Steeped to Death
Phoebe Winchester’s beloved aunt Eudora has a taste for adventure and a knack for making magical tea. It’s even rumored that she just might be a witch. So when Eudora passes away and leaves everything to her niece, her Victorian mansion, her bookshop/tea store, The Earl’s Study, and one very chubby orange cat named Bob, Phoebe gets more than she bargained for. Magical tea, childhood friends, and a new fur friend have her enthralled, a busybody that is relentless. And she knows she’s in deep when a dead man is found on the shop’s back step, apparently killed while trying to break in.
Two suspects immediately emerge among the townspeople of Raven Creek, Washington. There’s village busybody Dierdre Miller, who seems desperate to buy Eudora’s house, and handsome PI Rich, one of Phoebe’s childhood friends, but how well does she know him after all these years apart?
Phoebe knows she should leave it to the professionals, but as she digs into the underbelly of Raven Creek, she begins to uncover the truth about Eudora. Moreover, her aunt might not have been the only witch in the family, as Phoebe soon discovers she has unique and unexpected gifts of her own. Now, it’s just a matter of putting her newfound power to the test and casting a spell that could catch a killer.
The Details
Series: A Witches’ Brew Mystery – Book #1
Author: Gretchen Rue
Genre/Category: Cozy – Tea Shop/Witch
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
ISBN: 1639101640
Page Count: 304
Rating: 
The Review
“A Witches’ Brew Mystery” is a new series by Gretchen Rue (aka Sierra Dean). The first book,
Steeped to Death combines some of my favorite things, magical tea, books, a town busybody, and murder. Phoebe is a fun character that will delight readers with her newfound abilities, an inherited Victorian mansion, and an orange tabby named Bob. Who names a cat Bob? Combining all these wonderful things makes this story a pleasure to read.
Phoebe has just inherited her beloved aunt’s bookstore and tea shop, her mansion, and her pet cat. Unfortunately, she isn’t in town for more than twenty-four hours when she is accosted by the town busybody bent on buying her newly inherited home at all costs. Soon after, a man is found murdered at the shop’s back door. A few days later, she finds out that her great aunt might be the town witch, and her magical tea blends actually work. But before exploring this side of her unknown family, she is faced with the need to find a killer.
The suspects are varied enough so as not to be boring. The busybody, Dierdre, isn’t so much a gossip as a force to be reckoned with, one that is not used to anyone telling her no. Other suspects include Phoebe’s childhood friend, Rich, and another business owner. The evidence is hard for Phoebe to uncover, she wishes she could just brew up a magical tea that would make the culprit confess, but she learns quickly that such things are not to be trifled with. Before long, the killer sets their eye on Phoebe, and it takes every ounce of willpower and wit she has to stop herself from becoming the next victim.
Steeped to Death will keep readers entertained and content. The characters are provocative and intelligent, and the bookstore and magical tea shop setting are inspiring. There is plenty of action with a hint of danger, but not so much that this turns into a straight thriller. The mystery was done very well, keeping you from guessing who the killer is immediately. I like a good busybody who knows all the gossip, but Dierdre is one of that special kind that makes you want to smash her in the face. I enjoyed Phoebe’s connection with Rich and others from the town and how much she loved her aunt.
I would like to see more magic in future books and more use of the magical tea blends Phoebe’s aunt created and what they can do. I hope that the romance angle doesn’t overwhelm the series immediately. I also hope that Dierdre, the busybody gets what she deserves sooner or later. I believe this book and series will be a hit with readers of all cozies, but it will be a definite must-read for those who have a fondness for a witch or magic-based ones.
The Author
Gretchen Rue, aka Sierra Dean, lives in the Canadian prairies, which affords her ample time to read during the six months of winter. When not building worlds, she can be found knitting, reading, or pursuing her other passion of baseball, journalism, swimming, and hiking.
She plays cat mom to four primarily indifferent fur children and plant mom to roughly 100 very demanding flora. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, she remains there even now, in spite of the cold winters and bug-filled summers, because you just can’t take a prairie girl out of the prairie.
More witch-based cozies readers will enjoy are ‘Til Death from Carol J. Perry’s “A Witch City Mystery” series or from Angela M. Sanders “Witch Way Librarian Mystery” series, Witch and Famous.
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