Similarly, why even bother giving the main character any magical abilities if they're little more than footnotes in the story?
All of that could be forgiven, though, because it IS a First in Series, and sometimes authors need to grow into their writing.
However, as far as social sensitivity goes, this book is a HOT. DAMN. MESS. Why is Perry using the word "g*psy" when we know it's a racial slur? Why is the antagonist a transphobic stereotype? Why is mental illness being used as the M.O.?
I really hope this isn't something that continues on in Perry's books. I hope she's aware of how much harm she causes to the Romani and LGBT communities, and to people with mental illness, by perpetuating ignorance.
First off, the book is way too predictable. It's almost as if Perry stopped just short of neon flashing signs that read "LOVE INTEREST" and "MURDERER" above specific characters' heads. In the vein of problematic writing, why set it in Salem if you aren't going to employ some of the richness of the setting and character of the residents? You have to really sell it if you're going to employ such an overused location, and she didn't. Similarly, why even bother giving the main character any magical abilities if they're little more than footnotes in the story?
All of that could be forgiven, though, because it IS a First in Series, and sometimes authors need to grow into their writing.
However, as far as social sensitivity goes, this book is a HOT. DAMN. MESS. Why is Perry using the word "g*psy" when we know it's a racial slur? Why is the antagonist a transphobic stereotype? Why is mental illness being used as the M.O.?
I really hope this isn't something that continues on in Perry's books. I hope she's aware of how much harm she causes to the Romani and LGBT communities, and to people with mental illness, by perpetuating ignorance.
May 28, 2017
Ughhhhhhhhh I wanted something light and fun and I liked the whole tv-psychic thing and reading about Lee learning about tarot and discovering her own powers, BUT whyyyyyy. One book in this series is enough for me.
October 8, 2015
I think this is one of the best books I've read! As a cozy mystery reader, there are many different styles to choose from. I happen to be a huge fan of anything that includes witches, Salem and cats.
This book combines all three of my favorite things and the author's words flow so seamlessly that I had a difficult time putting this one down.
Lee Barrett returns to Salem, Massachusetts after the death of her husband. She seems quite comfortable returning to her childhood home, back to her roots, and back to her Aunt Ibby, who raised her after the tragic death of her parents.
Lee is looking for a change and her upcoming interview with WICH-TV as investigative reporter is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned and the job doesn't quite pan out. She is offered another job and although it's not what she envisioned for herself, it's still a step in the right direction.
Before Lee can say abracadabra, she is embroiled in a crazy murder and channeling her inner psychic powers as Crystal Moon.
This book is fun, well written and the plot is intriguing. I can't wait to read the next one.
This book combines all three of my favorite things and the author's words flow so seamlessly that I had a difficult time putting this one down.
Lee Barrett returns to Salem, Massachusetts after the death of her husband. She seems quite comfortable returning to her childhood home, back to her roots, and back to her Aunt Ibby, who raised her after the tragic death of her parents.
Lee is looking for a change and her upcoming interview with WICH-TV as investigative reporter is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned and the job doesn't quite pan out. She is offered another job and although it's not what she envisioned for herself, it's still a step in the right direction.
Before Lee can say abracadabra, she is embroiled in a crazy murder and channeling her inner psychic powers as Crystal Moon.
This book is fun, well written and the plot is intriguing. I can't wait to read the next one.
October 7, 2014
How grossly inappropriate for a cozy mystery to use dissociative personality disorder and childhood sexual abuse as the solution to the whodunit.
October 7, 2017
I was so sucked into this book and couldn't put it down until I figured out who the murderer was. Then I got frustrated with the author for cultural insensitivity and for perpetuating dangerous stereotypes. Other reviews have been more eloquent about this issue. I'm disappointed.
October 6, 2020
I wanted to try some cozy mystery because it seems like it would be easy, relaxing entertainment, and I chose this one because it had some SFF elements, so was more in my normal area of interest. This started out meeting my expectations, with simple, but amusing characterizations, setting and plot, but quickly devolved into a ball of problematic tropes that need to be yeeted into the sun.
I hadn't payed attention to when this was written and thought maybe this could be forgiven a little bit as being an older book and of its time. Nope. Published in 2014.
On top of all that, you would have to have the mentation of a brick to not solve the mystery by the 50% mark so it was a pretty big letdown on that front too.
I do not recommend this book.
I hadn't payed attention to when this was written and thought maybe this could be forgiven a little bit as being an older book and of its time. Nope. Published in 2014.
On top of all that, you would have to have the mentation of a brick to not solve the mystery by the 50% mark so it was a pretty big letdown on that front too.
I do not recommend this book.
November 1, 2016
This was a fun little cozy mystery for the Halloween season. It's your typical cozy formula about a woman who returns to her small town after being away in the big city for many years, only to be caught up in a murder mystery. Cliched, yes, but if you're picking out a cozy mystery to read, odds are that's what you're in the mood for. I was. The only thing different about the formula is that the small town is actually Salem, Massachusetts, which makes it even better.
I was surprised by the heavier taboo moments of this book, but overall it was fairly light. I just wanted a little more magic and Halloween involved. Also, more exploration of the town. In the end, I give this 3.5 stars and I will be reading the next book in the series.
I was surprised by the heavier taboo moments of this book, but overall it was fairly light. I just wanted a little more magic and Halloween involved. Also, more exploration of the town. In the end, I give this 3.5 stars and I will be reading the next book in the series.
