Hexes and Hemlines (A Witchcraft Mystery, #3) by Juliet Blackwell BOOK REVIEW

Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hexes and Hemlines is the third book in the Witchcraft Mystery series by author Juliet Blackwell, who I just happen to really love!

Lily has been asked by Detective Carlos to take a look at his crime scene, it is littered with bad luck symbols, and he wants to know what she thinks. This is a huge step for the detective, he is actually, after her being involved in his last two cases, coming to terms with the supernatural and the fact that witches and ghosts actually do exsist, which is a whole lot better than her said crush, reporter Max Carmichael, who after the last crime and actually seeing her in action, tucked his tail and ran off to Florida! Coward! Of course Lily isn't ready to announce it to the whole world that she is a witch, but she is getting better about letting people get close to her.

The crime scene that Detective Carlos takes her to is on the 13th floor, there is a ladder you have to walk under to get in, broken mirrors, a black cat and all kinds of other bad luck symbols. The funny thing, Lily can't really get a vibe on the place and that kinda freaks her out, so of course she has to get invovled and look into things, especially when she finds out that her friend Browyn's son-in-law was at the dinner the night before and is a "person of interest", which of course is freaking rebecca, Browyn's daughter out to n o end, it is upsetting her "perfect", normal, un-supernatural life.

Of course we learn a little more about Browyn and her daughter, Rebecca and their relationship in this book. We also learn more about Adian and Sailor, who just happens to be involved in this book quite alot, which is really neat, because I like Sailor, in fact I think Sailor and Lily would be a cute couple, but that is just my opinion. We also learn more about Lily. I love how we get small glimpses into her past, things that made her what she is today in each book, and in this book, because we are dealing with this "bad Luck Club" and the symbol of the snake, we learn that Lily is not afraid of snakes and o n incident in her life when she was younger involving her mother and a snake-handling church. It really helps you understand the basic mistrust she has of people, when someone who is suppose to love her can subject her to such a horror.

I am really looking forward to the next book, the Art Deco Ball and learning more about Aidan and lily, and how they are connected, because we know that they both are very powerful witches, and you just know there has to be some connection between them, jut what it is exactly is yet to be discovered. I love finding out more about them in these small doses, as they navigate life and death and reality.

Book Four is titled, In a Witch's Wardrobe, I think, and it is available now. I also hear, from following the author on Facebook, that she is currently working on book five! Love it!

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A Cast-Off Coven (A Witchcraft Mystery, #2) by Juliet Blackwell BOOK REVIEW

A Cast-Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you have read any of my previous reviews, you might already have figured out that Juliet Blackwell is one of my favorite authors. Not only do I love her books, but I think she is a pretty cool person too, as I follow her on Facebook and hear about the new books as she is writing and they are published. It is alot of fun to be able to keep up with your favorite authors!

This is the Vintage clothing, witch series and this particular book happens to be the second in the series, with the book Secondhand Spirits being the first book.

I really enjoy Lily Ivory, the title character. She is a little afraid of people and making friendships, and her history is hinted at each time she explains that. Not much is told, that he father left when she was a toddler, her mother couldn't cope with a child that was a witch and so her "grandmother" rasied her and tried to teach her about her magik. Now weather Graciela is actually her grandmother by blood or not, I am still not sure about, she kinda hints that she might not be, but Graciela also raised her father before her, so she is counted as a relative. Little is really told about her past, although I am finding that with each book, we find just a hint or two more about her.

Lily has only been in San Fransico for a few months, and she was drawn into a child abduction and a murder in the first book withing weeks of being in town. Now it seems like the local Art College is having a problem with a ghost that is scaring the students, and since one of those students is Maya, who works for Lily, she gets involved in finding out what is going on. The day they decide to visit the school, they don't find any ghosts, but a murder and once again Lily is sucked in and the local police are none too happy.

