
Putting on the Witch
by Joyce and Jim Lavene
I have been awaiting this book with a little trepidation. These were some of the last words written by these amazing authors. We lost Joyce almost a year ago and then Jim back in May, but a single day does not pass that I don’t think of them. At first I was unsure about these paranormal stories they were writing. Ghosts and zombies were just not my thing, but Joyce convinced to give her Ren Faire Mysteries a try and I loved them. Soon she had me head over heels for a ghostly fire chief in the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries
, and she almost had me convinced to try their Purple Door Detective Agency
books, which I will probably still do because I have loved everything they have written. I am so thankful that we have all these fantastic stories to read because that way they will always live on and when I need my Lavene book fix they will always be nearby. Also with all these paranormal things I am thinking maybe there are a couple of ghostly mystery writers floating among us with just a little mischief in their eyes.
Putting on the Witch (Retired Witches Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Berkley (October 4, 2016)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425268278
E-Book – ASIN: B01AHKXHTS
Synopsis
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…
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Joyce and Jim Lavene had imaginations that were truly out of this world and it was in full force in this 3rd installment of the Retired Witch Mysteries.
Molly, Elsie, Dorothy, Brian and Olivia are all back and we meet Drago, Dorothy’s father. The coven is invited to Brian’s birthday party, a party even Brian doesn’t usually attend but the other witches all convince him to go. They all need a little fun especially with the wicked Drago lurking around. The event is at a very special castle and the whole Grand Council of Witches are in attendance. In fact, one of the council ends up dead and it gets crazy…
This was a book I truly escaped right into, a world of make believe had me leave reality in the dust within seconds after opening the cover.
The castle setting was both enchanting and eerie – an immense space where stairs and hallways appear and disappear, filled with hidden rooms and spaces, a wonderful library and more. The drinks were flowing and there was fine food to eat. The place was packed with witches of all kinds, water witches, fire witches, air and earth witches. It would have been a fabulous party if that darn murder hadn’t occurred.
I have loved the main characters from the moment we met, just 3 witches wanting to retire and hand their spellbook off to a new set of witches and since then so much has happened. Retiring is always a huge change but for these witches it is no simple feat and we were allowed to travel with them all along the way.
This story is so much more than a cozy mystery. It is about friendship and family and all the dedication and devotion that goes along with that. Each character is unique. Every place from their shop, Smuggler’s Arcane, to the enormous castle is vividly described. The plots and subplots are more than well written, they are MAGICAL times infinity.
I believe Jim finished this story on his own, something he hadn’t done since they started writing together. He dedicates the book to Joyce and you can tell he worked hard to get everything just right. I could feel his heart beating in these words, he may have had a little spiritual assistance too, but I know it was probably one of the hardest things to do after she passed away. The cozy community was truly blessed by their presence and they will always live on through their stories. I hope they are looking down upon us and see the joy their writing has brought to so many.


About The Authors
Joyce and Jim Lavene wrote award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook
, and Ellie Grant
. They had written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. Joyce passed away October 20, 2015 and Jim passed on May 5, 2016. They are missed by family, friends and their many fans.
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October 3 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
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Joining us with Reviews/Spotlights
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Linda L.
Kendrea P.
Robin C.
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Lisa C.
Stacie A.
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Kathy D.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”