Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
A Spell for Trouble is the debut of the An Enchanted Bay Mystery series set in Bellamy Bay, North Carolina and featuring risk manager Aleksandra Daniels. It's been over twenty years since her mother's drowning and her last visit with her aunt and cousins in Bellamy Bay, for some reason her father had not wanted Alex to return to her mother's hometown but now that he too has passed she accepts an invitation to visit her relatives and help them in their herbal apothecary.
Having quit her job as a risk manager after being passed over for a promotion, Alex sets out with her dropout police K9, Athena for the quiet coastal town. She begins to enjoy learning how her Aunt Lidia and Cousin Minka create the various soaps, teas and herbal remedies they sell in their popular shop, Botanika. One afternoon a disgruntled Randy Bennett comes into the store and sparks immediately fly between the man and her aunt - Alex is shocked when Lidia seems to pick the man up and throw him against the wall before shoving a packet of her herbal tea at him and shoving him out the door.
When the man turns up dead the next day a victim of suspected poisoning, all fingers point at her aunt. Knowing deep down that her aunt isn't a killer, Alex sets out with the help of her cousin Minka and against the warnings of Detective Jack Frazier to find the real culprit. She soon discovers that her family has been keeping a secret - they are all water witches.
A plot full of twists and turns including a rivalry between Alex's family and their arch enemies the Wesleys, adultery and a fight to take over ownership of a real estate empire. Unfortunately, there seems to be a developing love triangle between Alex, Jack and Dylan Wesley. I wish that I'd paid a little more attention to the description before picking up this book since witchcraft and sorcery is not my cup of tea. But, I did enjoy the main characters and the mystery and will look for the second installment to see if the author reveals a little more about Alex's past.
Having quit her job as a risk manager after being passed over for a promotion, Alex sets out with her dropout police K9, Athena for the quiet coastal town. She begins to enjoy learning how her Aunt Lidia and Cousin Minka create the various soaps, teas and herbal remedies they sell in their popular shop, Botanika. One afternoon a disgruntled Randy Bennett comes into the store and sparks immediately fly between the man and her aunt - Alex is shocked when Lidia seems to pick the man up and throw him against the wall before shoving a packet of her herbal tea at him and shoving him out the door.
When the man turns up dead the next day a victim of suspected poisoning, all fingers point at her aunt. Knowing deep down that her aunt isn't a killer, Alex sets out with the help of her cousin Minka and against the warnings of Detective Jack Frazier to find the real culprit. She soon discovers that her family has been keeping a secret - they are all water witches.
A plot full of twists and turns including a rivalry between Alex's family and their arch enemies the Wesleys, adultery and a fight to take over ownership of a real estate empire. Unfortunately, there seems to be a developing love triangle between Alex, Jack and Dylan Wesley. I wish that I'd paid a little more attention to the description before picking up this book since witchcraft and sorcery is not my cup of tea. But, I did enjoy the main characters and the mystery and will look for the second installment to see if the author reveals a little more about Alex's past.
