A Witch Before Dying by Heather Blake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Books in a series are always challenging to review for me, because I feel I should rate and review them independently and outside the context of the series. I was profusely torn between a 4- and 5-star rating, since I fell under the curse of raised expectations. However, other than the misfortune of following such a great first book, I could see no reason for not giving it 5 stars.
The author’s talent and skill of including minute details in the intricate art of storytelling made reading this story a pleasure. From the subtleties of character development to the inclusion of small hints to who the murderer might be, the details accentuated the plot beautifully without giving away anything important that could spoil the ending.
The narration maintained its humour and quirkiness as the author kept the jokes fresh and unique.
As for the murder mystery part, I had a hunch about who the murderer might be very early on, but I was entertained and intrigued until the last page.
The structure of the book in this series does begin to feel a little formulaic, although the reader might be able to detect that this formula will not work for the overall future plot developments that the author prepared in this book.
Overall, it was cute and funny with a side of “whodunnit” and is a perfect quick read on the beach or couch for anyone, who is in the mood for a quirky murder mystery with a small town feeling.
