Hexes and Hemlines

A Witchcraft Mystery, Book 3

By: Juliet Blackwell

Narrated by: Xe Sands

With her vintage clothing store taking off, Lily Ivory is finding that life in San Francisco suits her just fine. But her ability to sense vibrations from the past, so useful in locating secondhand gems, has landed her in the middle of a new mystery....

Lily gets called away from Aunt Cora's Closet when the police need a witch's take on a strange case. Malachi Zazi was stabbed to death in his apartment, under a ladder, surrounded by the number thirteen, a broken mirror, and a black cat-superstitions that the victim, as head of a rationalist society, was devoted to discrediting. When the police identify a suspect from the Serpentarian Society, Lily is shocked to learn it's someone she knows.

But with bad luck plaguing all its members, she begins to wonder if there's more at work than mere coincidence. And while there aren't many clues from the crime scene, Lily finds evidence of dark witchcraft and a hex on her friend's doorstep. With her friend's safety at stake, Lily is determined to use magic to find the murderer before everyone's luck runs out.

©2011 Juliet Blackwell (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Strong writing, a solid plot and a spunky, likable heroine add up to a cleverly written, top-notch cozy mystery." ( Romantic Times)

Great Read

This was one of the best in the series. Subcultures are a part of all major cultures. This book takes a more in depth look at secret societies and subcultures. It is fun, realistic, and fast paced. It's a great read. In fact, this entire series is a lot of fun. I have already bought the next book and I can't wait until book 5 comes out next year.

Excellent!!!

Juliet Blackwell is a brilliant writer, the story line flows seamlessly without hesitation. I could listen to this book over and over again and never get tired. As far as the narration, Xe Sands is the perfect person to read this book, in fact there are books that I've listened to just because she's the narrator. This is well worth the money. Buy it and then buy one for a friend.

love the series

love the series cant wait for the next one sailor aiden oscar.......... it's a winner i just love story line.

Kick back and enjoy!

Would you consider the audio edition of Hexes and Hemlines to be better than the print version?

Yes, audio is almost always an enhancement.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite is still her familiar.

What about Xe Sands’s performance did you like?

Very good, can do many voices well. I forgot it was just one reader.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laugh and smile through all the books in this series.

Any additional comments?

Please prod the author to hurry up with the next book.

Enjoyable

I’m liking this series. Characters are like able. I like the story lines and that it’s something I can listen to in my car with my kids.

Love, Love, Love this series

What did you love best about Hexes and Hemlines?

The presentation of the characters really bring them to life.

What other book might you compare Hexes and Hemlines to and why?

I believe Juliet Blackwell is unique in her writing style.

What about Xe Sands’s performance did you like?

She did fantastic, you really visualize the different characters.

Any additional comments?

I would love this series to become a TV mini series or a movie, how much fun would that be.

Hold the bacon.

I'm really enjoying this series, it's like my favorite blanket. Glad to have it around and it gives me a nice warm, fuzzy feeling afterwards. The more you read this series the more you get hooked. This is a nice clean series for those who are not into sex. I personally would like to see more romance added, there are plenty of candidates to choose from. I'm leaning towards Sailor, but who knows if that will happen. Lily in a way reminds me of Sookie from Charlaine Harris's series, but the story is way different though. Lily is sweet and would do anything to help a friend, which is how she gets herself into trouble. Narrator is slightly annoying, but I'm good at focusing on the story and at book three I'm getting use to her.

A Study in Witchcraft

Where does Hexes and Hemlines rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really love this series tremendously. I can't wait to listen to the next one. Blackwell is one of my current favorites.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Next to the protagonist Lily Ivory, I think Oscar the pig/gremlin/gargoyle is the most charming and endearing.

Which character – as performed by Xe Sands – was your favorite?

Xe has a very natural and entertaining quality of reading, and is one of the best narrators out there.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes I want to rush into it as if it was one of my favorite flavors of ice cream, but another part wants to slow down and enjoy the ride.

Fun

couldn't wait to be alone to listen to the story about characters that I know and what was going to happen next!

I guess i’m getting used to the narrator

I turned up the speed of the narrator’s voice and find it to be lot less annoying. The story is interesting but somewhat predictable. It’s still a relaxing read and it’s fun to learn about something I previously knew nothing (witchcraft).