Reviewed by Berls on
This is a fun series and I'll definitely continue listening to it when I'm in the mood for a light, easy listen. But A Witch Before Dying didn't exactly blow me away. It was just nice. But it was perfect for the stressful week when I listened to it - a no stress listen.
I do have to say that the mystery was great. I was on my toes up until the reveal, trying to figure out who committed the murder. And I do love the small town setting, with all the accompanying shenanigans.
The thing is, I'm not sure if part of why I couldn't figure it out wasn't that there were TOO MANY SHENANIGANS. So much was going on & there's so many people - I couldn't keep them all straight. It fits - a small town is going to have loads of people and they'll all be interconnected like this, especially when a good portion have a big shared secret of being crafters. Its just a lot to keep track of.
I think this is one of those series you want to read back-to-back so that the characters start to really seep in. Too bad I'm not in the mood for more right now.
The crafter world is also lots of fun, and even though the rules are a bit ridiculous, they keep it interesting. There was a bit too much repetition of the rules at the beginning, but I guess that's better than being lost.
One note on the narration - Coleen Marlo is quite good, with a wide range of voices for the characters. My only complaint would be that Darcy (the MC) sounds a bit too old to me! She's supposed to be my age - 30s - but she sounds older to me like 45 or 50. Not a big deal, though.
If you enjoy small town charm with characters you'll love - especially if you can keep them straight - then A Witch Before Dying is a cozy mystery for you. Its fun and light, perfect for when you need a mind break :)
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 23 January, 2015: Finished reading
- 23 January, 2015: Reviewed