Member Review

Lee Barrett and Detective Pete Mondello are tying the knot. Before the big day, they must finalize their wedding plans and find a new place to live. Lee must also find a new car since her last one was totaled thanks to her last sleuthing expedition. The day after the wedding and reception, the newlyweds are taking off on a driving tour of Maine and New Hampshire. They plan on visiting Pirate Island which is owned by Lee’s Aunt Doris and Uncle Bill. Doris is the sister of Lee’s deceased father, Jack. It turns out that Lee’s parents died shortly after taking off in their plane from Pirate Island. Her parents’ death was ruled an accident from pilot error. That resolution never set right with Lee. Lee would like to see where her parents spent their last hours and maybe get some much needed closure. ‘Til Death by Carol J. Perry is the twelfth A Witch City Mystery. ‘Til Death can be read as a standalone, but you will be missing Lee’s backstory as well as the journey Lee and Pete have taken to get to the alter. I thought ‘Til Death was easy to read. I did feel that the first sixty percent was a little slow. It is nice to catch up with Aunt Ibby, Lee, Pete, and O’Ryan. A Witch City Mysteries is very much a character driven series. The first part of the book is about finalizing wedding preparations, Lee’s work at WICH-TV, Wanda the meteorologist’s new look, a magician kiddie show, the couple searching for a new home, Aunt Ibby renovating Lee’s old apartment into a bed and breakfast, Lee and Pete moving, and Aunt Ibby’s controversial new tenant. Once the couple depart on their honeymoon and arrive at Pirate Island, the pacing increases. The story also gets a lot more interesting. Pirate Island sounds like a beautiful place to live. The pirate history was fun plus the beautiful old lighthouse. Lee finds an employee on the island who knew her parent’s and was there the day of the crash. The mystery was fun (who doesn’t love a mystery involving pirates and treasure). The suspect list was very small, so it was easy to solve. I enjoyed the reveal which was suspenseful. I like how Lee’s visions and O’Ryan’s special help figure into the whodunit. O’Ryan is one clever cat. I keep hoping Lee will think on her gift as something positive. She seems to despair every time she has a vision. I am hoping the tidbit she learned while on Pirate Island will make a difference. I appreciated the epilogue which nicely wrapped up ‘Til Death. There are three recipes at the end for sweet treats featured in the story. ‘Til Death is a swashbuckling adventure with house hunting, tenant troubles, a cake conundrum, weather woman wardrobe worries, impending nuptials, procuring a new car, pirate plunder, vague visions, and a bewildering bonanza.