In the Company of Witches is a cozy mystery that takes place in the coziest of places, a New England bed-and-breakfast run by the Warren witches, two sisters, a brother, and their niece Brynn. Nora is not good with people and takes charge of the garden and floral arrangements while Izzy takes care of the cooking and seems to weave comfort and other useful spells into every morsel. Samuel is agoraphobic and stays upstairs, providing warnings when they might be helpful Unfortunately, all their magic did not prevent the murder of their most annoying guest, Constance Graves, an unhappy woman whose goal seemed to be spreading ill-will wherever she went.

Of course, Nora is a suspect because she’s always threatening death and dismemberment in the most colorful terms. The murderer also set out to frame her. Brynn is determined to find out who the real murderer is and set things to rights. Normally she could just ask Constance as she talks to the dead, but her gift has not worked since her husband died and she’s decided to quit magic altogether.

In the Company of Witches is a pleasant and fair mystery. You learn the important clues along with Brynn and she solves it without her magic, though she did use a bit at the end, but not so much to solve the mystery as to tidy up. The arc of the story is in many ways two-fold. Yes, there is the whodunnit, but it is also about Brynn accepting her husband’s death and not blaming her magic for its limitations.

It is also a story of families and what drives them apart and what pulls them together. The Graves and the Warrens are founders of the town and yet hardly know each other. Many in the village are wary of the Warrens, but they also find true friends when the town seems to suspect them of murder and witchcraft.

I received an e-galley of In the Company of Witches from the publisher through NetGalley.

In the Company of Witches at Berkley | Penguin Random House
Auralee Wallace author site

Oh my gosh, I loved this book so much! As someone who basically wanted to live in the world of the movie Practical Magic, I’ve found another place to long to be: living with the Warren Witches of Evenfall.

Brynn Warren has lost the love of her life, and has barricaded herself away from the town her family lovingly cares for and all of the people around her. She’s done. Her gifts couldn’t save her husband. To her, Magic holds no more appeal.

When cranky guest Constance Graves dies in the Bed & Breakfast her aunts run, the police suspect one of Brynn’s dear aunts of murder. Brynn has neglected her family and her Magic in her grief. She just wants to pretend she’s magicless. She wants to stay in her trauma shell, but she’s probably the only one who can figure out what really happened and clear her aunt’s name.

This is a really well plotted murder mystery, a fun witchy book for the season, and a metaphor for the ill effects of trauma and what happens if you don’t seek help and close yourself off from your loved ones.

I was thoroughly charmed by this one. It dealt with many types of grief but also had great characters and a very compelling plot.

I highly recommend to anyone! There’s nothing gory, scary or sexual..it’s just a really well written little mystery that contains lots of magic and heart. 💕

Book Review- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @berkleypub, @auraleewallaceauthor, & @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! ✨

My thoughts: I love a good mystery and I love a good cozy mystery even more. This book had everything I love in a cozy mystery with a little magic and a lot of spooky undertones. The town gave me Stars Hollow (hi Gilmore Girls fans!) vibes and I loved the relationships between the characters in town. I especially loved the relationship between the main character & her aunts. This one can be picked up 10/19/21. 💫🕷

Do you love Halloween reads but don’t want anything scary?? Well, In the Company of Witches is for you! This is the absolute perfect cozy Halloween mystery that gave me a mix of Practical Magic & Hallmark’s The Good Witch vibes.

The Warren Witches have been in their New England town of Evenfall for hundreds of years, not everyone in town is a fan of theirs, particular not when unexplainable occurrence happen. Brynn Warren, the youngest Warren, has had a tough run of things since her husband died more than a year ago; and things just got whole lot tougher since a guest of her family’s B&B was murdered under the families very nose. It’s up to Brynn to figure out what happened using her gifts. Only problem is, she hasn’t used her powers in over a year, and magic doesn’t like being ignored.