August 6, 2017
This was a typical cozy with a slight paranormal flair. It stars Lee Barret who has come home to Salem after her NASCAR husband was killed in a car accident. It has been awhile but she just felt she needed to go home. She had high hopes of becoming an actress, but weathergirl is about as far as she has gotten. she moves in with her aunt and ends up as a job as a late night horror movie host on a local TV channel pretending to be a psychic, after she finds the old psychics body. Of course sleuthing is involved, a handsome cop, plenty of suspects, and just maybe some real magic!
I ended up really liking this mystery even though the mystery portion of the book was ridiculously easy. I mean I solved it in the first quarter of the book. After that the author was like screaming clues at the readers. It was almost like she was writing the mystery clues for a chapter book. That part aside, I liked the characters. I thought most of them had some depth to them. The cop could use a little more fleshing out. He was a tad cardboardish.
It was a really fast read and I am looking forward to the next in the series.
I ended up really liking this mystery even though the mystery portion of the book was ridiculously easy. I mean I solved it in the first quarter of the book. After that the author was like screaming clues at the readers. It was almost like she was writing the mystery clues for a chapter book. That part aside, I liked the characters. I thought most of them had some depth to them. The cop could use a little more fleshing out. He was a tad cardboardish.
It was a really fast read and I am looking forward to the next in the series.
November 26, 2022
Caught Dead Handed (Witch City Mystery, #1)
by Carol J. Perry
I read these out of order, darn! But it wasn't hard to sort out. Just wish I had paid attention! These are fun cosy psychic mystery books. Lee, the gal of our story comes back to Salem to live in the old house next to her Aunt, sounded like a connected house. Her aunt raised her. Lee widowed. Lee had a few psychic experiences as a child but doesn't remember them. But now, she is experiencing them again after she finds a dead body.
Its a great intro to the series. We meet a cat that is from the dead witch and he decides that Lee is where he wants to live with. He seems to know more than a cat should.
Fun book!
by Carol J. Perry
I read these out of order, darn! But it wasn't hard to sort out. Just wish I had paid attention! These are fun cosy psychic mystery books. Lee, the gal of our story comes back to Salem to live in the old house next to her Aunt, sounded like a connected house. Her aunt raised her. Lee widowed. Lee had a few psychic experiences as a child but doesn't remember them. But now, she is experiencing them again after she finds a dead body.
Its a great intro to the series. We meet a cat that is from the dead witch and he decides that Lee is where he wants to live with. He seems to know more than a cat should.
Fun book!
October 22, 2014
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.
I really liked the heroine of this book. Lee Barrett is a smart, level-headed adult whose behavior in odd situations is refreshingly realistic (so much so that it actually seems like inconsistent characterization when it takes Lee nearly all of this 400 page book to solve the crime that a good chunk of readers will have worked out pretty early on). The writing carried me along and was never bad, though it was generally prosaic. I was entertained enough.
Unfortunately, I had issues with other aspects of this book. The Salem set-up was never really used to full advantage. The author is from Salem, but this story could pretty much have taken place anywhere. The attempts to link it to specifically to its Salem location consisted almost entirely of weird B-plot suggestions regarding the 17th Century Salem witch trials that ultimately didn't amount to much and were actually a little bit off-putting. (In fact the paranormal elements in this book are so super-duper light, I'd argue that it's basically just a "cozy mystery".) I also found it odd that although heroine Lee lived in Salem for most of her life, moving away only after graduate school and coming back about half a dozen years later after her husband's death -- they lived in Tampa, also like the author, and part of the book is totally randomly set there too! -- that Lee does not seem to know a single person there besides her Aunt Ibby. Would she really remember no one? Would no one remember her?
But here is my MAIN problem:
I really liked the heroine of this book. Lee Barrett is a smart, level-headed adult whose behavior in odd situations is refreshingly realistic (so much so that it actually seems like inconsistent characterization when it takes Lee nearly all of this 400 page book to solve the crime that a good chunk of readers will have worked out pretty early on). The writing carried me along and was never bad, though it was generally prosaic. I was entertained enough.
Unfortunately, I had issues with other aspects of this book. The Salem set-up was never really used to full advantage. The author is from Salem, but this story could pretty much have taken place anywhere. The attempts to link it to specifically to its Salem location consisted almost entirely of weird B-plot suggestions regarding the 17th Century Salem witch trials that ultimately didn't amount to much and were actually a little bit off-putting. (In fact the paranormal elements in this book are so super-duper light, I'd argue that it's basically just a "cozy mystery".) I also found it odd that although heroine Lee lived in Salem for most of her life, moving away only after graduate school and coming back about half a dozen years later after her husband's death -- they lived in Tampa, also like the author, and part of the book is totally randomly set there too! -- that Lee does not seem to know a single person there besides her Aunt Ibby. Would she really remember no one? Would no one remember her?
But here is my MAIN problem:
September 9, 2020
Lee Barrett has come home to Salem, Massachusetts with her sights set on a reporter's job at WICH-TV. When she shows up for her job interview, not only has the position already been filled, but she discovers the station's late-night psychic, Ariel Constellation, dead in Salem Harbor. Instead of a news anchor job, she finds herself filling the dead psychic's job -- introducing late night cheesy horror movies, and answering calls from viewers looking for psychic advice. She becomes Crystal Moon for the show, Nightshades. When another body is discovered and strange things start happening around the station, Lee becomes an amateur sleuth to discover the identity of the killer.
