Review: A Familiar Tale by Delia James

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
E-book

Publisher:

Release Date:










Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.

My Review

I love the kitty Alistair! I thought I should just get that out of the way right away. He is Annabelle’s familiar and the real hero of the book. I just thought that was important to say right at the beginning.

This is an interesting take on the paranormal aspect of the cozy mystery. I have to admit, there were parts that seemed to drag, but overall, a good start to the series. I can’t say that I was all that surprised at the outcome and the culprit, but it was a fun ride to get to that point.

The cast is made up of a bunch of very interesting people. Each one is different and well-written and developed. The plot keeps readers guessing, but I did figure it all out before the end.

This is a great way to start a series and I’m interested in seeing where it goes from here.



For reading challenges:
What An Animal Reading Challenge 2016

Disclosure: I bought this one on sale for my Kindle. All opinions expressed are my own.