I absolutely adored this story, and I am so excited that it’s set to be a series. I’m iffy on the whole ‘Cozy Mystery’ genre. Sometimes they’re a little too cute for my task, but this was the perfect blend and had a wonderfully thought out plot. Filled with great characters and with the perfect fall setting. Also, if you know me, I love a good magic system that is flushed out, logical, but also unique. This book delivered that to me, which gives it high marks in my book. Magic systems don’t always have to be super complex, like some I read in my high fantasy books, sometimes the simpler systems are best and that’s exactly what Wallace gives us.

If you’ve already binged watched you’re feel good Halloween movies (like me) than this will be the perfect addition to your reading list.


In the Company of Witches comes is out now. Huge thank you to Berkley Publishing for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof_books.

- A small town bed and breakfast
- A demanding guest
- A murder

Brynn and her aunts aren't just the hosts of the town's bed and breakfast. They are also witches. I loved everything about this cozy mystery. It was perfect for reading at Halloween, but I would enjoy it any time of the year.

There were a good number of clues without being too obvious. I thought Brynn, her aunts, and her uncle were all great, well-rounded characters. And I liked them all, even when they had family tension.

The book also had its less light hearted elements. Brynn begins the book feeling lost after the death of her husband two years previous. Beyond the witchcraft, the emotional impact of this book was so real.

I highly recommend this witchy mystery with great depth.

Thank you to Berit Talks Books for arranging a buddy read, and to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up

I don't read too many books involving witches so I can't say for certain what is unique and what isn't. I am certain, however, that I really enjoyed this book and this looks like it will be such a fun series. Brynn is a very interesting character. She has grown up as a witch and was comfortable with her powers until she went through a heartbreaking tragedy. Since then she feels like she has lost her way and her magic. She's trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life and with magic. She has two aunts that have rather large personalities - especially Nora - and have rather set opinions of what she should do.

Brynn's reasoning for getting involved in the investigation makes sense as Nora is doing her best to get herself arrested. I really enjoyed getting to know the town and the people in Brynn's world. The mystery was really well done with some twists and turns and a solid ending. I'm looking forward to seeing more from Brynn and her world.

In the Company of Witches
by Auralee Wallace
Pub Date: October 19, 2021
Berkley Books

When a guest dies in the B&B she helps her aunts run, a young witch must rely on some good old-fashioned investigating to clear her aunt's name in this magical and charming new cozy mystery.
This is a delightful debut book for this series and honestly one of the best cozy mysteries I have read this year. I was immediately drawn into the story from the very first pages.
I recommend this book for people who like a little bit of fun and hocus pocus.

5star

I received a gifted galley of IN THE COMPANY OF WITCHES by Auralee Wallace for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

IN THE COMPANY OF WITCHES begins at a cozy in with one very difficult guest. Our POV character is Brynn Warren who runs the inn with her two colorful aunts. All three are in the line of Warren witches, but Brynn has lost touch with her magic after a tragedy in her personal life.

The difficult guest, Constance Graves, winds up dead in the inn not long after one of the aunts loses her temper and makes a threat against her, Brynn knows her aunt is innocent but the town isn’t so sure. It would be very convenient if Brynn’s ability to see and communicate with ghosts was working, but she must resort to more old fashioned detective work to try to find out who actually wanted Constance dead.

This was a fun cozy mystery perfect for fall reading and for those who want some witchy vibes without the scare factor! I really appreciated the way that the author balanced Brynn’s connection to her magic with her mental health struggles following the loss of her husband. There is a lot of discussion about identity as well and what being a witch means to her and to her family.

I thought that the mystery was a good one with some twists and turns I didn’t expect. Constance was known for being difficult and not just as a guest of the inn. As such, there were plenty of people for Brynn to suspect and investigate.

This is a perfect Halloween-ey read! Look for IN THE COMPANY OF WITCHES, out on 10/19/2021!

