Review

For fans of: Melissa Bourbon and Juliet Blackwell
 
Witch and Little Shop of Potions proprietress Carly Bell Hartwell isn’t what anyone would call rich. She’s able to make a living doing something she loves, though, which makes her more fortunate than most. But then Nelson Winston turns up dead, one of Carly’s potion bottles in his hand, and it appears her luck has reached an end. Not only does business dry up, but the police to start eying her as a murder suspect. Who killed Nelson – and why did he or she frame Carly? Can Carly solve the crime before she’s forced to serve some time?

A Potion to Die For is the first installment in Heather Blake's new Magical Potion Mystery series. The premise is whimsical and fun; Blake's concept of magic is complex (but not overly so); and she uses astonishingly little exposition to accomplish an impressive amount of world building. My one big knock against this book (and the series in general, really) is that I wish Blake had worked harder to differentiate her new fictional universe from the one featured in her Wishcraft Mystery Series; the two have so much in common I initially thought the Magical Potion Mysteries were a spin-off. Blake’s a talented writer, though, so I suppose when it comes right down to it, more books by her is a good thing, regardless – right?

As you might expect from a supernatural cozy that takes place in a wedding-themed town in rural Alabama, almost all of the characters are zany, over-the-top, and larger than life. The relationships they share, however, are very much grounded in reality. The shaky truce (and dare I say friendship?) developing between Carly and her dark-magic-practicing cousin Delia makes for compelling reading; the scenes in which the two appear beautifully illustrate the knotty ties that bind extended family. Carly’s complicated, ever-evolving is-this-a-romance with ex-fiancé Dyan provides both humor and heart to Blake’s tale. (That said, I’d like to nominate “Care Bear” for Worst Term of Endearment Ever, and do hereby beg Blake to retire it from use.) And I can’t wait to see if Carly's cantankerous, gun-toting Aunt Marjie is actually smitten with the duplicitous Johnny Braxton, or if he’s the one being played.

If you’re looking to add a little lighthearted magic to your holiday – magic that doesn’t involve elves or flying reindeer – you could certainly do worse than A Potion to Die For by Heather Blake.