Eight Enchanting Elixirs

Kitchen Witch Mysteries

By Lynn Cahoon        

ISBN: 1496752856

Website: lynncahoon.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra                   

Summary:

Mia’s grandmother is feeling stress about an ex who’s returned . . . from the dead. Mia’s boyfriend is confined to his home for six weeks in a desperate attempt to get his fluffy Maltese pup, Cerby, trained as a hellhound. And Mia herself is being hassled by the coven, which is suddenly questioning the validity of her witch credentials!

Suspected of cheating on her exam, Mia is pressured to retake it. When she not only passes but moves up a level, national coven rep Suzanne Parker is furious. Parker, a relative of a witch hanged in Salem, threatens Mia with a witch’s worst nightmare. When she’s found dead the very next day, the coven suspects kitchen witch’s potions contained an extra, very lethal ingredient.

With all this toil and trouble, Mia has no choice but to prove that she’s a good witch—in every sense of the word . . . (Goodreads)

Review:

Eight Enchanting Elixirs is the eighth book of Lynn Cahoon’s in the Kitchen Witch Mystery series. This is the fifth book in the series that I have read, having previously read 3 novellas’ and a full length novel in this series. It may well be that as I have not read any of the full length novels in this series from the beginning (only the book previous to this one – Seven Secret Spellcasters) that I am not quite jelling with this series? Don’t get me wrong – this book is easy to read and enjoyable, but really knowing the backstory of the characters I think would go a long way to enhance my enjoyment of the story. Or perhaps if the story had begun with a bit more backstory on the characters…

In Eight Enchanting Elixirs Mia (the main protagonist / kitchen witch) is being threatened and she is therefore mostly confined to her home. Mia’s recent results for her testing is at a level 3 and this causes some coven members to make a fuss and suggest that Mia cheated? So…the coven brings in another tester. This witch is tough (with a capital “T” I might add) and while Mia is exhausted beyond belief after this round of testing – she scores a level 5! And then the tester is found dead at a hiking trail (from hypothermia – or so it is believed). To vindicate Mia’s good scores, she takes it upon herself to work at confirming cause of death for Suzanne Parker. Also creating challenges for a harmonious existence is the fact that Trent (Mia’s boyfriend) is confined to his home for six weeks as he is getting his fluffy Maltese pup, Cerby, trained as a hellhound. Along with him is the police chief’s wife and daughter – training their hellhound as well.

I found once I got into the story it did seem to flow and was an enjoyable read. Mia and her growth was evident. As well – I could really tell that all she really wanted to achieve was to be a kitchen witch. After all, her passion is in the kitchen!

Another redeeming quality is the love and support that is evidenced in Mia’s family. They are inclusive in the broader sense of family – and that is a feel good emotion that shone through while reading the story.

As to be expected, any mystery surrounding the death of Suzanne Parker is solved by Mia and her cohorts 🙂 … after all – that is the name of the game with these witchy cozy mysteries. I am not inclined to delve further as I do not want to impede any future reader’s enjoyment of the mystery and the solving of said mystery within 🙂

All in all – a relaxing but engaging read. I may continue with the series, but not unless I start from the beginning of the series as I think that would be to the benefit of my reading pleasure with respect to Mia and her world.