Witch Way Out

February 1, 2023
A fledgling witch with a family legacy has to solve a mystery. Then another one. And another. Even though she's something of a witch noob, Violet Mooney is powerful in ways she's only starting to understand, because until recently she had no idea she was part of both the Ravenstar and Moonstone legacies. Suddenly, she's searching for whomever's "genied" a leprechaun named Mac Finnegan, and she's almost as lost as series newcomers will be in a story that seems to start midway. Todd Langston, who Violet thought was her boyfriend, may have been in on a plot related to the missing Mac, fighting within witch dynasties, and maybe the sudden death of Grandma Abby, Violet's closest confidante during the absence of Fiona, her recently returned mother. The lengthy exposition strains at the seams, particularly when an invitation to sell her crystals at the Spring Equinox Fair leads Violet into a second mystery, this time involving a murder. Given all the hubbub around pressures of ethical mining and Violet's recent history concerning the availability of moldavite, she can't help wondering whether the murder is related to natural resources or, as old storybooks say, it's something more personal. Lawyer Blake Alexander is surprisingly helpful in Violet's quest for the truth, which is also a path to the more interesting story of where she came from. As Violet tries to unravel the ties that connect the worlds of mortals and magic, she can't always tell who's a real witch and who's just a wannabe. With a character list this long, readers may feel the same. This entry, which might read better in the context of the series, is tough to follow as a stand-alone.

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