No Rest for the Wiccan [Large Print] [Paperback]

I've enjoyed all of Madelyn Alt's books so far, but I have to admit that I've gotten a teensy bit annoyed with the way that her main character Maggie behaves around her family and men. This book somewhat solves the first part, but stays somewhat ambivalent on the second.

The story in this book is actually quite short and the murder mystery is more of a background story (even though it's supposed to be a main plot arc). The book first concerns itself with Maggie's older sister Mel, who is currently pregnant and bedridden. Maggie finds herself volunteered into helping, only to discover that there's some friendly (and not so friendly) ghosts in her sister's house. Maggie enlists her boss's help to purify the house only to have her sister's friends blab Liss's witchy secret all over town. The story then shifts over to the murder mystery that'd been brewing in the background. The murder du'jour is the owner of the local pig farm, the wife of whom is a friend of Mel's.

To be honest, I really thought that the book could have easily been supported by either the house posession or the murder mystery. They're really more of a plot device to the real meat of the book (spoiler)- the outing of Liss & her paranormal group. That's not to say that they weren't a pleasure to read, but neither story was really that well fleshed out & felt rushed as a result. The other big thing that irks me is the lack of a resolution to the would-be romatic triangle in the book. On one hand you have the lackluster relationship between Tom and Maggie, then on the other hand you have a chemistry laden combination between Maggie and Marcus. At times it's obvious that the only reason Tom is still in the equation is when Ms Alt needs to have a reason for Maggie to talk to the police & get info. (It's obvious because those *ARE* the only times that Maggie ever talks to him!) I really think that Ms Alt needs to resolve the romantic triangle angle so she can focus on the more interesting parts- such as the mystery, magic, and N.I.G.H.T.S. , plot points that still have a lot of space to be explored. The romance angle? Not so much- the whole waffling thing stopped being interesting in the 2nd book & became more of an eye rolling element.

The Bewitching Mysteries isn't like the old TV show, Bewitched. Not at all. Another reviewer was mistaken - it's Bewitching Mysteries. No Samantha, Darin, Endora, but a wonderful series featuring Maggie O'Neill.
The premise of this delightful series is a young lady, Maggie O'Neill, living in Stoney Mill, Indiana getting a job in a wonderful shop called Enchantments. Her new boss, Liss, not only runs a store with beautiful one of a kind objects, but teas and trendy products. Charming is a great description of Liss and Enchantments.
There in small town main stream America, there is a secret: Liss is a practising witch. She and others meet in the attic space of Enchantments.
Maggie also opens herself to her intuition and finds she is an empath. Rather than judge, she sees the reality these people are hardworking folks who worship and revere the earth, not evil stereotypes.
Liss also helps Maggie in her education into the metaphysical.
One of the members of the 'coven' is Marcus Quinn, a most handsome,good man, who is attracted to Maggie.
Maggie has an on and off again policeman boyfriend, who isn't too thrilled with all of this 'witch business'.
Maggie, Liss and their friends delve into mysteries that may have a metaphysical basis.
No Rest for the Wiccan investigates a most suspicious death of a husband of Maggie's sister's friend. Something just doesn't add up.
Maggie's sister, Mel is pregnant and is on bed rest. It is up to Maggie and her Mom to help the household until the baby comes. Maggie's nieces are delightful and have 'imaginary' friends and seem to have the same gifts Maggie has. The very bored Mel has her socialite girlfriends over to help pass the time, and they do one of the big NO-NO's - they play with a Ouija Board.
While many thing the Ouija Board is just a harmless game, it can be a portal allowing not so nice entities into our space. This happens and Mel asks Maggie and Liss for help to rid her house of this evil presence.
Together dealing with the entity and the murder investigation, and Mel's friends talking about Liss helping Mel, the town starts to learn more about the witches in Stoney Mill.
Madelyn Alt writes with beauty, not just describing, a person or situation, but paints a picture bringing you into the action and feelings.
Wiccan is the strongest of the series and is a wonderful read.
There is a really cute addition to the Enchantments crew, and the ending of Wiccan is so beautifully written, it leaves fans already wanting to order the next in the series.
The only down side I can see is, like the Southern Vampire series, being overpowered by some townfolk who have discovered the wiccan, see Enchantments and vampires as spawns of the devil. While it looks like that conflict will be part of the plots, one hopes that the main thrust will be on the Enchantment crew and their goodness.
An excellent series - truly magic!

This is a "setting up" book in the series. Weird things keep happening and people are being murdered in a place where not much usually happens, leading the local witches to think something considerably malevolent is in the wind. [slight SPOILER ALERT: The main character (MC) and her friends are outed to the community as witches after assisting the MC's blabbermouth sister with a nasty haunting. The MC is currently trying to hold on to a relationship with a fellow who isn't really comfortable with who and what she is, while she wonders whether she should give up the handsome, ultra-stable guy for the handsome, maybe-not-so-safe witch who likes her just as she is. The MC's very Catholic mother is making waves about the whole psychic/witch thing. end SPOILER ALERT] The MC stretches her abilities and tries new things. We get some character development here, a haunting and a murder mystery, and lots of pointers that something big is in the offing. A quick read, well put together for setting up a future tale and still having its own story, likeable and unlikeable characters (the sort you'd really like to smack a good one, but you still feel bad when one of them gets dead). It's gratifying to see the MC progress, and it would be great to see her make up her mind about a few things she's been waffling over. Maybe in the next book.