Sharon Pape

3.5 rounded up.

While this is definitely a decent start to this new series, Magick & Mayhem, almost didn't make the cut for me. I found it to be very disjointed and confusing at the beginning. However, I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the first half, which redeemed it a bit.

The characters are definitely interesting. Kailyn's certainly fun and inquisitive. Aunt Tilly & Merlin add some extra spice to the group. They're fairly well-rounded characters, though it didn't really seem like it at first. At first, they simply seemed all over the place and not developed at all. I'm not a fan of the heroine who decides that she must poke her nose in when she really doesn't have that much of a reason. I can see where Kailyn thinks she has a reason, but honestly, until her friend is actually arrested, it seems pretty flimsy at best.

The descriptions of the settings were okay, but not great. I had a hard time imagining many of the settings, including Kailyn's shop and house. It would've helped to have a little more detail there.

The story line... thankfully it got better as the book went on. The first half of the book, I was very confused by the secondary plot and found that getting in the way of the main plot line. The longer the book went on, however, the better the two plot lines merged and successfully played off of each other. I also did not know who the villain was until it was revealed. I was off on the wrong track completely.

Normally, when I'm reading a new book, I give the book 50-100 pages to reel me in (depending on the length of the book). However, when I'm reading a book for review, I don't do that for the most part (there has been one exception to that). In this instance, I'm glad I didn't stop reading because it did get better the longer it went on and by the end of the book I actually found myself enjoying it!

I do recommend this book, mostly because it gives a decent introduction to the characters that we're sure to see in the future. I do plan to give the series another try when the second book comes out in November. I'm hoping that the writing style of that book will be more like the second half of this one when everything was starting to finally gel together.
… (mer)

Things in Kailyn Wilde's life seem to be going awry lately. When you own a centuries-old magick shop, daily life isn't quite normal anyway....but Kailyn senses that there is something more to her current problems than meets the eye. Any magick around her is going wrong. She tries to summon a familiar and ends up calling forth a famous wizard from antiquity. Potions and spells from her shop start having unexpected results, and even her Aunt Tilly's Magick seems to be fizzling lately. Then Kailyn discovers her attorney dead in his office. Things are going from bad to worse! Who killed Jim? What is behind the curse causing her magick to fizzle? And what is she going to do about Merlin?

I can sum up this story in one word: FUN!! I enjoyed the characters, the quirky story and the mystery! Sharon Pape interjects a lot of personality, humor and sass into her characters. Aunt Tilly was perfect as the slightly ditzy older aunt. And Kailyn is independent and strong, but a bit stressed by the pressures of being responsible for the magick shop handed down in her family for generations. Both Tilly and Kailyn are extremely vexed and confused when their magick powers start going a bit off. Merlin joins in the mix and even his powers start to get a bit crazy. The scenes where the ladies are trying to introduce Merlin to modern society were cute and fun to read. I can't imagine trying to explain cars, space travel, television and the internet to a person from Arthurian days! :) Add visits from deceased relatives into the mix and it makes for a fun, quirky paranormal mystery!

I also love the cover art for this book! It's perfect!

Magick & Mayhem is the first book in the new Abracadabra Mystery series. A second book, That Olde White Magick, will be coming out in November 2017. I am definitely going to read more of this series! Any reader who enjoys paranormal cozy mysteries, or those with humor and wit interjected throughout will love this book!

Sharon Pape is also the author of the Portrait of Crime and Crystal Shop mystery series. For more info on the author and her books, check out her website at http://www.sharonpape.com/

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**… (mer)

I absolutely adore the Abracadabra Mystery cozy series! The covers are beautiful and the theme is magical (literally) with a great touch of humor. Merlin (yes, the famous Merlin....) is an added bonus. Go big or go home, right? Love it!

Residents of New Camel, NY are all talking about a proposed new hotel. The town calls a public meeting to discuss the project. Kailyn Wilde, owner of the local magick shop Abracadabra, her Aunt Tilly and a cranky Merlin all attend the meeting. Building a large hotel in town might change the traditions and eclectic feel of New Camel. The Wilde family has been living there and running the magick shop for centuries. Kailyn doesn't want to see drastic changes in the town. But, before any debate about the hotel can start, one of the city board members is found dead. Amanda Roswell's throat has been slashed from ear to ear. Once again Kailyn finds herself smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation!

I love the quirky characters in this series. Tilly is feisty. Kailyn is determined. And Merlin is hilarious and chronically cranky. :) I also enjoy the creative theme of this series. Kailyn is a witch in a long line of witches who have owned the magick shop in New Camel for generations. She often gets visits from the spirits of her dead mother and grandmother, who offer advice on her investigations and honing her magical skills. Merlin loves pizza and television and often gets himself into big trouble.

Although it isn't strictly necessary to read the first book in this series before this one, I do recommend it. A lot of character details -- like how Merlin arrived in New Camel -- are explained in the first book. But, if book 1 isn't available, by all means jump in here at enjoy the story!

I enjoyed this newest addition to the series. The mystery is interesting. The characters are quirky and fun. And, there were plenty of suspects, motives and twists in the plot. I enjoy the humor and creativity of this series. A third book, Magick Run Amok, will be out in May 2018. I definitely plan to read it!

For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.sharonpape.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

… (mer)

This is the fourth book in the Abracadabra Mystery series, and while you don’t need to read the previous three, I think it would be a good idea. I felt a bit left out as to what had happened to Kailyn’s mother and grandma. And it was touched on a little, how Merlin had come to be in this time period, but I got the feeling his crazy adventures were a bigger part of the previous books.

On the other hand, I’ve read series with lots of books in them, where the author does give background in each book, and I find myself skimming, or skipping it completely. But at least with those books, I have the option to do so, if I want.

I loved the interaction between Kailyn and her familiar, Sashkatu. In a book I recently read pretty much the whole interaction was to feed the cat or have the cat bite her, so it became boring very fast. But not the case with Kailyn and Sashkatu, their interactions were fun, and Pape really gave the cat a personality, and didn’t just use it as filler for the book.

As for the romance with Travis and Kailyn, I don’t know, maybe I’m just getting old and my rose colored glasses are getting too many scratches on them, but please, all authors, just stop the continual fighting. Yes, everyone has arguments in a relationship, but not all relationships have as many fights as they seem to in books. And changing it up, would be great. Have the woman leave the relationship. Find a person who supports her, and doesn’t keep things from her.

But like I said, maybe I’m just getting cranky in my old age, and their relationship won’t bother you at all. It wouldn’t stop be from reading the previous books in the series, and I would be even willing to try book five to see if the relationship gets better, or ends.

The magical powers that Kailyn and her Aunt have, were used well in the book. They helped to enhance, and move the story along. The way the book ended will see even more impressive powers being used in the next book. And the way Pape left it, I can see a lot of possibilities for book five.

As for the mystery, while I knew pretty early on who the killer was, the way Pape had side plots and red herrings was done very well. Even though I knew who did it, the why, was done in a very original way. It makes me want to read the previous books to see if she was as creative in those ones too.… (mer)