This was the perfect cozy mystery for kicking off the fall season. Add witches and magic to a B&B setting and I'm not sure what more I could ask for in a cozy. I kinda got Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes with Brynn living with her two aunts. I am so happy to know that this is the first in a series and there will be more to come and I would especially love it if each of the installments came out each year around this time. If I had to make a complaint, I did have a hard time keeping names and people straight at the beginning of the book. There were lots of people introduced at once and lots of people had nicknames.

A bed and breakfast, witches and a cozy mystery sign me up!
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In a sleepy New England town a family of witches run the local bed and breakfast. When Constance dies under mysterious consequences, Brynn wants nothing more then to clear her aunt’s name but she has been struggling connecting with the dead, after her husband passed.
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This is the perfect book to start off spooky season with!
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A huge thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for the perfect arc to start
My october off right!

In the Company of Witches, by Auralee Wallace, is the first installment in the authors Evenfall Witches B&B series. The story is set in a sleepy little New England town called Evenfall where 31-year-old Brynn Warren runs Ivywood Hollow B&B with her aunts Nora and Izzy. Ever since Brynn lost her husband, she's withdrawn from the world. She's barely left her B&B, she no longer visits the bookstore that she loves so much, and her magic has gotten to the point where it going rogue.

When Constance Graves, a visitor to the B&B, is found dead after hitting her head, the B&B, Brynn, Nora, and Izzy become suspects. Nora was overheard by a busy body neighbor saying she would love to kill that woman after all the nonsense Constance put the three women through. Nora, Izzy, and Brynn are all witches. Izzy is a kitchen witch, while Nora is a garden witch. Until the loss of her husband Adam, Brynn was a friend of the other side aka Witch of the Dead able to see and talk to the recently departed and hold departure ceremonies in their honor. Brynn's uncle Gideon can see both the past and the future but he also experienced horrifying losses that has kept him indoors.

With Constance dead, Brynn finds that avoiding magic comes with a cost of not knowing what Constance saw, or who she was killed by. Some spirits tend to carry what happened to them before passing it on to others. For 400 years, the Warren witches have used their magic to quietly help the citizens of the sleepy New England town of Evenfall thrive. There’s never been a problem they couldn’t handle. Until the Graves family starts asking too many questions, and the town begins to wonder if the three women are the cause of the towns recent problems including vandalism and flowers in the town dying.

There are some really curious characters secondary characters in this book from Mr. Henderson, the next door neighbor who has a key eye for the occult, to Nixie who claims to be a witch hunter, but loves Nora, to the entire discombobulated Graves clan itching to grab whatever Constance leaves behind. It is fair to say that anyone in this town could be responsible for the murder of Constance. If I were you, I would pay close attention to the characters and how righteous they get when Brynn begins to investigate outside of the police's own investigation in order to save her aunts from being found guilty.

Wallace has developed an incredibly charming cozy world, with a town that feels like Stars Hollow, aunts who have the delightful energy of the Spellman's, a mischievous crow familiar (named Dog!), and a protagonist with real emotional depth without being too heavy. Despite having magic at her disposal, Brynn will heavily rely on traditional mystery-solving methods, so this book will appeal to traditional cozy mystery readers; the emotional depth, great worldbuilding, and brilliant characters will draw in magic-loving readers as well.

I really enjoyed reading this cozy mystery about a family of witches. After all, they are the “best” witches. This was well written and the pace of the book was quick without hurrying through necessary plot points. I was also surprised at the ultimate culprit which is a rarity for me so that was great.

This was the perfect book pick for this time of year! The Warren witches are such an intriguing bunch and I really liked how we got to know all of them and how each of them have their own unique form of magic. In the Company of Witches has all the classic trimming of a first in series cozy mystery; charming small town, quirky group of neighbours, a whodunnit, and some emotional moments. Really enjoyed this one and I'll be on the lookout for book 2!

Thank you to Auralee Wallace, NetGalley, and Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/in-the-company-of-witches/


“Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting, Lizard’s leg, and owlet’s wing,—

For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.”

