Good storytelling around witches and familiars is not easy to find. Having not read the first two in this series, The Holiday Hills Witch Cozy Mysteries, readers suddenly find themselves immersed in the lives of Abby Odell, witch, and Cooper, her cat and familiar, with little introduction to the characters.

Trouble quickly finds Abby. Her best friend, and non-witch, Stella, sees a broom, with no one holding it, sweeping the sidewalk on her way to meet Abby. As more magic incidents occur, Abby becomes concerned since the practice f magic in front of humans is forbidden.

Abby and Cooper start to investigate who might be behind the exposure of magic and why. Carolyn Ridder Aspenson writes an engaging tale about witches and the practice of witchcraft. The beginning is a bit slow, possibly due to not knowing the characters and setting, but soon the pace and action pick up. An enchanting read for those who enjoy a mystery with a touch of magic.

Abby Odell is living in a small town called Holiday Hills. She runs the Echanted and has a talking cat, Cooper. Odd things start to occur around town, and Abby is determined to find out what is happening, who's doing it, and why all of a sudden? Cat fights, magic, and mystery all while she's trying to write a book and live a normal life! A quick read, I read this book in a single sitting. Thoroughly enjoyed, this book was entertaining and just the right mix of mystery and magic. I just wish I could have learned a bit more about some of the characters (facial features, age ranges, background stories). Several characters were being introduced right at the beginning and I found it a bit challenging to follow but I was able to piece them together as I went along with the story. Overall, nice read!

This is the first book I’ve read in the series (and this author), but it won’t be the last!
A great paranormal cozy with interesting characters and a mystery that kept me engrossed.
I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read the next one.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I loved this - I read it in one night b/c I couldn't put it down! I hadn't read books 1 and 2 in the series so I was super lost at the beginning - there were way too many characters in the first chapter for a newbie especially since the talking animals had people names but I did love it enough to go back and read the first 2 in the series.