A Toxic Trousseau

This is a good series and this book is enjoyable. Maybe not the best of the series, but enjoyable. Lily Ivory, the lead character and "powerful" witch seems to the damsel in distress a bit much for my liking. Also, I was disappointed that this installment of the Witchcraft mystries has no actual witchcraft that I can recall. They talk about it, but nothing actually happens. Sailor walking through the haunted house saying he might feel somehting doesn't count in my book. However, I purchased the audible version and what really bothered me was the the narrator. Every person sounds like they are going to cry at any moment. Everyone. All the time. She has to have the weakest voice I've ever heard. Beyond annoying. Makes everyone sound like feeble. Buy the book, the Kindle edition or skip it. Can't stand to listen to he-man Sailor sounding like a trembling school boy.

Love this series, love this author and love this book! The characters are wonderful and so easy to love, the storyline is compelling and keeps you going. I try to pace myself and savor, but end up "just one more chapter" until the end. Ms. Blackwell, you are a truly gifted storyteller and I cannot wait for more. Sorry to the self proclaimed grammar police, I did not see any "grammatical errors", just a great read.

I've been following along with the adventures of the young witch Lily Ivory since she opened her vintage clothing store in present-day San Francisco. Like any good cozy mystery series, we have a female protagonist trying to make her way except for tripping over dead bodies and being compelled to find the murderer, a love interest (it's always helpful when he starts out dark and brooding), entertaining sidekicks, and a topic hook -- in this case, the vintage clothing business. Also, in this case we get a bonus of an always-hungry witch's familiar who looks like a pot-belly pig when mundane people are hanging around.

Often, the mysteries go off the rails after several books: the author runs out of anything interesting to say about the setting, or the plots get more contrived. Juliet Blackwell avoided that danger in previous books -- and I'm happy to see that, in this 8th in the series, despite throwing in even more Ominous Changes, Blackwell's written a dandy, entertaining novel.

It all starts when a woman who owns a (sort of) competing vintage store sues Lily after (allegedly) being head-butted by her pet pig. Lily, totally in character, goes to speak to her adversary... only to have the woman basically up and die on her. Meanwhile there are things happening in the witchy world to contend with, a necessary history of clothing manufacture (which fascinated me), adventures among Lily's friends, and some tasty-sounding cupcakes, and... well, it works.

The result is a great little novel. You should start with the first one (that's no hardship, it's fun). But if you're looking at this review and wondering if the new novel measures up to the previous ones, I can reassure you: Yup. Go right ahead and order it.

I love it, and I would recommend any of Juliet Blackwell's books!! She is an awesome writer!!

Book number 8 in one of my most favorite paranormal series! It was a true delight to have this book on my table and to read the book on the edge of my couch as I did. I love the suspense that Juliet creates and the characters relationships, exchanges and adventures always has me smiling. I I thought I had it figured out with two chapters to go, but I really, really didn't! Juliet Blackwell has done a brilliant job with this mystery, with main character Lilly and all the gang. I think Oscar is at his best in this story and all the my favorite characters return for more of that magic the series is known for.

This installment of Juliet Blackwell's Lily Ivory escapades is filled with twists and turns when a lawsuit is filed against Lily then that rival vintage clothier turns up dead. Naturally, Lily is a prime suspect.

Throw in a mysterious dog walker, an old woman, a haunted house and a cursed trousseau and the pages turn like magic as you try to figure out whodunit.

As the mystery unfolds and answers become clear, things heat up between Lily and Sailor, adding another layer of suspense, until they come to a boil at the end of the book.

If all that isn't enough, Aidan leaves town for a while, and leaves Lily as the temporary head of San Francisco's magical community, complete with a mysterious satchel containing detains of the witchy type folks over which Aidan holds sway.

With three story lines running at once, it keeps a reader busy trying to figure out who did what to whom, and why.

A lot of fun, a quick read, just right for the beach or a couple evenings curled up on the couch.

this series is always good and I love that it is set in San Francisco, where I used to live.

Love this author.

A Witch in San Francisco solving supernatural mysteries? Yes Please! I Love these books, these stories, these characters as created by Ms. Blackwell*. Not as Cozy as some cozy mystery books, a little bit of darkness and 'noir' adds to the story wonderfully.

This was a fun addition to her already great series. I love the characters and how I can't put it down.