Select one of the keywords
Witch Hunt: An Ophelia & Abby Mystery    by Shirley Damsgaard Amazon.com order for
Witch Hunt
by Shirley Damsgaard
Order:  USA  Can
Avon, 2007 (2007)
Paperback, e-Book
* *   Reviewed by Martina Bexte

Shirley Damsgaard returns with the fourth installment of her charming and very addicting series starring psychic librarian Ophelia Jensen and her equally gifted grandmother (and mentor) Abby.

The action returns to Ophelia's hometown of Summerset and centers around the murder of a biker gang member. Darci, Ophelia's best friend and co-worker, swears that her cousin just lost her way when she allowed herself to become involved with the Vipers, and swears that Becca's innocent of murder. Once it becomes clear that her arrest is imminent, Darci begs Ophelia to look into the case using her special insights. But after warnings from both the sheriff and her grandmother to keep her nose out of the investigation - and given the fact that she is determined to be a good role model for her recently adopted and also psychically gifted daughter Tink - Ophelia takes the high road. Despite her best intentions however, one innocent bit of research leads to another and she's soon convinced a fellow Viper is responsible - and sets out to prove it.

While Damsgaard presents a rather pedestrian plot that's easy to figure out well in advance of the final revelations, it's her rich characterizations and delightful voice that make this series such a fun read. Ophelia has grown considerably since her debut in Witch Way to Murder. Damsgaard introduced her as a reclusive, somewhat bitter woman who chose to renounce her psychic abilities after failing to save her best friend's life. With the help of her wise, down-to-earth grandmother, and of course Ophelia's special knack for finding dead bodies, her priorities change and she's given the chance to explore her magical abilities from a different angle. Witch Hunt is another well-written, nicely paced and thoroughly involving story, and I look forward to Ophelia and Abby's next otherworldly mystery.

Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons.

Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews