Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell

Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell

I read this for the October Cozy Mystery Book Club - check out the discussion HERE! 

It took me a bit to get into this book because the main character seemed a little flat at first. I could hardly remember her name, and she seemed pretty rigid and bland initially before showing more personality about halfway through. I also felt like a lot of characters were introduced really quickly and it was hard to remember who they all were until I saw more scenes with them. They were introduced as names and developed into characters later, instead of seeming fully-formed from the start, so that put me off a bit. But I was determined to make it through, and I was glad I stuck with it. 

By the last third of the book, I was hooked! I liked the learning the history of La Llorona and seeing her as a "character" in a way. I also didn't see the twist coming, but I think the clues were there if I had picked up on them. I think paying more attention to the characters from the start and being able to keep them separate in my mind might have helped me figure out the villain... but maybe not! I thought that part of the story was really well done.

The romance seemed a bit forced to me. While the female characters were all introduced quickly, by name only, and then became more developed, the males were all presented more as characters/by their roles... but they were flat. It seemed like several guys were interested in Lily and she didn't really react to any of them initially, so I wasn't sure how the romance would go. Then, whoosh, it all seemed to happen at once. I wish the romance hadn't really developed until later in the series, but overall I'm curious enough to want to read the second book.

The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams

The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams

I’m a huge Babysitters Club fan so The Babysitters Coven had a more grown-up and modern (and WITCHY) twist on it that was right up my alley. I loved how it introduced the world and the characters so we were getting to know their powers along with them. The ending was so action-packed that I really just wanted to see it as a Netflix series so I could watch it all play out. 

After reading this book, I looked it up and was surprised to see that it was a re-release (apparently?) because the initial reception wasn't so hot. Publishers Weekly mentions that the slang, pop culture references, and political stances could make it seem dated, but those didn't stand out to me. Also, I still think 1999 was 4 years ago, but still. 

Complaints from Smart Bitches Trashy Books include that the narrator is "wildly insecure but also extremely judgmental" and that the book "tries VERY hard to sound teen-like while not sounding teen-like at all." Again, I feel like not noticing these issues probably speaks very clearly about where I am in life, ha, but honestly, the book rang true for me. As true as witchy babysitters can be, anyway. 

Kirkus Reviews said the humor was not funny at all (I laughed to myself many times) and that it was a ripoff of Buffy (which I have never seen) so yeah... I guess all of that just fuels my argument that this was a good read for me but might not land for you, unless you're a lot like me. (And if so, sorry, it's miserable, isn't it? Ha.)

The biggest bummer is that my library only has book one. However, I think I’ve got to get this series to read them all. I can’t wait to see how things progress!

Evenfall Witches Series

In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace

I heard a lot of buzz about In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace in the cozy mystery community and I love witchy things, so it seemed right up my alley. I had attempted to read Steeped to Death by Gretchen Rue recently and couldn’t get into it, and honestly… this book reminded me a lot of that. And Gilmore Girls. It didn’t really pull me in, but it was an easy read so I stuck with it. I felt like everything came together toward the end, and that’s enough to make me want to read the second book. But I don’t think I’d really call it a cozy mystery because I don’t think it was possible to solve with the info given, and that didn’t really seem the focus - it was more on family and getting her magic back.

When the Crow's Away by Auralee Wallace

Since the feeling I came away with after finishing the first book was, "Hmm, that wasn't too bad," and my library had the second book, I checked it out to give it a shot. I wanted to like this book but, according to my Kindle, I hit 50% exactly and I just can't anymore. This one didn't feel as cozy as the first, I think because the first one seemed like it was establishing the setting and vibe, and then the second one did the same. So instead of cozy, it was just repetitive. The murder also felt very "...okay?" I wasn't sure why I should care. Usually in cozy mysteries the protagonist must solve the murder. They're compelled for some personal reason, or to save themselves or a loved one. That might have ended up being the case here, but the stakes weren't high enough by the halfway point for me to care so I'll never know. I have no problem reading a book that is just okay as long as it's entertaining, well-written, or makes me want to find out the answer, but this one was a major miss for me.