Tomes and the Tangled Trail, by Eloise Everhart

 

Many fantasize about how wonderful it'd be a witch like Samantha of Bewitched and solve all your problems with a twitch of your nose. Dani Williams discovered her witchy powers late and would disagree. Being a witch has done nothing but turn her life upside down. Having powers you neither understand nor can control is frightening. I mean, she missed all those elementary level witchcraft lessons from her grandmother growing up. She's good at her job as an insurance adjuster but, talk about luck, seems to also have the talent of running into dead bodies and murder investigations. In this case, the victim of a devastating fire is a girl about the age of her own daughter,making it all the more personal. Investigating the fire is also her first job as owner of her own business, so she's frustrated to find herself blocked from doing a timely inspection herself. What's going on?

To be honest, I'm wary of most paranormal books but found this one to be driven by the human side rather than the witchcraft. Heck, given Dani's iffy control over her powers, even the spells she can conjure up aren't always providing the results desired. Then she loses the journal of spells her grandmother had left her. Oops, not good. What happens to a witch who loses her guidebook, so to speak? The answer is fuzzy but, well, troubling. Then, just to add to the fun(?), her daughter Grace is home and acting strangely. What is going on? 

So, who is the murderer? Or, was it arson gone very wrong? Will Dani be able to save her business along with the murder? Will she be able to find the missing journal left to her by her grandmother? Why is Chris, the object of her affection, being so distant? Who is following Dani? Why is Dani so sure the first suspect brought in for questioning isn't guilty? Given her inability not to snoop, will Dani find herself in danger? Oh, you know the answer to that one. So, enough teasers. It's a fun, entertaining mystery that, despite it's witchcraft aspects, focuses on the very human aspects of family, troubled children, fear of failure, romantic feelings, and moving forward despite all the obstacles life throws in the way. Thanks #BookSirens and #EloiseEverhart for sharing this fun story with me. I'd be exhausted trying to live my best life while memorizing magical spells, so I find Dani's situation intriguing.