In a Witch's Wardrobe

Solid entry. Is Sailor the one? Their lives would be so much easier if they would just talk to each other........
Wonder what the mystery is about her father? ( )

Lily gets to attend an Art Deco fancy ball, but the evening barely gets underway when a women falls ill in the ladies room. Lily is convinced it is a hex on the corsage as Miriam slips into a coma right there in the bathroom. Lily just has to help, who else is going to know a "Sleeping Beauty" curse and how to deal with it? Additionally, Inspector Carlos Romaro has asked Lily to help him investigate Tarra Dark Moon's death since her coven members aren't opening up to him. Lily realizes that Miriam and Tarra belonged to the same coven and suspects the two instances could be related. As if this weren't enough, there is a group calling themselves the "Defenders of Morality" vandalizing anybody's business involved in pagan spirituality, and Lily could be a prime target.

Lily is a great character, a powerful witch who doesn't know her own strength, has low self-esteem, and is finally developing friendships for the first time in her life. Her familar, Oscar, a Gargoyle-Goblin mix, who appears as a pot-bellied pig when other people are around, is the comic relief with mixed loyalties. Aidan continues to be a shady character that Lily can't really trust since he is involved in the cases but won't explain how. Sailor is back in this book and major developments between Lily and Sailor occur since he must help her to save Miriam.

San Francisco is always a great setting in this series, providing a cosmopolitan panorama with a variety of interesting locals to utilize. The plot was well developed, sending Lily and the reader following a few red herrings. The motivations of the Miriam/Tarra cases are murky enough to keep the reader guessing through the investigating. The confrontation with the killer is great magickal suspense. The wrap up is bittersweet and leaves the reader with a bit of a cliffhanger to ensure eager anticipation of the next book. It can't come soon enough!

This is another rock solid entry in the series that seems to keep getting better with each book. The secrecy surrounding Aidan and Sailor have revealing tidbits in each entry providing a tantalizing thread through the books. Great addictive story telling.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

Series: 4th in A Witchcraft Mystery

Sensuality: mild heat

Main Character: Lily Ivory, hereditary witch

Setting: Modern day, San Francisco

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Mysteries and My Musings
http://www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com ( )

In Blackwell’s paranormal mystery novel, Lily Ivory takes a night off from her vintage clothing store to attend a local Art Deco ball. Soon after arriving, Lily realizes that a young woman at the event has fallen under a mysterious illness that looks to be connected to a cursed corsage.

Asked to assist in the investigation of a string of poisonings in the Bay Area witchcraft community, Lily is forced to delay solving the magical unexplained illness. Digging deep into the community, Lily soon suspects that a new acquaintance just might be dabbling in the dark arts.

An excellent blend of mystery, paranormal and humor, making this a fantastic urban murder mystery and a great addition to the A Witchcraft Mystery series. ( )

This is the fourth book in Juliet Blackwell's A Witchcraft Mystery series, but it's the first one I've read. I'm usually hesitant to read a series out of order because I might feel lost, but the blurb on this book was too intriguing to pass up. Turns out the author did a great job getting a newbie like me up to speed.

Lily Ivory is the owner of Aunt Cora's Closet, a vintage clothing shop in San Francisco. She's a solitary witch, due in part to being treated like an outcast growing up in a small Texas town. But now she's slowly coming out of her shell and cautiously mingling with the local magical community. I liked Lily. She was easy to connect with, had great smarts, skills and style, and seemed like the type of friend I'd love to hang out with. Even with her social awkwardness, she was a compassionate person always willing to lend a hand to someone in need.

The mystery in this book is intriguing. It centers around a young mother who falls under a mysterious "Sleeping Beauty" curse. What happened to this woman may be connected to other poisonings in the witchcraft community. In addition, a group calling themselves the "Defenders of Morality" are targeting New Age and magical businesses in the area, vandalizing stores and leaving threats. Wanting to help out, Lily starts investigating. This was not an easy mystery to solve; it had many layers and players, and really kept me on my toes.

IN A WITCH'S WARDROBE was a well-written, fast-paced cozy with a little romance and some funny moments too. I enjoyed the magical "shop talk." Ms. Blackwell seems to know her craft! The book ended with a cliffhanger of sorts, so I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for Lily.

Review copy courtesy of Obsidian Mystery. ( )

A great continuation of a fun series. With maybe a hint of what's to come next. ( )