A Familiar Tail by Delia James

A Familiar Tail (Witch's Cat Mystery, #1)

by Delia James

Magic and meows meet in the first enchanting Witch’s Cat mystery!
 
Unlucky-in-love artist Annabelle Britton decides that a visit to the seaside town of  Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is the perfect way to get over her problems. But when she stumbles upon a smoky gray cat named Alastair, and follows him into a charming cottage, Annabelle finds herself in a whole spellbook full of trouble.
 
Suddenly saddled with a witch's wand and a furry familiar, Annabelle soon meets a friendly group of women who use their spells, charms, and potions to keep the people of Portsmouth safe. But despite their gifts, the witches can’t prevent every wicked deed in town....
 
Soon, the mystery surrounding Alistair’s former owner, who died under unusual circumstances, grows when another local turns up dead. Armed with magic, friends, and the charmed cat who adopted her more than the other way around, Annabelle sets out to paw through the evidence and uncover a killer.

Reviewed by Mystereity Reviews on

4 of 5 stars

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4.5 Stars

A great start to a new series. There wasn't much I didn't like about it; likeable characters, a great plot that spanned the book without getting bogged down and a cat. A cat that can disappear. Oh and witches. I know, totally irresistible, right?

Annabelle Britton arrives in Portsmouth, NH for a 2 week visit with BFF Martine. Right after arriving, she encounters Alastair, a cat belonging to a recently deceased witch named Dorothy who died under mysterious circumstances, and Annabelle (Anna to her friends, A.B. when she's talking to herself) is drawn into solving the mystery

The plot was well written, it had a good balance between the paranormal and the mystery. Actually, now that I think about it, most of the sleuthing was done the old fashioned way, not by using spells and so on. But it was well-paced with a lot of twists and turns. And just the right number of characters to keep you guessing without being confusing.

The only thing I didn't like was that there were a few plot lines that were introduced and dropped. A little annoying, but not terrible.

A solid start and a great read. I'm looking forward to revisiting A.B. and her friends.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 22 March, 2016: Finished reading
  • 22 March, 2016: Reviewed