Review - A Brushstroke with Death

As I was looking for some fun cozy mysteries for Halloween to review, I came across this new series.  Check out this witch who is an artist.  I think this may be surprising change for many.  The author, Bethany Blake, wrote six books in the Lucky Paws Pet Sitting mystery series which are going on my TBR list.

Author: Bethany Blake

Copyright: October 2020 (Kensington Cozies) 322 pgs

Series: 1st in An Owl & Crescent Mystery series

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy mystery, amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Willow Bellamy, owner of Owl & Crescent Art Barn 

Setting: Contemporary, Zephry Hollow, Pennsylvania 

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb: "Near the creek that runs behind her Pennsylvania house, Willow Bellamy has converted an old barn into an art school—though the place does still have some animal inhabitants, including Rembrandt, the owl who lives up in the rafters. And while it’s important for any artist to have a vision, Willow can sometimes see things others can’t, just like her mother and grandmother before her. Not that she would exactly call herself a witch . . .

 

When some local merchants gather in the studio for a painting party, they focus their attention on a still life with flowers and an assortment of garden tools, including antique pruning shears that disappear—at the same time despised restaurant owner Evangeline Fletcher is murdered. Willow must use all her gifts to find the killer, although it means teaming up with a handsome, mysterious detective whom Willow fears she may have accidentally conjured from a canvas. This investigation is sure to be a hoot . . ."

Willow Bellamy is an artist and witch like her mother and grandmother. I liked her and felt we could be friends. She is thoughtful, reasonable, and loyal.  Astrid Applebee is the owner of Astrid's Astral Emporium, is one of Willow's coven and her friend.  Pepper Armbruster is a powerful witch from a wealthy family and the third member of the coven.  Detective Lucien Turner is completely an enigma who seems to know a lot about witchy things.  Derek Fletcher was Willow's first love and the victim's nephew who just returned to town.  Handyman George Van Buskirk seems mighty fond of Willow's grandmother Anna.  Willow's mother, Celeste Dinsmore Crockett Bellamy, is the Mayor of Zephry - that's not complicated at all.  Then there are the fantastic animals like Rembrandt, the owl; Mortimer, the rescue pig; and Luna, a petite gray cat with a white cresent-shaped mark on her chest that are Willow's companions.

Zephry Hollow is a good setting, but the Owl & Crescent Art Barn is a fantastic setting. Slightly secluded with the victim's mansion the closest home. The weather and seclusion add some atmospheric touches for a gothic touch.

Of course the plot revolves around Evangeline Fletcher's murder and suspects seem plentiful as Willow asks questions of everyone at the painting party to reveal Evangeline had made a lot of enemies.  I found the pacing kept me interested and wanting to read just one more page again and again.  There were a few twists as the story developed that really sucked me in.

I have to hand it to Ms. Blake.  She pulled off a great twist for the killer reveal.  I hadn't figured out the killer until just before the reveal and it was a surprising revelation.  The confrontation itself was a little nail-biting and blood pumping, just like I prefer it. Loved it.  The wrap-up was bittersweet but I can't go into it more than that.

Great fun with a little witchy business without being focused on only the paranormal. It had a twisty plot with some a good surprise at the climax. This is a thoroughly enjoyable cozy has a good paranormal element.

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 

Author Guest Post - Sandra Cody

Please welcome Sandra Cody, the author of Jennie Connors series.  The Peace Morrow books are set in a picture-perfect small town just north of Philadelphia. The town, Doylestown, is real, but the the stories are totally fictitious. Much of the action takes place in a museum of antique tools and folk art. The stories center around family and examine the ways in which destiny is shaped by secrets. Peace is a young woman searching for her identity - and a history she may be better off not knowing. 

The Birth Of A New Series?
It’s funny how books come to be written. An Uncertain Path took me by surprise. In a previous book, Love and Not Destroy, I introduced Peace Morrow, a young woman who had been abandoned as an infant. Her quest to learn her history was a subplot to the main mystery in that book. By the end of the book, she knows who her biological parents are. So ... that question was answered, that goal achieved. End of story. Not quite.

Deep into my next book (part of my Jennie Connors series and totally unrelated to Peace Morrow’s story), I found myself wondering how Peace was dealing with this information. Was she happy with her discovery? Disappointed? If I didn’t write a sequel, Peace would never get to know her newly-discovered family. I felt like I was abandoning her again. I couldn’t do that. Long story short, what I thought was the end was actually a beginning. Problem was, I had no idea what was coming next. So I began what was An Uncertain Path - for both me and my protagonist.

The book is set in a real town, the town where I’ve lived for more than half my life. Part of the fun of releasing the first book was the reaction of friends and neighbors who live here. They loved reading about a fictional character walking along their streets, stopping in their favorite bookstore, or having dinner in a restaurant they know well. More to the point, I discovered they were also curious about what happened next in Peace’s life. She was real to them! There aren’t many things that make a writer as happy as that.

I also discovered that people who’d never seen my town

loved it too. They wanted to know more about it. I kept that in mind as I wrote An Uncertain Path. In fact, the name was inspired by one of our landmarks. A few yards from our library, there’s a labyrinth with a story deserving of its own novel.  Its construction was inspired by a woman grieving the loss of her beloved adopted daughter. It’s not really like the story of Peace Morrow, but certain elements of the two resonate. Yes, the labyrinth and an abbreviated version of its origin are included in the book. 

And, again, the people who live here love seeing part of their real-life history portrayed in fiction and people who live elsewhere are curious about it. My setting had become a character - in this case, a setting/character that was ready-made for me. All I had to do was pay attention to the streets I walk every day, the stores where I shop, the restaurants where I eat. These things, while not part of the plot, give texture to a story and help a reader suspend disbelief so they believe in your plot.

In case you’re curious, I’m now deep into another Jennie Connors book and wonder what’s next in Peace Morrow’s life.  Has another series been born?  AN UNCERTAIN PATH - amzn.to/2vhDkz4  

Thank You Ms. Cody for that peek into Peace Morrow's creation and evolution.  It is a compliment that a character grabs the reader's interest so much.  

Sandra's links:

Website: http://www.sandracareycody.com   
Blog: http://www.birthofanovel.wordpress.com   
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/18bIfTI
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/xfU969  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandracody