There were portions of this book I enjoyed - I think the witch realm and witchy aspects were intriguing. I only wish we got to experience more of that, as it felt like a side plot to me.

I had a lot of unanswered questions, as the ending seemed extremely rushed. I felt like there could have been 100 more pages to tie things up, or the author could have made the plot less complicated/detailed. There seemed to be a couple of continuity errors here and there too, unless I misremembered portions of the reading.

I guess I just wanted more from this book in general.

A interesting mystery that I was able to finish in one day. I enjoyed the characters and the story kept me engaged until the end.

Witch Hunt was a cute mystery novel with quirky and likeable characters. I continued to hope for more information on Violet's past and her long lost family who appears in her small town telling her she is a witch. I hoped to see Violet realize more of her powers and what she was capable of. I do believe there are more books coming in this series, and I look forward to seeing many more of my questions about our lead character and her past answered. A quick and light read that I absolutely enjoyed.

Violet Mooney, owner of The Full Moon crystal shop, has recently lost her grandmother unexpectedly, and throws herself more deeply into her work to cope. A local councilwoman seems to be out to get quite a few people in town, including Violet. When the councilwoman turns up dead after a heated and very public argument with Violet, Violet is the prime suspect for the murder. As if that isn't enough of a predicament to be in, Violet's long absent mother and a sister she never knew she had show up claiming that not only are they witches, but so is Violet. This can't be real, can it? 

I love cozy cats, and this book as two! Violet is well-established and has a lot going for her. She has a lot of mixed feelings about her mother showing up after abandoning her all those years ago--and wants nothing to do with her. But her mother won't go away. Her mother, Fiona, can be a bit overbearing at times, but she means well. I adored Violet's half-sister, Zoe. She and Violet hit it off pretty well. Between the mystery of the murder of the councilwoman and the mystery surrounding Violet's past, Witch Hunt had me from the first page to the last. I found both story lines intriguing and could not wait to see how everything came together in the end. There were certainly several unexpected twists in this one! I always find it interesting to see the different ways magic manifests in cozy mysteries like this, and this one did not disappoint. I look forward to reading more by Conte in the future.

An Interesting cozy mystery set in Connecticut in a crystal shop. While this one was a good read. It was a little hard to read because just like the main character had suffered a loss similar to what I have suffered recently made it less in enjoyable for me. But other cozy readers who haven’t recently suffered that loss will no doubt enjoy this cozy.  Who knows I may pick up future books in the series.

This was a fun, witchy cozy.  While the mystery took a backseat to the protagonist's storyline, I didn't mind that. I really enjoyed all the storyline weaved throughout this book, and I look forward to the next book.

Release Date: July 28, 2020

📖 📖

Violet Mooney recently lost her grandmother, got into a screaming match with the local councilwoman Carla about a seance and her best friend Syd is acting strange. When a body is found strangled to death with her scarf, Violet becomes suspect #1. Add to that a mother she hasn’t seen in 27 years, a sister she didn’t know existed and oh yeah...turns out she’s a witch!

I was not into this story, I’m not sure where it missed the mark for me but it took me over three days to finish because I simply didn’t care. It was spotty and didn’t finish storylines or even really explain things at the end. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#bookstagram #netgalleyreads #witchhunt

Violet Mooney is the owner of The Full Moon Crystal Shop. She is in a constant battle with a councilwoman about her "voodoo" shop. When the councilwoman ends up dead, Violet finds two cops on her doorstep waiting to take her to the station for questioning. Can Violet find out who the killer is while also dealing with some personal surprises?

I liked this book, but I wanted to like it more. There were just bits of the story that did not work for me. I really liked Violet. I liked her personality and her style. I liked her mother and sister, too. Violet's best friend, however, was way too judgmental and unsupportive. With the story, I just wish that there was more about the magical part of the world. I felt like it wasn't fleshed out enough. I also feel like I wanted more explanation about Violet's family and what happened with them. Maybe that all will be expanded on in future books, but it made this book a little frustrating. I'll have to see what I feel when the next one comes out. 

*eARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

What an enjoyable read!  An easy read that I devoured in one sitting.

This is the first of a new series and I'm glad I discovered it at the beginning-look forward to the next installment.

Our heroine, Violet, has a secret heritage that she is unaware of and when she breaks a necklace that was a gift from her beloved grandmother, strange things start to happen.  Add that to the fact that she is a person of interest in a murder and what follows is a charming cozy mystery.

