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Vampire Tea Room Magical Mystery #4

English After-Doom Tea: The Magical Tea Room Mysteries

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Minnie Wells, here! I was hoping for a fun weekend at the biggest horse races in England. But instead, I discover the body of an infamous horse trainer, murdered in the stables! Now I’ve got to team up with my sassy black cat familiar to catch the killer, and clear the track’s veterinarian of the bogus charges against him.

But as I wade through a long list of suspects, from rival jockeys to angry animal rights activists, I’m afraid I’ve caught the killer’s notice.

Can I solve the case before I’m next on the chopping block?

This is a clean, paranormal cozy mystery series with zero profanity or violence, but heaps of humor and a hint of romance. If you like escaping into stories with charming English settings, hilarious characters, talking cats, and twisty mysteries, you’ll love English After-Doom Tea !

164 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2021

419 people are currently reading
229 people want to read

About the author

Erin Johnson

90 books717 followers
A native of Tempe, Arizona, Erin spends her time crafting mysterious, magical, romance-filled stories that’ll hopefully make you laugh.

In between, she’s traveling, napping with her dogs, eating with her friends and family, and teaching Pilates (to allow her to eat more).

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5 stars
697 (58%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
Profile Image for Gemma.
834 reviews67 followers
September 23, 2021
I love this series!
Minnie is really finding herself and her powers growing .
As usual Minnie has to uncover the truth to a crime to help those close to her.
I love the characters in this series, and love Minnies investigations. A lovely read in a great series.
Profile Image for Denise.
7,524 reviews137 followers
July 19, 2022
Minnie and the tea room staff are spending a weekend at a big horse racing event. Unsurprisingly enough, once again, she stumbles across a dead body. An infamous and thoroughly unpleasant horse trainer has been murdered in the stables and the track's veterinarian, a close friend of Minnie's mentor Mim, arrested for the crime. To clear him, Minnie and Tilda investigate.

Fun as usual. I was a bit disappointed Gus wasn't in this one, as he's such a fun character, but Tilda got a little more time to shine and we learn something surprising about one of the butlers Minnie has been working with, so there was plenty to keep me entertained.
Profile Image for Karen (BaronessBookTrove).
1,123 reviews108 followers
December 22, 2021
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.English After-Doom Tea by Erin Johnson has Minnie dealing with a mystery at a derby.
Can Minnie find out who killed Timmy Pipe?
Minnie Wells
Minnie Wells is at Derbyshire working with her butler friends and Fitz serving the goers to the derby. I loved everything about this installment, especially Minnie's jealously toward Fitz and someone else. She is getting better at her magic, and another thing that I love is Tilda. Tilda is such a sweet and sassy familiar for Minnie.

Minnie gets wrapped up in solving another mystery because she wants to prove someone is innocent and to help out the police. I didn't know who did it this time since the victim was a real piece of work. Minnie got to the right person at the end, which is always a good thing. I love Minnie, Fitz, and all of the people Minnie has met. These people are helping her through a tough time in her life, and it's a good thing to have them there to help her out.
English After-Doom Tea CRThe Victim
The victim is an infamous horse trainer by the name of Timmy Pipe. The guy is known in the horse racing world to keep his horses going out on the race track even if they aren't in good health to do that, along with threatening jockeys if they don't do exactly as he and the horse's owner wants. Timmy dying gets Minnie wrapped up in solving the mystery as a veterinarian who didn't like Timmy is the fallout guy. I think that Timmy might have been zealous about making sure the horses he trained won the races because he spent a lot of time preparing them, so Timmy knew that they could win the race. I'm afraid I disagree with how Timmy treated the jockeys, horses, his training staff, the veterinarians, and others who care for the horses he trains. I also don't agree that he deserved to die and especially for the reason that he did.

Ms. Johnson has done a fantastic job on this mystery as I didn't think it was the person who did do it.
Five Stars
I am giving English After-Doom Tea by Erin Johnson five stars and recommending it to anyone that loves a paranormal cozy mystery. Minnie's world is great, and I love how she is growing, especially with her magic. She is a fabulous character, and Ms. Johnson has done fantastic work planning this whole series/world.


Other Books in the Series

Spelling the Tea by Erin Johnson With Scream and Sugar by Erin Johnson A Score to Kettle by Erin Johnson English After-Doom Tea by Erin Johnson


Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of English After-Doom Tea by Erin Johnson.

Until the next time,

Karen Signature

Happy Reading!



Victim/Toe Tag #1: Timmy Pipe

Beachcomber Weapons: Blunt Object

Beachcomber Crime Scene: Horse Stable

Detectives: Minnie Wells (W)

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

Profile Image for Linniegayl.
1,368 reviews32 followers
August 31, 2024
In the latest Vampire Tea Room mystery Minnie, Fitz, and all of the butlers are away from Bath providing catering for a series of races outside of town. When the expected winner of the first race loses, things get tricky, and soon after there's a murder.

Minnie begins to investigate the murder at the request of her mentor, when her mentor's close friend (and vet) is arrested for the murder. I guessed pretty quickly who the killer was, but still enjoyed the mystery and getting to know a bit more about our regular characters.

One thing I've enjoyed so far about this series is there isn't a ton of info-dumping about the world. We just gradually learn more about the vampires and witches. And in this latest entry, we learn a bit about some other supernatural beings.
Profile Image for Nina Silva.
198 reviews11 followers
September 22, 2021
We’re back with the full staff of the Bath Butler Cafe, although I did miss Minnie's bestie,Gus, who was away for this mystery.

The crew is visiting Derbyshire for the yearly Derbyshire Cup. What’s supposed to be a few days of horse races and catering services soon turns into a mystery.

When Timmy Pipe, a controversial horse trainer, ends up dead, Minnie is immediately pulled into the drama. Timmy has no shortage of enemies as his abrasive personality and aggressive tactics made him quite unlikable. Mim, Minnie’s mentor, is also at the races to help her veterinarian ‘special’ friend keep the horses safe. When Jack ends up as the prime suspect, Mim enlists Minnie’s support to find the real killer.

I enjoyed this hunt. There were quite a few suspects, including Jack. Each of the suspects have a strong motive and most of them seem fully capable of committing the deed, especially as they had opportunity too. Every time we seem to have a handle on what’s what, a new clue gets thrown in as well. I loved the twists, turns and character revelations we uncover. Minnie takes centre-stage for the big reveal that very satisfyingly ties up the mystery.

But there’s more! Minnie and Fitz inch ever closer to acknowledging their feelings for and to each other, and there’s a startling revelation from one of the butlers. You’ll have to read to find out…

Overall, another fantastic jaunt into Erin’s fantasy world. In fact, this might be my favourite yet of the Magical Tea Room Mystery stories.
Profile Image for Brenda.
3,501 reviews47 followers
February 7, 2023
A small English town. An enchanted tea room. A murder at a horse race. Can this newbie witch and her vampire friends catch the killer?
Minnie Wells, here! I was hoping for a fun weekend at the biggest horse races in England. But instead, I discover the body of an infamous horse trainer, murdered in the stables!
Now I’ve got to team up with my sassy black cat familiar to catch the killer, and clear the track’s veterinarian of the bogus charges against him.
I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
793 reviews11 followers
September 22, 2021
Loved t

Another fun book has been added to the Magical Tea Room series. Minnie is hoping she has hasn't made a mistake when she convinces Fitz to take the Tea Room on the road for a weekend serving customers at the races. When there's a murder, she's out to solve the crime since Mim's friend has been accused. With the help of Fitz and the butlers, she endeavors to find the murderer, make sure Fitz doesn't regret being at the races instead of back home in Bath, and, stay alive. There's even a surprise ending! Read this series including this book and you will fall in love with Minnie and the other characters just as I have.
793 reviews2 followers
March 7, 2022
English tea

Great fun, luckily I had a Sunday afternoon to read. It was fun learning some information about horse racing and the jumps
Profile Image for Jodi Sweet.
1,786 reviews9 followers
October 23, 2022
So many mysteries!

I loved this! So many mysteries to figure out! Plus a few surprises. Minnie is really good at figuring things out. It was absolutely wonderful!
Profile Image for Miss W Book Reviews.
1,783 reviews153 followers
September 9, 2021
English After-Doom Tea is Book 4 in the Magical Tea Room Mysteries by Erin Johnson.
I absolutely LOVE this series and read this book in one setting, its THAT good.

Minnie and her pals from the Magical Tea room are in Derbyshire with a tent set up for food and drinks to bring new business to Fitz's business in Bath. I really enjoyed this location. It was really fun to have a story "on location" with all the characters I have come to love. I really enjoy how Minnie is coming into her powers and her connection with Tilda her familiar kitty is getting stronger.

All isn't well at the races though, there is a murder and the prime suspect is Millie's mentors friend Jack. So she sets out to find out what she can to help Jack.

This was such a fun mystery . The characters are so dynamic and the story is perfectly plotted.
This kept me guessing until the end. I was blown away at the final reveal.

I really enjoy how nicely the relationship between Minnie and Fitz is coming along as well.

Highly recommend this book and the entire series. Can't wait for more!!!
Profile Image for Nadine.
1,906 reviews2 followers
September 22, 2021
One of my favorite books out there!

What a great read! I love the cast of characters, I adore Minnie and Tilda, and I thought the mystery was well-crafted and compelling. Highly entertaining! Really had me on the edge of my seat, especially towards the end. And that ending! I loved everything about this awesome book!
Profile Image for Dianna .
284 reviews
September 22, 2021
Fun, engaging, Johnson once again writes a wonderful story in this Magic Tea Room Series. This was my favorite one so far. It had some cute sweet moments that I’ve been waiting for! 😉
Profile Image for Amanda Pagano.
274 reviews12 followers
December 4, 2022
Another murder mystery with my favorite American witch in Bath. However, in this book, Minnie and crew are on a catering gig for some horse races in a nearby town. Minnie runs into her witch tutor Mim while she’s serving some food and drinks. Turns out Mim is a magical helper of horses as she casts spells to protect the horses from getting harmed. When Mim takes Minnie along with her to charm some horses they stumble upon the dead body of a famous horse trainer in the stables.

It was a nice break from the usual Bath detectives to have two female detectives in charge. Also, it gave Minnie a break from dealing with Detective Prescott after their awkward date from the last book. Unfortunately these detectives want to make an arrest as fast as possible and arrest the horse race veterinarian, Jack, who happens to be Mim’s close friend that asked her to protect the horses. It’s clear to Minnie that Jack just loves the horses and is not a murderer so she’s determined to find the real killer at Mim’s request.

One thing missing from this book was Gus. So, I’m glad I read the prequel book right before this one so I got my fill of Gus there. We get a little bit of progress in Fitz and Minnie’s relationship. Fitz has to share a kitchen with another caterer named Carmen who blatantly flirts with him sparking a whole lot of jealous feelings in Minnie. It was both funny to see Minnie jealous and Fitz a little uncomfortable with the strong advances of Carmen.

This book really let Minnie show off her magic skills that have gotten better from her lessons with Mim. I do love seeing Minnie grow in each book of this series. And this book saw one of the biggest advances in her spell work. In addition to more magic new also meet some more supernatural people. You’ll have to read to find out who!

I highly recommend this book and this entire series. They have all been fun to read together and on their own. Minnie, Gus, Fitz, Mim, and the Butler Cafe crew are such a fun ensemble of characters to read about. And it’s always fun to see how Minnie will solve the latest murder she’s somehow gotten herself involved in. I’m ready to read Minnie’s next murder mystery.
Profile Image for Lori.
361 reviews3 followers
March 17, 2022
And they're OFF!

Minnie has set up The Butler's Shop to cater this years races; in a tent; on site.
Fitz agreed to do it, but is definitely out of his comfort zone.
It was a great idea for the business, and they find themselves swamped. Minnie pitches in, since it was her idea after all.
She is surprised to find Mim there with the head veterinarian. Jack knows she is a witch, and Mim comes to the stables to make a protection spell around as many horses as she can. She talks Minnie into helping whenever she can, (not that it was difficult).
On a visit to help, Minnie, Jack, and Mim find a dead man in one of the horse boxes.
Yes, another one!
The man turns out to be the head trainer. A man who was hot headed and short tempered, there are plenty of suspects for the detectives to question.
When Jack is arrested for the murder, Mim begs Minnie to try her best to find out who the killer is, to clear Jack's name.
Between working in the tea tent, helping with the horses, and talking to her adorable cat, Minnie has her hands full. That doesn't stop her from snooping on the suspects, and digging into possible motives.
It turns out there are several.
And then there's the steamy chef sharing the tent kitchen with Fitz. She makes no secret that she's putting the moves on him.
Now someone is getting desperate to keep their secrets, and Minnie is in the way.
Will Minnie solve the case, and live to see justice done, or has she snooped one time too many?
Read this book and find out for yourself!
Be sure to start with the first book in the series.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good, clean, cozy mystery with fun and interesting characters.
Profile Image for CarolKat.
2,280 reviews29 followers
March 3, 2023
Minnie has been expanding the tearoom's reach and her latest achievement is the races. One of the horses running is named Jane Austin and is a favorite. It took a lot of persuasion to get Fitz to agree to this three-day outing, but they are there.

The first race we get to see, has Jane Austin losing. A big surprise for everyone. Minnie also sees Jane Austin's jockey being yelled at by someone, later identified as the trainer Timothy Pipe.

She also runs into her mentor and friend Mim. Mim's there to help her veterinarian friend Jack protect the horses from injuries on the track. Mim convinces her to help with the charms to protect the horses the next morning, early, very early. This is where things change for everyone.

It's not until Jack's arrested that Minnie gets involved with the investigation. He's innocent, and Timmy had plenty of enemies.

We meet some interesting characters in this one, but as always, my favorites are the tearoom guys. Fitz even gets flirted with in this one, much to Minnie's dismay.

I truly love the growing relationship between Fitz and Minnie, its' obvious to everyone but them.

This is a page-turning read with plenty of twists, some hairy situations and a few surprises as well.

I am already ready the next book, I can't wait to see how this romance progresses.
Profile Image for Sapphyria  .
2,267 reviews58 followers
October 22, 2021
English After-Doom Tea finds Minnie, Fritz, and the Butlers at the Derbyshire horse races. They have set up the Tea Room under a tent, catering to the rich and famous. When Minnie and a couple others find the body of a famous, and infamous, horse trainer dead in a horse stall, Minnie must figure out who committed the murder and prevent the wrong person from being accused.

Minnie is a fun character. She's kind and caring and completely devoted to the Bath Butler Café and to her friends. When the veterinarian friend of her witch trainer Mim, is accused, she knows she must get involved and find out exactly what is going on at the Derby. There are other side stories that pertain to the murder mystery and others involving those at the Tea Room. I love Minnie's interactions with the Butlers and with Fitz.

The story is exciting and entertaining. I enjoyed the setting, the characters, and the mystery. Minnie is a fun character, determined to earn her place at Bath Butler Cafe. The secondary characters round out a wonderful cast. The author's writing style, the pacing, and story kept me engaged. I loved the book and can't wait to see what happens with Minnie next!

I was provided a copy of this book to read.
180 reviews2 followers
September 22, 2021
Loving that this fourth book in the series went out of the Bath Tea Room to the horse races! Minnie convinced Fitz to set up a temporary marquee tea room at the British Derbyshire Jump Races. Minnie and Fitz are in the very beginning stages of a romance. Although Minnie doesn't know much about horse racing, she's excited to be there and hoping to get a little closer to Fitz over the course of the weekend. There's another chef, Carmen, sharing the tent and she's trying to use her feminine wiles to attract Fitz. Minnie's not too happy about that. She sees her mentor witch, Mim, in the stands. Mim's there to help the horses and magically protect them from getting injured. Minnie goes along early one morning and tries to help her and they discover a body! There's lots of suspects and Minnie wants to solve the case before the racing weekend ends. Things get complicated and dangerous! And, worst of all, Minnie is worried that Fitz might be attracted to Carmen. I think you'll enjoy this book as much as I did. If you haven't started the series, I recommend that you do so that you get to know all about Minnie and the other characters in the book.
Profile Image for Amanda Jane.
1,337 reviews10 followers
March 13, 2022
Regency races..

