Bait and Witch
Ratings5
Average rating3.6
15
Ratings5
Average rating3.6
“Zippy and fun, with just enough ambiance to satisfy readers seeking spooks and humor.” —Kirkus Reviews Librarian Josie Way moved to small-town Oregon to lay low. Instead, thanks to newfound magic abilities—and a killer on the loose—she’s leapt out of the frying pan and into a cauldron of trouble . . . Josie Way loved working among the Library of Congress’s leather-scented stacks—until she uncovered corruption and made herself a target. As Wilfred, Oregon’s new librarian, Josie can stay undercover until the case goes to court. But life in this little town isn’t as subdued as she expected. The library, housed in a a Victorian mansion, is slated to be bulldozed. Still digesting the news that her safe haven is about to become scrap lumber, Josie discovers a body in the woods . . . Almost as shocking, Josie learns that she’s descended from a long line of witches—and her powers have suddenly sprung to life. With help from a spoiled alley cat who just may be her familiar, Josie’s thumbing through a catalog of suspects, hoping she can conjure a way to save her library—and her life . . .
Reviews with the most likes.
4 stars for being exactly what I wanted to read in one evening: a perfect example of a library-based cozy mystery, intelligently written.
I want to preface this review by saying the “cozy mystery” genre is not my usual cup of tea. However reading the description, something just tickled my tastebuds so to speak. Key words being: cozy, librarian, Victorian mansion, murder, magic, cat familiar. And let me say it was exactly what I expected and wanted from this book. It was the reading equivalent of sipping on a weak flavored coffee, wrapping yourself in a worn blanket, and curling up in your leather recliner. The usual things that make me hate mysteries were thankfully absent here: it wasn't immediately obvious who the murderer was, the character wasn't an unreliable drunk who infuriatingly went out of their way to get themselves in trouble, or have completely illogical and over the top plot twists to thrill you into thinking an otherwise mundane book is actually good. On the other hand it isn't the best written book either. it has a lot of blaring misspellings and grammatical errors, the characters aren't especially deep or richly painted, and the story isn't particularly original. But that was kind of what I was looking for. I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes books about libraries, witches, and murder but wants something familiar and reliable over something probing or dramatic. Thank you netgalley for giving me a chance to read the advanced copy!