Caught Dead Handed is the first book in the Witch City Mystery series. There are 3 books in the series so far.
This book was a fun read! I love cozy mysteries, especially ones with cats. The main character, Lee, not only fills Ariel Constellation's job, but adopts her cat as well. The cat's name is Orion, which Lee changes to O'Ryan. The plot is a nice mix of mystery and humor. I liked the main character. She doesn't take herself too seriously. I mean how can you take yourself seriously when your job is to dress up in a gypsy costume and pretend to be psychic?
The twist in the plot wasn't a big surprise. I had it figured out a few chapters before it was revealed. But that didn't impede my enjoyment of the book. The writing, plot, and characters were all well done, maintaining my interest all the way to the end. I did feel that things wrapped up rather hurriedly at the end, but I can't fault a 400+ page cozy for moving too quickly. The pacing was very well done. I just felt the wrap-up was handled a bit too fast, with the mystery solved just a few pages from the end, without much information on what happened afterwards.
But, I guess all of that is in book 2.....which I will, of course, be reading. It doesn't take a psychic to figure that one out!
My 2020 re-read of this book:
I listened to this story in audio format. The audio is about six hours long, narrated by C.S.E. Cooney. She has a pleasant voice and reads at a good pace. The plot is cute and fun. I can't imagine being a late night horror host, but the main character, Lee, really rises to the occasion and gives it her best! This is definitely a great autumn/Halloween listen. I'm kicking off my season of all things witchy, scary and creepy with this cozy series.
I'm definitely reading through all the books this time!
One thing I find annoying about Scribd -- this audio book on Scribd is the Abridged format. I didn't realize it until I got to the end. It seemed impossible that a 400+ page cozy could be read in six hours! I compared the running time with the same audio book on Audible. Scribd - 6 hours. Audible - 8 hrs 52 minutes. I do not want to listen to audio books with 3 hours of the plot yanked out of them!! Several plot points I remembered from my first reading of the book are missing.....grrrrrr.
I'm on my 30-day free trial of Scribd. Not listing whether the audio books are abridged or unabridged, (and most audio cozy mysteries on the site appear to be abridged) may just be a deal breaker. I still have a few days to make up my mind......but the abridged issue has me leaning towards cancelling.
Caught Dead Handed is the first book in the Witch City Mystery series. There are 3 books in the series so far.
This book was a fun read! I love cozy mysteries, especially ones with cats. The main character, Lee, not only fills Ariel Constellation's job, but adopts her cat as well. The cat's name is Orion, which Lee changes to O'Ryan. The plot is a nice mix of mystery and humor. I liked the main character. She doesn't take herself too seriously. I mean how can you take yourself seriously when your job is to dress up in a gypsy costume and pretend to be psychic?
The twist in the plot wasn't a big surprise. I had it figured out a few chapters before it was revealed. But that didn't impede my enjoyment of the book. The writing, plot, and characters were all well done, maintaining my interest all the way to the end. I did feel that things wrapped up rather hurriedly at the end, but I can't fault a 400+ page cozy for moving too quickly. The pacing was very well done. I just felt the wrap-up was handled a bit too fast, with the mystery solved just a few pages from the end, without much information on what happened afterwards.
But, I guess all of that is in book 2.....which I will, of course, be reading. It doesn't take a psychic to figure that one out!
My 2020 re-read of this book:
I listened to this story in audio format. The audio is about six hours long, narrated by C.S.E. Cooney. She has a pleasant voice and reads at a good pace. The plot is cute and fun. I can't imagine being a late night horror host, but the main character, Lee, really rises to the occasion and gives it her best! This is definitely a great autumn/Halloween listen. I'm kicking off my season of all things witchy, scary and creepy with this cozy series.
I'm definitely reading through all the books this time!
One thing I find annoying about Scribd -- this audio book on Scribd is the Abridged format. I didn't realize it until I got to the end. It seemed impossible that a 400+ page cozy could be read in six hours! I compared the running time with the same audio book on Audible. Scribd - 6 hours. Audible - 8 hrs 52 minutes. I do not want to listen to audio books with 3 hours of the plot yanked out of them!! Several plot points I remembered from my first reading of the book are missing.....grrrrrr.
I'm on my 30-day free trial of Scribd. Not listing whether the audio books are abridged or unabridged, (and most audio cozy mysteries on the site appear to be abridged) may just be a deal breaker. I still have a few days to make up my mind......but the abridged issue has me leaning towards cancelling.
November 3, 2018
2.5 stars
Review to come
Review to come
October 20, 2022
Absolutely terrible. I would give this 0 stars if I could. This is definitely a one star I feel passionate about. Trigger warnings for this book will be at the bottom if you don’t want to read my rant. I think the thing that amazes me the most is how high the ratings for this book are. I even see one person say it’s the best book they read EVER. Just no.
This was supposed to be a cozy mystery. I have 3 main genres I read. Fantasy as my main, paranormal/paranormal romance as my guilty pleasure, and cozy mystery for when I’m in a slump and my brain needs to relax a bit. This book did not fulfill its duty as a Cozy mystery. I’m actually pretty irked and riled up now.
This story follows Lee, who has moved back to her home in Salem after living in Florida for a while and losing some important people in her life. She shows up to a interview, just to then find the dead body of WICH-TV’s psychic. Of course, this means a new position is open now for Lee, and she takes it, and learns that not everything is as it seems and she wasn’t all that different from the original psychic. When strange happenings start occurring along with more murders, Lee relies on her friends at the studio on a whodunnit adventure. Interesting and fairly simple right? Wrong.
