Putting on the Witch (Retired Witches Mystery #3) by Joyce Lavene, Jim Lavene

Putting on the Witch (Retired Witches Mystery #3) by Joyce Lavene, Jim Lavene made me so happy to see in my reading stack. I know many of you follow cozies closely, and know just how special this couple is and how wonderful the stories they shared with us are. The tragic loss makes this treasure something I will cherish even more.

From the back of the book:

In the latest mystery from the bestselling authors of Looking for Mr. Good Witch, the retired witches of Wilmington, North Carolina, are ready to kick up their heels...

With their coven’s spell book still missing, Molly and Elsie—along with their ghostly friend Olivia, her daughter Dorothy, and her boyfriend Brian—are all on edge, especially now that Dorothy’s infamously wicked father is back in the picture. So when they receive an invitation to an exclusive Witches Ball, the ladies jump at the chance to dress up and have some fun.

The castle locale is spectacular and the party is hopping, but the festivities come to a swift end when a member of the Grand Council of Witches is murdered. With the whole place on lock down, the coven is determined to find the cunning killer, even with an angry council and a real Spanish Inquisitor breathing down their necks.

My thoughts:

I love para-cozies, maybe because I have such a close bond with witches and magic. This series is one of my favorites. All of the characters are so lively, even the dead ones. It was great to see more of Brian and Dorothy, them as a couple is growing on me. I love the way he stands apart from his family and the council. Learning more about Dorthy's father was awesome, and so surprising. The setting, a witch's party at a magical castle was so ... magical. The magic Molly has in her amulet is also really intriguing.

I didn't solve the murder this time, but wow there was so much more than a murder mystery going on. I was enthralled in histories, secrets, and continuing discovery of the coven member's powers and secrets. The library would have been a dream come true for me. Let's face it, the whole magical party would have been. That there are always so many different types of creatures packed into the rich stories continues to amaze me. It never feels busy, just very very rich. You will want this and every single thing written by this beautiful couple.

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