Autumn Alibi
Paperback, 368 pages
Published September 24th 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Goodreads synopsis:
After a hectic year, Edindale, Illinois, attorney Keli Milanni is ready to welcome autumn by counting her many blessings. But a case of murder could cause her to fall behind . . .
Keli is hoping that Mabon, the Wiccan Autumn Equinox, will bring balance back into her life. But it’s death that comes calling when she’s asked to consult on an estate case. Recently passed, Elaine Turnbull left everything, including her valuable art and antiques collection, to her granddaughter, Lana. But Lana has been missing for years, ever since a tragedy tore her family apart. Also missing may be Elaine’s most recent will. Then there’s the not-so-small detail that Elaine’s death by natural causes may not have been so natural after all . . .
With the help of her boyfriend Wes, who knew Lana in high school, Keli starts digging into Elaine’s past—and her journals. Soon she discovers that everyone, from Elaine’s caretaker to her curator, had a motive for murder—along with a seemingly rock-solid alibi. Between missing people, missing documents, a string of vandalism against her friends, and the sense she’s being stalked, Keli is feeling a disturbing chill. Now not even her Wiccan protection rituals may save her from a killer with a cold heart that’s far from grateful . .
***
4.5 Stars
This is the sixth book in the A Wiccan Wheel Mystery series by Jennifer David Hesse.
I was fascinated from the word go. Keli has a complex relationship between her spirituality and her job as a lawyer. It’s not easy mixing the two since there are so many judgements based on her beliefs. Her idea of religion is different than normal folks. And different isn’t wrong. It’s just… different. With all the LGBTQ acceptance these days, I’m surprised there is not more acceptance of Wicca, mediums, tarot readers and the like.
Keli is contracted to find the missing will of Elaine Turnbull. So she must stay in Elaine’s house and ferret around for facts and clues. Once she finds something juicy, the next day it is gone, taken from her room. Room blessings and spells abound in this book. It is actually all very cool. At least to me. I thought the spells were very well done.
This is pretty much a locked room mystery since most of the residents aren’t out of the house during a good part of it. Since this is my first foray into the Wiccan Wheel mysteries, I wasn’t certain who were main characters and recurring characters and who were not. So, it make the entire search that much more difficult for me. I have to admit I had no idea who the culprit was.
While in the midst of reading this, I realized that Jennifer David Hesse is from very close to my own hometown in Southern Illinois. You don’t see a lot of books set in this area. So, I was particularly pleased about that fact. Can’t wait to read more and do an entire background search into the character by reading all the previous five books. Excited.
If you love cozy, do check this one out. Don’t hesitate. It will be a fun ride for you. It was an awesome ride for me.
Highly recommended.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
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