We check in with young witch Phoebe and her coven as she has gotten them into a spot of bother by having been recognized as a witch at a church where she is meting a friend. The church has maintained its antipathy to witches over the centuries, albeit quite a bit more under the radar, and with the aid of their own cadre of co-opted witches. These witches are mobilized to try and root out the coven and score a considerable success when they purloin the witch manual, prized by the coven, which will enable them to update their skills, which have fallen behind in the centuries since they went outside the mainstream of witchcraft. Some new or previously minor characters emerge and give a different twist to things; I was particurlaly intrigued by Phoebe's sly cat Argus and his canine associate, the grouchy little Pomeranian Moodle.

The fifth installment in the Leafy Tom series finds our witches in an encounter with church witches. Forced into a safe room in their basement, the witches must figure out how to defuse the situation or they will be forced out of their home. Phoebe and Ormond learn about the church witches when Phoebe disobeys an order from Anikka and attends church with Alba. She is spotted as a witch by one of the church witches, and the efforts to capture and execute the witches leads to terrifying moments, including the loss of the witch manual, which is captured by the church. The information in the manual could potentially destroy all the witches.