Wisteria Witches is the first in a long and highly popular series of cozy mysteries by Angela Pepper. At the time of writing it has over 1800 reviews on Amazon! Here’s what you need to know.

The Blurb

Zara Riddle moved to a charming new house in a small town so her life could be simple. But now that her witch powers have kicked in, life is anything but. Long-lost relatives are coming out of the woodwork, and it turns out the family tree is riddled with magic.

When a ghost shows up, Zara finds out her powers come with a cost. She must solve the woman’s murder. Zara teams up with her handsome neighbor, a wolf shifter who’s both mysterious and perfect. Maybe too perfect? He did save her life during an attack, but he’s definitely hiding something behind that sly smile.

The town of Wisteria may be quaint on the surface, but danger lurks around every corner. To protect her family, Zara must risk her heart and her life. Forces of good and evil will face off in a battle where one side has a secret advantage.

One thing’s for sure. Zara Riddle is keeping these new powers, blue lightning balls and all.

Once you go witch, you never switch.

The Cover

I really like this cover. The swirling magic and realistic image of the witch is not in the usual style of most cozy mysteries. In fact it could almost be fantasy. But the movement in the cover is very eyecatching.

Things I liked about the book

I love the characters of Zara and her daughter Zoey. In fact, I think it is the great mother/daughter relationship in Wisteria Witches which has made this series so successful.

Very often I find myself frustrated with paranormal cozies which contain lots of supernatural elements because the worlds don’t seem to follow any clear rules and characters seem to have powers for the convenience of the plot. That is not the case with Wisteria Witches, and there is a lot of explanation regarding the magic.

There were some clever touches, for example Zara, is a terrible cook, however when she starts seeing the ghost, she takes on her flair for baking. A subtle touch, but adds depth to the story.

I also believe all workplaces should have a ‘grumpy corner’. Awesome idea!

Things I wasn’t so keen on

I didn’t like Zara’s instant obession with Chet Moore.

“Wow. This guy’s looks were making me stupid. What was this crushing sensation I felt in my chest? Was this why people called it a crush? My pulse was racing. My mouth went dry. I couldn’t stop staring at the tall, dark-haired man.“

There’s a lot in this vein, and it jarred on me after a while.

Anything else you should know

Wisteria Witches is the first in the series, with Zara coming into her magical powers. As such, the first part of the book focuses quite heavily on her learning how to use her magic, and less on the solving of the murder. That said, as with all good mysteries, the clues for the murderer are there, if you keep your wits about you.

A fun must-read for all fans of witch cozy mysteries.

Let me know your thoughts on Wisteria Witches in the comments below.

Happy reading

Love Bella xx