It has been so sad, losing both Joyce and Jim LaVene. They are two of my most cherished authors and I had many a fun email chats with Joyce. Having read so many of their books in several different series, I can say they are also at the top of my list of cozy mystery authors.
I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review their latest book. And this is the first print copy of theirs that I have owned. It will always be a special book for me. Thank you, Joyce and Jim, for the many cozy hours I spent being charmed by your stories. You’ll be missed.
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Putting on the Witch
by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Epic. One word to describe this book.
From the first book in this series I was spell bound.
~Karen’s Reviews
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Putting on the Witch (Retired Witches Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Berkley (October 4, 2016)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425268278
E-Book – ASIN: B01AHKXHTS
My Review
Having read and enjoyed so many books by these two wonderful authors, I never had a doubt whether I’d enjoy this one too. Losing both Joyce and Jim within the last year, the reading community is feeling the loss, as am I. I’m thrilled to be able to share my thoughts about their newest release.
What a fun story. I was particularly happy to have both female and male witches in this one. And there’s some witches that are getting ready to retire that are still discovering new powers. I think I’d be hard pressed to quit if I still had something new brewing inside me. And that’s where one character finds herself.
The Grand Witches Council is throwing a big gala at a hidden mansion. The Who’s Who of witches are all present and our rag tag group joins the festivities. They’re not liked by the upper crust and that is made apparent when one of the council members is found dead.
Bring on the Spanish Inquisitor. He used to persecute witches. Torture and burning were his trade. Now he’s bound by the witches and used to sniff out their own kind when one goes bad. There’s a delightful twist with him. One I didn’t see coming, and it really made for more fun reading.
There were too many suspects with their own agendas for me to have a smidgeon of a chance of figuring out who the killer was, so I just relaxed and let the authors show me.
Now, what’s a cozy without some critters. Most of the witches in this story have a cat as their familiar. And one of the familiars has a big, naughty secret. Bad kitty.
Some other fun stuff is a witches beauty shop where you go for a complete makeover from head to toe. The glamour only lasts for one night, but think how easy it would be to get ready. And there’s a haunted bracelet that causes some sticky situations. The scene with it’s eyes kind of creeped me out.
Plenty of mystery abounds, with some fun twists and witchy shenanigans to keep you engaged. This would be a good one for your Halloween reading list.
I have this very bad habit of jumping into a series anywhere. I’ve not read the first two books, but the authors, as is their norm, made it easy and fun for me to join in here. I did stumble a wee bit until I got all of the character’s sorted out. Then it was all fun to the finish.
5 Stars
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Synopsis
With their coven’s spell book still missing, Molly and Elsie—along with their ghostly friend Olivia, her daughter Dorothy, and her boyfriend Brian—are all on edge, especially now that Dorothy’s infamously wicked father is back in the picture. So when they receive an invitation to an exclusive Witches Ball, the ladies jump at the chance to dress up and have some fun.
The castle locale is spectacular and the party is hopping, but the festivities come to a swift end when a member of the Grand Council of Witches is murdered. With the whole place on lock down, the coven is determined to find the cunning killer, even with an angry council and a real Spanish Inquisitor breathing down their necks…
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About The Authors
Joyce and Jim Lavene
www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
Purchase links:
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Other books in the series.
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has been nominated for the 2015 Reviewers’ Choice award for best amateur sleuth by RT Book Reviews. The second book in the series, 
is scheduled for release in October 2016.
, which introduces Margo Tamblyn, costume shop owner, who helps solve a murder after one of her clients is found dead at his own costume party (dressed as Sherlock!). 
, the second in the series, will be out in October 2016, just in time for Halloween.
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/ Dying for School Tea: A Beach Tea Shop Novella – Chelsea Powell and her sisters are providing treats for Citrus Beach High School’s freshman orientation. Can they solve the murder of the beloved softball coach before someone else dies?
/ The Glass Birdhouse – Glass artist Bella hopes to find clues about her student’s death in the woman’s unfinished glass birdhouse.
/ Bobbing for Murder – A visit from Darcie’s family is always chaotic, and this time the relatives bamboozle Darcie into having a Halloween party. It’s a decision that definitely comes back to haunt her.
/ Raven House – When a reporter is murdered after a fundraiser at the historic Raven House, the police call on Jillian and her Yorkie Teddy to help them investigate.
/ Falling for Murder – Helpful hints columnist Betsy Livingston is an expert at household organization but her skills are put to the test when she’s called upon to conduct an efficiency review for a haunted house.
/ Dead Men Tell Tales – In this third installment of the Lindsey & Ike romantic mystery novella series, things don’t add up after a suspicious hunting accident. The more Sheriff Ike Harper and newspaper editor Lindsey McKay dig, the more questions they find.
/ All Hallow’s Eve Heist – Date night for Georgie Shaw and handsome detective Jack Wheeler goes terribly wrong. A botched heist at Marvelous Marley World has everyone scrambling as trigger-happy bad guys head for the Halloween celebration in Arcadia Park.
/ Accident, Suicide, or Murder – Retired policeman Jonathan Boykin’s primary interest is improving his golf, but a grieving father’s request to investigate his son’s suspicious death is an entirely different ballgame.
/ Haunted Hair Nights – As a new stepmother, hairstylist Marla Vail hopes to win brownie points by helping her daughter with a school haunted house project. Marla has her work cut out for her when she stumbles over a corpse on the spooky estate grounds.
/ Spirit in the Rock – An invitation to a museum’s grand opening turns into a showdown with the spirit world for amateur sleuth Wilson McKenna.
/ Haunting in Himmarshee – When a ghost comes to call, Mace must sort out the haunted from the homicidal in Himmarshee, Florida.
