Purr-fect Potions

by Danielle Garrett

[Berls]

3.5 stars
I always enjoy Danielle Garrett's paranormal cozy mysteries and the Nine Lives Magic Series has been so fun. And as we get into the fourth book, we're starting to make some real headway on a mystery that encompasses the whole series - what has happened to Aunt Lavender?

In fact, that was the focus of this book - unlike the previous books where there's a local mystery to solve at the same time. Instead while we focus on Aunt Lavender there's the mysterious Tabatha Blake - who is a famous treasure hunter - who is supposedly there to help them and is actually quite suspicious. That's the extent of an external mystery. I kind of missed having the normal small town mystery going on at the same time, even if I am eager to learn what's happened with Aunt Lavender.

The other big conflict of this book was regarding Cora and Cliff's relationship. This felt like it came out of nowhere and was a serious bummer for me. Cliff's mother - who we already know to be an asshat, so no shock there - is putting extreme tension on their relationship. And Cora, who is already divorced and has had her heart broken, may not be cut out for the tension she could create for their relationship. I like them as a couple so I have my hopes.

I continue to really like the characters - even Selene who got downright mean this time around (I think because she's feeling pretty sensitive about Lavender)- and I look forward to the next book. I'm summing this book up as one of those inevitable transitions that you like well enough but will never be truly memorable beyond how it got you setup for the next book.

Amanda Ronconi narrated, which is always a treat for me. She knows how to delivery the snarky lines with just the right tones to bring out the humor. I enjoyed listening at my normal 2x speed.