Witch Hunt
Violet Mooney owns The Full Moon crystal shop in quaint North Harbor, Connecticut. Still grieving her beloved grandmother’s recent unexpected death, she takes comfort in her fat orange cat Monty and her work. Not everyone in town is thrilled with her business, however. When disagreeable town councilwoman Carla Fernandez picks a fight over Violet’s “voodoo shop,” the two have a very public confrontation. Of course, when Carla turns up dead, Violet gets little sympathy from the police as suspect #1.
But the shock of two police officers showing up at her door pales in comparison to the sudden appearance of her estranged mother, Fiona, and a surprise sister, Zoe. What Fiona reveals will rock her world and her sense of self—and reawaken her long-dormant mysterious power. Good thing. She’s gonna need it . . .
Series: Full Moon Mysteries – Book #1
Author: Cate Conte/ Liz Mugavero
Genre: Cozy Mystery/ Witch/Paranormal
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 320
Rating: 
Witch Hunt is the first book in the new “Full Moon Mysteries” series by Cate Conte; this is an engaging and lively read from start to finish.
Violet didn’t know that magic was real, or that she was a witch. She spent her entire life thinking it was all make-believe. It isn’t until her grandmother dies that her mother and a sister she never knew show up to shed light on the family secret. It becomes troublesome for Violet when she realizes that nothing she believed is the whole story and that her family, especially her father, have secrets she never even guessed could exist.
Violet is an interesting character; she could be a poster child for naiveté if it weren’t for the fact that she is not a child. In many ways, she is immature, too trusting of her ideas of the past and the world around her. As a witch, she is hard to believe. I would have liked her grandmother to have played a more significant role in this story instead of starting with her being already dead. I think it would have made for a better understanding of all the characters. Fiona is not a character I can empathize with; she does not appear to be a mother who cared about her child. She left her to the care of her father and grandmother without ever seeing her or explaining why she wasn’t around; then, to top it off, she doesn’t even introduce Violet to her sister. For these reasons, most readers will have a difficult time liking the character or feeling any sympathy toward her.
I enjoyed the location of this book; it is described well and gives readers a sense of what it would be like to grow up or to live there as an adult. Having magical residents, witches, and others, play a more significant part throughout the story would have made the book more interesting. Hopefully, their role will be expanded in the next installment. The murder was not unexpected from the moment the victim enters the story. The suspects are easy to pick out and understandable without too many twists and turns to confuse readers. In the end, the motive is a bit of a surprise, but perhaps the killer is not.
Witch Hunt is the debut book in this series, and overall it was entertaining, but as with any new series, it will grow and expand. I feel that many readers will enjoy the read and that there is an excellent opportunity in future volumes to bolster the main characters’ quarks and personalities and mold the supporting cast into people who will be fun and entertaining in the next book.
Similar witch or paranormal cozies include Amy Boyles’ interesting “Sweet Tea Witch Mystery” or Delia James’ entertaining “A Witch’s Cat Mystery“.
About the Author:
Cate Conte/Liz Mugavero has been writing stories since she could hold a pen. Before that, she would tell them to anyone who would listen (not many at the time). After deciding early on she would write books for a living, she practiced by writing bad, angst-filled poems, short stories, and even a storyline for a soap opera–all by age 15. She never wavered from her goals despite all the usual questions, including, So, are you going to be an English teacher with that degree in English or? That writing thing sounds nice, but how are you REALLY going to make a living?
She went on to get a master’s in writing and publishing and spent time in journalism, PR, and, presently, corporate communications. And she’s confident this writing thing IS the way to make a living.
Aside from writing, she loves animals (has a houseful), the beach, reading other writer’s masterpieces, and Starbucks coffee.
Contact Cate: Liz.Mugavero@gmail.com
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