Lee herself is a Mary Sue. She’s so bland and omg is she stupid! Honestly the mystery could have been solved so much sooner if she just had a brain cell. And the police? Yeah they were just there because “oh murder... guess I have to have the police show up”, but they didn’t actually do anything intelligent. Lee just really has no brain cells... clues are given to her so many times... like they’re smacking her in the face, but she just closes her eyes and goes “oh my that feels weird, maybe it means something”, basically. Things also happen way too conveniently as well for her at the same time.
The book tried to be deep by having her sexually harassed while she was live on tv by one of the callers saying “nice tots”. Okay all well and good right? You’re gonna turn this into something meaningful right? Omg no. What follows is just Lee acting like she was straight up assaulted and is the only girl ever to have an unwanted comment thrown her way. I get it, it’s embarrassing and uncomfortable... but the way the author handles it is just not it.
There’s literally a psychic friend who claims she has concerning news for Lee and her aunt who she’s staying with, but instead of telling her as a friend (they’re friends) , she legit wants her to make a damn appointment to be able to learn the life threatening news lmao. Legit. I can’t make this up. I thought it was a sketchy money scheme at first... because like they’re already on the phone right? If it’s life threatening wouldn’t she just tell her? But nope nothing sketchy happens with her. The author apparently just thinks this is the most logical way to do it. Or maybe it was her attempting to keep us in suspense? Idk tbh lmao. We really didn’t learn anything super amazing from this woman.
Wanna know something even more unbelievable? A coven of witches shows up in the sea on a huge ship... to bless where the body died. In the middle of the day. And made it onto the news making a huge spectacle. I’m sorry but I rolled my eyes so hard . This entire book was an insult to Wicca and mental health (I’ll get to that later) oh and the Romani people! (Also will get to that later). I get it’s a simple book... but I still expect it to not be this cringey and at least a little realistic?
But it also stops being a simple book when it decides it wants to take the personality disorder trope into its plot as well. My oh my is it uneducated and totally disgusting representation at that! Dear lord... and they even threw in a really rather dark sexual abuse storyline that ended up bordering on the lines of being problematic on the personality disorder front AND hints of casual homophobia. I swear this book has it all folks!
The G slur for Romani people is used 20+ times in this book and is totally serious and never mentioned or addressed as being wrong( I kinda hoped someone would come along and correct the characters but that never happens), so that tells me this author thinks using the G word is totally fine to describe the way she seems to think a witch typically looks. Don’t even tell me this isn’t a problem. It is. This book was written in 2014. There’s no excuse for any of this, especially in a COZY mystery.
The only plus in this book was Orion the cat who belonged to the original psychic. But even his role became kinda cringey and unrealistic by the end. It also is part of the really really bad personality disorder plot arc.
The writing in general was also just not good. And I’m not even saying that to be petty. It was the first thing I noticed, and if not for everything above, would have contributed to this being a 3 star just because of how bad it was. It’s sooooo overfilled with irrelevant descriptions. We have a descriptor word every other word. It’s also littered with way too much dialogue. This entire book may as well be nothing but Lee running her gums but for as much as she talks... accomplished nothing.
I won’t be continuing lol. There are like 8 books in this series. Nope. Can’t do it.
TRIGGER WARNING: sexual abuse (mentioned), bad personality disorder rep, causal homophobia, casual racism.
This was supposed to be a cozy mystery. I have 3 main genres I read. Fantasy as my main, paranormal/paranormal romance as my guilty pleasure, and cozy mystery for when I’m in a slump and my brain needs to relax a bit. This book did not fulfill its duty as a Cozy mystery. I’m actually pretty irked and riled up now.
This story follows Lee, who has moved back to her home in Salem after living in Florida for a while and losing some important people in her life. She shows up to a interview, just to then find the dead body of WICH-TV’s psychic. Of course, this means a new position is open now for Lee, and she takes it, and learns that not everything is as it seems and she wasn’t all that different from the original psychic. When strange happenings start occurring along with more murders, Lee relies on her friends at the studio on a whodunnit adventure. Interesting and fairly simple right? Wrong.
Lee herself is a Mary Sue. She’s so bland and omg is she stupid! Honestly the mystery could have been solved so much sooner if she just had a brain cell. And the police? Yeah they were just there because “oh murder... guess I have to have the police show up”, but they didn’t actually do anything intelligent. Lee just really has no brain cells... clues are given to her so many times... like they’re smacking her in the face, but she just closes her eyes and goes “oh my that feels weird, maybe it means something”, basically. Things also happen way too conveniently as well for her at the same time.
The book tried to be deep by having her sexually harassed while she was live on tv by one of the callers saying “nice tots”. Okay all well and good right? You’re gonna turn this into something meaningful right? Omg no. What follows is just Lee acting like she was straight up assaulted and is the only girl ever to have an unwanted comment thrown her way. I get it, it’s embarrassing and uncomfortable... but the way the author handles it is just not it.
There’s literally a psychic friend who claims she has concerning news for Lee and her aunt who she’s staying with, but instead of telling her as a friend (they’re friends) , she legit wants her to make a damn appointment to be able to learn the life threatening news lmao. Legit. I can’t make this up. I thought it was a sketchy money scheme at first... because like they’re already on the phone right? If it’s life threatening wouldn’t she just tell her? But nope nothing sketchy happens with her. The author apparently just thinks this is the most logical way to do it. Or maybe it was her attempting to keep us in suspense? Idk tbh lmao. We really didn’t learn anything super amazing from this woman.
