How the Witch Stole Christmas (Witchless in Seattle, #5)

by Dakota Cassidy

[kimbacaffeinate]

So our ex-witch is all excited about the upcoming holiday. Stevie is taking part in the local Holiday Home Decorating contest, and she's been cautious taking care to follow all of the rules. She even hired Chef Pascal Le June to make mouth watering pastries...only he ends up dead in her nativity scene. She comes home moments before the judges are scheduled to arrive, and her decorations have been replaced by half naked carolers, Mardi Grad revelers, a pooping Easter bunny and more. It was over the top hilarious. Of course, the judges are aghast, and Belfrey Stevie's familiar is missing.

Her roommates the ghostly Brit, Winterbottom, Arkady a former Russian spy (now deceased), and her dog Whiskey set out to help her find Belfry. Along the way, they will try to discover what happened to the Chef and uncover who sabotaged her Christmas.

This series is a lot of fun with character development and growth as Stevie begins to get some of her powers back. Within the story is a clever murder mystery whodunit and a missing familiar. Stevie has become quite the armature sleuth and is learning to trust her instincts. Her friendship continues to strength with Winterbottom. I loved their back and forth banter and his protectiveness. There is almost an air of romance, but of course, he resides on a different plan. The motley crew Stevie has surrounded herself with make me smile. 

The motley crew Stevie has surrounded herself with make me laugh. From cute names to advice they all care for Stevie but also add some humor and aid the investigation. The villain ties into the overall ARC, and I look forward to seeing it resolved. The current case was interesting with a few twists complicated by the paranormal factor. Stevie never has a dull moment, but she is growing on the town folks. I adore the name calling and snark between her and a certain local police officer.

Hollie Jackson continues to narrate the series, and aside from Belfrey's voice, I think she is perfect for this series. Her Winterbottom and Arkady accents are fun, and she nails Stevie. Belfrey is a little high pitched, but the little guy was missing throughout most of the story, so we got a reprieve. He is, however, a cute little fellow.

audio provided by the publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer