This is the second in a series. I read it just to see where the story might go after the chaotic events of the last.
This is a cozy mystery with magic as its foundation. This is magic with a big M. A coven of witches is trying to compile all their individual family magic into one place so that they can all learn to grow their own skills. I actually liked the central mystery more than the power dynamics in the background.
In the previous book, the lead protagonist had recently discovered something about her family that she knew nothing about. She has been handed the responsibility of seeing her late aunt’s plan to its fruition. This is chaffing on her, especially since her powers seem like an unasked-for burden.
Myrtle hits the ground running in this installment since this story starts almost exactly where the other left off. We begin with a suspicious death that draws the police back into the same orbit as the other people we have come to recognize. There is a continuing narrative of the old witch hunters and the magicky people who left, but to know more about that, one will have to read the next. I may not be continuing with the series, but it is one I think the more fantasy-oriented fans of the cozy mystery genre would better appreciate.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publisher but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Myrtle is having a hard time adjusting to the fact that she is a witch and she has powers she has yet to understand. She is being urged to take a leadership role in the Avebury coven which is a sad coven indeed. Never particularly powerful, what magic they had has fallen into disuse and there are only a couple of witches, Myr included, who have much potential.

So when tourists who have descended on Avebury for the solstice begin to die, Myrtle feels obligated to find the cause so that the coven can stay under the radar. When the cause of the deaths becomes known and the killer is identified, any chance of not getting more involved in coven affairs is crushed. Myrtle is going to have to step up or there will be more death and chaos.

There are interesting side stories throughout the book but the cat and mouse game that plays out is the heart of it. Myrtle’s fight internally and externally with her destiny keeps the reader engaged. And there are some delightful characters such as Myrtle’s unusual familiar. I got a kick out of their interaction. Four purrs and two paws up.

This was such a delightful read. i really enjoyed the plot and the characters. I must seek the first book in the series
Many thanks to Literary Wanderlust and to Netgalley. for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love this delightful series: solid mysteries, interesting world building, likeable characters. The setting is amazing as Amesbury is wonderful magic place.
I had to wait nearly to 3 years to read this second instalment and I was very happy and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Let's hope there will be a new one soon.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the second installment of this wonderfully charming paranormal cozy. It stars myrtle who is a witch whose magic doesn't work as expected. She is dating a witch hunter which is totally ironic. I get it. The cast of characters are quite eccentric but very likeable. The plot is decidedly wicked. I really enjoyed this light hearted mystery. It was great fun to read.

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Slow start but gets better in the second half

Myrtle has her hands full with the Witch’s Retreat B&B, unpredictable magic, and constant pressure to lead a new-found coven with (over) enthusiastic members. She doesn’t even have the time to indulge in her budding romance with Chris, a software developer and witch hunter.
As if things aren’t hard enough, a body turns up in the local pub, followed by another death. Sergeant Sarah Widdlethorpe is trying hard to structure the cases as her pig-headed boss complicates matters. Myrtle is happy to help, of course.
However, it’s not long before Myrtle realizes something is terribly wrong, and magic is way too involved in the process. Can she get to the bottom of the truth?
The story comes in Myrtle’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
I read the first book in the series some 2.5 years ago. It was one of my first NetGalley ARCs. I lost track and worried I missed the subsequent books but turns out that the second book is here and releasing next month.
Though I hardly remember anything, I could recollect a few bits and pieces as I continued with this one. It helped get into the plot. This one can still be read as a standalone, but only if you want to go with the flow instead of wondering what terms like skyelles mean. You’ll figure it out soon.
The beginning is slow, and the first-person narration doesn’t help. Myrtle’s POV takes time to get used to (I remember struggling with it even in the first book). She is still not happy being a witch and having magic (duh, give it to me!).
The second half is where many things happen, so the story does get better once we settle in. In fact, there’s some noteworthy character development in the climax, which makes me hopeful about book three (I’m sure there will be one, given how this ends).
As a typical small-town cozy mystery, the book has enough characters that come and go. That’s not an issue. The problem lies with the lack of depth in the main characters. We don’t get much to connect with either of them (and Chris should have had a better role given his background).
So what made the book better for me? Petty, of course!
Petty is a magical primula (Primrose) Myrtle creates (or brings to life in book one). And guess what? Petty is a familiar… yep, we have cats, rabbits, and animals as familiars, but a plant is something new and super cool. Moreover, Petty is a treat to read about. I so wish she has a POV of her own. I loved all scenes involving this darling plant. There’s a pet cat, too, but almost overshadowed by Petty (can’t say I object).