Lily is still investigation a relationship with Max, and weather there is any chance of one occuring or not, especially since he believes that witchcraft is a bunch of hooey and Lily is a witch. They continue to dance around each other and try to figure out what to do, until Max's family gets drawn into this particular event because his younger brother is a profressor at the Art School where Lily is investigating the haunting or rather what turns out to be more serious and scary, a demon on the lose. Max doesn't want to believe any of it, and yet it is right there in front of his faced, but he thinks he can solve everything with science, and this is going to take alot for him to figure out in his mind. He may never be able to deal with it and there goes a relationship out the window.

I really enjoyed this series, and continue to look forward to what Juliet puts out in the written word.

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Secondhand Spirits (A Witchcraft Mystery, #1) by Juliet Blackwell BOOK REVIEW

Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I discovered author Juliet Blackwell awhile back when I found her Haunted Home Renovation Series, and I loved that first book so much, that I researched the author to see what else she might hve written, and discovered this series, A Witchcraft Mystery.

I loved this book. Lily is our lead, a powerful witch, that we know very little about, so we discover just a little about her history, with so many more mysteries in her as a person herself yet to discover. Bronwyn is actually a wiccan, a normal human who practices witchcraft as a religion, but not a real witch and not powerful. Bronwyn shares space in the store with Lily and can already tell what Lily is, before and without Lily telling her. She becomes something of a friend to Lily, the first of her life. Maya is a student at the Fine Arts College that is recording histories of people, and in that role finds a number of vintage clothing stashes for Lily. Se also, although being skeptical of the whole paranormal world, another friend to Lily.

In this, the first of the series, Lily and Maya met with an elder lady who isn't all that she seems, and while they are visiting to look for clothes, a young girl down the street is "abducted". Lily takes it upon herself to try to figure out what is going on and to get the girl back.

It is a well-written and charming story that weaves it's way around, introducing a number of people, giving us just a touch about them, not too much but just enough to keep us interested. So looking forward to the next book to see where each of these people go, the history and pasts that they bring to the story and where they are headed. I find myself wanting to discover more about the people.

Another great book by Juliet Blackwell.

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In a Witch's Wardrobe (A Witchcraft Mystery, #4) by Juliet Blackwell BOOK REVIEW

In a Witch's Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In a Witch's Wardrobe is the fourth book in the Witchcraft Mystery series by Juliet Blackwell. She mixes vintage clothing and witchcraft together into a complex and compelling storyline that also keeps me guessing.

Lily Ivory is a witch, not a fact that she shares with too many people. It has not been a well-received fact in the past and she is still scarred from the reactions of people in her past, which influences how she reacts and acts now. She owns a vintage clothing store called Aunt Cora's Closet, and she also sells some protective tailsmans in the store too.

The thing is if you hadn't read any other book in this series, you could still read this one and follow along well enough. You might wonder about some of the people, but it wouldn't hamper the store in any way. Now, reading them in order is much nicer. You follow a progression and you see Lily start to grow and become more comfortable and happy where she is.

Lily attend the Art Deco Ball with Aidan, a male witch of great power in the area that she is still holding at arms length, mainly because he knew her father. An aside here, we know almost nothing of Lily's father after four books, he is sort of a ghost in her past and not something that she is willing to talk about or think about. She grew up with her grandmother. Back to the ball, while at the ball, a young woman passes out and Lily is sure there is witchcraft involved.

At first she is told to back off by Aidan, but after a few days he tells her that she has to find out what is going on, and to protect people involved without telling her why or how they are tied to him. Of course Lily is already in the investigating phase and what she learns will make changes in her life for the future.

This is a wonderful book, well written as always. I love the storyline and the plot. I love the vintage clothing angle that is so fun, she really describes the clothing and and makes you feel that you can see them and want to wear them. It is so much more than just the witchcraft angle to the story, there is a whole life story to it. I just really feel for Lily and want her to find happiness and someone who understands her.

This has always been one of my favorite cozy mystery series, and one of my favorite authors. It still is and I continue to be impressed by the books each and every time.

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