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Annabelle
Britton is living in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she
is a freelance artist and a member of a witch's coven. She
is learning to use her newly discovered magical abilities
under the guidance of Julia Parris, a bookshop owner, and
elder in the coven. Julia is also the estranged best friend
of Annabelle's grandmother, Grandma B.B. Annabelle's familiar
is Alistair, a very magical cat who can disappear at will
and transport himself from place to place seamlessly.
While
using her powers (without Julia's permission or supervision)
to try to help coffee shop owner's Jake and Miranda determine
if the building they've purchased for a new location is haunted
or not, a smugglers tunnel is uncovered, and deep inside it
a freshly dead body as well! The dead is Jimmy Upton, an up
and coming chef who was murdered and his body placed deliberately
in the tunnel. Someone seems to be setting up Jake as a killer,
but the questions are the usual: who and why? Will Annabelle,
Alistair, Grandma B.B. and a host of other local characters
be able to put the pieces together before the overly enthusiastic
Lieutenant Blanchard arrests Jake and sends him off to a speedy
trial?
Paranormal
cozies have become quite trendy over the past few years. There
are several series which I really enjoy and look forward to
new books from those authors. When a new one comes along,
I find that I've become a bit skeptical about whether they
will be unique enough to hold their own. In fact, I did not
read the first book in this series, A Familiar Tail.
Something
about By Familiar Means called to me, however, and
I'm so glad! I thoroughly enjoyed this book from cover to
cover. Literally! The artwork on the front cover is spectacular
and is what first drew me to it. Each character within is
exceptionally well written, with nuances which are consistent
throughout the book, and true to life relationships built.
The main murder mystery plot, and the subplots involving Plymouth
businesses and history, and an impending birth, and even a
magical cat courtship of sorts, are finely tuned. I am so
impressed with this book and this author's work that, not
only can I not wait for the next book, I'm headed right out
to find the first!
I can't
recommend By Familiar Means highly enough and rate
it Five Magic Wands all imbued with positive energy! If you
enjoy a paranormal cozy mystery, you'll want to fly to your
bookseller and get your copy today! Pick up A Familiar
Tail while you are there!
Reviews
of other titles in this series
A
Familiar Tail #1
By
Familiar Means #2
Familiar Motives #3
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