To summarize, Down the Hatch is a decent cozy mystery with some magic, murder, and mayhem during the summer solstice. Pick it up if want to meet an adorable plant familiar. There are bits of humor that keep the story lighthearted most of the time.
Thank you, NetGalley and Literary Wanderlust, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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P.S.: Myrtle has a vast collection of shower gels in multiple scents. She chooses a different scent each time to go with her mood. I’m so envious of her!
The cover is well-done without feeling crowded. Each element in it is significant in the book.
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Review rounded up to 4 stars on Amazon.

DNF. I tried, I really tried to finish this but I haven't read the first book and I was completely mystified. The writing, characterization and plot of this book were quite good, but, overall, I feel like this series needs to be read in order to make sense.

Been sick, so this book and others kept me entertained during recovery. This book and series is definitely an escape from reality, and how Myrtle manages to juggle it all, I don't know, but it keeps things interesting in this great read.

I enjoyed this original, interesting story. It sounds like there was probably a book before this; if there was, I didn't know about it when I picked this copy from Netgalley. I did find this book to be a great standalone choice.

I really liked Petty, the magical plant, and I wish I had one! The author took the time to give her a bit of her own personality. Since I'm not really familiar with Wiccans, I also gained some basic knowledge about them--at least I think I did.

Overall, a pleasant four star choice.

Lina Hansen in Down the Hatch continues the development of wiccan/witch talents by the head of the coven while she tries to find out who is poisoning people in the village. Bodies are falling and people are getting sick. Is it someone from outside or from the village? Interesting paranormal mystery.

I hadn’t read the first book in this series, and I didn’t even realize this was the second book until I started reading it. At first, I was a little confused because of this. However, that didn’t impede me figuring out most things fairly quickly. I thought this book was fun and mostly well-written, but I did think that it was a little wordy and some parts of the universe weren’t well defined, but some of that could have been defined in the first book. All in all, I did enjoy this book, and it was fun and enjoyable. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Down the Hatch by Lina Hansen is book #2 in A Magical Misfits Mystery series. This is a paranormal cozy mystery which features Myrtle Coldron who is an untrained witch who isn't confident in her abilities at the beginning. Critical incidents add to her confidence when Myrtle finds she can accomplish more magic than she thought. The other members of the coven have weak skills, if any, so Myrtle is called on to help establish training for them. The mystery in this book is quite intriguing and I enjoyed reading along as it is solved.

Fun quirky read! Grabs the reader's attention and doesn't let go. Myrtle is a super fun character who owns a B&B. She's also a witch and a leader of her coven. When dead bodies start turning up it's up to Myrtle to solve. A great read for a fun escape. Thanks # netgalley and #LiteraryWanderlust for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

This fun cozy mystery was one in which I couldn’t put it down! Seeing Myrtle go through evidence and solve the mystery of what’s killing the tourists kept me wondering what was next and who was behind it all. And the reveal of this who-dun-it had my jaw drop. It was such a fun read!

If you’re looking for a cozy with a touch of paranormal and a pinch of quirkiness, this is your book. It’s exactly what I needed to escape reality for awhile.

Myrtle is a witch who now owns a B&B and leads a coven…and is dating a witch hunter. Needless to say, she’s got a lot going on, but when bodies start piling up, she has to do what she can to find out who is behind it and put an end to it, otherwise she and her coven stand to be exposed or worse.

I was attracted to the charming cover illustration on this book, and I was hoping for a nice cosy murder mystery.

This book was quirky, entertaining and fun. I liked the protagonist, and found her endearing. I found myself chuckling at the little ways in which I related to her, and I warmed to the other characters too. The story also had a magical theme, which I liked.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I don’t know what to think about this book. I had a hard time getting into it. I think the characters are a little thin on the personality, there are a lot of characters. The author uses a weird name for magic, at least I assume it’s for magic as there’s no explanation of what it means. I was interested in what happened by the end, it just felt slow. I did guess who the bad witch was, it seemed obvious. #DowntheHatch. #NetGalley