This is the first book in the Full Moon Mystery series, and I really enjoyed this magical offering from Conte. Violet Mooney owns The Full Moon crystal shop  and she is somewhat of a spiritual person but when town councilwoman Carla Fernandez turns up dead and the police hear of their argument earlier on in the day and suspect her does she discover there is more than a little witchey in her blood.

When her estranged mother appears practically before her eyes and rocks Violets world by telling her that she is in fact a witch! I felt the murder mystery was more of a secondary story line to Violets discovering about her being a witch, and to be fair I quite liked it that way, I loved finding out Violets truth, and I also enjoyed whittling down the potential suspects. There was a fair few suspects who all had motive to bump off Carla, and I was right along Violet when the truth came out.

I look forward to reading more on Violets situation with her magic and her relationship with her mother.

I adore a the supernatural in my mysteries.  I'll be on the lookout for  more by Cate Conte for sure!!!

Princess Fuzzypants here:  Violet is fairly content with her life- her shop that sells healing stones, her friends and boyfriend and her kitty.  She recently lost her beloved grandmother but the grief she suffered is not even a hint of what is to come after an unpleasant woman verbally attacks her in a crowded coffee shop.  She accused Violet of running a voodoo shop.  Boy, if she only knew the truth.  Sadly, for Violet, the woman is murdered and Violet finds herself a person of interest.

That is when things get very interesting and the story perks up appreciably.  As she sit in the police station, two things happen that are going to shake her world forever and transform her self perception entirely.  Her long lost mother and hereto unknown sister drop into her life.  The information they share is going to shatter all of Violet’s beliefs.  Can they also get her off the hook for the murder?

This series has tons of potential that is just scratched in this first book.  With her two cats by her side (yes, a second cat adopts her), she is about to go on a voyage of self discovery.  I will gladly hitchhike along.  Five purrs and two paws up.

What makes a good cozy mystery? Cate Conte (aka Liz Mugavero) understands the form. She has given us a new protagonist to watch. Meet Violet Mooney, the 32 year old owner of the Full Moon crystal shop, and proud owner of Monty, a cuddly ginger cat who wisely chooses sleep over braving the dank January weather. Violet is a self described empath, she has brought her talent for reading auras the citizens of North Harbor CT. She is content with her daily routine, yoga class, sharing morning coffee with her best friend and neighbor Syd. Lately though is has been difficult. She is still grieving her Grandmother Addy's death. The book opens with Violet feeling out of sorts, as if the universe is out of alignment.

It is. First she has a blow up argument with Carla Fernandez, the town official who most resembles a combination of petulant two year old and high powered real estate agent. Carla is the bully who must get in the last word. Provocative, down right mean, it is no wonder she is discovered quite dead. Yay, she is dead. Boo, Violet's scarf is the murder weapon. What next?

What comes next changes the tone of the book delightfully. Violet's long lost mother appears, walking out of thin air. She is a powerful witch, and so is Violet. Violet is not only a witch she has a long lost sister, Zoe, and perhaps has been adopted by a familiar. To make matters worse, she seems to have a stalker, Mazzy a pushy woman who claims to want a consultation, and somehow does not have a reflection in a mirror. Mazzy who apparently also has designs on Violet's boy friend. Nothing is as it first appears. Violet begins to see beneath the surface of North Harbor finding a town as mysterious as the black cat who has adopted her.

The puzzle is charming and not easily solved. The plotting is suspenseful, inviting a reader to stay up late, reading just one more chapter. This is a strong entry for the new Full Moon Series.

Recommended for young adults to senior citizens.

This book is the first in Cate Conte's new series about Violet Mooney, an unwitting witch.  

Violet is still processing her grandmother's death when she discovers a mother she thought had abandoned her and a half sister she never knew about.   Violet owns a local crystal shop and when a prominent community member ends up dead right after fighting with Violet, all eyes are on her. 

Violet then learns that she is descended from two long lines of very powerful witches and learns about a witches' council that her grandmother and mother held positions on.   Violet has some decisions to make about her life and also has to get to the bottom of the murder.

I enjoyed the author's writing style and I love the idea of a witch as the main character in a cozy mystery series.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal stories and fun cozy mysteries.   

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion from #NetGalley and the publisher.

A great debut for a new series, it's engrossing and entertaning.
The characters are well written and likable, the solid mystery kept me guessing and the world building is interesting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Witch Hunt was a fun and engaging read. I really liked Violet and her relationship with her deceased grandmother. I felt most of the characters were well developed and I felt the storyline was engaging. There was a couple of loose ends, but I suspect they might be dealt with further along in the series.

Overall, it was a decent start of a new series.

Love new series and this one promises to be a good one.  I love Violet Mooney and the special relationship with her grandmother - now deceased - I was very closed to my grandmother, so I loved how the author threw in that special relationship.   

It's a cozy murder mystery, and Violet finds herself investigating the death of the council woman and finding out she is a witch.  

With the pandemic going around, I find myself having a hard time reading, and this book was just light and refreshing.  Took my mind off things for a while.

Thank you netgally and Kensignton press.

Violet owns a crystal shop in  a  small town.  She isn't in the best of terms with a woman council member Carla.  After an argument in the coffee shop Carla is murdered.  This leaves Violet looking guilty.  Then out of the blue Violet's mother shows up after being gone almost  all  of Violet's  life.
An interesting paranormal mystery.

This is a charming debut cozy mystery series by author Cate Conte.  The author has incorporated all the perfect elements for a long running successful series that will be loved by her readers. I adored the characters, the setting and the well crafted sleuth that kept me guessing to the end .  A  very enjoyable paranormal cozy that I highly recommend for your reading enjoyment. 
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own. 

We are introduced to a wonderful protagonist  Violet Mooney who  runs a crystal shop in her hometown of North Harbor, Connecticut. The shop descriptions and the crystals are beautifully described by the author.  Violet does crystal readings in her shop which I loved as I work with crystals.  In North Harbor some are not as pleased with her shop and Violet does have opposition from some in town especially one very vocal councilwomen. She is dealing with the death of her beloved Grandmother and starting over in life by herself hoping to make a success out of her business.   Violet has a wonderful orange cat Monty who is a fun addition to this series and devoted to her. 

When the police show up at her door and take her to the station as suspect in the murder of the councilwomen she believes she is being set up as one of her scarves was at the scene of the murder.  While at the police station her quirky estranged Mother of 27 years and her sister she never knew show up.. They deliver the news they not only want to be in her life but that they are all witches. Now Violet must clear her name, find the real suspect while adjusting to her new family in her life and accepting she is a witch while learning her craft. 

This is a wonderfully well crafted mystery with great charcters. I love the paranormal .aspect and the descriptions of the crystals and the shop.  The sleuth kept this avid reader guessing until the end and had significant red herrings and clues to please every reader.  The supporting charcters are all likable and have room to grow with this fun series.  A very strong start to a new cozy series. .Congratulations to the author.  I highly recommend this new series.

Witch Hunt
By Cate Conte
Kensington
July 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

As the owner of The Full Moon crystal shop, Violet Mooney should have expected life to be anything but normal.  Her Grandma Abigail’s death the previous month meant losing her last family connection, and Violet’s abilities as a sensitive empath have her even more aware that life is North Harbor was about to be very weird.   A much-needed healing circle with the local yoga studio is threatened by the objections of town official Carla Fernandez, who proclaims that Violet’s business jeopardizes the Connecticut town’s real estate value.  When Carla is found dead in the public courtyard, Violet ascends to the top of the suspect list as a result of their equally public confrontation.

Violet’s distress over being interrogated pales in comparison to her seemingly panic-driven teleportation out of the police station, where she is later is met by an even more astounding surprise.  After an absence of nearly thirty years, Violet’s mother Fiona Ravenstar returns to claim her daughter and announces their status as prominent witches of the Magickal Council.  Violet can barely wrap her head around the inexplicable arrivals of an unknown sister and their negligent mother, let alone the existence of another plane where magic and witchcraft flourish.  Fiona’s disdainful attitude towards mundane “Lulus” - named after the Lululemon yoga-pants-wearing women of North Harbor – certainly doesn’t help Violet to accept this new status, especially when her mother only seems to delight in the chaos caused by the realtor’s death.  “Encouraging” Violet’s neighbor and BFF to move out of her apartment, Fiona and Zoe Ravenstar move in next door to bring Violet back into the witchcraft fold and take her place among the most powerful women on the planet. Of course, Violet has to first ensure that neither she nor her friends land in prison, which has her following a path of environmental protests, construction projects, and marital complications.

This first in the series engagingly and deftly introduces both Violet and readers into a realm where magic exists and an entirely new field of knowledge exists to be explored.  The debut novel sets itself up as a compelling introduction to a fun paranormal mystery series, especially as Violet accepts her new family and the reasons they were shielded from her life.  Fiona is an uncontrollable force as a character, leaving chaos in her wake as she casts off both spells and the boring people in her daughter’s life.   Violet will have to make some hard decisions about her relationships as she embraces her new role, which will be as fascinating for readers as it will be challenging for her.  The author of numerous mysteries written under the name Liz Mugavero, Conte presents a blend of mystery, magic, and loads of humor that starts off on a high note and promises even more intrigue for the future.