A Notion of a Potion

Happy Blendings Witch #4

by Constance Barker

Poison Darts and Mystery Vines

Goodspring's business folks are up in arms. A new NEED-IT-NOW store wants to open for business in the town and the shop owner's are afraid it will ruin them. The man attempting to bring the store to town is a sly character and the witches have their hackles up. Business owners as well don't care for the shifty character. But when a town hall meeting, discussing if the new store should be allowed to come to the town, is interrupted by a murder, Sam and friends want to know who would murder one of their own. Are there more mysteries in this small town that are about to reveal themselves?

The vines in Sam's garden are getting stronger and more menacing. What do they mean and why can't she kill them?

Tessa and Ethan's romance gets hotter, but will his new found heritage put a dent in their relationship?

Genres: Paranormal, Cozy Mystery

163 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 15, 2019

About the author

Constance Barker lives in the Midwest with her husband and two Akitas where she can look out from her screened porch onto a wooded area brimming with activity. Since she was a young girl she read mysteries, often given to her by her grandmother. She loved figuring out who the culprit was and sometimes she was right and other times startled at who the author picked as the assailant. Now she enjoys writing mysteries herself. When she isn't writing stories, she can be found in her favorite vacation spot, Las Vegas or shopping for bargains.

Reviews

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nic Needleman comes to Goodsprings, Georgia, with the intention of opening a NEED-IT-NOW store which could hurt the other businesses and maybe even cause them to have to close. No one is happy with this intrusion! Everyone attends the Town Meeting to discuss the situation, but when the lights go out momentarily and come back on, they find one of the business owners has been murdered!

Sam and her friends need to solve the murder! Also, someone has started to vandalize the local businesses, throwing a brick through a window and worse! Is Nic Needleman trying to distract them by doing this or threatening them so they won’t stop his plans? Sam also has to figure how to deal with aggressive killer vines that are attacking her orchard. So far nothing she has done has been able to get rid of it! And David is not around for the next two weeks to help her, having taken time off work at the smoothie shop! What else can go wrong?

You will love this new cozy mystery! The story line is well-paced, and all of the various catastrophes keep the pressure on Sam to make it all right again! Grab your copy and have fun solving the mystery!

[Sue-Dee Numb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad I have stuck with this series as I am starting to see improvements, It is a bit more who dunnit now rather than here's who it was!
I would love to see a bit more of the information that we find out (The detective twins heritage) from previous books being investigated rather that it being passed off as a paragraph three or four chapters in!
There is not much magic being performed in this one, nor do the "Witches" follow correct calendar as a Sabbat is a particular festivity in the wheel rather than just an excuse for a party! and the conclusion to some of the storyline left me feeling like I had missed a chapter, but with each book the series improves,

You do not need to read previous books in the series to read this one, and if it is your first book you will not miss anything having not read previous books

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am enjoying this series more and more as it progresses, and this book is the best in the series so far. The characters are getting better defined and the plots are definitely improving, there is more of a mystery than in the earlier books.
The author is certainly keeping her powder dry over some of the storylines, such as the detective twins' half vampire heritage, which has been rather glossed over so far, hopefully it will form a bigger part of a future book in the series.
I liked the premise of this story about a big store chain wanting to open a branch near Goodsprings, and the fear that this will kill the heart of the community. But the secondary story of magical, lethal vines killing Sam's orchard is also very interesting.
This book is part of a series, but it can be read as stand-alone, most of the important background is included in this book.
I received an advance copy of the book, but have voluntarily written this honest review.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A "Big Box" store is trying to come into Goodsprings, and the merchants and citizens are not happy. When a bizarre murder occurs in front of a full house meeting about the store, Sam and the coven are drawn into solving the murder. But Sam's also trying to figure out how to save her garden from killer vines, so little rest for her! David sure picked a bad time to take time off work at the smoothie shop!

This was a great addition to the fun series! We learn more about how the witches release stress as well as the unending research that must be done. But my favorite part was learning just a little bit more about a reoccurring character that I have been intrigued with from the very beginning. Now I can't wait until the next book to learn details!! This is one series that gets better with every book. Considering the first book was excellent, that's quite an achievement!

