Chili Cauldron Curse
Kitchen Witch Mysteries, Book # .5
By Lynn Cahoon
ASIN: B0851PV6HQ
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary:
When Mia Malone’s grandmother asks her to take a week away from her restaurant job and come to Magic Springs, Idaho, she’s happy to oblige. Like Mia, Grans has witchcraft running through her veins, and life with her is never boring. Plus, the cause is a good one—helping Grans get the local food bank up and running again. But there’s an unappetizing surprise in store. While Mia is knee-deep in boxes of donated produce, she encounters the body of Dorian Alexander.
Dorian was a warlock, leader of the local coven. He was also her Grans’ new beau. There’s no potion that’ll make this trouble disappear. But if Mia wants to keep her Grans—now a prime suspect—from serving a spell in prison, she’ll have to unearth the real killer fast. (Goodreads)
Review:
What a delightful way to start off the new series, Kitchen Witch Mysteries, with the title Chili Cauldron Curse by Lynn Cahoon. This prequel is a fun filled beginning to the series where the reader is introduced to Mia Malone along with her familiar, Mr. Darcy and a vast array of characters from Magic Springs.
Mia is asked by her Grans to come and help her for a week to set up the local food bank just in time for the new school year. One learns rather quickly that Mia is a super organized individual with a well rounded skill set to develop and implement a structure to run an efficient food bank. One also learns rather quickly that Mia also has some witchcraft skills, which she does not use very often but when the need arises…just saying.
While trying to get the food bank up and running, Mia encounters a very foul smell. Turns out to be the body of one Dorian Alexander – the one in a leadership position in the coven as well as Mia’s Gran’s new beau. In order to keep to the timelines for the chili cook-off and opening of the food bank, it is imperative that the killer be identified as soon as possible.
While in Magic Springs, Mia is conflicted as her boyfriend (and boss) Isaac Adams is in Boise and given the state of their relationship – a serious conversation must be had.
I found even with this short read that I was able to get a good sense of the main characters. I became invested in short order and so wanted them to make the deadline for being able to open the food bank. I enjoyed getting to know Grans and hope to see her in future books. Grans and her bestie were priceless together and I can’t wait for more interactions between the two in future books.
The murder was solved in due course, but I really felt this story was more about introducing everyone for the first book in the series – One Poison Pie. A fun prequel to the series for those who enjoy paranormal/ witch cozy mysteries. This is only my second read by this author – but you can rest assured that it will not be my last.