Wanna know something even more unbelievable? A coven of witches shows up in the sea on a huge ship... to bless where the body died. In the middle of the day. And made it onto the news making a huge spectacle. I’m sorry but I rolled my eyes so hard . This entire book was an insult to Wicca and mental health (I’ll get to that later) oh and the Romani people! (Also will get to that later). I get it’s a simple book... but I still expect it to not be this cringey and at least a little realistic?
But it also stops being a simple book when it decides it wants to take the personality disorder trope into its plot as well. My oh my is it uneducated and totally disgusting representation at that! Dear lord... and they even threw in a really rather dark sexual abuse storyline that ended up bordering on the lines of being problematic on the personality disorder front AND hints of casual homophobia. I swear this book has it all folks!
The G slur for Romani people is used 20+ times in this book and is totally serious and never mentioned or addressed as being wrong( I kinda hoped someone would come along and correct the characters but that never happens), so that tells me this author thinks using the G word is totally fine to describe the way she seems to think a witch typically looks. Don’t even tell me this isn’t a problem. It is. This book was written in 2014. There’s no excuse for any of this, especially in a COZY mystery.
The only plus in this book was Orion the cat who belonged to the original psychic. But even his role became kinda cringey and unrealistic by the end. It also is part of the really really bad personality disorder plot arc.
The writing in general was also just not good. And I’m not even saying that to be petty. It was the first thing I noticed, and if not for everything above, would have contributed to this being a 3 star just because of how bad it was. It’s sooooo overfilled with irrelevant descriptions. We have a descriptor word every other word. It’s also littered with way too much dialogue. This entire book may as well be nothing but Lee running her gums but for as much as she talks... accomplished nothing.
I won’t be continuing lol. There are like 8 books in this series. Nope. Can’t do it.
TRIGGER WARNING: sexual abuse (mentioned), bad personality disorder rep, causal homophobia, casual racism.
November 25, 2016
Loved, loved, loved O’Ryan…he’s the main character. Okay, maybe he’s not but he was my main and favorite character…he’s the dead psychic’s familiar cat :) After Lee Barrett finds the host of a call-in psychic show dead, she and her Aunt Ibby somehow wind up adopting O’Ryan. Or maybe O’Ryan adopts them. That’s how it usually goes with cats :)
Lee’s goal is to be a news reporter at WICH-TV, but the job goes to someone else. Instead, Lee is offered the call-in psychic job to replace the murdered psychic. This is not at all what Lee wants or has any experience with, but a job is a job and it’s a way to get her foot in the door at WICH-TV. It’s not long before Lee realizes she just might have some psychic abilities after all when she sees visions in an obsidian ball.
Strange and scary things start happening at the TV station and it doesn’t help knowing a murderer is on the loose. Lee and her aunt do some investigating on their own and begin to discover things aren’t as they seem. They need to find the killer before the killer finds them.
Like I said before, the kitty is my favorite character but I did enjoy the others as well. Lee and her aunt are wonderful, strong characters. The author brings her entire cast to life on each page.
The storyline kept me guessing, but I slowly began to realize what was happening. It wasn’t until close to the end when it all started coming together for me. This is a captivating, exciting and intriguing plot.
Definitely a must read series for me. I can’t wait to read the second one and revisit O’Ryan, Lee and Aunt Ibby.
Excellent start to a series.
Lee’s goal is to be a news reporter at WICH-TV, but the job goes to someone else. Instead, Lee is offered the call-in psychic job to replace the murdered psychic. This is not at all what Lee wants or has any experience with, but a job is a job and it’s a way to get her foot in the door at WICH-TV. It’s not long before Lee realizes she just might have some psychic abilities after all when she sees visions in an obsidian ball.
Strange and scary things start happening at the TV station and it doesn’t help knowing a murderer is on the loose. Lee and her aunt do some investigating on their own and begin to discover things aren’t as they seem. They need to find the killer before the killer finds them.
Like I said before, the kitty is my favorite character but I did enjoy the others as well. Lee and her aunt are wonderful, strong characters. The author brings her entire cast to life on each page.
The storyline kept me guessing, but I slowly began to realize what was happening. It wasn’t until close to the end when it all started coming together for me. This is a captivating, exciting and intriguing plot.
Definitely a must read series for me. I can’t wait to read the second one and revisit O’Ryan, Lee and Aunt Ibby.
Excellent start to a series.
December 31, 2022
Kensington Folks, Please Read!
So, I don't think I've ever done a one-star review before. Usually I feel like a book that bad doesn't need more of my time. But here's the thing--this is a well-written mystery by a significant publisher. Presumably there were lots of eyes and hands on the project. And. Yet. It doesn't seem to have occurred to anybody that it was grossly transphobic to blithely spew misinformation about transgender issues, to reinscribe stereotypes from 50 years ago that were not accurate then, and to sensationalize dissociative issues, also with deeply dated and inaccurate information. SERIOUSLY?! This was published in 2014. Excellent resources were available on all these issues. Sensitivity readers were less common but still available. And that neither author nor publisher chose to address the issues involved bothers me deeply. It shows not only significant disrespect to the queer community and to anyone suffering a mental health issue, but to the rest of your readers as well. Punching down hard on already vulnerable communities is nauseating. Nobody seems to have set out to cause harm, but that doesn't keep a book like this from being harmful. Perry, Kensington, if you're reading this: KNOW BETTER, DO BETTER. Everybody else, find a different book to read.
