November 4, 2019
In Simon’s entertaining sequel to 2018’s A Spell of Murder, Becca Colwin has already declared herself a witch detective to her friends and coven. With the help of her three cats, known as familiars in the Wiccan world, Becca sets out to discover who’s trying to kill her client Gaia Linquist, a clerk at the Wiccan boutique in Cambridge, Mass. Gaia suspects the culprit may be her boss, Margaret Cross, who believes Gaia’s having an affair with Margaret’s husband, Frank. But when Frank ends up dead, both Gaia and Margaret become suspects in his possible murder, until someone tries to kill Gaia. Gaia thinks her boyfriend, Tiger, is assisting Becca as she combs the streets of Cambridge for clues. Then the police tell Gaia that Tiger claims he has never met Becca, and Gaia realizes that he’s not who he says he is. Becca’s cats, each with a distinctive personality, use their individual magical skills in their efforts to solve the case and keep Becca safe. Fans of talking cat cozies will have fun. Agent: Colleen Mohyde, Doe Coover Agency.