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!!

The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson

After reading Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson, I decided it was high time to read another book written by Shirley Jackson as I'd been meaning to read another one of her books after I'd read and reviewed Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House in October 2016. 

So, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson and narrated by Gabrielle de Cuir.

Listening time for The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson is 3 hours, 9 minutes.

I enjoyed listening to this nonfiction book about the Salem witch trials of 1692 to 1693. Ms. Jackson did a phenomenal job of bringing these events to life and keeping the topic interesting and engaging. I was surprised to learn that The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson was written for young readers. 

I would recommend The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson to anyone wanting to learn a detailed, historical account of the Salem witch trials.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson from Audible:

A detailed account of one of the strangest and most shocking episodes in American history, written by the author of "The Lottery".

Stories of magic, superstition, and witchcraft were strictly forbidden in the little town of Salem Village. But a group of young girls ignored those rules, spellbound by the tales told by a woman named Tituba. When questioned about their activities, the terrified girls set off a whirlwind of controversy as they accused townsperson after townsperson of being witches. Author Shirley Jackson examines in careful detail this horrifying true story of accusations, trials, and executions that shook a community to its foundations.

I am giving The Witchcraft of Salem Village by Shirley Jackson a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!