Ellen March, who has spent the last several years raising both her own child and her nephews (together with her brother-in-law), buys an old house that used to belong to a witch, and a modern-day witch hunt ensues. The plot elements are all here: spooky woods, isolated house, hints of witchcraft and ghosts of the human and cat variety, along with the author’s trademark witty dialogue.

I loved Barbara Michaels’ books when I was in my 20’s; the light gothic feel with occasional paranormal elements, along with Michaels’ gift for describing physical surroundings, was right up my alley. I thought I had read all of her books, but this was new to me, and definitely a treat.

Why the 3-star rating? Well – first, three stars is, for me, respectable. I did enjoy the read. However, as others have pointed out, the ending is predictable.

There’s one other sticking point that’s popped up very consistently in Michaels’ other books that I read or listened to while barrelling across the desert. The author consistently depicted annoying characters as physically unattractive, with greasy hair, acne, high body weight, a receding chin, etc.

This isn’t to say that the unattractive person is always – or ever – the murderer, but they’ve been cowardly, unkind, and/or unintelligent without exception so far. This strikes me as lazy and superficial.

That said, if you are a fan of 20th-century gothic mysteries written for women, you will likely enjoy this read. Barbara Michaels could really set a mood. ( )

Better than I expected. It had a gothic feel with a dose of witchcraft. The ending was satisfying. The book was a quick read and I enjoyed it. ( )

This was a ton of fun to read. it's honestly funnier than I think the author intended and though it's a little predictable, it's a marvelous beach read. ( )

An extremely average book with lots of implausible plot solutions. ( )

It's hard to put my finger on a word that accurately describes the cozy feel of Barbara Michael's stories. There's not usually a cutesy feel that would explain it - perhaps it's the old houses, hot tea and feline companions? Irregardless of the right description, it can be found in almost all her books. A certain something impossible to describe (the French term for this escapes me). Witch especially radiates this sensation, making me crave a soft, fluffy quilt and cup of homemade hot tea with honey while devouring it.

The atmosphere isn't as Gothic as her others, and for a change the heroine of the novel faces the bulk of issues alone. Generally there are several people in the house solving the mystery together, batting ideas off each other with witty comments, hidden insults, but bigger affections. Here however, Ellen is hassled by the deranged town at every turn, not getting actual support until she's reunited with her family toward the end when their trip is over.

As a character Ellen is incredible; strong and older, amusing and compassionate, butting her nose into others business but admitting it with a smile at the same time. The object of her affections doesn't sound like a dreamboat in looks, but his sense of humor had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. As is typical, the teens and kids of the story are fondly considered pains in the rear, being just as opinionated and sarcastic as the adults.

Another stand-out was that the fought-against forces of Witch aren't the house or any potential hauntings, but the town itself. The stifling, backwood ignorance is more chilling than the supernatural, especially with the end resulting in a terrifying climax that's all too familiar. To know these things have really happened to innocent people in the past made me all the more sympathetic to Ellen's plight.

Pace-wise, it moves along but not in the supernatural or malicious manner. It's just interesting somehow in the beginning. Not much action save personal issues is happening, and for some reason I'm always enraptured with the details Michaels writes about when redecorating these old houses. Mystery is tight and leads the reader away from the real issues, without even appearing like much of a mystery until it's happening. The end villain was a culprit I never would have suspected.

Overall this is a more than memorable book; it has elements of a cozy mystery that's simple in its telling and psychologically twisted in its revelation. No heavy researching or mystery hunting here, just a satisfying wrap up of a story set in a disturbingly warped world. ( )