Bell, Book, and Murder: The Bast Mysteries

I've loved Rosemary Edghill's writing for decades, and the Bast mysteries are my favourites of hers. I loaned out my copy of this trilogy compilation many times, and somehow lost track of it. I'm thrilled to finally have it back on my bookshelf, as I will never loan out my original printings of these 3 novels. I won't spoil the delicious plots, but they are excellent and well-paced. You need not be a mystery buff to enjoy these stories, but if you are a big mystery reader, Edghill will impress you with her clever plot turns and character play. I also love how Wiccan culture is portrayed with respect and authenticity in these books. If you're looking for more by this author, try to find her collection of Bast short stories, and look for more fiction published under her other name, Eluki Bes Shahar. Highly recommended!

I was introduced to this trilogy through "The Book of Moons," and immediately fell in love with Ms. Edghill's writing style. I've read the entire trilogy over and over, and they've now become cozy friends when I just need to relax for a little while with a cup of tea. What I find refreshing in her novels is how real and everyday most of the characters are. Contrary to the normal media portrayal of those who follow Pagan faiths as either dark, sinister people who scurry into dark corners and live in a strange "underground" reality OR... whacked out New Agers who are stuck in the hippie era, Ms. Edghill writes them honestly-- real people. Working real jobs. Wearing everyday clothes. Talking like everyday people. With no preaching whatsoever. Amazing. Each of the story is a murder mystery. The fact that the community involved in each of these books is Wiccan/Pagan is the flavor for the setting, but the easy route to blame the murders on unseen forces isn't used, which I greatly appreciated. My non-Pagan friends have also enjoyed the books, and appreciated the subtle explanations for faith-specific terms that they might not have known otherwise. I highly recommend the series. They're fun, easy to read, and easy to escape into-- just what leisure reading is all about.

I won't recap all the reviews which tell you that the Bast novels are both unpretentious and Wicca-accurate, but I will agree that that's true. The greatest of these for me, though, is unpretentious; that is, these aren't fantasy nor yet the kind of self-aggrandizement and self-marginalization that sometimes stalk the Wiccan community. And--it's a real pleasure to say this after the last Wiccan murder mystery I had to review--these are WELL WRITTEN. Yes, really! Edgehill knows how to use commas, adjectives, and similar arcana as well as she knows how to cast a circle--and that, my friends, is a rare and beautiful combination. Magic (or, if you prefer, magick) without BS, self-delusion, sentimentality or misuse of the semi-colon--need I say more? It's true that the mysteries aren't very mysterious, but I don't think they're meant to be (and in real life, of course, the spouse generally *did* do it.) These aren't really books about how to solve mysteries; they're about the ethical dilemmas that come with believing what we pagans say we believe, but often fall down on in practice. They're about our responsibility to act when we see a problem, and the risks that action entails, and the way Wicca both helps and doesn't help us to do it. Anyone who ever said she wanted something beyond Wicca 101: these books are it.

A friend recommended "Speak Daggers to Her" to me, as she knew I was a fan of the Diana Tregarde mysteries. The recommendation proved to be accurate, though the two trilogies have nothing to do with each other.Where Tregarde exists in a contemporary fantasy world of Mercedes Lackey's making, Bast exists here. In our world. No levin bolts, vampires, Aztec gods, or immortal body-thieves. Bast herself is uncomplicated and unpretentious-- even when she is being what she jokingly refers to as "The Lone Ranger of the Wicca." Her commentary on the Pagan community is dead-on, and if you are a Pagan, you'll spot people you know.The novels are each independent of each other; certain characters come in and out of the three novels, and there's a continuity to them, but each plot is self-contained. I do recommend reading them in order, though, so you can see how her relationships with the various characters change. All-in-all, they are an excellent read.

The Pagan world is a refreshing backdrop for a trio of well written mysteries. What is really amazing is how the author guides the reader into the story and the personality of Bast. I find that I feel her confusion, joy, sorrow and fear. In the first book Speak Daggers to Her the murder? stirs Bast's anger. In the second book The Book of Moons Bast is stalked by the killer. Her peril is so real that I found my heart racing. The last novel The Bowl of Night the author gives us a wonderful lesson that just as there are all kinds of Christians, there are all kind of Pagans but fanatics are just as dangerous no matter what their religion. The solution to the mystery broke my heart even though I solved the crime much sooner than Bast.This is an excellent collection. I hope she write more tales of Lady Bast.

It is really refreshing to see a talented author come out with fresh ideas focusing on the world of Wicca and its followers. "Bell, Book and Murder" is a compilation of three murder mysteries--"Speak Daggers to Her," "Book of Moons," and "The Bowl of Night" set in the hectic world of New York City and featuring a spunky heroine, Bast who just happens to be a Wiccan. With her first novel in the Bast series, Edghill introduced readers to the often hectic life of a New Yorker living her life as best as she can in a world filled with mystery, mahem and magick. Edghill's Bast is a quick witted, savy New Yorker who just happens to be a practitioner of one of the most misunderstood religions in the modern world: Wicca. Edghill writes with so much enthusiasm and possesses an almost uncanny knack for her characters that when you're reading the Bast mysteries, as they've become to be known, you almost forget that these are works of fiction. The dialogue is fresh, vibrant and exciting and this reviewer loved her scoops on people in the Craft. While the names have been changed to protect the innocent, friends of this reviewer who are a part of the New York Wiccan Community, have provided me with insights and revelations as to the possible identities of her books' real-life counterparts. This reviewer found the three book series so enjoyable that he can't wait for the next book to come out. When will the next book be released Ms. Edghill? Your loyal Bast fans can't wait!