A Spell of Murder by Kennedy Kerr ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Long-time readers of Girl Who Reads know that I don't read horror. But in October I like to read something to get me into the Halloween season. Sometimes it is a terrifying thriller and other years it is paranormal cozy mysteries. Since I've been on a cozy mystery binge this year, I picked up A Spell of Murder at NetGalley to get me ready for Halloween.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

October 2019; Bookouture;  978-1838880965
ebook, print (260 pages); cozy mystery

While A Spell of Murder is not set at Halloween, sisters Temerity and Tilda Love are witches. Tilda is an herbalist and purveyor of rare books. Temerity is a psychic of sorts and runs the antique shop that their parents left them. Temerity's gift comes in handy as she can tell the history of an item just by touching it. She also gets called in to help the police from time to time. Unlike in many witchy cozies, the sisters do not hide who they are and actually, Temerity is sought out as an expert in antique provenance.

The story is set in the Scottish highlands of Lost Maidens Loch which has experienced a number of mysterious disappearances over the years. Some even say the town is haunted.

This is the first book in the Lost Maidens Loch Mystery series. At times though it feels like it is the middle of a series as there are references to past cases Temerity has been involved in. Perhaps there will be a prequel or two, but even if there aren't the references to past events gives the impression that these characters existed before. I know sometimes characters feel like they only existed within the timeframe of the book.  So I thought it was a nice touch that made the characters feel more real.

The mystery at first seems simple and straightforward. A teacher is poisoned at the school. A fellow teacher has been stalking her. However, something doesn't feel right and in a gossipy town like Lost Maidens Loch, it doesn't take long to start seeing the threads of a deceitful web. It leaves the reader guessing who and why until the end. There are enough clues sprinkled throughout so that it feels like you have solved the mystery right along with Temerity and the police. There is a bit of a reveal scene at the end to untangle the remaining threads of the murder.

A Spell of Murder is nice first installment. We get to know the characters and the dynamics of the town, setting the stage for fun things in future novels. I think this series has great potential. If you are like me and want a Halloween read that won't have you reading between your fingers, then definitely pick up this book.

Buy A Spell of Murder at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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