Retro Reading: Be Careful What You Witch For by Dawn Eastman
At bat with her second novel, author Dawn Eastman has scored another hit.
In Be Careful What You Witch For, Eastman has taken on Halloween when the highlight of the annual fall festival brings murder to the festivities.
Eastman starts the action immediately when Clyde Fortune's best friend, Diana Moonward, leads a ritual to divine the future in the woods in Crystal Haven. The Wiccan ritual is the highlight of the fall festival in Crystal Haven, MI, but what they didn't expect was the murder of fellow Wiccan Rafe Godwin.
Their first thought was he had died due to an allergic reaction to peanuts but upon further investigation they discover his death was intentional. At the top of the suspect list is Diana's brother but in her heart she knows he's not the murderer, so she turns herself in.
Everyone knows Diana isn't the murderer and the police department tries to throw her out of the jailhouse. She won't budge until Clyde gets involved and from there everyone sets about trying to figure out who would want Rafe dead.
A born storyteller, Eastman takes you on a wild ride as she weaves the story. She provides a lot of twists and turns and clues the reader in on a couple of suspects but be forewarned. It will be impossible to put this book down. Even after finishing you may still be scratching your head.
The characters are unforgettable and the story is spaced out evenly. You won't be bogged down with a lot of details from the first installment and once the action begins you'll find yourself reading at an Evelyn Wood speed. It's just too hard to put down.
As a newer entry into the crimozy genre, I see a lot of life for this series.
