Evil Turns

February 29, 2016
Have witches returned to Celosia, N.C.? The symbols on the body of an unidentified man found in a local vineyard suggest so in Tesh’s entertaining fifth Madeline Maclin mystery (after 2014’s A Bad Reputation). Warm-hearted PI Madeline, a former beauty pageant queen, investigates, aided by her free-spirited husband, Jerry Fairchild, a reformed con artist. They soon have another murder to deal with after Harold Stover, a Celosia city council member, suffers a fatal blow to the head. A purse near the body belonging to headstrong Amanda Price, with whom Harold quarreled over the town’s centennial celebration, points to her guilt. Amanda hires Madeline to exonerate her. Madeline and Jerry realize that the deaths might be connected to a long-ago coven, a missing baby, and a hippie commune. Despite a few glaring plot gaps, Tesh spins a pleasurable tale about a quirky couple and
a small town filled with memorable
characters. Series fans and newcomers alike will have fun.

March 1, 2016
Covens, centennial celebrations, and murders rock a small North Carolina town. Madeline Maclin Investigations must juggle a surprising number of cases for such a quiet rural area as Celosia. Former beauty queen Mac and her husband, Jerry Fairweather, a reformed con man who works as a short-order cook, quickly become involved in several murder cases. First the body of a young man is found in a local vineyard covered in witchcraft signs. There used to be a coven of sorts in Celosia, and although the girls with the Darkrose tattoo claim they're just fans of a popular book series, some interested parties fear they're following in the footsteps of their elders--in some cases, their mothers. Mac, who has no client for the vineyard murder, is soon hired by Amanda Price, a woman of considerable substance in Celosia, who's determined to stage an outdoor play honoring Emmaline Ross, one of the state's earliest female vintners. Pushy, opinionated Amanda steps on so many toes trying to get the project going that she's the obvious suspect when Harold Stover, who violently opposed her, is found dead. Undaunted, Amanda makes plenty of new enemies casting the play, especially as she plans to play the lead role. But wouldn't they rather kill Amanda than Harold? At length Mac learns that both Amanda and her unacknowledged flower-child sister grew up in a local commune. Jerry's insights as the music and lyric writer for the play help uncover more clues. So does his talent for picking locks. Even though Amanda's the worst possible client, Mac, convinced of her innocence, continues her search for a killer or two. Mac's fifth adventure is just as quirky as its predecessors (A Bad Reputation, 2014, etc.), with the bonus of a stronger, more complex mystery.

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May 1, 2016

Madeline, a beauty queen-turned-PI, lives happily with husband (and ex-con man) Jerry Fairweather in Celosia, NC. Life turns interesting when a body covered in arcane symbols turns up in a village vineyard. Is there a coven operating in Celosia? The tattooed followers of the Darkrose assembly claim only to be big fans of the popular "Pagan Desires" franchise. Maddy is hired by wealthy Amanda Price after she is accused of murdering city councilman Harold Stover, who had opposed her plans to stage a play celebrating the state's first female vintner. Is Harold's killing connected to the initial crime? VERDICT Lots of suspects keep Maddy busy in her fifth adventure (after A Bad Reputation). This immersive and picturesque cozy is a great choice for Joan Hess and Denise Swanson fans.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2016
PI Madeline Maclin returns to solve more cases with the help of her ex-con husband, Jerry. A young man has been stabbed and covered with symbols popular with a coven that practiced years ago near the town of Celosia, North Carolina. Maddy learns that some teen girls have been seen performing occult rituals in the woods and looks for a connection to the murder. Meanwhile, Maddy is hired by the director of a community-theater production who is the chief suspect in another murder, this one of a man who was opposed to the theater's latest production. A missing baby, a pregnant teen, blackmail, and a dangerous con man have all returned to Jerry's life to complicate matters further. There is so much going on here that readers may struggle to keep track of it all, but Tesh eventually pulls the many threads together. Clever surprises and an appealing sleuth keep this series fresh. \(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)