Bruja Brouhaha by Rochelle Staab is the second book in the “Mind for Murder” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, August 2012

Practical psychologist Liz Cooper and occult professor Nick Garfield are enjoying the sixteenth wedding anniversary celebration for their charming hosts Paco and Lucia Rojas, devout Santeria practitioners who own the historic Botanica Rojas near MacArthur Park. But the small group of friends is left horrified and confused when the evening ends in tragedy.

Devastated by loss, Lucia, a Santeria priestess, blames the locals for the escalating crime in her beloved community. She casts a vengeful hex on the neighborhood, leading strangers and friends alike to dub her bruja–Spanish for witch–and turn on the elderly woman. Lucia may be in harm’s way, and it’s up to Liz and Nick to unravel a mysterious disappearance and solve a murder before more lives are lost…

Santeria, murder and deceptions plays in a role in this whodunit that I could not put down. I enjoyed the easy and fast-paced flow of this well-written mystery that was filled with plenty of twists and turns. The author did a good job in keeping me in suspense as the story moved forward towards its conclusion. This was a great read and I look forward to the next book in this delightfully charming series.