It Takes a Witch

A Wishcraft Mystery, Book 1

By: Heather Blake

Narrated by: Coleen Marlo

Darcy Merriweather and her sister, Harper, hail from a long line of witches who have the power to grant wishes using spells. They've come to Enchanted Village in Salem, Massachusetts, to join the family business, but they soon find themselves knee deep in murder.

Until three weeks ago, Darcy and Harper were working dead-end jobs and trying to put their troubles behind them. Then their aunt Velma delivered a bombshell: They're actually Wishcrafters-witches with the power to grant wishes with a mere spell. Wanting a fresh start, they head to their aunt's magic-themed tourist town to master their newfound skills.

But their magic fails them when a wannabe witch turns up dead - strangled with Aunt Ve's scarf - and Ve's sweetheart, Sylar, is found looming over the body. Ve is standing by her man, but Darcy overheard Skylar wish that the victim would disappear - forever. With Harper distracted by her handsome new crush, Darcy is determined to sleuth her way to the truth. But it'll take more than a wish to unravel this mystery....

©2012 Heather Webber (P)2014 Tantor

Fun!

Read for Bookclub (DFWTea)(Kindle)
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 3.75

Audio Rating: 4.00

First Thought when Finished: I am not sure where my original review of It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake went (this is a re-read for me) but it was fun coming back to the beginning of the series to refresh my memory of the sisters when they were new to town. Sometimes re-reads are just what hits the spot!

Audio Thoughts: I thought Colleen was a good match for the characters and sassy-ness of the story :)

Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, Done Reviews

it was a nice listen

I enjoyed the story and the reader it was fun and light so I didn't have night mares.

Cute Story

This is a cute story and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

Pleasant surprise!!!

I really needed a light "listen" that was entertaining, and that's exactly what I got. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it!

a new, sweet take on witches!

This was fun! Never heard of a Wish Crafter, nor considered what the possibilities might be! But some of the wishes and how they were carried out often made for hilarious endings! There were the expected murder and romances, but it all played well together!

Enjoyed this magical tale...

This was an enjoyable light listen / murder mystery. I like the magical theme of the book so it was appealing and I found it to be decent mystery as well. The narrator was fine but not terrific. I liked some aspects of her narrating better than others....not sure where she is from as she has unusual or unique pronunciation of certain words. When she spoke the character name of Alexandra, it often sounded (to me) like AlexandER instead, but not a "deal breaker" on listening to more of this series (I think she narrates more of the books). I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries with a little light romance thrown into the mix!

OBSESSED!

I am obsessed with this whole series! I'm already almost done with my second time through all of them and I fully intend on starting from the beginning again straight away! It is the perfect mix of fun and intrigue! I feel like I know the characters personally! I would say I wish they'd make a movie or TV show (this would be PERFECT for Hallmark or Lifetime!) but I'd be so sad to see Aunt V as anyone but Debbie Reynolds (whom I imagine would fit that role to at tee!) Can't wait for books 9, 10, 11... 100! Thanks for helping make my commute and work day a little more magical!

Totally Light-Hearted but Captivating and Fun!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this as a lighter read, not terribly intricate but definitely keeps you guessing. The mystery is as intriguing as the witchy part is fun.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Kept me intrigued but not a nail-biter, like I said enjoyable for a summer read!

Have you listened to any of Coleen Marlo’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I don't think I have although her voices are great and I will look for her in the future.

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

Yes, I kept it on most of the day to hear it all!

magical fun

the story was fun. the story teller brought the characters to life. The book was magical.

Cute and clever but also strange and confusing

I was drawn to this book bc I needed a new Halloween read and this seemed perfect. I am also very fond of book series, especially fantasy. This is my first introduction to this narrator and writer. I am a stranger to “cozy mystery sleuths” so I am not sure if mystery books typically begin with a quick murder and introduction to a sprawling list of characters.

I found myself intrigued but very confused in the beginning. It was difficult to retain who was a crafter, who wasn’t and who was aware that crafters really existed. Despite this convolution, the story is still enjoyable and engaging. It was nice to read a fantasy story NOT about teenagers for once so I really appreciated that most of the characters were 30 or older.

I think the narrator did a really good job with all of the voices and acted out the parts well. It was easy to tell when Darcy was speaking or just thinking. It seemed odd to me that she was so lackadaisical about finding out she was a witch, witnessing a murder moments after it occurred and ultimately getting shot. But I guess they were going for quirky! I found Darcy difficult to relate to but I still enjoyed her character.

I think it would have been better to focus more on fewer characters. By the time they got to Ramona’s confession, I had little to no memory of who she even was, let alone the actual murderer. The groundwork was def laid out carefully though. I also would have liked if it focused more on the sisters and not tons of other easily confusable characters.

The logic of the wishcraft really confused me. Darcy got summoned twice for coaxing a wish out of someone but the elder is fine with a wishcrafter stealing money from others and releasing wild animals on the public? Lol def seems a little skewed. But again, maybe they were going for quirky. I would have liked more focus on the specifics of the magic each crafter had.

I did not see the twist with Mrs. P or with Mimi coming. That was very clever but the twist with the dog just made me uncomfortable and sad. I am not sure if I will continue on with this series but it is def a cute, fun read, especially for Halloween. The structure may be a bit flawed but perhaps the world building improves as the series continues.