Review and Giveaway: Tarnished and Torn

Tarnished and Torn (Wishcraft - Book 5) by Juliet Blackwell

Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Obsidian Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 045124009X
ISBN-13: 978-0451240095

(Received for an honest review from Obsidian Mystery)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Juliet Blackwell on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Library Thing, Cozy Mystery

Books in the series:

Secondhand Spirits (2009), A Cast-Off Coven (2010), Hexes and Hemlines (2011), In a Witch's Wardrobe (2012), Tarnished and Torn (2013)

Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from Tarnished and Torn, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

As the owner of a popular vintage clothing store, Lily Ivory can enjoy a day of antique jewelry shopping and still call it work. But as one of San Francisco’s resident witches, searching for hidden treasures can sometimes lead to dangerous discoveries… 
 
When Lily arrives at an antique jewelry fair, her bargain sensors go off left and right—but she also picks up a faint vibration of magic. Could the hard-bargaining merchant Griselda be a fellow practitioner? It certainly seems that way when a sudden fire sends panic through the crowd, and Lily discovers Griselda murdered in a way that nods to an old-fashioned witch hunt…
 
A crime that hits close to home turns into an unwelcome flash from the past when the police bring in their lead suspect—Lily’s estranged father. Though he may not deserve her help, Lily is determined to clear her father’s name and solve a murder that’s anything but crystal clear. 

Thoughts:

Juliet Blackwell's fifth book in the Wishcraft series, Tarnished and Torn will take the reader back to Aunt Cora's Closet and the wonderful characters Blackwell has created in this paranormal cozy mystery series. Blackwell uses her own interest in witch craft to bring authenticity and realism to her novels. Readers will find that this book appeals to both the mystery lover and the paranormal enthusiast. A great combination! 

Juliet Blackwell's books are always fun to read. Whether it's the vintage jewelry and clothing she describes, the cunning mystery she creates or all things witch, Blackwell makes it interesting. In Tarnished and Torn, as always we learn more and more about plucky heroine, Lily Ivory. This time Lily is at a gem fair looking for vintage jewelry for her store, when a murder takes place. Right place, right time for a witch and amateur sleuth. 

The mystery aspect of the book was well crafted and intriguing. Trying to figure out who killed Griselda and why will have the reader piecing together the clues right along with Lily. I always enjoy the way that Lily looks at the world, how she processes things so differently from most amateur sleuth characters. I think Blackwell has done a wonderful job of making Lily easy to relate to even though she has her quirks. 

The witch craft angle is always interesting to me. So many books focus on witch craft in a negative way and I like that Blackwell takes a different road with Lily. Her books have a lighter tone which is typical of cozies and that also helps to give Lily a brighter outlook. I like the combination of paranormal with the mystery. Lily uses her magic for a lot of things, maybe even a little sleuthing. 

This is a well written addition to the series that readers and fans will really enjoy. Juliet Blackwell never disappoints and Lily Ivory knows how to solve a crime. 

Tarnished and Torn is available today from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Juliet Blackwell has been fascinated with witchcraft, alternative healing, and spirits of all kinds ever since she was a child. As an anthropologist, she studied systems of physical and mental health care all over the world. 

Blackwell is the New York Times bestselling author of the Witchcraft Mystery series, which features a misfit witch with a vintage clothing store in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury neighborhood. The series includes Secondhand Spirits, A Cast-off Coven, Hexes and Hemlines, In a Witch's Wardrobe, and Tarnished and Torn (to be released July 3, 2012).

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a one copy giveaway for Tarnished and Torn by Juliet Blackwell.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US Addresses only (publisher request)
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight, EST, July 16th.

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