When the Crow’s Away

Evenfall Witches B&B #2

By Auralee Wallace

ISBN#9780593335857

Author’s Website: auraleewallace.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Synopsis:

The ghost of a recently deceased chocolatier believes he was murdered, and it’s up to young witch Brynn Warren to use her magical gifts and old-fashioned sleuthing skills to find out how he really met his bitter end in this enchanting new Evenfall Witches B&B Mystery.

After spending months unable to use her powers, Brynn Warren is once again using her gift and working at her family’s bed-and-breakfast. Her heart is full, and although one of her aunts wonders if it might be a little more full with a bit of romance in her life, Brynn is certain that finding love again is not in her future. In fact, she can’t imagine anyone being more certain of anything…except for maybe, the recently deceased Mortimer Sweete. He’s certain he’s been murdered, and he wants Brynn’s help to bring his killer to justice.

Mort is positive he knows who killed him: his business partner’s wife, Cookie, who had been trying to get them to sell the candy shop for months. But Brynn doesn’t share his conviction. After all, the coroner ruled his death natural causes, and Mort did have health problems in life. But with Cookie putting up a For Sale sign for the shop already, Brynn knows she can’t just let it go.

Trying to solve a might-be murder while attempting to stop her aunt from meddling in her personal life seems like a recipe for disaster. If Brynn wants to bring Mort’s spirit peace, she’ll have to rely on all her skills–both magical and mundane–to uncover the truth. (Goodreads)

Review:

When the Crow’s Away is the enchanting second entry in the Evenfall Witches B&B mystery series.  It is the perfect balance of small town coziness and paranormal with delightful characters and a charming setting.

Brynn lost her witchy ability to talk to the dead when her husband unexpectedly died.  Now she is trying to adjust to her abilities returning.  When a local candy maker dies and insists to Brynn that he was murdered, possibly by a family member, Brynn and her aunts and uncle combine forces to get to the bottom of things.  Meanwhile, Brynn is worried that their next door neighbor knows too much about the goings on at the B&B, that she did not do the right thing in giving a spell to a potential protégé, and that her Aunt Izzy will not stop her match making efforts.

I really enjoy the premise of this series and like that the main characters are multi-generational.  The bed and breakfast setting is nice, if somewhat in the backdrop to this tale, and has the potential to provide lots of different characters (and victims) to pass through.  Brynn is a strong, if grief-stricken but recovering protagonist who wants to use her magic for good.  Her abilities feel natural and are the foundation of the story.  I really like her aunts Izzy and Nora and her uncle Gideon.  Their diverse personalities, abilities, and attitudes are great and really round out the story.  Since the victim Mort is a communicative ghost, I enjoyed getting to know him in ways that readers do not always in traditional cozies where the victim dies early in the story.  The circumstances of Mort’s death and the resolution of the mystery are unique and kept me engaged throughout.  There are plenty of people for Brynn to investigate and theories to bat around, and a bit of a cliffhanger ending. 

When the Crow’s Away is well worth reading.  Highly recommended to any cozy reader who appreciates a touch of magic with their murder.