| Freelance
artist Annabelle Amelia Blessingsound Britton comes from a
long line of witches, even though she's not aware of the fact.
It quickly becomes clear, however, when she takes a break
from work to visit her grandmother's birthplace, Portsmouth,
New Hampshire, to research her family history. Her friend,
Martine, runs a successful restaurant and suggests people
Annabelle can contact for more information. Then she meets
Alistair, a smoky gray cat who is a local legend, a ghost
cat and known witch's familiar who constantly disappears.
Annabelle learns that his previous owner, Dorothy Hawthorne,
died due to a fall down the basement stairs; however, when
Alistair leads her into the vacant cottage near the B&B
where she's staying, she senses the woman's death was murder.
When Alistair leads her to the attic, Annabelle finds an altar
with pentacles and a carved wand. Dorothy was obviously a
witch, but why did she have a photo of Annabelle on the altar?
Annabelle becomes friends with several witches who tell her
that her "vibes" about places are undeveloped powers.
But one witch, the wealthy Elizabeth Maitland, makes Annabelle
feel unwelcome. Why does Elizabeth bear such enmity toward
Annabelle's grandmother, who was also a member of the coven?
Is Dorothy Hawthorne's nephew right in suspecting the fall
down the basement stairs was murder? Unfortunately, every
time Annabelle believes she's figured people out, they send
her theories into a tailspin.
Delia James did an excellent job in portraying the characters
in this book, and especially that of Annabelle. Alistair stole
the show, however, making for many touching and even comical
situations.
A Familiar Tail is an enchanting tale of witches
and covens, combined with a delectable touch of mystery, filled
with surprising twists that kept me entranced and begging
for more. I loved it!
Reviews
of other titles in this series
A
Familiar Tail #1
By
Familiar Means #2
Familiar Motives #3
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