Review--Spellcasting in Silk by Juliet Blackwell

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Vision in Velvet comes more spooky sleuthing with Lily Ivory, vintage boutique owner and gifted witch…

Lily would like nothing better than to relax, enjoy her friends, and take care of business at her store, which is booming thanks to San Francisco's upcoming Summer of Love Festival.  But as the unofficial witchy consultant to the SFPD, she is pulled into yet another case.

A woman has jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, and her apparent suicide may be connected to a suspicious botanica in the Mission District. When the police investigate the shop, they ask Lily to look into its mysterious owner, whose granddaughter also appears to be missing. As Lily searches for the truth, she finds herself confronted with a confounding mystery and some very powerful magic…

I decided it was time to dive into one of my older TBR books, particularly a series I fell behind in! So I went with Juliet Blackwell's Spellcasting in Silk! It's the seventh installment in the Witchcrafy Mysteries. It was great getting back to this world with the characters. Luckily, it's one of those reads where just a few character threads are the only things that continue on. The mysteries are always new and there's enough of a character arc recap in the beginning that starting this one was surprisingly easy!

Lily's friend, Inspector Romero asks for her help in a case that seems like it's right up her alley. There was a recent suicide that may be more than it seems and a shopkeeper is being charged of the murder since she had sold the victim some items for a spell of some sort. Lily goes to see if she gets any vibes from the shop that has been ransacked, which is another mystery. Lily is no stranger to the ghostly encounters and wonders perhaps if it was Nicky, the supposed suicide victim's spirit. There also happens to be a missing teenager involved as well, one who is connected to the shopkeeper as well.

Not only is Lily trying to find out the whodunits when it comes to the suspicious death of Nicky and the missing teenager, but she's also dealing with a rocky road relationship with Sailor. He's learning to use his abilities and get a better grasp on them, but his teacher happens to be a gorgeous, young woman and Lily is feeling a little unsure of their relationship. Add in a visit to Max, her first boyfriend of the series in relation to what happened at the shop where the suspect works, and an encounter with Aidan, things definitely aren't in smooth sailing.

Since I have yet to develop a good reading schedule with my current position, it took me longer to read this one than it used to with the previous books. So my sleuthing wasn't as savvy as it could've been as those breaks in between reading and not reading had me forgetting about my list of suspects. I will say that I was right, in some sense, but the answer became bigger than anticipated, so again, I got part of it right! Lol.

I haven't read one of Juliet's books in years, I sorely regret that because I can't believe what I've been missing! Seriously, "too many books, too little time" is sooo true! What I love about Juliet's books is the mix of mystery, supernatural/magical elements, romance, and a bit of humor here and there! They have all the makings of a perfect cozy paranormal mystery! I'm taking the plunge and picking up the next book in the series! Book ten releases next month and I'm on track to getting myself caught up in time, whether I stay the course or not will depend on life and things!

Spellcasting in Silk was, prepare for a pun here, pure magic! Juliet Blackwell is a wizard with words! ;)  If you're looking for a nice cozy mystery with the added touch of magic, this is the perfect series for you! While it is likely better to start at the beginning, I can say that you're likely to be able to follow along well in you pick up anywhere. Yes, you will miss the history of things and characters, but as I haven't read one of these books in a few years, I can say that I was able to get back into the swing of things rather easily, yeah, I might have missed out on one or two past events, but when it comes to those times, I always just roll with it! But still, I would always recommend starting at the beginning or even giving one of the novellas a try if you're wanting a taste to see if the series is right for you!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars