Too Much to Candle

What an absolutely charming cozy mystery!

When I read the title of the book and series, I wasn't sure what a Glenmyre Whim was. Turns out, whims are the manifestations of magical power for the members of the Glenmyre family. Hazel, Holden, and Poppy, the last three surviving members of the family, each have a different Whim. Poppy's lets her see a person's aura. Holden's lets him see the last few minutes of someone's life (useful in his job as a police detective). Hazel's lets her see a person's lifeclock, so she knows when they're going to die. Understandably, she normally wears special glasses designed to block this information.

When Mayhan Montgomery has a run-in with Hazel's friend Iggy, she inadvertently sees Montgomery's lifeclock and knows he only has a few weeks left to live. That changes, though, when Montgomery goes missing and is presumed dead. And when Iggy is the prime suspect, targeted for the crime by a new detective in town looking to prove himself, Hazel can't stay out of it. She and Poppy have to find out what's really going on.

The world of Crucible is just a joy. It sounds like a nice, close-knit, friendly little town. (This whole murder thing notwithstanding, that is.) Hazel and her friends and family look out for each other. I'd like to hang out with them at the Cold Cauldron and go browse all the shops.

Burr does a good job of creating red herrings to make you think you know who the culprit might be (because it is definitely not Iggy!). As Hazel and Poppy investigate, they find that a whole lot of folks in Crucible might have had reason to want Montgomery dead. Is it the local restaurateurs? The yoga instructor? Even Montgomery's own assistant isn't above suspicion.

I really enjoyed the way Burr worked rescue animals into the story. We see Hazel bring home two new furry friends, a cat and a dog, both with special needs. One, I love that she got them from a rescue, and two, I love that she didn't hesitate to take both of the animals and that she put her family money to good use by donating to the rescue for the ongoing care of animals with health issues. That alone would endear Hazel to me for the rest of the series!

As the book draws to a close, we learn more about the history of Crucible. It has historically been protected by the Glenmyre Shield, a magical barrier put into place by Hazel's ancestor Jedidiah centuries earlier. It's been safe, crime-free, accident-free. When the murder occurs, they start to wonder if the shield is weakening. But maybe it's not. I hope we learn more about that in future books!

Characters that are absolutely cheer-worthy, a setting that sounds like a place I'd love to visit, a fascinating magical system, and an engaging mystery that kept me guessing – Too Much to Candle gets five twinkling candlelit stars from me!