A Charmed Death (Bewitching Mysteries, No. 2)

A Charmed Death is the second in the Bewitching Mystery series. Fun and lighthearted, but with enough serious to hold my attention, this series is quickly becoming addicting. Small town Hoosier Maggie O'Neill is slowly learning how to use her new powers and is making more friends since joining a ghost hunting society. Aside from a bit of confusion in her love life (choosing between the staid cop or the hot ghost hunter) and a small amount of spiritual energy bouncing around her apartment, all is well in Maggie's life. Things have gotten mostly back to normal since the murder in the first book, The Trouble With Magic and she hopes it stays that way. As we all know though, things never stay the same. When a popular but somewhat catty high school girl suddenly disappears, it puts a pall over Maggie's small town. After Amanda Roberson's body is found in local creek, Maggie is drawn to the investigation. People think that small towns are like an open book; there are no secrets. But as Maggie soon discovers, there is always more to people than meets the eye. She learns things about her fellow residents, including the "innocent" victim, that she never wanted to know. After finding a memory card containing compromising photos of Amanda and an unknown male, Maggie gets more than she bargained for. Not only do the photos completely change the scope of her investigation but they also put her in danger. After a break in at her apartment it is clear that she is making someone a little nervous. It's the final confrontation though, that makes her a bit worried that she will not live to see the end result. This series, while a bit tame compared to other paranormal fare, is delightful and entertaining. The characters are all very endearing and well developed. When clues started popping up in reference to the identity of the murderer, it was enough to lead you in the right direction but not quite enough to give it away and I liked that. It always drives me nuts to figure it out in the first few chapters. As a whole, these books are easy to recommend to anyone and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Reviewed at Bitten by Books Paranormal Fiction Review Site by Becky

This is the second book that Madelyn Alt has written and both books are the best "reads" I've had in months! A crime plot built on the contrast between the world as most of us know it and the spiritual one that only a few people know creates a fascinating and addictive multilevel plot. This book is well worth your time.

Madelyn Alt is truly terrific! This second book of hers picks up where the first one left us, nearly seamlessly, and lives up to the promise of being as good IF NOT BETTER than the first time around. Her main character Maggie is as flawed and human as the rest of us, which makes us love her more because she is so much like us "mere mortals". The mystery that occurs is not one of those "oh, I know who did this" types where you know the bad guy in the first few chapters -- it sneaks up on you and slaps you in the face at the very end, making you wonder "geez, what just happened to me?" I would highly recommend this author, and will continue to buy her books as long as she chooses to write them!

I have to agree with the reviewers who felt this book was better than the first. Obviously I liked the first book in the series or I wouldn't have read this one. I feel that Maggie is more *real* than some other amateur sleuths in the cozy genre. (Although, I wish she would get over Tom already--but then again, that's something that makes her more *real*)I almost hate to admit that I solved the crime early on-can't wait for the next one!

This second outing of the "Bewitched series' continues the story of Maggie O'Dell. It is 2 months since the action of the 1st story took place. Liss (Maggie's boss at Enchantments)is still recovering from her sister's murder, and has left Maggie to deal with the shop. A trio from the local high school comes into Enchantments. When the trio's leader Amanda, buys an antique clock at Enchantments, the true story starts. Amanda is found dead and everyone starts finding her killer. The story does not POP until Liss comes into this book. She is the glue to this series and without her it is not as enjoyable. Maggie grows as an empath, and learns she has more power that she thought. Marcus, a major player in the series, grows and we see his attraction to Maggie, but Maggie thinks that he and Liss are an item, so she does not see Marcus as a suiter. Maggie's sometime boyfriend policeman Tom returns. He does not understand the world of the metaphysical. Marcus is more Maggie's type, so we'll see how these relationship progresses. This book delves further into the metaphysical without being 'preachy'. This is a fine book and hope the series continues to grow.