Barbara Hackel's Reviews > Murder's a Witch

When Holly Bolt is banished to Beechwood Harbor as punishment, she doesn't expect to like where she ends up. However surprisingly, it feels like home and she has actually started making friends. Then her boss at the coffee shop is brutally murdered, and she learns that part of having friends is helping them out when they are the main suspect in a murder case! Also new to the town is Nick who is PI and has an interest in paranormal tours, specifically the house (Beechwood Manor) where Holly lives. And if all that isn't enough, the shifter who lives in the house has taken an interest in Holly and she doesn't know how to handle that. Besides Adam, the shifter, there is also Posy (ghost) who is the "owner" of the house; Lacey, a vampiress, and Gary, who is an unknown new resident. Holly is the designated peace keeper between Adam and Lacey who fight frequently.

As Holly tries to clear her co-worker and friend Casey of the murder, she gets assistance from both Nick and Adam, and Adam is more than a little jealous of Nick! Meanwhile problems escalate at the house with Gary becoming loud and violent. It turns out Gary is a Gargoyle, and Gargoyles have very little regards for humans and even witches. It takes both her familiar-a 20 pound cat named Boots-and Adam-shifted into a 160 pound dog who is almost bear like-to keep Gary from harming Holly.

So many little mysteries and details combine to make this a delightful book. Holly is busy trying to be a witch but not blow her cover in this non-magical community. She is very self-sufficient and resourceful. I like the characters-both supernatural and human-and the way they see or don't see what is really going on. It is a fun book that I recommend for anyone who likes witches and supernatural stories. If you join the author's mailing list at this time, you will be sent a free prequel to the series called A Witch of a Day. If you read that first you will get Holly's background and find out why she was banished to Beechwood Manor to begin with.