Hex Marks the Spot (Bewitching Mysteries, No. 3)

We join Maggie O'Neill back in Indiana, in the mystical gift and antique shop Enchantments, where she works for a witch, Felicity Dow aka Liss. And Liss really is a witch - a practicing witch in an established community that is blithely aware of the paranormal happenings around them. At least, most of them seem to be immune, but many are starting to notice the increase in crime and accidents that are plaguing the community. When a local Amish craftsman is found dead next to his bicycle with his head bashed in, residents are shocked. Not only was this gentle and talented man killed, but his was the third murder in six months in their small community. Are there supernatural forces at play, or has the town simply run out of luck? Maggie is quite excited to be attending the annual craft fair put on by the county. Normally Liss attends alone, but this year Maggie is getting a break from running the store to help find some new merchandise. While browsing, they visit the stall of an Amish woodworker they are friends with, and Liss falls in love with an armoire decorated with patterns and bright colors not normally seen on the shaker style furniture normally produced. The armoire had been donated to the auction taking place later that day, so the two women plan to attend in hopes of winning. But the armoire's decoration is credited to another Amish craftsman, Luc Metzger; one like Maggie has never before seen. His craft work is just a beautiful as the man himself, an uncommon trait among the simple Amish people whose faith is foremost in their community. And when the ladies' man is found dead after supposedly doing `one more job' to help earn money for a farm for his wife and children, Maggie can't help but wonder where he'd been. Maggie and hunky friend Marcus come upon the nighttime scene of buggies that have discovered the body on a darkened stretch of road, and Maggie has to decide whether or not she is comfortable with the paranormal side of her life in order to help discover why there was a strange hex tacked to a tree not far from the body - on Amish property. Maggie's sometime boyfriend, Tom the detective, is also having a difficult time with the peculiar aspects of the crime, but mostly with Maggie's involvement with people he considers questionable because they are not considered mainstream. So we are able to follow Maggie's personal journey into unfamiliar territory that is considered taboo to her Catholic religious background, and also her journey on how to trust her heart and instincts. I am really enjoying the Bewitching series by Alt. We are seeing characters develop with the paranormal aspect - especially some who are new to the subject or fear reprisal if outed, which I think are normal reactions people would have in real life. The cozy series is engaging, and there is enough mystery to keep you guessing throughout the story. I eagerly await the next in the series, but I have one question: How does Abel charge his ce

"Hex Marks the Spot" was like catching up with a dear friend -- our time together flew by, and was over far too soon. The development of the characters and romance(s?) is every bit as fascinating as the actual mystery of Luc Metzger's death. I do wonder if we will see his widow, Hester, in any future books. Although it is helpful to have read the previous two books by Ms. Alt, "Hex Marks the Spot" can easily be read as a stand-alone volume. The death of Luc Metzger offers an interesting look into the Amish society. Why he had been killed, and by whom, is not at all what I would had thought at the very beginning of the book...and I appreciate being led astray before given an opportunity to solve the mystery on my own. Cannot wait for the next one!

I highly enjoyed this book. She continues to successfully develop the relationships of all the characters within the book, and I'm glad to finally see things heating up with Marcus. I could definitely see the attraction starting in the second book. As for the murder mystery portion of this book, it was interesting to see how she illustrated the different Amish cultures; and how the culture clashes created another obstacle to solving the case. All in all, I have enjoyed all of the books in the series, but I'll have to agree that they just keep getting better.

The third installment of "The Bewitching Series" is the best one thus far. The mystery itself does not dominate the book but allows Maggie room for personal growth. The only negative that I could give the book would be that the main mystery starts off strongly in the first few chapters, but we don't hear about it again until much later. We also get to see a side mystery with Stony Mill's library ghost, Boiler Room Bertie, which was interesting as it helped to develop some minor characters. Overall, the real story is Maggie's burgeoning belief in the paranormal, which mirrors her personal growth & has been a delight to follow throughout the series. She seriously questions her feelings for two romantic interests in this book, which is a twist that I did not see coming in previous books. When I started this series, I did not expect the books to have so much heart, but Maggie's personal journey has made "The Bewitching Series" a worthwhile read.

Madelyn Alt has come across a winning combination with characters who are magic on the pages as well as a delight to read. Stony Mill, Indiana...In mainstream Indiana there are all types of folks. Nice folks, and murderers... Maggie O'Neill found a wonderful job at Enchantments - a store that has many things - antiques, books, crystals, New Age things - The owner of Enchantments, Liss Dow, is a practicing witch - Maggie finds she has gifts that are blossoming in this environment - Her sometime boyfriend, Tom, is a cop in Stony Mill, and he is as not too thrilled to have Maggie delve into the paranormal - He reminds me of the ROTC guy in Animal House - that's my visual picture of him. Although Maggie and Tom have been going out for some months, the relationship isn't blooming - There is Liss' friend the hunky and most sexy Marcus...he is in Liss' group and Maggie thinks that Mark and a considerably older Liss are an item - so to Maggie, Marcus is forbidden territory...at least in the romance department. This outing has a dark feel to it - As Liss and Maggie go to a fair, they see an ornate armoire, that surprisingly was made by a very 'unplain' Amish man, Luc...when Luc is brutally murdered, and strange markings are found, the group of friends associated with Enchantments go in and try to decipher the mystery - This is a delightful series that educates the reader in alternative religions, that there are people who practise wonderful rites that celebrate the earth and are good people who do good things. This book moves the characters forward in interesting directions - and Alt has created well rounded characters that you care about and want to read more about.