When the horse "Jane Austen" is entered into a big race and all but a shoo-in to win Minnie persuades Fitz to take the Bath Butler Café as caterers for the weekend. Pushing Fitz to step outside his routine may have adverse effects though as he's being hit on by Carmen another chef sharing the catering facilities stretching Minnie's patience. Jane Austen doesn't win the qualifying race and an overheard conversation makes Minnie think something bigger is going on.

When she bumps into Mim who's on a mission with Jack, the course veterinarian, to protect the horses from fatal injuries and is roped in to help her weekend becomes even more stretched when they find the body of Timmy Pipe, Jane Austen's trainer.

Rumours abound and Jack ends up arrested for the murder but would a man who goes above and beyond to save the horses really kill a man? Caught between helping Fitz and Mim can Minnie also dig out the truth and solve another murder?

Just slightly confused about how her powers are working in Derby when all the previous books all but overstate her need to be in Bath for them to work but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
Profile Image for Catherine.
487 reviews
October 1, 2021
Jockeying for position

Minnie Wells has convinced Fitz, vampire owner of a tea up ashop in Bath, to temporarily up sticks to the Cheltenham Cup races. There they set tea tent with the butlers waiting tables. When a decades long famous trainer is kill& specialed the first night of the race almost everyone is a suspect. Jack the race course vet friend to Minnie's witch mentor, Mim, plus a jockey who lost the first race. Did he throw the race for the love of a rival jockey? And the famous horse breeder Cindy , whose daughter is one of the jockeys seems desperate to win the Cup. When Jack is arrested for the murder, Minnie must dig deep for her magic with the aid of her cat familiar, Tilda to find the real killer. Fast paced & with several surprises at the end, it continues Minnie's growth as a witch & a hint of romance with handsomely compelling vampire owner Fitz. Kudos to Erin for her consistent & intriguing series.
Profile Image for Jeanne.
21 reviews
February 10, 2023
Minnie got Fitz and the Butler Boys from the cafe/tearoom to cater at the biggest horse races in England over the weekend. Guess what? Minnie manages to find another body. This one is an infamous horse trainer.

While helping Fitz and the butlers to serve, Minnie tries also to solve the murder because her friend/mentor witch Mim asked her to help clear the name of her friend, Jack, the track's veterinarian.

We have a whole list of suspects ranging from stable help, over rival jockeys and horse breeder to animal rights activists. And somehow the killer is onto Minnie...

Minnie also finds out that she can now talk to her familiar black cat Tilda, which is kinda cute cause Tilda speaks totally like a cat probably would.

And at the end we get another surprise in the form of another supernatural being revealed.

All in all, another enjoyable, charming little story. Looking forward to the next one...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
67 reviews1 follower
September 11, 2021
I absolutely love this series! This time we find our friends from the Bath Butler Cafe at a weekend horse racing competition. The favored horse, named Jane Austin (of course), loses the race and all heck breaks loose! When the head trainer of the horse ends up dead in the stall, there are plenty of suspects. Bit by bit, Minnie puts together the pieces of the puzzle. The ending reminded me a great deal of an episode of the old detective show, Columbo, as Minnie lays out the case and gets a confession. There are lots of twists and turns in this plot and it was fun to follow. There is a wonderful surprise at the end that fans of this genre will love! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!!
9 reviews
November 3, 2021
Another brillant book by Erin, Minnie has a way to get involved in another murder. I love that this book isn't in the tea room so get another way to see the characters. I love that Minnie gets jealous and Fitz is showing his protective side. The team goes on a side job at a race course and Minnie gets involved with a murder and then gets caught up in a scandal involving stealing money and love. Definitely recommend if you want a few hours of peace to get caught up in a fast moving story. Think this is my favourite story so far and I can't wait to see what happens next to these characters and I loved the twist at the end with one of the boys secrets and what happens next to them all. I don't want to spoil it for you so have a read and you won't regret it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
111 reviews
September 20, 2021
First of all let me start by saying this series is great and Ms. Johnson has done a terrific job with this book. Minnie is out to the races with her boss Fitz and the butlers serving tea and scones and everything that goes with. Minnie stumbles on a murder, which her mentor has asked her to help solve. She also has to deal with a little streak of jealousy. Ms. Johnson is an excellent writer and this book is no exception. I highly recommend this book. My favorite character is Minnie and Tilda, the plot is fantastic and easy to follow, and the characters are full of life. Don't miss out on this book or the series. Thank you.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,846 reviews9 followers
September 24, 2021
This is the fourth in the series and is a standalone book. I enjoyed the story and the author’s imagination. I found it a quick read and it kept me turning the pages. The characters are delightful and there are a few surprises in the story. We don’t have Gus in the story except for a quick mention but we get to know more about some of the supporting characters. Minnie does a great job trying to figure out what is going on with the horse races behind the scenes and who killed the trainer and why. I loved this story.

I was given an advanced copy and am not required to leave a positive review.

Profile Image for Rhona Connor.
341 reviews2 followers
April 3, 2023
It's all go here at Derbyshire racecourse.....

Well, somewhere in Derbyshire, no town given. There is a week of national hunt racing for the Cheltenham Cup. It's funny that....thought that was in March at Cheltenham Racecourse, in Gloucestershire.
Spoiler: living in the UK, we use pounds and pence, not dollars, so don't know why British police work said it was thousands of dollars. Luckily, two sets of books are found because they normally don't find fraud take a long time....
Anyway, apart from those glaring errors, I enjoyed the light-hearted story of the murder and the result.
Good reading. 👍
Profile Image for Tirza Schaefer.
Author 40 books270 followers
November 15, 2023
Again, the author doesn't disappoint with this delightful story set at the horse races in Derbyshire. The narration was quirky, fun and entertaining, the different voices she made for the various characters distunct and fitting for each. Im only sad it's already ended and that il have to wait for the next audiobook in one of my favourite cosy mystery series to be published. And i can't wait for tea with Fitz and more of the super cute cat familiar that has taken my heart by storm from the first book already. I love how the characters and their interaction with each other develop as an overall arc throughout the series as well.
605 reviews6 followers
September 22, 2021
Another delightful book starring Minnie Wells and crew. A very original story around an out=of-town catering event for Regency-born vampire Fitz's Butler Cafe set at a full weekend of horse races with a large prize on the line. Minnie with the help of her cat, and occasionally her friends, has to solve a murder to save the love interest of her witch tutor. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout. I'm looking forward to what happens with Fitz in future books as well as the mystery of the vampire hunter that wasn't touched on in this book.
58 reviews1 follower
September 22, 2021
The fourth book in the Magical Tea Room Mysteries series and I think it may be my favorite so far. This installment sees the tea room gang going ‘off to the races’ and working out of a catering tent.
Murder, budding romance, growing witchy powers… fun!
I couldn’t put this one down, read it in one sitting and showed a complete lack of respect for the following morning. Haha!
While this book could be read as a stand-alone, I’d recommend reading the books in order for full enjoyment of characters and overarching storylines.
Profile Image for Katherine Decker.
1,354 reviews
June 25, 2022
Minnie and the crew, minus Gus, are off to the races. They are serving tea at the horse track while Mim watches over the horses. Of course an adventure for Minnie wouldn’t be complete without a murder to solve. As she continue to understand her magic better, she is also able to communicate with Tilda. Tilda is one sassy cat and I appreciate how the author distinguishes her thoughts by using italics. It’s a minor detail that I greatly appreciate. All in all, this series continues to delight story after story.
Profile Image for Debbie Lacey.
337 reviews7 followers
November 8, 2023
I so enjoy spending time with newbie witch Minnie and her vampire friends wherever they are, but the horse racing setting was interesting. In this outing, Minnie learns more about her powers, as well as her friends, providing a thoroughly entertaining read. The mystery is light, at least as far as murder can be light, and I had a reasonable idea of the who and why well before the reveal, but it did not diminish my enjoyment.

The narrator has become the voice of the series, and I so hope more of the series will release in audiobook sooner than later.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews

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