Review

For fans of:  Victoria Laurie

It seems like vintage-clothing-store owner Lily Ivory hasn't had a moment of down time since moving to San Francisco; she’s been too focused on running a successful business (and catching the occasional killer) to have any fun. So when her friends encourage her to close up shop one Sunday morning and accompany them to a gem and jewelry trade show, she jumps at the chance.

At first, the outing is an enjoyable one, and Lily acquires a wealth of treasure with which to stock Aunt Cora’s Closet. But then a series of strange fires breaks out all over the exhibition hall and someone takes advantage of the resulting pandemonium to murder a vendor named Griselda, and Lily’s forced to wonder if perpetual chaos is simply her lot in life. As it turns out, Griselda was killed via a method traditionally used to torture confessions out of witches – a fact that causes Lily no small measure of worry, given that she, too, is a practicing witch. Of even more concern is the revelation that Griselda’s murder is but one in a series of attacks on the area’s most powerful practitioners. Can Lily get to the bottom of this deadly supernatural plot before she, herself, becomes a target?

Tarnished and Torn is the fifth of Juliet Blackwell's Witchcraft Mysteries, and it’s a great summer read. Blackwell’s crafted a plot that’s not only clever and complex, but inextricably linked to the conceit of her series, as well (a rare combo in today’s traditional mystery market). Blackwell’s world-building is subtle (no long-winded witchcraft-related info-dumps here!), but no less effective for it, and even those new to the series won’t feel lost for long. The pace is quick, the narrative drive is strong, and while I’m not sure she fully earned the solution to her mystery, the book’s Big Showdown is intense, and the ending is as satisfying as they come.

What really makes Tarnished and Torn special, though, is Blackwell’s stellar character work. While I’m not a huge fan of hillbilly redneck thugs Clem and Zeke – they’re just a little too much for my taste – they’re the only duds in an otherwise stellar lineup. Witchy mentor Aidan is charming and mysterious, as per his usual.  Brooding psychic and smokin' hot love interest Sailor adds tension, drama, and romance to every scene in which he appears.  Lily’s familiar, Oscar the gob-goyle, adds just the right amount of humor and heart to Blackwell’s tale. And then there’s Blackwell’s crowning achievement, her main character. Lily isn’t your stereotypical blandly likable girl-next-door mystery heroine; abandoned by her parents and shunned by her peers, Lily’s been an outcast her entire life, and that's done a lot to shape who she is – both as a person and as a witch. In Tarnished and Torn, Blackwell does a magnificent job exploring the complicated relationship Lily has with her estranged father; yes, she’s hurt, angry, and full of mistrust, but deep down, she still craves his attention, his approval, and his love. Her baggage and insecurities not only serve to make her a more interesting protagonist, but a more likeable and identifiable one, as well, and that’s a big part of what keeps me coming back to this series, book after book.

Reviewed by Kat