So, I don't think I've ever done a one-star review before. Usually I feel like a book that bad doesn't need more of my time. But here's the thing--this is a well-written mystery by a significant publisher. Presumably there were lots of eyes and hands on the project. And. Yet. It doesn't seem to have occurred to anybody that it was grossly transphobic to blithely spew misinformation about transgender issues, to reinscribe stereotypes from 50 years ago that were not accurate then, and to sensationalize dissociative issues, also with deeply dated and inaccurate information. SERIOUSLY?! This was published in 2014. Excellent resources were available on all these issues. Sensitivity readers were less common but still available. And that neither author nor publisher chose to address the issues involved bothers me deeply. It shows not only significant disrespect to the queer community and to anyone suffering a mental health issue, but to the rest of your readers as well. Punching down hard on already vulnerable communities is nauseating. Nobody seems to have set out to cause harm, but that doesn't keep a book like this from being harmful. Perry, Kensington, if you're reading this: KNOW BETTER, DO BETTER. Everybody else, find a different book to read.
October 6, 2017
This was my second reading of this first book in the Witch City mysteries.
It was such a delight to reread. It was still as fresh, charming and enjoyable as it was the first time. With a great set of characters of Lee (Marilee), Aunt Ibby, O'Ryan and Detective Pete Mondello. In a well plotted and written mystery that will keep you turning the pages from start to finish.
If you have not tried this series yet...they are well worth reading.
If you like the review and would like to read my other reviews on books I have read, visit my blog at www.finalchapterreadersgroup.wordpres...... like, comment and follow.
It was such a delight to reread. It was still as fresh, charming and enjoyable as it was the first time. With a great set of characters of Lee (Marilee), Aunt Ibby, O'Ryan and Detective Pete Mondello. In a well plotted and written mystery that will keep you turning the pages from start to finish.
If you have not tried this series yet...they are well worth reading.
If you like the review and would like to read my other reviews on books I have read, visit my blog at www.finalchapterreadersgroup.wordpres...... like, comment and follow.
July 9, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Some of that may be to the fact I had listened to a couple of very disappointing books for this one. The mystery was interesting and the flow of the book was fast-paced. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and settings for the book and it setup the future series very well.
I enjoyed all the characters in the book. Which is surprising for me because there is usually at least one character that annoys me. I liked the main characters of Lee and her aunt, the police and all of the supporting characters at the television station.
The book lost a star in rating because the last quarter of the book was pointless. The solution was obvious to everyone but it appeared the author needed to make the book last longer. The author accomplished this by having all the characters lose their intelligence and just basically ignore all the clues. It was not needed and made the book drag on way too long. Also the finale was a little anti-climactic.
The narrator was really good especially when Lee was “On-Air” as her TV persona.
I enjoyed all the characters in the book. Which is surprising for me because there is usually at least one character that annoys me. I liked the main characters of Lee and her aunt, the police and all of the supporting characters at the television station.
The book lost a star in rating because the last quarter of the book was pointless. The solution was obvious to everyone but it appeared the author needed to make the book last longer. The author accomplished this by having all the characters lose their intelligence and just basically ignore all the clues. It was not needed and made the book drag on way too long. Also the finale was a little anti-climactic.
The narrator was really good especially when Lee was “On-Air” as her TV persona.
September 30, 2024
2 🌟
Mood Reading Season: fall but I don’t recommend reading it tbh
Oof. I can’t recall a time when a book has gone from a 4 star to a 2 so fast for me.
First of all it’s really important I mention that this book is full of trigger warnings, so please consult them before reading. I went in assuming it would be a cozy and instead I got a triller. Never what you want when you need something simple and calming to unwind.
The mystery was far too obvious and was a particularly lazy choice for a reveal sadly. Besides a decent main character and some interesting magic (that frustratingly doesn’t get properly explained), the book was a dud for me.
I wouldn’t recommend this one and don’t see myself continuing the series.
Mood Reading Season: fall but I don’t recommend reading it tbh
Oof. I can’t recall a time when a book has gone from a 4 star to a 2 so fast for me.
First of all it’s really important I mention that this book is full of trigger warnings, so please consult them before reading. I went in assuming it would be a cozy and instead I got a triller. Never what you want when you need something simple and calming to unwind.
The mystery was far too obvious and was a particularly lazy choice for a reveal sadly. Besides a decent main character and some interesting magic (that frustratingly doesn’t get properly explained), the book was a dud for me.
I wouldn’t recommend this one and don’t see myself continuing the series.
June 26, 2018
Loved this! Curious as to what path Lee will take.
March 18, 2020
WTHeck?! Okay, I read a LOT of cozy mysteries, but if you couldn’t figure out who the killer is a little more than halfway through the book then you are either 8 years old or have an IQ of 65 and just don’t get foreshadowing and hits with a sledge hammer. Seriously, you could edit out a quarter of this book or at least stop beating the reader to death with blinding slaps in the face with the clues so that you have no choice but to figure it out WAY before the end and then have to wait for everyone else to get on board. I figured that it had to be a serious red herring it was so obvious, but no. Our heroine misses hints that were metaphorically handed to her on a platter which was then used to whack her over the head and she STILL didn’t get it. She was supposed to be really smart too! I would have given the book 4 stars but feel it was more of a 2 star tale because after you guess the killer and much of the motivation, you have to see more and more hints beating you to death with the conclusion for another 40% of the book. You can’t believe that the protagonist isn’t getting it. When there wasn’t a surprise ending after having had the killer revealed so obviously I found myself a bit annoyed.
