Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews

Book Review: Home for a Spell

By Sandy Amazeen Feb 17, 2011, 1:26 GMT

As the newest witch in Indiana, Maggie O\'Neill already has plenty to deal with. So being hobbled by a broken leg doesn\'t help. Neither does the fact that her best friend and upstairs neighbor is getting ready to tie the knot with her own boyfriend and move away. This leads Maggie to wonder if it isn\'t time to find herself a new pad. But when she finds a place, ...more

Stony Mill, Indiana resident and sometime witch Maggie O’Neill, facing a protracted healing process after breaking her ankle, temporarily moved in with boyfriend and wizard Marcus Quinn. Disturbed by Marcus’s decision to postpone his college plans in order to care for her, Maggie sets off to find an affordable apartment that will fit her current needs. During her meeting with apartment manager Rob Locke, Maggie is offered a dream deal on a newly renovated first floor unit. When Maggie and Marcus return so she can sign the lease, they discover Rob floating in the pool, a murder victim, his office and computer trashed. As Maggie becomes involved with the murder investigation and evidence recovered from the ruined computer comes to light, it is clear there are plenty of people with a very personal axe to grind. What Maggie doesn’t realize is how close the murderer might be.

Seventh of the Bewitching Mystery series, this sweet little paranormal mystery relies less on magic and more on deductive reasoning and good detective work. It is nice to see Maggie’s character maturing while maintaining a sense of humor. The climax uses an unusual, delightful twist that most readers won’t see coming. A nice addition to a light, bubbly series.