Greetings, cozy wallflowers!
I am so excited about today's gathering to chat about our October read, In the Company of Witches. I love a good cozy mystery and this one really ticked all the boxes for me. My sister recommended this one to me after she read it herself, and it was just as she said it was...wonderful!
For me, when it comes to cozy mysteries (or any book for that matter), the setting is of utmost importance. Settings really come to life for me when I read a story, and I do have my personal preferences that I enjoy best. Evenfall was just exactly what I love most about a setting. It felt like such a quintessential charming small town, like the kind of place I'd love to live. I loved the descriptions of the neighborhood streets and the town itself, as well as all the quirky characters that made up the townspeople. I especially loved that it was autumn time when the story took place, as it made it feel extra cozy and magical.
Characters are another super important factor in books for me. If I don't like at least a couple of the characters in a book I'm reading, I have a real hard time getting into the story and often don't continue on with it. The characters are extremely important to me! And I must tell you, I really loved the characters in this story.
Brynn Warren, our main female lead, is such a likeable character, I feel. I loved her down-to-earth personality as well as her heart for her family. She is going through a bit of a hard time after the loss of her husband, and I really liked how the author handled all of that and showed her walking through the journey of coming to a new normal. It wasn't a huge part of the story, and I'm glad about that, but I'm glad with how the author portrayed Brynn's grief journey. Too often in books or movies, etc., I feel like the message of "suck it up, buttercup" is preached when it comes to grieving and walking through loss. And let me tell you, that isn't a healthy reality, nor is that how it works for many people.
Brynn's two aunts, Izzy and Nora, are two awesome characters. Both quite different from the other, but both really fun to read about. They sounded like aunts I wouldn't mind having myself! I also really enjoyed Uncle Gideon's story, though it was very much a side story...it would have been fun to have him more a part of the story.
Anyway...on to the story.
I loved this mystery book! As with the setting and characters, I felt the story was really engaging and the end of each chapter made me want to keep on reading. I love witchy tales and so that was a huge plus for me. As well as the magical elements...that's like an automatic win in my book. And the ghostly element was super fun for an autumnal read. Nothing in the book was scary or unsettling...it was just fun magic.
As I read, I tried to figure out who the killer was, and I will admit that I began to have my suspicions in the final third of the book. Just before it was revealed, I knew who did it...at least one part of the equation. I liked how the author laid out clues and hints throughout the story to lead up to the revealing the killer's identities...as well as their sidekicks. It wasn't a complex mystery, but it also wasn't crystal clear. You had to read more and more to figure it out, and that's the kind of mystery I love.
This book, to me, felt like such a perfect October, almost-Halloween mystery. It was cozy and charming, and heartwarming, in many ways, too. To me it felt like a mishmash of Gilmore Girls and The Good Witch with a bit of Sabrina The Teenage Witch thrown in for good measure. So, in my book, I give it a huge thumbs up! And 5 stars!
This is the first book of a series, that sadly ended with only two books. And I've got book two on my stack right now...I can hardly wait to read it!
So...if you read this month's book choice, please let me know your thoughts!
As for November's book club, I'm doing something a bit different and hosting a double book club...with two book choices. You can read one or the other or both, whatever suits your fancy. I shared all about it a few days ago, so be sure to check that post out.
Thanks for reading along, cozy wallflowers!