It Takes a Coven (Witch City Mystery, #6)
by Carol J. Perry
This book was pretty wild! Lots happening and it was exiting. Witches dying, a wedding to plan (not Lee's), crows invaded the town of Salem, an ex-thief is the best man. Loved the excitement! ( )

I generally enjoy the books in this series, and I should have enjoyed this one more; it had elements designed to appeal to me, like a murder of crows (collective noun not crime), an old spell book that won't burn, whose 17th century owner's ghost wants back, a current string of crimes that may or may not be connected to modern day Wiccans. Stolen art.

For the most part, I did enjoy it, but there was just a little something missing. It could very well be my mood; I'm still displaying shades of slump now and again. This may have affected my engagement with the book. It could also be the wedding planning bit that's tangentially a part of the plot. Or the egregious number of continuity errors the editor didn't catch; something I don't remember this series suffering from before.

Mostly, I think, that MC just wasn't quite focused enough to really involve the reader in the story. She had all of these intriguing things happening to/around her but for the most part, never involved her. The exception are the visions she had throughout the story, usually whenever she looked at a reflective surface. Her acceptance of them in this book was a relief, and I enjoyed these scenes a lot, as they imparted information about the mysteries.

It was a good story though, even though I keep rambling on about the nit-picky stuff. It held my attention while I was reading it and I was interested in seeing the mystery solved. ( )

3.5 stars ( )

Witches abound in Salem, MA, but not all of them are out of the closet. So after two are murdered, one dies of natural causes, & a fourth is shot at... the crows descend and take over the town, stripping the fruit trees of the two who were murdered.

As all this is taking place, Lee Barrett (Maid-of-Honor) is in the midst of dealing w/ the wedding plans of a friend... Then the visions begin and things are not what they seem with the Best Man

The visions are of Megan, the witch who died of natural causes and of Bridget Bishop, a 17th century witch who was hung but still appears to Lee.

I had a more difficult time figuring out who-done-it, but it came together.

This series is a fast, easy, & entertaining read. I even like the characters. ( )

If you enjoy a paranormal, witchy cozy, you will love this story. It is the 6th in the series and this one has the most paranormal action of them all. When Lee finds out that Bridget's spell book was not destroyed in the house fire, she gives it to River to take care of. Right about that time, several witch's end up dead, possibly murdered and crows descend upon Salem in droves, stripping trees and scaring the residents. River thinks she has brought a curse to Salem. Lee's scrying abilities are developing quickly and she is now seeing visions everywhere. Are the witches being murdered? How will they get rid of the crows? What are the witches in Lee's visions trying to tell her?

I am enjoying this series. Lee has really come into her own in this one. She is dealing with her visions better and her relationship with Pete is such a stable, loving influence. Lee and River both have paranormal abilities that seem somewhat believable. The witches belong to the Wiccan religion, not the Wizard of Oz type. I enjoy the wonderful friendship between the two of them and how they support each other. Aunt Ibby is also a great character, with her research, listening and reasoning skills she is always there to help Lee solve a mystery. Finally, the animals, O'Ryan the cat and the crows are able to give Lee a lot of clues and also keep her out of trouble several times. The investigation unfolds with clever twists and turns, but no juvenile hocus-pocus. This books has a well-written descriptive style, fun banter, and a clever story. It Takes a Coven can be read as a standalone book. The author provides Lee’s backstory along with details from the previous books in the series. I recommend this one to cozy mystery lovers who enjoy a paranormal twist. The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to read. The opinions expressed are my own. ( )