A Spell of Murder

October 8, 2018
Set in Cambridge, Mass., this delightful series launch from Simon (World Enough) introduces three talking cats—littermates Clara, Harriet, and Laurel—and their 26-year-old human, Becca Colwin, who has recently lost her job as a researcher for the local historical society due to “budget cutbacks and the advances in technology.” Becca rightly interprets this to mean that “they can get an intern to do a Google search.” Her self-esteem has plummeted, so she’s ripe to respond to a flyer advertising an opening for “Witches: New and In Training.” Convinced she has psychic powers, Becca joins the coven, but none of the women, nor their lone warlock, has any aptitude for performing magical spells. When one coven member is murdered, the police regard Becca as a person of interest. Clara, with the reluctant help of her sisters, steps in surreptitiously to help Becca solve the crime. You don’t have to be a cat lover to appreciate this paranormal cozy’s witty observations, entertaining dialogue, and astute characterizations. Agent: Colleen Mohyde, Doe Coover Agency.

December 1, 2018

Becca's cats mean well, but when Harriet, the eldest of the three, conjures a pillow, Becca, a member of a coven, believes she did it. Youngest cat Clara is worried the pillow will create problems. Becca lacks self-esteem and needs money after being laid off from her job as a researcher. Now that it appears she can cast spells, the coven's only male, Trent, shows more interest in her. Some of the women want to confide in Becca, which draws the attention of the police when she finds the body of Suzanne, another member of the coven. But it's only then that Becca learns her ex was seeing Suzanne. While Becca attempts to question people and find the killer, Clara and her feline sisters use their powers to follow and protect their human. Although Becca is a weak character, the anthropomorphized cats are amusing as they argue, cast spells, and behave as if they truly were sisters. VERDICT Simon specializes in mysteries, such as Cross My Path, which combine cats and the paranormal. The talking, spell-casting felines might appeal to readers who suspend disbelief for Rita Mae Brown's "Mrs. Murphy" books or Sofie Kelly's "Magical Cats" mysteries.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2018
Simon adds a fifth mystery series to her growing oeuvre of crime fiction. The first in the Witch Cats of Cambridge series is a calico-narrated, paranormal cozy. Romantically jilted and professionally downsized, Massachusetts-based researcher Becca turns to the other apprentice witches in her coven for comfort. The group is skeptical when Becca reveals that she's recently summoned a sofa cushion out of thin air. And they should be. It wasn't Becca who summoned the pillow; it was Harriett?one of her three cats. All cats, you see, are magical. The reason they so often seem surprisingly underfoot? Invisibility. The reason you can't remember if you've fed them already? Mind control. Becca's companions, however, come from a long line of witch cats and have stronger powers than most?which they'll need to use when Becca is suspected of stabbing another witchy wannabe. Fans of cat cozies will be pleased with this new, slightly goofy but entertaining series for fans of feline crime.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)