I did like the characters and a loved the cat, but this got lost in the fact that the author thought I was too dumb to figure it out for myself so she drowned me in clues and this ticked me off enough to take away all the positives of the story. Maybe the next one, if I read it, will be better, but don’t make it so easy an 8 year old could solve it. It’s nice to be able to figure out the ending but not so quickly and so easily. I guess I am so annoyed because the writing is basically pretty good and it had so much potential to be a good little mystery. If this is the authors first work, I hope she gained a little more faith in the readers to get her clues because if she does that, I’d definitely read her again. I just got tired of waiting until everyone in the story came to the conclusion I was well aware of 3/5ths into the story.
I did like the characters and a loved the cat, but this got lost in the fact that the author thought I was too dumb to figure it out for myself so she drowned me in clues and this ticked me off enough to take away all the positives of the story. Maybe the next one, if I read it, will be better, but don’t make it so easy an 8 year old could solve it. It’s nice to be able to figure out the ending but not so quickly and so easily. I guess I am so annoyed because the writing is basically pretty good and it had so much potential to be a good little mystery. If this is the authors first work, I hope she gained a little more faith in the readers to get her clues because if she does that, I’d definitely read her again. I just got tired of waiting until everyone in the story came to the conclusion I was well aware of 3/5ths into the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2022
I really liked this story, but I figured out the twist quite early. The author casually uses “g*psy” (as an adjective, not a slur, but still), and there is problematic use of mental illness and a transgender character that I’m not sure was handled all that well. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series to see if those things are improved on. I hope so, because I really did enjoy this story and want to see what happens with Lee, Ibby, and O’Ryan next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2022
This is the first of the series I’ve read and I loved it !! I kind of figured out the ending beforehand but it was still worthwhile ! My only complaint was the 65-year-old aunt was called elderly twice 😳🙀🙀🙀🙀
August 11, 2021
Confesso di aver comprato questo libro (ebook) cinque o sei anni fa, dopo aver vinto il secondo a una maratona organizzata dai lettori per cercare di salvare i cozy mysteries dopo che diverse case editrice stavano bloccando la loro pubblicazione. Poi me ne sono dimenticata fino a un paio di mesi fa, quando mi sono accorta per caso che tutti i volumi successivi della serie eccetto l'ultimo erano in offerta e li ho acquistati. Ora questo capitava a pennello per un paio di challenge che ho in corso e mi sono decisa a leggerlo. Confesso anche che ero un po' trattenuta dal lato "streghesco" della storia, invece lo ho apprezzato e ho trovato la protagonista assai credibile, oltre a essere entrata in sintonia con lei assai facilmente. Per quanto riguarda il mistero, dopo il colloquio fra la protagonista e il veterano avevo già capito tutto; nonostante ci sia voluto un bel po' perché anche i protagonisti ci arrivassero, ho continuato ad apprezzare la storia. Beh, che dire? Mi aspettano diversi altri libri prima di mettermi in pari; oltretutto questa serie è ancora in corso...
October 11, 2019
This was easy and fun. I guessed the big twist pretty early on, but I enjoyed the setting and the secondary plots.
Definitely a cozy mystery! Will probably pick up the sequel sometime soon.
Definitely a cozy mystery! Will probably pick up the sequel sometime soon.
September 11, 2020
I'm not a very big fan of the paranormal cozies but I do like some of them and this was one of those I like, that doesn't stretch my credulity too far. The main character was likable and sensible and believable. When I saw that this was set in Salem, Massachusetts I was skeptical but the author paid tribute to both sides of the city: the history which brings out the paranormal crowds and residents but also she wrote about and featured the every day, working and "normal" residents too. Lee, the main character tries for a job as a reporter on the local Salem TV station. She has moved back to her home town and is living with her aunt because her beloved husband had been killed in a car crash. She finds the job has already been filled and leaves, discouraged, only to find a dead body in the water near her car. This starts a chain of events that embroils her in finding the killer before he or she attacks her. She did take over the dead woman's psychic call in show after all, and seems to have gifts of her own. I really liked that she didn't go off haring after suspects alone. Every time she found a clue or had any new information, she called the police--as any normal person would! Of course it didn't help that the detective was very attractive and may be a new love interest! I did have the killer figured out and the plot twist was pretty obvious to me but may not be to others. I can't say much else without giving out spoilers. Good, fun, enjoyable book to read, especially as the fall season is soon upon us!
October 4, 2018
Due to this being a book club read, I cannot really give it a full review until after the 27th when we meet to discuss it [and where I will, once again, be very unpopular]. I CAN tell you that I didn't really like this book much - I didn't like the language, I didn't like the vulgarity and there were aspects of the story that I cannot discuss here that rubbed me the wrong way only because I had a friend in a similar situation so I knew of it first-hand and I felt the author tried to be more sensational rather than sympathetic. I know that is so very vague, but there you are.
There WERE aspects of the book that I did enjoy - the Salem background for one, Aunt Ibby for two and the rest would also be spoilers so my lips are now sealed. Or fingers. Or whatever.
