Tarnished and Torn
A Witchcraft Mystery
By Juliet Blackwell
Paperback, 314 pages, $7.99
In my continuing series of summer reading recommendations, you’d probably expect me to review a cozy mystery about cooking or gardening or animals, but not this time.
In the last few years, more and more cozy titles have arrived at my door with witchcraft, magical, haunted, spirited or occult-type themes, and until now, with a few exceptions, I’ve pretty much ignored them.
But last week, I decided to try a new approach to picking the next book I’d read. I lined up all the titles I’d recently received then grabbed the first one on the left.
The first two I picked up didn’t do it for me. (If they don’t grab me in the first five pages, I’m not wasting my time. Or yours.) Next in line was “Tarnished and Torn” by Juliet Blackwell.
I’m so glad I chose this new method because otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have given this one a chance.
The third one was a charm. I didn’t want to put this title down. In fact, about 50 pages into it, I wished I’d kept the first four in the series so I could go back and start at the beginning.
This book cast a spell on me. I enjoyed the quirky characters, witchy and otherwise, plus the murders – well, let’s just say these characters met their demise in some very unusual ways.
Blackwell writes a cleverly crafted story, which kept me fascinated. I eagerly skipped down this San Francisco-style yellow brick road, so, if you’re looking for something completely different, Tarnished and Torn is a perfectly paced summer read.
I loved the crazy hocus-pocus and enjoyed the main character (and witch), Lily Ivory, who owns Aunt Cora’s Closet, a vintage clothing store. Did I mention that instead of a cat or frog or dog, she has a pig as her familiar — one that gets into all sorts of trouble.
Perhaps as Lily says, “There are many more witches, sorcerers and psychics walking around than the average person would ever imagine.”
You can order this book from Serendipity Books in Chelsea and they can have it to you in two days. But if you’re in a big hurry, Aunt Agatha’s mystery bookstore at 213 S. Fourth Ave. in Ann Arbor, probably still has it in stock. You can call to make sure at 734-769-1114.
