Praise for In The Company of Witches
 
“A fun and compelling mystery….A welcome addition to the magical cozy genre.”—New York Times bestselling author Juliet Blackwell
 
“This is the perfect blend of mystery, magic, and mayhem.”—New York Times bestselling author Sofie Kelly
 
“Fans of the paranormal will enjoy the series debut of the Warrens, who go way beyond quirky.”--Kirkus Reviews

"More than just a grown-up riff on Sabrina the Teenage Witch in the form of a charming cozy murder mystery, In the Company of Witches is a surprisingly thoughtful meditation on family, forgiveness, and grief....I’d highly recommend this not only to fans of paranormal cozies but to anyone looking for a meaningful but not too heavy and still highly entertaining mystery read."--Criminal Element

Autorentext

Auralee Wallace

Klappentext

The ghost of a recently deceased chocolatier believes he was murdered, and it's up to young witch Brynn Warren to use her magical gifts and old-fashioned sleuthing skills to find out how he really met his bitter end in this enchanting new Evenfall Witches B&B Mystery.

After spending months unable to use her powers, Brynn Warren is once again using her gift and working at her family's bed-and-breakfast. Her heart is full, and although one of her aunts wonders if it might be a little more full with a bit of romance in her life, Brynn is certain that finding love again is not in her future. In fact, she can't imagine anyone being more certain of anything…except for maybe, the recently deceased Mortimer Sweete. He's certain he's been murdered, and he wants Brynn's help to bring his killer to justice.

Mort is positive he knows who killed him: his business partner's wife, Cookie, who had been trying to get them to sell the candy shop for months. But Brynn doesn't share his conviction. After all, the coroner ruled his death natural causes, and Mort did have health problems in life. But with Cookie putting up a For Sale sign for the shop already, Brynn knows she can't just let it go.

Trying to solve a might-be murder while attempting to stop her aunt from meddling in her personal life seems like a recipe for disaster. If Brynn wants to bring Mort's spirit peace, she'll have to rely on all her skills-both magical and mundane-to uncover the truth.

Story Locale: New England

Series Overview: Brynn Warren runs a B&B with her aunts and uses traditional sleuthing and her magical abilities to solve crimes in this charming cozy mystery series.

Leseprobe

Chapter 1

Pink and peach clouds, fiery in the sun's dying rays, rolled slowly across the baby blue sky. A riot of birdsong rang out from the trees as a gentle breeze twirled fluffy seedpods in the air. Spring had finally come to Evenfall, Connecticut.

"I just love this time of year," the woman beside me said. "That feeling of warm sunlight on your face. The sight of all the flowers popping up their sleepy heads. The smell of rich, fresh earth bursting with new life." She sighed happily. "Isn't it just magical?"

"I've never cared for it."

I darted a look over to the woman seated on my other side, doing my best to suppress a smile. Some things never changed. While my aunt Izzy tended to see the very best in everyone and everything, my aunt Nora, well, she made an art form out of being perpetually unimpressed.

Then there was me. I was right in the middle. Literally.

I was seated between the two of them on the back porch of our family's Queen Anne tower house, Ivywood Hollow Bed and Breakfast. My aunts had suggested we come outside to enjoy the spectacular sunset. It was hard to say if we were succeeding in that particular goal just yet.

"But it's spring," Izzy persisted. "What is there not to like about spring?"

"Quite a bit actually," Nora said, flashing her long, crimson fingernails in the air. "Where should I begin? The sun is blinding in the early morning hours. You can't work in the garden without getting completely covered in mud. And then there is all this nonstop twittering." She cast a disapproving glance at the trees.

In fairness, she was more of an autumn person.

Izzy sat up in her seat. "Well, all that may be true, but-"

"Then there's the people," Nora went on, not quite through with her rant. She propped an elbow on the armrest of her chair and pointed at us. "Everyone behaves so nonsensically this time of year. They're practically overflowing with hope and excitement. And for what? A mild breeze and a bit of sunshine? Ridiculous." Suddenly a bluebird swooped in out of nowhere and landed on Nora's finger. She blinked at it. "You, my tiny feathered friend, are only proving my point."

The bird twittered prettily, then flew away.

"But, Nora," Izzy said with a nervous laugh, "wasn't it your idea for us to come out here to enjoy all that spring has to offer?"

"Oh no, Sister. Don't you dare try to pin this on me."

I frowned. Pin what on who now?

Izzy huffed a breath. "I knew I shouldn't have included you in this." Her eyes widened when she caught me looking at her. "In this viewing of the sunset," she added awkwardly before looking back at Nora. "You haven't liked spring since high school. Wasn't it your junior year when-"

"Absolutely nothing happened." Nora pulled down her oversized black sunglasses to give her sister a ferocious look. "And I do not hate spring." She pushed her sunglasses back up and laid her forearms delicately on the armrests of her chair. "I simply think it's overrated."

Izzy held up her hands in defeat.

"Wait, what are we talking about?" I asked, finally getting a word in. There was clearly a great deal being communicated under the surface here. I had a lot of questions, but I opted to start with, "What happened junior year?"

"Absolutely nothing," Nora repeated in a clipped tone.

I twirled my long black braid between my fingers as I looked back and forth between my aunts.

The two of them painted a contrasting picture. Nora was looking rather elegant this evening-if not a touch severe-in her black silk jumpsuit. She had her fiery red hair twisted up into a tight bun on the top of her head, accentuating her long neck and perfect posture. Izzy, in comparison, appeared fresh and sweet in her pink floral dress with ruffled hem. Her strawberry blond hair sat loose and curling about her shoulders, wavering charmingly in the breeze.

I had to admit I felt a bit shabby in my wrap sweater and jersey leggings. But, in fairness, no one had told me I needed to dress for the occasion. Not that this was an occasion. We were just taking in the sunset. At least I thought that's what we were doing. Suddenly I wasn't so sure.

"Why are we even talking about spring? Or unremarkable junior years?" Nora asked grumpily. "I thought we were supposed to be out here talking about Brynn?"

And there it was. I should have known.

I gripped the armrests of my wingback rattan chair to force myself up into a less relaxed posture. "And what is it exactly about me that needs discussion?"

"I have no idea what your aunt is talking about," Izzy said, forcing an overly bright smile. "Have you tried the tea, darling?" She reached for a cut glass mug. "It's a ginger and jasmine mix. I flavored it with honey, cloves, orange slices, blackberries, and just a touch of red pepper for heat."

I eyed the tall pitcher filled with amber liquid, sparkling in the slanted rays of the setting sun. Beside it sat a plate covered in freshly baked tarts with ruby-colored filling.

"They're raspberry," Izzy prodded, following my gaze. "Your favorite."

They loo…