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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
They can't all be winners.
What I liked about Wicked Witch Murder:
It's over - Seriously. I just...I wish I had anything else good to say about this one, but I don't.
What I didn't care for:
The subject matter - It wasn't even all the witches and Wicca being in the spotlight, but it was completely out of character for this series. When it surfaces in The Bibliophile Series, it fits much more organically, probably because of the overall tone and location. Here, it just felt awkward. Add in the paranormal and supernatural, and I felt like I stepped, unsuspectingly, into an entirely different and uncomfortable series.
The obvious soapbox - The forced criticism of intolerance was beyond blatant. It was also rather one-sided and uninformed. Not to mention that every time this series has attempted to get soapbox-y, it falls on its face. This isn't that type of series. When it forgets who it is, it fails miserably. Thankfully, it doesn't make this mistake often.
The extremes - While they were more evident with the Stoughtons (and what they represented) than with the coven members, extremes were there for both. They were equally obnoxious and irritating.
The lack of forward motion in Lucy's story - It felt like this story was unnecessary when it came to the Stones.
The way the mystery was handled - A couple of times, I thought we might get an angle that made a little sense. The two big reveals were weird and disappointing.
Ultimately, I would have abandoned this book all together, if it were my first encounter with this series or even just early on. Since I know, after getting this deep into the series, that this is an anomaly (I hope this isn't a preview of an unfortunate change in direction for it), I persisted, just in case there might be some ongoing storyline advancement; even knowing how I feel about it in retrospect, I wouldn't have skipped it purely because it's part of a series I'm invested in and if a reference is made to any of it in the future, I want to be able to catch it. I do plan to continue with the series despite this disappointing installment and hope that it this was just a little stumble in a series I otherwise have enjoyed.
What I liked about Wicked Witch Murder:
It's over - Seriously. I just...I wish I had anything else good to say about this one, but I don't.
What I didn't care for:
The subject matter - It wasn't even all the witches and Wicca being in the spotlight, but it was completely out of character for this series. When it surfaces in The Bibliophile Series, it fits much more organically, probably because of the overall tone and location. Here, it just felt awkward. Add in the paranormal and supernatural, and I felt like I stepped, unsuspectingly, into an entirely different and uncomfortable series.
The obvious soapbox - The forced criticism of intolerance was beyond blatant. It was also rather one-sided and uninformed. Not to mention that every time this series has attempted to get soapbox-y, it falls on its face. This isn't that type of series. When it forgets who it is, it fails miserably. Thankfully, it doesn't make this mistake often.
The extremes - While they were more evident with the Stoughtons (and what they represented) than with the coven members, extremes were there for both. They were equally obnoxious and irritating.
The lack of forward motion in Lucy's story - It felt like this story was unnecessary when it came to the Stones.
The way the mystery was handled - A couple of times, I thought we might get an angle that made a little sense. The two big reveals were weird and disappointing.
Ultimately, I would have abandoned this book all together, if it were my first encounter with this series or even just early on. Since I know, after getting this deep into the series, that this is an anomaly (I hope this isn't a preview of an unfortunate change in direction for it), I persisted, just in case there might be some ongoing storyline advancement; even knowing how I feel about it in retrospect, I wouldn't have skipped it purely because it's part of a series I'm invested in and if a reference is made to any of it in the future, I want to be able to catch it. I do plan to continue with the series despite this disappointing installment and hope that it this was just a little stumble in a series I otherwise have enjoyed.
Actual rating is a 3.5!
3.5 stars (pros) - "Wicked Witch Murder" by Leslie Meier, is a thrilling novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The mystery in this book is compelling enough to make you want to keep reading more. I loved the storyline about Lucy being a reporter and the interesting traits of witchcraft that I certainly learned about. This book is certainly a cozy read if you ever need one, longing for you to grab a warm, chunky-knit blanket and an apple cider on a crisp fall evening while enjoying a nice Lucy Stone Mystery.
1.5 stars (cons) - Although this book has many, many things that I adore, it certainly wasn't the BEST book I've ever read. The writing style isn't my favorite and I found the book to be a little bit stretched. The beginning and especially the thrilling ending kept me on the edge of my seat, but the middle was a little too boring for me, and all I wanted to do was finish the chapter. Sure, the middle is significantly important, introducing characters that are going to summarize the final ending, but I do think it was slightly a bore. Also, though the ending was thrilling and very mysterious, it was very predictable. I could predict what was going to happen instantly and would prefer it if something happened that I never would have ever expected.
Overall, I enjoyed the majority of this book! The cozy, fall vibes of the book enchanted my Halloween and October nights. I recommend it to any Mystery bookworms who would die for a chilling story.
Genre: Mystery, Fiction
Page #: 298 (Without extra pages)
TW: death, violence
3.5 stars (pros) - "Wicked Witch Murder" by Leslie Meier, is a thrilling novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The mystery in this book is compelling enough to make you want to keep reading more. I loved the storyline about Lucy being a reporter and the interesting traits of witchcraft that I certainly learned about. This book is certainly a cozy read if you ever need one, longing for you to grab a warm, chunky-knit blanket and an apple cider on a crisp fall evening while enjoying a nice Lucy Stone Mystery.
1.5 stars (cons) - Although this book has many, many things that I adore, it certainly wasn't the BEST book I've ever read. The writing style isn't my favorite and I found the book to be a little bit stretched. The beginning and especially the thrilling ending kept me on the edge of my seat, but the middle was a little too boring for me, and all I wanted to do was finish the chapter. Sure, the middle is significantly important, introducing characters that are going to summarize the final ending, but I do think it was slightly a bore. Also, though the ending was thrilling and very mysterious, it was very predictable. I could predict what was going to happen instantly and would prefer it if something happened that I never would have ever expected.
Overall, I enjoyed the majority of this book! The cozy, fall vibes of the book enchanted my Halloween and October nights. I recommend it to any Mystery bookworms who would die for a chilling story.
Genre: Mystery, Fiction
Page #: 298 (Without extra pages)
TW: death, violence
A cozy mystery starring a small town reporter who has to contend with the local witches. Halloween recipes follow the mystery. The mystery itself isn't too gory and the "bad guys/gals" aren't immediately obvious. I will definitely read more of this series.
Recently I read Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier. This is the first Lucy Stone Mystery I've ever read, and it isn't the cozy mystery I was expecting.
I know that almost all cozy mysteries involve a murder, but this one is gruesome, and the prologue of the book depicts witches in a sexual pagan ritual. The Witch Diana tries to get several of the local teenagers to join her coven without parental consent, and the citizens who dare question the motives of Diana and the other witches are called bigots and intolerant although they are right. There is much explanation of the pagan religion, and the book is divided into five sections: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Spirit. This is not my favorite cozy mystery, and if you've read any of Leslie Meier's other books I'd like for you to leave a comment and tell me about it.
I know that almost all cozy mysteries involve a murder, but this one is gruesome, and the prologue of the book depicts witches in a sexual pagan ritual. The Witch Diana tries to get several of the local teenagers to join her coven without parental consent, and the citizens who dare question the motives of Diana and the other witches are called bigots and intolerant although they are right. There is much explanation of the pagan religion, and the book is divided into five sections: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Spirit. This is not my favorite cozy mystery, and if you've read any of Leslie Meier's other books I'd like for you to leave a comment and tell me about it.
Inconsistency is the name of the game with Leslie Meier. She cannot string two good books together at the time of writing. Although the trademark fluidity of the prose was present, the style emphasized starkly the lack of buildup, pacing, plot, and twists in this Halloween themed book. I do know it's the lowest rated book of the series, and the fact that I dislike it is no coincidence.
Bill Stone was cruelly underused during the entire thing. He appears only to flip the television channels or if he's being horny. I know he's not the main character but he is very important. If the author has no use for him then may I suggest killing him off? That would put him out of his misery. I can't know for sure what character appeared most here apart from Lucy, but it does look like Ike Stoughton might just be the one. His role is mainly to provide misdirection while the real murderer gallivants about fearlessly. Nobody, not Leslie Meier, not her editor, not anyone who she thanked in her book had the right clue to come up with the type of decent ideas that made this series a roaring success.
The biggest blot was the vindication of supernatural Wicca activities which left, at the last chapter, the door ajar, when trying to explain the miraculous events in the book. I do know there are ghostly cozy mysteries but why here? This is not meant to be a spooky book! I'm sure the low ratings reflect how readers reacted to this premise. The only purpose this book served was to make it clear to me that character development is the major thing that attracts me to this series. Likable characters that are a delight to root for. The author has fallen and came back before. I'm sure she'll bounce back in the remaining books, but I'm running out of them. When I do come to the last published book, let me look back on this series with longing instead of relief.
Bill Stone was cruelly underused during the entire thing. He appears only to flip the television channels or if he's being horny. I know he's not the main character but he is very important. If the author has no use for him then may I suggest killing him off? That would put him out of his misery. I can't know for sure what character appeared most here apart from Lucy, but it does look like Ike Stoughton might just be the one. His role is mainly to provide misdirection while the real murderer gallivants about fearlessly. Nobody, not Leslie Meier, not her editor, not anyone who she thanked in her book had the right clue to come up with the type of decent ideas that made this series a roaring success.
The biggest blot was the vindication of supernatural Wicca activities which left, at the last chapter, the door ajar, when trying to explain the miraculous events in the book. I do know there are ghostly cozy mysteries but why here? This is not meant to be a spooky book! I'm sure the low ratings reflect how readers reacted to this premise. The only purpose this book served was to make it clear to me that character development is the major thing that attracts me to this series. Likable characters that are a delight to root for. The author has fallen and came back before. I'm sure she'll bounce back in the remaining books, but I'm running out of them. When I do come to the last published book, let me look back on this series with longing instead of relief.
I really enjoyed this witchy cozy mystery! I liked the fact that there was some witchcraft sprinkled in among the normal cozy fare. And I was completely surprise with who was ultimately behind all the mayhem. Definitely a fun read for those who like Halloween/witches/cozy mysteries!
This was my first book with this author and I do enjoy the “cozy reads” from time to time. I liked the story, basic, easy and fun. I would read the others and recommend for a light quick read.