Witch Way Out by Cate Conte

Introduction

I often jump into cozy mystery series in the middle of them! This can be tricky because the storylines are continuous and the characters are often introduced in book one. You have to be quick to catch up with what is going on. That was the case for Witch Way Out by Cate Conte, which is book #3 in the Full Moon Mystery series.

About the Book

When Violet Mooney’s coworker and fellow witch calls to say that their Connecticut crystals shop, The Full Moon, has been selected as a vendor at the Spring Equinox Fair, it’s welcome news. Ever since she learned about her magickal ancestry, Violet has been struggling to learn her craft while staying out of trouble. It’s no easy feat when her family seems to be the target of a power-grab within the realm, putting the entire magickal community on edge—and setting Violet on a mission . . .

With her investigation conjuring more questions than answers, Violet tries to focus on the Fair, which is being run by one of her personal heroes. Horatio Hale is a proponent of ethical crystal mining, but apparently not everyone is a fan. Violet is shocked when she goes to attend a meeting and finds Horatio dead—with an axe stuck in his chest. To uncover the motives behind the mayhem in both the mortal and magickal worlds, Violet is going to need more than a crystal ball. And it’ll take all the powers she’s been honing—plus some she didn’t know she had—to save herself . . . (from Amazon.com)

My Thoughts

Witch Way Out is book #3 in the A Full Moon Mystery series by Cate Conte. The main character is named Violet Mooney and she owns a crystal shop. She recently found out that she’s a witch and is adjusting to her new lifestyle and newfound abilities.

When she is accepted at the last minute into a local craft show, she’s beyond excited. It’s a week long event that could do wonders in free marketing and advertising for her business. It also gives her the chance to network with a bunch of other crystal enthusiasts.

But what starts out as a fun event takes a turn for the worse when the main organizer of the event is found murdered. Not only that, but Violet is the one to find him. She finds herself wrapped up in a murder case and no one is innocent until proven so… not witches, and certainly not mortals.

I liked Violet right off the bat. She’s so innocent, really. She’s just trying to learn as much as she can about her family and her ancestors and her fellow witch population. Meanwhile, she has a business to maintain as well as her relationships with her friends/employees, Syd and Josie. She has a lot on her plate.

I’m new to this series and haven’t read the first two books in the series, but I’m hoping to read them soon! I found Violet’s mother fascinating and want to find out more about Fiona and the witch community that she’s in charge of. It’s so funny to me that Violet grew up not knowing her mother or her true heritage. It’s clear that she has a lot of catching up to do.

I liked Cate Conte’s writing style. The story flows well and as each chapter unfolded, I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. Becauase of the paranormal aspect to this story, it really kept me guessing. I had not idea what was going to happen!

If you’re new to this series like I am, I think you’ll like it. The story is easy to dive into and the characters make you want to stick around and find out what happens next. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

xo Marian