I will say the narrator for this book led to a lot of the negativity surrounding this read - a friend of mine was reading it as well and was able to both listen AND read the book book and had a much difference experience once she was able to dump the audiobook. Because I was unable to do that and had to listen to the WHOLE BLOODY BOOK [and can we talk about how this book was easily 200 pages too long and about 2 hours too long in audio], it really made me NOT like this book. Meh. What a horrible narrator. Ugh.
Perhaps after book club I will come back and update this. Or maybe I won't. We will see.
There WERE aspects of the book that I did enjoy - the Salem background for one, Aunt Ibby for two and the rest would also be spoilers so my lips are now sealed. Or fingers. Or whatever.
I will say the narrator for this book led to a lot of the negativity surrounding this read - a friend of mine was reading it as well and was able to both listen AND read the book book and had a much difference experience once she was able to dump the audiobook. Because I was unable to do that and had to listen to the WHOLE BLOODY BOOK [and can we talk about how this book was easily 200 pages too long and about 2 hours too long in audio], it really made me NOT like this book. Meh. What a horrible narrator. Ugh.
Perhaps after book club I will come back and update this. Or maybe I won't. We will see.
October 12, 2018
The city full of witches, ghosts, crystal ball, crystal
necklaces, a dead psychic, a psychic cat named
Orion but changed to O’Ryan, poisoned cat food,
a slashed woman, tarot card readings, tea leaf
readings and the Witch’s Ball brew together to
make this book a very intriguing and interesting
story.
Lee Barrett returns home to her Aunt Ibby’s house
in Salem, Massachusetts. She is going to interview
at the local television station to be a reporter. But
she will discover only job available is that of the
call-in psychic hosting the late night horror show.
The previous host, Ariel Constellation was found
dead outside the studio.
Aunt Ibby offers to take the deceased psychic’s
cat, Orion home. They changed his name to
O’Ryan. But someone is trying to kidnap the cat.
The Tarot cards reader warns Lee & her
grandmother to be careful as danger is in the
cards.
An action packed, suspenseful, well written story.
The characters were colorful, vividly described,
quirky and provided an array of suspects.
This was a new author to me and a new series.
A perfect Halloween read🎃🎃🎃🎃
necklaces, a dead psychic, a psychic cat named
Orion but changed to O’Ryan, poisoned cat food,
a slashed woman, tarot card readings, tea leaf
readings and the Witch’s Ball brew together to
make this book a very intriguing and interesting
story.
Lee Barrett returns home to her Aunt Ibby’s house
in Salem, Massachusetts. She is going to interview
at the local television station to be a reporter. But
she will discover only job available is that of the
call-in psychic hosting the late night horror show.
The previous host, Ariel Constellation was found
dead outside the studio.
Aunt Ibby offers to take the deceased psychic’s
cat, Orion home. They changed his name to
O’Ryan. But someone is trying to kidnap the cat.
The Tarot cards reader warns Lee & her
grandmother to be careful as danger is in the
cards.
An action packed, suspenseful, well written story.
The characters were colorful, vividly described,
quirky and provided an array of suspects.
This was a new author to me and a new series.
A perfect Halloween read🎃🎃🎃🎃
October 7, 2020
A pleasant contemporary, somewhat cozy mystery set mainly in Salem, Massachusetts. We spent our vacation there two years ago, and I wasn't able to visualize the beautiful town we fell in love with based on the author's descriptions. Although she does mention some of the key historical events and sites, it might be that later books in the series would capture it a bit better, for this reader at least. It was a lengthy book and I guessed the identity of the killer at page 285, so getting to the end from there was a bit of a slog. Still, the likable characters, especially Lee and her Aunt Ibby, made it worth finishing, although the end was a bit darker than usual for a cozy. 2 1/2 stars, rounded up to 3.
December 8, 2020
What I wanted: an enjoyable cozy-style mystery set in a town I like a lot.
What I got: an MC who could not put any details together and who lacked any real imagination, thus missing all the SCREAMINGLY OBVIOUS DETAILS.
Yeah, I like when the clues are in there where you can solve it, but when they’re flagged with neon flashing MySpace-style gifs, it’s far less enjoyable.
Also, these clumsy details are accompanied by a total JKR-style transphobic, uh, “twist,” as well as rampant racist slurs about the Romany. Pro tip: g*psy is NOT how to describe your generic predilection for flowy skirts and tons of beads. ALL THE EYEROLLS.
What I got: an MC who could not put any details together and who lacked any real imagination, thus missing all the SCREAMINGLY OBVIOUS DETAILS.
Yeah, I like when the clues are in there where you can solve it, but when they’re flagged with neon flashing MySpace-style gifs, it’s far less enjoyable.
Also, these clumsy details are accompanied by a total JKR-style transphobic, uh, “twist,” as well as rampant racist slurs about the Romany. Pro tip: g*psy is NOT how to describe your generic predilection for flowy skirts and tons of beads. ALL THE EYEROLLS.
March 19, 2018
I can't believe how much I liked this book. I picked it up because it was the book chosen for a book club I am a member of. It was the perfect choice for October. I had never read a witch or psychic themed cozy before, so I wasn't sure I would like it. It was not over the top with magic, like I feared it might be. It was exactly the right amount for Halloween. The author had me eagerly reading more! The character's are really well-defined and the story is told in such an interesting way that I couldn't wait to read another in the series.
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