Any Witch Way You Can by Amanda M. Lee

Posted September 24, 2020 by Marsha in Flashback Read, Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Series / 0 Comments

Bay Winchester is having a tough week.

As the local editor of Hemlock Cove’s only newspaper, she just happens to be present when a body is found in an area corn maze. To make matters worse, the police believe the murder may have something to do with the occult.

This wouldn’t be a problem for a normal reporter, but since Bay is descended from a well-known line of actual witches, the town is understandably on edge.

Between the suspicious townspeople, the befuddled police presence and that random hot biker guy that may or may not have something to do with the murder — Bay has her hands full.

When you add the typical family problems, multiplying ghosts — and one monster of a zit that she’s certain came from her aunt’s curse — Bay is just struggling to make it through the week.

Of course, when the killer sets his sights on Bay, things could get a whole lot worse.

Series – Wicked Witches of the Midwest = #1 Any Witch Way You Can – #2 Every Witch Way but Wicked – #3 Witching You Were Here – #4 Witching on a Star – #5 Something to Witch About – #6 Witch Me Luck – #7 Life’s A Witch – #8 Charms & Witchdemeanors – #9 The Trouble with Witches – #10 Murder Most Witchy – #11 A Witch Before Dying – #12 A Breath of Witchy Air – #13 Witch, Interrupted – #14 Flip the Witch Switch – #15 Witchin’ Around the Clock – #16 To Love a Witch – #17 The Witch is Back

Title:  Any Witch Way You Can
Series:  Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery #1
Author:  Amanda M. Lee
Genre:  Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Publication Date:  December 12, 2012
Star Rating:  4

Many years ago, Any Witch Way You Can was my first introduction to the world of Paranormal Cozy Mysteries, and to Amanda M. Lee.  It also began an obsession with the series, Wicked Witches of the Midwest, and that series is still going strong with a new release out in November 2020.  However, I’ve only just realized that as much as I’ve enjoyed this crazy, funny series I’ve never reviewed the titles in it.  *gasp*  I know!  So, let’s fix that right now.  (gave me a really good excuse for a re-read to freshen up the details)

Now, these stories are not going to be for every PNR reader.  The author acknowledges that fact with a note in the book: “These books are full of sarcasm and are a little bit snarky.  So only read if you like to laugh and you aren’t easily offended.”  There is definitely bickering, snark, tons of sarcasm, and is liberally laced with cussin’.  So, if any of that does offend you, then this book and the subsequent series isn’t going to be your cup of tea.  Having said that – I had a blast because I also reign at sarcasm so I got it, and it didn’t take away from the story itself.

When Bay happens to come across, not the scarecrow in the middle of the corn maze, but an actual teenage boy with his heart cut out… well, murder just made an appearance in Hemlock Cove.  It doesn’t help matters much when the ghost of the recently killed teenager appears to Bay willing to “help” her find his killer.

Bay is part of a family of witches, a family where several generations still reside in the same house… and she’s going to get a lot of so-called help (or not) from those other witches.  Add into the mix, the local sheriff who calls Bay in to help investigate the murder (why? because she can see and talk to ghosts), a stranger in town who seems to be far more than the wandering biker he’s portraying and you’ll have the most unusual cast of characters for a cozy mystery you could ever expect to find.  The town history of witchcraft, some unusual events, plus the witches and their shenanigans may draw in tourists, but many of the local residents will keep a far distance between them and any member of this family.

As much as I enjoyed Any Witch Way You Can, there are holes in the story, some big enough to drive a truck through.  And the constant bickering does begin to wear thin by the end of the story.  Still.  I liked the characters (for the most part) and could see the development of their personalities becoming clearer as the series progresses.  I think part of that impression is because as readers we just walk into the middle of another day in Hemlock Cove with no background of the town or the characters.  I understood why, but it leaves the rest of the series to ‘flesh’ out people we’ve just been introduced to.

I continued with the series because I saw possibilities in this first story that have been realized, for me, in the books to come.  I took a chance and found a new genre (at that time) as well as a series that I’ve enjoyed over the years.  But then… I like snark and sarcasm, go figure, right?  *wicked grin*  Not everyone will, so that’s up to each reader to decide if this series is for them.

I own a Kindle edition of Any Witch Way You Can.

Available for the Kindle

 

 

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