― William Shakespeare

A family of witches living in New England during the time of Halloween? What could be a better setting for a cozy mystery about three witches accused of murder? The Warrens are a family that has lived in Evenfall for 400 years. Brynn Warren, along with her aunts Izzy and Nora (and Uncle Gideon, who never leaves the attic, runs a bed-and-breakfast out of their beautiful Queen Anne Victorian.

Constance Graves is known to be challenging, along with other adjectives that are not flattering. When she renovates her home, her choice is Ivy Hollow to stay, much to the dismay of the three witches. Constance even pays for every room at the bed-and-breakfast so anyone else staying there can ’t bother her. Headstrong red-headed Nora unfortunately jokes that they should bump Constance off before someone actually murders her. The town immediately becomes suspicious of Nora and Brynn takes it upon herself to absolve Nora of any wrongdoing.

Brynn, the youngest witch, has lost her powers to talk to the dead, ever since her beloved husband, Adam, died. If she could just talk to Constance through her magic, they could solve this mystery. Sadly, she believes her magic is gone. In order to prove Nora is innocent, she will need the help of her friends, neighbors and even her cat, Faustus, and her crow, Dog.

While I am not normally a reader of cozy mysteries, I genuinely adored In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace. I did think the mystery became a bit hard to follow at times. There were lots of curves and bends in the Wallace family, and many nefarious characters. It kept the reader guessing until the very end. The magic throughout the book was fun, and it was exciting to see the spells being played out. There is humor sprinkled everywhere, and I found myself laughing out loud at several parts. There is so much happening till the end of the story to keep you guessing. The bond between Izzy, Nora and Brynn was amazing and their banter was always humorous. This is the perfect Halloween book to read when the weather gets cold and the days get shorter.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

Well here is the perfect cozy Halloween read. In the Company of Witches is full of Practical Magic vibes along with a ton of mystery. When a guest dies at the B&B that Brynn runs with her two beloved aunts, she must solve the crime before her family is the target of suspicion. Brynn happens to be a young witch who’s gift is that she can see ghosts, but she has been unable to use her powers since the tragic death of her husband. Now she has to use those gifts to save her B&B and her aunts.

This was just adorable and had the perfect amount of whimsy and magic. The characters? Lovable. The mystery? Twisty. The setting? Perfection. I cannot wait to return to this world and see where Brynn’s journey takes her.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted closer to release date.

"When a guest dies in the B and B she helps her aunts run, a young witch must rely on some good old-fashioned investigating to clear her aunt's name in this magical and charming new cozy mystery.

For four hundred years, the Warren witches have used their magic to quietly help the citizens of the sleepy New England town of Evenfall thrive. There's never been a problem they couldn't handle. But then Constance Graves - a local known for being argumentative and demanding - dies while staying at the bed and breakfast Brynn Warren maintains with her aunts. At first, it seems like an accident...but it soon becomes clear that there's something more sinister at work, and Aunt Nora is shaping up to be the prime suspect.

There's nothing Brynn wants more than to prove Nora's innocence, and it hurts her to know that even two years ago that might have been easier. Brynn, after all, is a witch of the dead--a witch who can commune with ghosts. Ghosts never remember much about their deaths, but Constance might remember something about her life that would help crack the case. But Brynn hasn't used her powers since her husband died, and isn't even sure she still can. Brynn will just have to hope that her aunts' magic and her own investigative skills will lead her to answers--and maybe back to the gift she once thought herself ready to give up forever."

And then there's cozy witches

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my own opinion.

I have made an error and have initially reviewed this book wrongly. I apologize to NetGalley, Goodreads, Berkeley Publishing and author Auralee Wallace for initially reviewing the wrong book. My review will follow once I've had the pleasure to read this book.

So sorry to the readers as well!

This is a very accomplished cozy series starter. There is a lot of character development in this one as we need to learn about Brynn, her family, what she's been through, and, of course, establishing the magic they have and how they use it. There's a big dose of charm in the town they live in, and the mystery to be solved in this one has family drama and secrets. A series I'll certainly be continuing.

was so pleased to be accepted for an ARC of In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace! So far, Berkley Books and I have a pretty great track record, and I was so entranced by the cover, and the idea of a witch-owned B&B in New England! Could there be anything more perfect for Halloween?

