Review

For fans of:  Victoria Laurie, Madelyn Alt

An old trunk. A dead antiques dealer. A malevolent oak tree. A missing gobgoyle. A curse that spans generations. And a velvet cloak with the power to transport the wearer through space and time. Can witch and vintage-clothing-store owner Lily Ivory solve a murder, save her familiar, and vanquish the ancient evil that’s at the heart of this whole mess, or will the chaos consume her, as well?

One of the things I love most about Juliet Blackwell’s Witchcraft Mysteries is the way she expands her mythology with every book. With every puzzle Lily solves, we find out something new about her past, her powers, and the magical world she inhabits. A Vision in Velvet – the sixth installment in the series – is no exception. Sure, Lily’s latest adventure sees her chasing down (and running from) a dangerous criminal, but along the way, she also learns more about her spirit guide, her familiar, and the true nature of her “witchy godfather,” Aidan Rhodes. This not only adds depth and texture to Blackwell’s fictional universe, but it rewards loyal readers of the series and makes new readers want to keep coming back for more.

That’s not all this book has to offer, though – far from it. Blackwell knows how to write a setup that’ll suck you in, craft a plot that’ll keep you guessing, and set a pace that’ll keep you pinned. She spends the first several chapters of A Vision in Velvet slowly ratcheting up the tension; you know something evil is lurking, and Lily knows it, too, but neither of you has any idea what that something is or whether it’s going to pounce. But pounce it does, and from that moment on, you won’t be able to turn the pages quickly enough.

Blackwell’s descriptions have the power to transport; her words allow you to see the magical creatures with which Lily interacts, feel the textures of the vintage clothing she sells, and smell the herbs in her rooftop garden. You know exactly what it’s like for Lily to experience one of her visions, because you’re right there alongside her when they happen.

What really sets Juliet Blackwell’s Witchcraft Mysteries apart, though, are her characters and the relationships they share. Lily was a loner when readers first met her, but her guard’s come down a little with every passing book, and the beings she’s let into her life – from her food-obsessed, shape-shifting familiar, Oscar; to her hunky, brooding, mysterious boyfriend, Sailor; to her decreasingly skeptical cop-friend, Inspector Carlos Romero – bring out the best in her. I defy you to read this series and not fall in love with the entire cast.

Reviewed by Kat