Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell, which was narrated by Xe Sands. 

Secondhand Spirits is the first novel in the 'Witchcraft' cozy mystery series and Juliet Blackwell is a new to me author. I love cozy mystery novels and Secondhand Spirits was a delight!! I loved that this novel is set in the San Francisco Bay Area as I live the San Francisco East Bay. I enjoyed hearing local details featured in this cozy mystery novel.

The writing was really good. I liked the pacing of this novel, the characters, the storyline, and more. The only major complaint I have is the narration for this book... This is the fourth novel I've listened to that has been narrated by Xe Sands. I've either loved the way Ms. Sands has narrated the book I've listened to OR the narration has been a complete bust. I simply wasn't fond of the way this book was narrated.

Below is the publisher's summary for Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell, which I discovered on the author's website:

Lily Ivory is not your average witch. Her spell-casting powers tend to draw mischievous spirits while keeping normal humans at a distance. But now her vintage clothing store could give her a chance to make friends in San Francisco….

Lily hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora’s Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion—she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry—her store becomes a big hit.

But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime. She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it’s not easy—especially under the spells of sexy “mythbuster” Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily’s witchy ways be forced out of the closet?

I look forward to reading other novels from the 'Witchcraft' cozy mystery series.

I am giving Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley

 

It's no secret that I enjoy reading cozy mystery novels... And with the holiday season well underway, who wouldn't want to eat cupcakes or candy around the holidays? However, it just so happens, it isn't the Halloween Holiday! 

Nonetheless, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley and narrated by Meg Price. Listening time is 5 hours, 21 minutes. 

Cutthroat Cupcakes is the 1st novel in the 'Cursed Candy Mysteries' and is nicely narrated.

I liked the sweets/candy treat theme for Cutthroat Cupcakes. The plot/storyline for this novel was pretty good and so were the characters and the writing. Not a bad start to a cozy mystery series. 

Below is the publisher's summary for Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley I discovered on Chirp's website:

Killer cupcakes?

Seems improbable to Lina, but when an attractive detective snaps cuffs on her and accuses her of witchy crimes she’s forced to reconsider.

The murder weapon? A cupcake topper sold in Lina’s shop, Sticky, Tricky Treats.

The method? A killing curse.

The curse’s origin? Lina…sort of.

Except Lina hadn’t a clue that she was a witch, and certainly didn’t know she’d accidentally cursed some of her confections.

She’s got to catch the killer who used her magic to murder or possibly face a conviction as an accessory.

Now, if only the wizard detective assigned to the case weren’t such a distraction.

I am giving Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Throwback Thursday - Cozy Mystery Novels I enjoyed reading!

I enjoy a good cozy mystery novel every now and again. How about you? It's amazing how many cozy mystery novels I've read and reviewed here over the lifetime of my blog, Captivated Reader!! 

Below is a small sample of the cozy mystery novels I've enjoyed reading and reviewing since the start of 2012. Each title has been randomly selected and placed in no order of special importance. Click on the links below to read my review for each novel.

1. Lye in Wait (Home Crafting Mystery #1) by Cricket McRae

2. Louisiana Longshot: A Miss Fortune Mystery (Volume 1) by Jana Deleon

3. A Killer Kebab by Susannah Hardy

4. Deadly Readings by Laura Bradford

5. Death at Wentwater Court (Daisy Dalrymple #1) by Carola Dunn

6. Mimi Gets A Clue by Jennifer J. Chow

7. Assault and Pepper by Leslie Budewitz

8. The St. Valentine's Day Cookie Massacre by Elisabeth Crabtree

9. Playing At Murder by Gillian Larkin

10. May Day by Jess Lourey

Have you read any of the above cozy mystery novels? Are there any cozy mystery series or novels you have really enjoyed reading over the years?

Murder By the Book: Carolyn Haines in Conversation with Jess Dylan

 

I enjoy reading cozy mystery novels. However, I've never heard of cozy mystery writers Carolyn Haines and Jess Dylan. So, with this in mind, I decided to watch Murder By the Book's live author event with Carolyn Haines in Conversation with Jess Dylan on Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 5pm PDT.

I really enjoyed watching this virtual author event and learned a lot about each author. I'll look into their novels.

Murder By the Book: Carolyn Haines in Conversation with Jess Dylan is the 5th virtual author event I've seen during the month of May 2021.

Below is a video of Carolyn Haines in Conversation with Jess Dylan which was hosted by Murder By the Book.

Have you attended any author events recently?