Brynn Warren, along with her aunts Izzy and Nora (and Uncle Gideon, who refuses to leave the attic), are a part of a magical family that has cared for the little town of Evenfall for nearly 400 years. On top of that, they run a B&B out of their family home, the Queen Anne style Ivywood Hollow. Together, they can do anything -- even deal with a rude and demanding guest. Constance Graves is known around town for being bitter, mean, and a downright challenge, and when she stays at Ivywood Hollow, even going so far as to pay for every room so she's the only guest, emotions run high. Hot-headed Nora jokes maybe they should bump her off. Unfortunately, someone does the job for them, and fingers point to the "odd" Warren women.

It could be easily solved if Brynn could use her specialized powers to talk to Constance's ghost, but ever since the untimely death of her husband, Adam, her magic has all but disappeared. To prove her Aunt's innocence, she will need the help of nosy neighbors, friends, and even Fautus the Maine Coon and Dog the crow. One things for sure about Warren women -- they don't give up.

I adored this little cozy mystery, and loved the portrayal of witchcraft and the sometimes overbearing but loving Warren family. It was such a refreshing and happy little book, which came at exactly the right point in my life. If you're feeling a bit blue, like I was, this is the perfect way to bring a bit of magic back into your life!

I loved this first mystery in what promises to be a great series - a perfect blend of small town mysteries and murder with some Practical Magic and Hocus Pocus vibes. A combination of wit and sarcasm collide with heartfelt moments and twisty intrigue to make this a well rounded and perfect Fall read. And with deeper connections and motives than your average cozy the mystery in this one was complex and twisty. **Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Crime for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!**

The characters in this were great, especially those inhabiting the Bed & Breakfast, from our protagonist Brynn (who I'm not going to lie, was a bit of a Debbie Downer in the first half...granted she had good reason to be and it was necessary to her character arc), along with her willful and somewhat volatile Aunt Nora, and her sweeter but no less tenacious Aunt Izzy, and my favorite, her Uncle Gideon a recluse who's holed himself up in the attic (and frequently eavesdrops through the vents), along with a quirky Crow named Dog and the wonderful Faustus, resident Maine Coon. The additional friends and foes of the town were well drawn as well, most particularly the complicated Graves family (the family of the murder victim), who's family secrets ran deep.

The mystery itself was a step up (and more psychological and complex) from some of the other cozies I've read, and I would categorize this as just a plain good mystery that should appeal not just to mystery readers but contemporary women's fiction as well, along with those that love a good "witch" book. The magic element was fun, creative and quirky (literally checking a Toad's stool for signs of psychic energy), for example the "Pull & Muzzle": "The pull would have dragged Nora backward by the waist into her room, while the muzzle would have kept her mouth shut."

And while the family demons and drama loomed large (especially in the case of the Graves family), along with the painful but cathartic character arc of Brynn getting over the loss of her young husband, there was still plenty of humor to lighten those more serious themes, especially in the case of Aunt Nora's vocalizations of what hexes she planned to cast on various people who displease her throughout the story.

A great fall read perfect for this spooky time of year, and guaranteed to appeal to a wide range of readers. In terms of die hard cozy fans this should definitely appeal to fans of Heather Blake, Carol J. Perry, and Juliet Blackwell. Highly recommend.

And finally an example of the Warren Witches telling it like it is:
"He held up a finger to hold me back. 'There's just one thing I want to know.
And I want the truth.'
The four of us waited in silence.
'Are you good witches or bad witches?'
I let my hands drop to my sides. 'Mr. Henderson, we're not good witches or bad
witches.'
I shot a look over my shoulder at Nora. She gave me a wink.
'The truth is,' I said, turning back to our neighbor, feeling my eyes glow bright
green, 'we Warrens are the very BEST witches."