Five Furry Familiars (Kitchen Witch Mysteries #5), by Lynn Cahoon

 

Publication Feb. 20, 2024

What image do you conjure up when you hear the term "hellhound"? If you're like me, it's a rabid, snarling dog the size of a pony, foam dripping from its mouth and, gasp, is that blood dripping from its teeth? Demonic looking. Fierce. Think Cerberus. So, oh, boy, wait till you get a look at the hellhound the Goddess has gifted Mia's boyfriend Trent with. Be prepared, in other words.

But, wait, "Goddess?" you say? Yep, there's a whole town of magical beings mixed with the regular humans in Magic Springs, including, yep, you guessed, main character Mia. She's a kitchen witch and spells for good, not to mention creates delicious meals and goodies to share with both her human and witchy friends. And, oh, yeah, she helps solve murders in her spare time. 

Lately, there hasn't been much of that as she's taken on a job at the upscale Lodge where, quite frankly, she expects to be fired every day by the cranky, difficult boss. She's lucky enough to have her best friend Christina as her right-hand co-worker. Then, after Christina's former boyfriend returns to town expecting her to swoon and agree to marry him almost immediately, Christina has the misfortune to find him dead. Did I mention both the victim and Christina come from money? Her mother, complete with enough guilt trips to share with one and all, swoops in and even tries to set up the very settled Mia with Christina's brother....again. Like there weren't already enough complications, such as hellhounds and ex partners, male and female, showing up and creating jealousy. Oh, and there's the young ghost in the library, and the cat, Mr. Darcy, that seems to harbor a lost soul mistakenly zapped into the cat's body by a poorly thought out spell. And, then there's the police chief's wife who has, sigh, neglected to tell him she's a witch, too. Minor detail, right? And, there's more than a bit of humor throughout.

And, then, oh, never mind. Enough teasers. I loved this boo. Such fun. I could go on rather endlessly with the complications and twists and turns here, not to mention the magic that is simply accepted as the status quo, but, lucky you, I won't. I'll simply say, set aside reality for awhile, pick up this book, and enjoy the fun ride with Mia, hellhounds, kittens and dogs, drunks, cranky bosses, friends under suspicion of being murders and simply enjoy this fun story. If you're like me, you won't quite grasp all the nuances of the coven's ways but, well, it isn't necessary. Just accept and hang on to the roller coaster that seems to be Mia's life at times. And, oh, I can't forget. Mia's a kitchen witch, so there are recipes.