[Penny Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great addition to the series. I have liked every book I have read so far. Constance Barker has a way of pulling you into a story, making you feel like you are right there living the adventure. There is a murder and a mysterious vine growing, choking out the garden. Mystery, magic, and monsters, (human and paranormal). On top of everything else, you have two young witches in training, whose spells always seem to go haywire, causing more mischief to the coven and town.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mike Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and entertaining supernatural cozy mystery series

A fun and entertaining supernatural cozy mystery series. A great cast of characters and a fun and eclectic storyline. A small coven of witches with origins in the small Georgia town. Their families and other which’s in there Coven have protected this town since its founding. With a couple of new detectives in town Who just happen to be half vampire. Follow along as they solve murders mysteries and other mystical trouble. Check it out

[Lucrecia Tolbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that A Notion Of A Potion is the best book yet in the series. In this book, the business owners of Goodsprings are on edge and are looking for a solution to their problems. The characters are loveable and have layers that have yet to be revealed. The more layers that are peeled back the more enjoyable the characters are becoming.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[sherri jones-teachout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will Samantha’s business be next? One business owner has been murdered and other business owner’s buildings have been attacked. Vandalism and destruction of property. Is the man responsible for trying to build a new mall in town responsible in order to stop the small business owners from stopping his project? Or is there another reason business owners have been targeted? I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Janet Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy Paranormal Mystery
This is part of the Happy Blending Witch series and should be read in order to get the most enjoyment. The story has several 'arcs' going on at the same time. Some are solved and new ones are begun. There is just enough witchery and human stuff going on to make it a very good story. I can't wait for the next episode. I received this ARC book for free from Booksprouts and this is my honest review.

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big box store in Goodsprings? Not if the locals have anything to say about it. But at the town meeting for the vote there is a murder. Then the vandalism to the shops starts. And Sam has a vine problem that is threatening her grove. What is an earth witch to do? Solve the case of course! Fun and fast read. So enjoyable!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Myra Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique series

I have enjoyed this series and like the uniqueness of the plots. I don't find the characters very relatable though. The lack of romance in the life of the main character after 4 books in the series is a bit odd for a cozy mystery. The characters need to grow and change for the better.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Notion of a Potion by Constance Barker is an awesome story to read. This is book number four in this awesome story that I have loved reading very much and can not wait to read the next book in this series. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about fantasy and cozy mysteries.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how the story is mixing things that happen in 'real-life' with the witches and people of Goodsprings. Of course, this story wouldn't be complete without a few other problems to keep everyone busy and the tempo moving along. I am really enjoying this series! I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Booksprout.

[Philip Caracciolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good

When I started this series I thought it was average. However, I read the next three installments over the course of a week and ended up loving it! It grew on me and the characters became endearing. I can’t wait for another one!

[Heather Bane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great book by Constance Barker. I loved the storyline and characters. Each are well written and developed. I definitely recommend reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book it had me from the start. The characters are well developed and engaging and they have a connection throughout the storyline. The storyline flowed smoothly from beginning to the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[JANE VAN HORN · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. This is a great series. the characters are interesting and easy to follow. This one was the best one yet.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mystery was nearly unsolvable by the coven! It was a blast to read! I am enjoying this series more and more!

[nancy elsesser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

Great story I like that Sam doesn’t have a hot guy. I hope they dont always have a murder, mystery is good

[Matthew Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed

The mystery,humor and the characters are fascinating and exciting to read and I am looking forward to your next book.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A big box store is trying to edge into Goodsprings, and very few people are happy about it. Hence a town meeting, in the middle of which occurs an oddly committed murder. Once again, Sam and the rest of the coven become embroiled in the mystery, needing to sovle. A secondary plot line has Sam trying to solve the problem of a killer vine that is trying to destroy her entire orchard.

The premise of big business coming in and destroying not only small business but an entire communtiy was relatable. It was a great foundation for a cozy mystery!

See my full review here: http://acuppabooks.kimdeister.com/a-n....

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun visit to Happy Blendings with Sam and her crew. I really enjoy these mysteries, it is great to see how the characters develop and grow and to get to know them better. This time, a big chain store has decided to set a store in town, but this will mean the death of all the small independent shops that keeps the town quaint and lovely. It will also make many of the small businesses redundant and the shops will soon go out of business. So when the meeting was called at the town hall, the attendance left it heaving with many a loud voice objecting to the NEED-IT-NOW store. But that was before the light went out, came back on again and the dead body was found.

5 stars and looking forward to the next book!!