Bells, Spells, and Murders

Bells, Spells and Murders by Carol J. Perry is the seventh bewitching tale in A Witch City Mystery series. Lee Barrett is starting her new job as field reporter for WICH-TV in Salem, Massachusetts. Lee is set to interview Albert Eldridge regarding the Holiday Walk, but she ends up with breaking news. Albert is dead in his office from blunt force trauma. Detective Pete Mondello, Lee’s boyfriend, is assigned the case which means late nights for him until the killer is apprehended. Lee starts nosing around, gathering clues and questioning those close to Albert. She must work in her sleuthing in between work assignments, shopping for Christmas presents, decorating her tree and participating in a Salem holiday tradition. Lee, with the aid of her visions and O’Ryan, sets out to wrap up the case before sleigh bells ring out on Christmas Eve. I enjoyed reading Bells, Spells and Murders. The author captured the holiday spirit in this merry cozy mystery. While Bells, Spells and Murders is the seventh story in A Witch City Mystery series, it can be read alone. Ms. Perry provides Lee’s backstory allowing you to know her and how she came to live and work in Salem. Christmas in Salem was brought alive in this book. Cold weather, shopping, baking, tree decorating, a Christmas play, Santa’s ringing bells for donations, family flying off for the holiday and twinkle lights are all included. I loved how the bell theme was spread throughout the story (some of the references will have you giggling). The mystery was interesting with several suspects, a red herring or two and pointed clues. I wish the solution had not been so obvious, and I could have done with less repetition of case details. I did tire of Pete telling Lee to stay out of the investigation. He should know by now that she will keep investigating even if her life is in peril (there is no stopping Lee). All the storylines are nicely wrapped up at the end of the book. My rating for Bells, Spells and Murders is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). Bells, Spells and Murders is my favorite book in A Witch City Mystery series. There is love, humor, murder, family, friends and Christmas fun in one festive cozy mystery.

Lee Barrett has landed her dream job at Salem’s WICH-TV. As the new field reporter, she’ll be covering events live as they happen. On her holiday checklist is an interview with the chairman of a popular walking tour through Salem’s historic district. Unfortunately, it may be his ghost walking on this snowy Noel season after Lee finds him murdered in his office, his bloody Santa hat askew. -- With her police detective boyfriend working the case and a plethora of suspects—including some bell-ringing Santa’s. Lee chases down leads aided by her wise cat O’Ryan and some unsettling psychic visions of her own. When a revealing clue leads to another dead body, not even a blizzard can stop Lee from inching closer to the truth, and a scoop that could spell her own demise this Christmas. -- Series: A Witch City Mystery - Book 7 Author: Carol J. Perry Genre: Cozy/Witch Mystery Publisher: Kensington Books Publishing Date: September 25, 2018 -- Carol Perry is a talented writer who obviously enjoys her characters and seeks to flesh them out as much as possible. The writing is smooth and balanced with just enough adventure, action and emotion to make the reader care about the characters and thrill at turning the page. -- Bells, Spells, and Murders is the 7th book in the “Witch City Mystery” series. It is a pleasurable read, easy to follow and filled with all the things and characters that make this a great series. There was a little less of River North, and other ongoing characters than most readers would expect but the story overall was enjoyable as always. -- Lee Barrett is a very likable character with issues that plague most people in the world today. Her excitement over her new job is contagious. Yet her compassion for the victim is palpable even though she never met him. Trying to figure out a murder while maintaining her boss’s expectation of her work is a balancing act that Lee pulls off with no problem. However, add in the fact that she and her boyfriend, Pete, have recently moved in together, and it is taking a bit more work than she had thought it would to adjust, makes for a very absorbing story. Aunt Ibby never plays a big enough role in this series, or at least not as much as most readers would like. Unfortunately, this does not change in the new addition to the series. -- When the killer is finally unmasked in this story, it doesn’t come as that big of a surprise to those who know this author's style and the way she structures her stories. This does not detract from the delight of the book, and in fact, helps enhance the reader's interest. -- Bells, Spells, and Murders is a pleasant read that will take the reader away on a trip to Salem, and into a world, most people never get to experience. I highly recommend this book and the series to anyone that wishes to sit down with a book that doesn’t leave them scratching their head or having unanswered questions.

This is the second book in this series that I have read and once again, I missed reading them in order. It was obvious to me that I had missed at least one as I read it but only because of changes in Lee Barrett's life. I want to read the ones I missed more than ever now. Last time I saw Lee, she was teaching a class at a local type of college. Now, she's a reporter for the local tv station. It seems a very natural fit. We definitely learn more about the town this way and I loved it as it made the world building even more real. The mystery was well-done and we jump right into it. I kept bouncing around as to who did it, then I thought it was a conspiracy but I couldn't figure out why, then I went back to trying to figure out who it was on an individual basis. All in all, it was a very satisfactory conclusion that neatly answered all the questions brought up during the book. I am truly enjoying Carol J. Perry's works and she's become a new author I have to follow. Thank you so much to Carol J. Perry, Kensington, NetGalley, and Penguin Random House Publisher Services for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts and opinions with others.