9.23.2022 | Friday

The Potion Commotion

category: Book Reviews
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The Potion Commotiontitle: The Potion Commotion
author: Constance Barker
series: Happy Blendings Witch #1
published: 7 September 2019
publisher: self-published
genre(s): cozy mystery, paranormal
pages: 105
source: Kindle Unlimited
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | Goodreads

rating: three-half-stars | series rating: three-stars

the blurb

How did a water witch drown? Good question.

Goodsprings Georgia is home to a secret witch's coven. Sam, earth witch, owns the local smoothie shop. She likes to put a little magic in her brew and she can cure most ailments with her smoothie potions. Her one employee, David aka Tank, has tattoos out the ying yang and a Harley in the parking lot. Regular customer Phineas and his pet rooster Chuckles enjoy lounging in the shop's courtyard seating. Chuckles gets his own shot glass of magic brew. Lucky bird.

Tessa, fire witch, owns the hottest grill in town. Mara, wind witch, can hear the whispers of the town, which comes in handy when an investigation is needed.

Amelia Windemere was the coven's water witch until her untimely demise. She wasn't the most loved person in town....oh heck, she was the most despised. But how does a water witch drown? Are there witch hunters in town or something more evil? And why did the police force hire two new twin detectives just in time for a murder?


a few notes

cover notes: eye-catching, pretty
keywords/phrases: witchy, magic, good versus evil
mood reading: in the mood for something light and fun
bonus points: smoothie shop, witchy vibes, Chuckles
anti-bonus points: easy whodunit guess

my review

A good cozy mystery has to have certain elements… a small town, engaging characters, cute covers, a mystery, an amateur detective, low on-page violence, and happy endings. The Potion Commotion has all of these, making for a quick and fun read. The author has created a quirky cast of characters that truly drive the story.

The main character is an earth witch, one of the four town witches. She and the other three within the coven are the latest in a long line of elemental witches, secretively working together on behalf of their town. However, one of their number has been misusing her powers, causing a rift in the coven. When two of the witches make an effort to bridge the rift, they instead find her dead. And so begins the mystery…

They have kept the secret coven hidden, as had their ancestors before them. Just the four make up the coven but they have had run ins with their water witch. She has been abusing her powers and this latest meeting has her going off in a tiff. Hoping to make peace two of them try to see her later but only to discover her lifeless body. How can a water witch drown? The new detectives in town managed to let that slip. Add in the Otter King, shady dealings, advice from an old timer, a break in, black magic and a showdown. Will they be strong enough to take down the culprit?

bonus points

I loved the witchy vibes of this book, the magical system created by the author. The town’s coven is multigenerational, comprised of one witch specializing in magic from one of the four elements. The four of them work together to keep their small town happy, productive, and as healthy as possible.

Another bonus point… the smoothie shop. The main character is an earth witch who works much of her magic through her smoothies to the benefit of her customers. That was fun and creative!

And Chuckles, the rooster. He has no real part in the story, but I just love that he exists!

anti-bonus points

I wish there could have been one or two more solid suspects to muddy the whodunit waters a little more.

I did wish there may have been another suspect or two as I kind of guessed the murderer quite early on.

book flights & matchmaking

Some more paranormal cozies to enjoy!

About Constance Barker

Constance Barker lives in the Midwest with her husband and two Akitas where she can look out from her screened porch onto a wooded area brimming with activity. Since she was a young girl she read mysteries, often given to her by her grandmother. She loved figuring out who the culprit was and sometimes she was right and other times startled at who the author picked as the assailant. Now she enjoys writing mysteries herself. When she isn’t writing stories, she can be found in her favorite vacation spot, Las Vegas or shopping for bargains.

Rating Report
plot
three-half-stars
characters
three-half-stars
writing
three-stars
pacing
three-half-stars
Overall: three-stars

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