Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wiccan shopkeeper Diana Ravenscroft and her cat familiar, Piewocket, stir up trouble in Tinker's Grove, Maine, in Meier's clever 17th Lucy Stone mystery (after 2009's Mother's Day Murder). Soon after Lucy, "a hardheaded reporter" for the town's weekly newspaper, receives a reading from Lady Diana, high priestess of the Silver Coven, warning her of approaching danger, Lucy and her Labrador, Libby, stumble over a burned corpse during a woodland walk. The victim turns out to be the Silver Coven's Malcolm Malebranche, a magician whom Diana believed to be in England. Later, Lucy's two teenage daughters, Sara and Zoe, and Abby, the daughter of Lucy's new neighbor, religious zealot Ike Stoughton, become entranced by the bewitching Diana. When Ike's ill wife dies, Ike blames the high priestess. As Abby sickens, Lucy feels increasing pressure to find out what's going on. The intrepid journalist uncovers no magic in the dark heart of murder in this neat little cozy. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Tinker's Cove, ME, has become a hotbed for a witch's coven. Lucy Stone (Mother's Day Murder) finds the burned body of a man with ties to that group, and the town threatens to go on a literal witch hunt. VERDICT The warm, small-town ambiance and the persevering Lucy Stone make this a winner for cozy fans. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A coven of Wiccans brings murder and mayhem to Tinker's Cove.Star reporter Lucy Stone (Mother's Day Murder, 2009, etc.) has two brand-new neighbors. Diana Ravenscroft owns Solstice, a new purple-painted shop full of crystals, handmade jewelry and books of spells. Ike Stoughton lives on Prudence Path, just across the bridge from the Stones' home on Red Top Road. So naturally Ike's daughter Abby makes friends with Sara and Zoe Stone. But while the teenaged girls' fascination with Dianaknown as Lady Diana within the Silver Coven that celebrates Lammas in the local woodsworries Lucy, it enrages Ike, who launches a virulent campaign against the evils of witchcraft. Although Lucy's boss Ted Stillings preaches tolerance from the Pennysaver's bully pulpit, Tinker's Cove residents quickly take sides. Soon fires and flash floods engulf the small community. But even when a tree branch crashes through the roof of her home, intrepid journalist Lucy shrugs it off. She's focused on local magician Malcolm MalebrancheLord Malebranche to his fellow Wiccanswho's found burned to death in the woods. Lucy suspects greed rather than magic, since Malcolm refused to sell his land to mega-developer Kyle Compton. Lucy's next worry: gentle, eccentric Rebecca Wardwell, whose farmlet Compton's been eying. But Rebecca and her owl companion Oz have their own resources that allow them to stare down evils from poison ivy to murder.Rather than offbeat, Lucy's dalliance with the occult manages to be both weird and pedestrian. It would take more than magic to make Tinker's Cove a happening place.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
