Review: A Witch Before Dying by Heather Blake

Woohoo, I had a great start to the week :) I feel like I'm back in the rhythm today. I was really productive today and I'm happy about it :) Hopefully, it'll continue that way. In the meantime, I think I have a plan to stay ahead for my blog. Wish me luck :P

Today's review is A Witch Before Dying by Heather Blake. LOL, I stalked the online indicator and as soon as it showed up in one of the bookstore, I went to get it :) And you know what? I would do it again! Enjoy!


A Witch Before Dying by Heather Blake

published by New American Library (Signet) in August 2012

Darcy Merriweather is Salem, Massachusetts’ newest resident Wishcrafter—a witch who can grant wishes for others. While Darcy isn’t able to grant wishes for herself, she does possess a certain knack for solving problems—including the occasional murder...

When Darcy is hired by Elodie Keaton to clean up her missing mother’s disorderly home, the Wishcrafter is certainly up for the task. After all, the motto of her Aunt Ve’s personal concierge service As You Wish is “No Job Impossible.” But beneath the piles of old newspapers and knickknacks Darcy discovers something much more disturbing—Patrice Keaton’s body.

Darcy’s determined to give Elodie peace of mind by investigating her mother’s disappearance and death. Patrice was last seen over a year ago after a fight with her Charmcrafter boyfriend. Was her murder a crime of passion? Or were Patrice’s troubles caused by the Anicula, a wish-granting amulet? Now Darcy has to not only find a killer, she has to find the Anicula— before the power of ultimate wish fulfillment falls into the wrong hands...

Genre: Cosy mystery
Series: A Wishcraft Mystery, Book #2

The Story: Darcy Merriweather is making the best out of her new start in life, settling in Salem, Massachusett, adapting to being a Wishcrafter and enjoying the possibility of more with the hunky sherriff and single dad Nick Sawyer. Her newest job at As You Wish, her aunt's personal concierge service, is to clean out Elodie Keaton's mother's house. This is going to be easier said than done given that Patrice, Elodie's mother, was a hoarder. It is also a delicate situation as Patrice has disappeared two years ago. And the situation is becoming more delicate by the second when Darcy discovers her mummified body in a suitcase under all the mess... Quickly, the town is buzzing with gossips and names of possible suspects... but all agree that Patrice lost her life because of the Anicula, the amulet that grants all wishes, even those of a wishcrafter.

When Elodie asks Darcy to resolve the murder, Darcy has no choice as Elodie is a client. Not that Darcy is unhappy with the request as she'd like to satisfy her curiosity as well. However, time is tight as Darcy also has to take care of the last minute preparations for Aunt Ve's wedding while she is sick... and when things start to go really wrong, Darcy suspects foul play.

My Opinion: A Witch Before Dying is a book I was really looking forward to reading this summer as I really enjoy Ms Blake aka Heather Webber's cosy mystery books :) I enjoy her writing style and the fluffiness in her books and A Witch Before Dying was no exception, although I did have a few issues.

Everything that I said I liked and enjoyed in the first book, It Takes a Witch, when it comes to the setting and the characters is still valid in A Witch Before Dying. The world building is interesting, well-developed and most important, consistent :) The atmosphere is still light and fun and the cast of characters, still quirky :) It's also interesting to see that Darcy is still discovering her new town, getting familiar with her surroundings and the people. What I like the most is that Darcy feels like she finally belongs :)

One thing that stood out for me in A Witch Before Dying is that Darcy is actually going to get a PI license! How refreshing! LOL. I've tried to read more cosy mystery, but I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of amateur sleuthing ^_^; I just feel they find themselves in dangerous situations that could be avoided. Part of it is of course to add to the storyline, but another part is due to them being amateurs and not having a head over their shoulders ^_^; I don't really believe that Darcy having a PI license will make her a true professional and give her instant experience, but I like that she's acquiring a license and at least, will be legitimate :) I also like that Darcy ended up mentoring Mimi, Nick's daughter. Although both are new at being wishcrafters, I think it's sensible that Mimi has a mother's presence around. Finally, I'm enjoying the pace at which the romance is developing between Nick and Darcy. It's just perfect because you know that the two are attracted to each other and will eventually end up together, so there's no need to rush. It's not one of those romance where you wonder how the guy feel or with multiple love interests. I like knowing that Nick and Darcy are attracted to each other, because it allows Ms Blake to focus on other aspects of the story.

