Review: The Witch and the Dead

The Witch and the Dead by Heather Blake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I read this for the Cozy Mystery square for Halloween Bingo

I gasped. In a once-hidden nook created by a tower of boxes lay a skeleton fully dressed in men's clothing. By the thick layer of undisturbed dust covering the skeletal remains. I guessed he'd been there quite a long time.

This is book seven in the Wishcraft Mystery series that follows Darcy, a witch, as she attempts to solve murder mysteries. It was a little overwhelming at first with a whole island of characters greeting me but once the family, friend, and side-eyeing relationships were realized, this turned into a super cozy mystery. This story begs to be accessorized with big fluffy socks and a big mug of hot chocolate.

"I've been asked by the Elder to investigate the matter."

The first half of the story is our heroine Darcy just taking a stroll through town and encountering people who help piece together the final days of Miles, the body found in her aunt's garage. Scandal and heartache get revealed with each discussion and our mystery is born. Since this is the seventh in the series the magical part of the story, the different kinds of witches living on the island, isn't stopped and explained. However, the way the author does great woven in explanations for any newcomers. The only thing I missed starting here was the initial excitement of some relationships just starting up, here Darcy's relationship with the town police chief is already established, while her sister Harper's relationship is going through a rough patch I couldn't truly feel as I didn't have an emotional tie to it.

The large cast of characters were all wonderfully fleshed out, adding so much dimension to the story; I could happily read a story individually staring all of them. Darcy was easy to like and follow along with providing a great lens to view the story from. The author was able to touch on deeper subjects without weighing the story down in emotional angst. This was such a sweet, easy, entertaining, and kept me guessing for a while mystery with a tint of Fall/Halloween fun.

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