When the Crow’s Away by Auralee Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When the Crow’s Away is the second book in Auralee Wallace’s bewitching Cozy Mystery series, Evenfall Witches B&B.
The first book, In the Company of Witches, was a great series starter and definitely left me wanting more.
These books follow Brynn Warren, who after the death of her husband, moves back into the B&B run by her Aunts, Nora and Izzy. The stated purpose is to help them run the place, but everyone quietly acknowledges that Brynn needs some time to heal surrounded by loved ones.
The Warren family have been a part of Evenfall for hundreds of years. There are whisperings around town, of course, that they are witches, but the Warrens do try hard to hide their true powers from the general public.
Brynn’s powers faded after she lost her husband, but have slowly been coming back to her. Brynn’s special power is that she can converse with the dead.
In this installment, Brynn is visited by the recently departed soul of local chocolatier, Mortimer Sweete. Mortimer insists he was murdered and he wants Brynn to find out who did it and help bring them to justice.
Mort has a suspect in mind, but as Brynn digs in, she discovers even more potential suspects. It appears Evenfall’s business community isn’t as quaint and peaceful as it first appears.
Auralee Wallace definitely knows how to write a Cozy. This was so fun, intriguing and cute. I loved getting to know more about Brynn’s family in this one. I am even more attached to this cast of characters now.
I absolutely love an amateur sleuth trope and this one is well done. Having Brynn’s Aunts help her out definitely added the perfect amount of light humor to this murder mystery.
The ending was so intriguing, setting us up perfectly for another installment. I sense a romance on the horizon. I can’t wait for the next book!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I am completely hooked on this series and plan to read any that are published!!