Surprisingly to me, I find the weakness of A Witch Before Dying was the mystery ^_^; The one involving Aunt Ve's wedding was well-done, but the one concerning Patrice Keaton's murder and the Anicula, not so much. I just feel it took a while before the main mystery became interesting, engrossing - which is unfortunate because once it did, I was totally hooked. The twists accompanying the main mystery were also great - I did not see them coming - and was pleasantly surprised when the culprit and the details were revealed. I think one of the explanations as to why it took so much time for the story to becoming interesting is that Ms Blake tried too hard to set up multiple directions, possibilities and suspects to the case. It just didn't feel, hmmm, natural and it detracted from the whole storyline instead. In addition, there was the part where someone was after Darcy and that was totally superfluous. I'm actually still not sure it totally made sense ^_^; And this was disappointing because the mystery aspect is usually one of Ms Blake's strengths. Case in point, I still haven't figured out who is the Elder is and I'm mighty curious LOL.

My Grade: B-. A Witch Before Dying was a good sequel to It Takes a Witch. The only complaint I have with the book is the weak mystery, otherwise, it was very enjoyable. I'm now looking forward to the next installment in the series!

Review: It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake

Ugh, I've been meaning to write this review for days... and things just come up. I want to write, but my sister has hijacked my computer. I have the computer, but I feel like reading. At work, I've been running like a chicken without a head ^_^; But the worst reason? I've addicted myself again to Minesweeper. Pathetic, yes I know. That what happens when you have an addictive personality :( But I finally stopped long enough to write this review :) And hopefully, I'll be able to wean myself off... Wish me luck LOL.


It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake
published by New American Library in January 2012

Darcy Merriweather and her sister, Harper, hail from a long line of witches who have the power to grant wishes using spells. They're come to Enchanted Village in Salem, Massachusetts, to join the family business, but they soon find themselves knee-deep in murder...

Until three weeks ago, Darcy and Harper were working dead-end jobs and trying to put their troubles behind them. Then their aunt Velma delivered a bombshell: They're actually Wishcrafters - witches with the power to grant wishes with a mere spell. Wanting a fresh start, they head to their aunt's magic-themed tourist town to master their newfound skills.

But their magic fails them when a wannabe witch turns up dead - strangled with Aunt Ve's scarf - and Ve's sweetheart, Sylar, is found looming over the body. Ve is standing by her man, but Darcy overheard Sylar wish that the victim would disappear - forever. With Harper distracted by her handsome new crush, Darcy is determined to sleuth her way to the truth. But it'll take more than a wish to unravel this mystery...

Genre: Mystery
Series: A Wishcraft Mystery, Book #1

The Story: After their father's death, Darcy and Harper Merriweather learn from their maternal aunt Velma that magic really exists in this world. Not only that, Darcy and Harper are both Wishcrafters! This means that under the right circumstances, they can grant people's wishes with a spell. For Darcy, this revelation comes at a perfect time. With her father dead and his dental clinic closed, Darcy is without a job, she still hasn't moved on from her divorce two years ago and with Harper's latest arrest, she's at a wit's end. Thus, she jumps at the opportunity to move to the Enchanted Village in Salem, Massachusetts, for a fresh start.

As Darcy is learning the ropes of both Aunt Ve's business, As You Wish, and wishcrafting, she and Harper are slowly settling down in the Enchanted Village and learning the rules of their new world. Darcy is happy with her new life... but unfortunately for her, it is about to get complicated when Alexandra Shively, a woman who claimed to be a Crafter, is found dead and the main suspect is Velma's current beau. And then, there's Nick Sawyer, a widower with a daughter and also the first man since her divorce whose sight makes her heart beats faster... and also a Mortal.

My Opinion:  I was really looking forward to It Takes a Witch for two reasons. First, as you must all know by now, I'm a fan of witches and wizards characters. I can't express in words my attraction to them. Perhaps it's the possibility of magic or the fact that among the supernatural beings, they're the closest to normal but with a few quirks :P Anyway, I like witches and wizards :) Second and most important, the author is Heather Blake aka Heather Webber who writes the Lucy Valentine series, a series that I've really been enjoying :) I've been looking forward to her next release and therefore, It Takes a Witch :)

I have to admit that at first, I was a bit anxious about It Takes a Witch. While I love witches and wizards characters, finding good books featuring them is hard ^_^; Guess I'm really picky when it comes to world building and the use of their powers. Also, I've been reading more cozy mysteries lately and discovered that I'm not a fan of characters sleuthing... which is 95% of the cozy mystery genre ^_^; However, it turns out my worries were for naught and in the end, I really enjoyed It Takes a Witch :)  Once again, Ms Heather (dunno if I should go with Blake or Webber, so Ms Heather it is) has come up with fun characters and a cute series.

What I liked most about It Takes a Witch was the setting and atmosphere. The Enchanted Village reminds me of a town square with a lot of touristic attractions, shops and where everyone knows each other. It seems serene and cute, but at the same time, quirky and it's the feel I got from reading the book :) I also think Ms Heather did a great job with the world building when it came to the Crafters. In the acknowledgments, Ms Heather thank a friend for the hours spent fleshing out the rules and I believe it was hours well-spent! :) It's clear that Ms Heather knows where she is going and that the world is fleshed out in her mind. I like that there are rules, structure to this world. Another reason I think why the world building worked so well for me is the fact that Darcy is new to this world. As a result, she has limited knowledge and nothing is a given, taken for granted or considered 'normal.' And instead of the dreaded info dump, readers get to discover the world alongside Darcy :)

Another aspect of this book that I enjoyed a lot was the characters. Ms Heather has created a fun and likable cast and I find they really contributed to the feel of It Takes a Witch :) They're just fun and good-natured and of course, curious :) Oh and I liked Ms Heather's inclusion of the familiars!! :) Of course, I should mention Darcy as she's the heroine. I have to say, I really liked Darcy :) It seems like Darcy was stuck in a rut before discovering she was a Crafter. However, once she moved to the Enchanted Village, it looks like she has finally awaken. I like that she's taking advantage of this fresh start and is embracing her new life. She's making new friends and becoming part of the community. It was really nice to see. The only thing that bothered me about Darcy was the fact that she was a bit too suspicious of everyone and everything. I guess it's because I trust too easily in real life... But to see her question everyone's motives and intentions, it just felt  a bit sad and very tiring to me :(

Of course, the fact that Darcy was suspicious served well to storyline :) Otherwise, I doubt she'd have sleuthed around to resolve the mystery. Speaking of the mystery, I enjoyed it too. It was interesting and suspenseful enough to keep me engaged. And I liked that the culprit wasn't obvious. There were some nice twists and surprises and that's always nice when reading cozy mysteries. I also appreciated the touch of romance or should I say the promise of romance in the future :) I liked Nick and I think he and Darcy have a great chemistry together. I thought the pacing of their relationship fit with the circumstances and the fact that they've both been burned before. I'm definitively looking forward to more.

My only complaint about It Takes a Witch aside from Darcy being over-suspicious is the fact that this series has a lot of similarities with the Lucy Valentines series. Darcy is a witch and Lucy, a psychic. Both work in a family businesses that take advantage of their abilities. And while this new series isn't as fluffy as the Lucy Valentine's, the feel is very similar. I don't think it's a bad thing that Ms Heather took elements that worked in the Lucy Valentine series and used them here... but it definitively gives a sense of déjà-vu a times. That being said, it won't stop me from reading both series and enjoying them LOL.

My Grade: B. I really liked It Takes a Witch and thought it was a solid first installment to the series. I'm looking forward to the next book, A Witch Before Dying, coming out in August :)