A Spell of Murder by Clea Simon is the first book in the NEW “Witch Cats of Cambridge” mystery series. Publisher: Polis Books, coming December 11, 2018.
“It’s Harriet’s fault. It’s always her fault, not that she’ll ever admit it.” So begins A Spell of Murder: A Witch Cats of Cambridge mystery, the first in a new cozy series that mixes feline fiction with a touch of the paranormal, and a little romance as well.
Becca, newly single and newly unemployed, wants to believe she has psychic powers. With nothing but time – and a desire for empowerment – she’s studying to become a witch. What she doesn’t know is that her three cats – Harriet, Laurel, and Clara – are the ones with the real power. And when Harriet – “a cream-colored longhair with more fur than commonsense” – conjures a pillow for her own comfort, Becca believes her spells are finally working. Could that be why Trent, the coven’s devilishly handsome leader, has been showing her special attention? Or why Suzanne, a longtime coven member, draws her aside to share a secret – a confidence that may lead to murder?
The statement that opens the book caught my attention and I immediately wanted to know what did Harriet do. To my surprise, the point of view featured in this tale are three felines who take care of their human owner, Becca. They are a mischievous bunch but it is all for good of their owner. Kudos to the author who somehow in her narrative made it happen where I never thought of the dialogue being spoken by cats. It was like they were the characters of the book and guiding me through the trials and tribulation of the events surrounding the murder of Suzanne when it appeared that Becca was a person of interest. I like the light-hearted atmosphere that accompanied the tone and flow of the story as the suspects were all present and accounted for and it was up to Becca and the help of her feline friends to find someone with a stronger motive among her friends. I like how the story was staged with good initial character development of those who had pivotal roles in the telling of this tale. Overall, this was a delightfully charming debut series.
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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
This looks awesome, Clea! Congrats on your new series — I am sure it will be as brilliant as the rest.
Thank you, Tina!
Thank you SO MUCH, Dru Ann, for trying out my new series. And thank you, Tina!