title: How the Witch Stole Christmasauthor: Dakota Cassidy
series: Witchless In Seattle #5
published: 12 December 2016
publisher: Book Boutiques
genre(s): cozy mystery, mystery, paranormal
pages: 211
source: Kindle Unlimited
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | StoryGraph | Goodreads
rating:
| series rating: the blurb
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Er, not so much. . .
It's Christmas, and I, ex-witch, Stevie Cartwright declare this my favorite time of year! I love the decorations! The food! The Hallmark Channel holiday specials! This year promises to be better than ever because for the first time in a very long time, I'm going to have more than just Cheez Whiz, Triscuits and the wish to be surrounded by family and friends.
My carefully planned holiday bonanza includes all the usual suspects. My bat familiar Belfry, my dog Whiskey, my ever-present ghostly spy friends--dashing Brit Winterbottom, stalwart Russian Arkady and my parents.
However, nothing comes easy for this amateur sleuth, not even a neighborhood decorating contest. You know, the one I've been painstakingly prepping for months? Something goes horribly awry with my Christmas display (think bikini-clad carolers, pink flamingos and real, live turkeys) to start.
But the worst? The dead body of the famous Chef Pascal Le June in my nativity scene!
It becomes clear someone's trying to ruin my Christmas, and that someone must pay! But when Belfry goes missing, and the danger takes on a paranormal edge, I find I have more to lose than ever before. . .
a few notes
keywords/phrases: holiday, murder, mystery
mood reading: witty banter, quirky characters
my review
The holidays are upon Ebenezer Falls in this installment, which lends itself to hijinks and hilarity. Stevie has thrown herself into the local house-decorating contest with rather hysterical results that involve half naked singers, the Easter Bunny, and… murder. And to make it worse? Her beloved little bat familiar, Belfrey, goes missing.
I love a good cozy mystery, and Dakota Cassidy has created the perfect cast for this series. Stevie is strong and smart, still positive even after having to find a new normal in her life. Win and Arkady, once enemies in the spy world, are now best friends in the afterlife. Their banter is hilarious, even as they both care deeply for Stevie. And of course, Belfrey. I love his sense of humor! The townfolk are equally as delightful, each of them reminding me of someone I know in my own life.
The mystery in this book was interesting, just enough clues to keep me guessing. I appreciate that each book is a full mystery from start to end, but there are also threads of an overall arc to the series as a whole. A nice bit revealed in each novel to carry the reader to the next!
About Dakota Cassidy
Dakota Cassidy is a national bestselling author with over thirty books. She writes laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, grab-some-ice erotic romance, hot and sexy alpha males, paranormal shifters, contemporary kick-ass women, and more.
Invited by Bravo TV, Dakota was the Bravoholic for a week, wherein she snarked the hell out of all the Bravo shows. She received a starred review from Publisher Weekly for Talk Dirty to Me, won an RT Reviewers Choice Award for Kiss and Hell, along with many review site recommended reads and reviewer top pick awards.
Dakota lives in the gorgeous state of Oregon with her real life hero and her dogs, and she loves hearing from readers!
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reading challenges:
- 2023 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
- 2023 Craving For Cozies Reading Challenge
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