Murder at Witches' Bluff [Paperback]

Silver RavenWolf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2000

Renowned author Silver RavenWolf unites puzzling mystery, shocking horror and real magick in this adult-themed novel, creating a page-turning delight. As the nights of the year get longer, this is an ideal book to read curled up in front of a fire, or safely tucked under the covers.
The story of Murder at Witches' Bluff takes place in Cold Springs, an evil place with an evil history. As with many small towns, the citizens have many skeletons in their closets. As the mystery unfolds, you'll wonder if someone is willing to kill to make sure those secrets are not revealed.
Siren McKay returns to this, her hometown, to sort her head out. She has been acquitted of murdering her lover because of the testimony of a stranger. The truth is, she killed the man! But why did she do it? Why did the stranger lie to save her? And why does the entire town hate her so? Is it only because they wrongly think she is a Witch? Do they have other, darker hatred? Is she really a Witch?
Together with Tanner the alcoholic firefighter, and Billy the carousing cop, the three must stop the string of mysterious fires that are ravaging the town. Meanwhile, the body count starts to rise. Can they trust the mysterious Lexi, a retired, wealthy stage magician? What secrets does he know that he is not revealing? Which side is he really on?
And then there is the mysterious and beautiful Gemma, Siren's half-sister. Just how far will Gemma's perversions and hatred of Siren go?
This exciting novel will keep you in heart-numbing suspense as you go through the twists and turns of revelation. For exciting fiction with real magick, this book is a must!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Weaving "authentic magickal practices into the story" (as this novel supposedly does) may make a book "PC"Dpagan correctDbut the magick does little here to assist a hackneyed plot, flat characterizations and less than enchanting writing. Dialogue is mumbled, murmured, barked, coughed, sneered, sneezed, seethed, snapped, croaked and oozed as often as it is said, but it still remains lifeless. Siren McKay, five-foot-four and with a waist-length dark braid, has just been acquitted in New York City of murdering her less than legitimate businessman lover, and returns to her hometown in rural Cold Springs, Pa. Strange fires, combated by stalwart, long-haired firefighter Thorn Tanner, have been burning there. The area is periodically plagued with these firesDthe last coincided with the birth of Siren 32 years before. Are the fires "magickal"Dconjured by someoneDas Tanner's grandmother, the witchy Nana Loretta, believes? Siren, who turns out to have certain witchy powers, is eventually initiated into the Craft. As Halloween approaches, Siren, Tanner and the colorful LexiDa retired stage magician sort through a sordid past as well as the murderous present. A soap operatic mishmash of drug trafficking, sibling rivalry, true parentage, ancient curses, murders, a professional killer named Serato and more are eventually sorted out with some help from the reading of a will and the Goddess Herself. Though flush with flaws, the novel is not without charm, and the pagan readership is large and growingDand Llewellyn knows how to market to it. Sales may turn out, in fact, to be bewitched. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

I love a good mystery! And Murder at Witches' Bluff by Silver RavenWolf is one of the most exciting ones I've read in a long time. This novel is in the genre known as "Magickal Realism" - a style which includes real magick, as practiced by people today, within the story. Not only will you have a thrilling read, but you'll also see how magick is used in practice.

This is an adult-themed novel, as it seems like everyone has vile secrets they'd do anything to keep from revealing. The firefighter and Witch Tanner is an alcoholic. The police officer Billy likes women and drugs. Even the heroine, Siren McKay, has her secret: She killed the man who kept her as his mistress.

The town where the action takes place is evil, too - almost as if it has its own secrets. Ages ago, many Witches were murdered here. Is the string of fires their final revenge? Will the fires destroy the reincarnated souls of the citizens who killed the Witches? Or is there a more mundane answer? Meanwhile, the number of dead bodies slowly begins to rise.

Naturally, I'm not going to tell you what happens. Frankly, there are so many twists and turns to this story, you're just going to have to read it to believe it. Just when you think you've got it figured out, new revelations of horrible family secrets lead to new mysteries.
So if you're looking for some fun reading that will scare your socks of, keep a copy of Murder at Witches' Bluff by your bed. I can assure you that once you start to read it you won't do much sleeping!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 1st edition (October 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567187277
• ISBN-13: 978-1567187274
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,555,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Silver RavenWolf (Pennsylvania) is a nationally recognized leader and elder of Wicca, and through her writing has been instrumental in guiding the future of one of the fastest-growing faiths in America today. The author of seventeen books, she has been interviewed by The New York Times, Newsweek Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal, and her work has been featured in numerous publications, including Bust Magazine, the Baltimore Sun, the St. Petersburg Times, the National Review, Publishers Weekly, Body & Soul Magazine, and Teen Lit Magazine.
Her many titles include the bestselling Solitary Witch, Teen Witch, To Ride A Silver Broomstick, To Stir A Magick Cauldron, To Light A Sacred Flame, American Folk Magick, Angels: Companions in Magick, Silver's Spells for Prosperity, Silver's Spells for Protection, Silver's Spells for Love, Halloween, and the Witches' Night Out teen fiction series. Her new book Hedge Witch is forthcoming from Llewellyn in September 2008.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Good grief, December 28, 2001

By 

J.K. Harper (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder at Witches' Bluff (Paperback)

Okay, other besotted reviewers--bear with me for a minute. Yes, it is marvelous to read fiction about our beloved Craft. Yes, Silver RavenWolf is an extremely popular author who must sell oodles. Yes, her nonfiction work is well-written and has hooked many. But let's get real. This novel of hers is very poorly written, poorly characterized, and very difficult to force oneself through (heck, I'm only on page 178 right now and debating whether or not I should finish reading).

First off, copyeditor! Llewellyn Publications should be embarrassed to actually publish something that was so clearly, and so shamefully, barely touched with the copyeditor's pen. Simple but important job. Professionalism counts.

As for the writing, forget it. It's clunky, oversimplified, over-adjectified, flat, and just plain amateurish. The dialogue is unreal, the characters are one-dimensional (take the sections on the stalker guy--an overused device in itself, which has been employed by many more skilled writers--which reveal only that Siren is being threatened by your typical evil creature/person. Yawn.), and the scenes are so implausible they sometimes cannot be taken seriously (see the one in which Uncle Jess's family arrives to take him away).

I, like many readers, want to read something that presents the Craft in a positive yet realistic light. Alice Hoffman ("Practical Magic"), I must say, is a far better writer than Silver RavenWolf, which is actually unfortunate. Silver RavenWolf undoubtedly has far more to offer us with her vast knowledge of and experience in the Craft. Remember, we don't have to lap it up just because it's out there. We should demand excellence in what we choose to read!

I think I will have to strongly vote against this novel. Perhaps some of her others are more palatable reads. If not, I'm sticking with her nonfiction, and I recommend that other fiction lovers do the same.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Could have used a good editor, February 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder at Witches' Bluff (Paperback)

With food and books, I don't tend to be the pickiest of consumers. I kept asking myself what bothered me so much about this book and I think it's just that I expected so much from Silver. I've read her nonfiction and found it coherent and well-written.

I would definitely try to read Silver's fiction again, but I suggest she ask someone to give her some critical feedback. I found the dialog not very believable and I found it odd that hereditary witches would be using terms and props that came out of the Gardnerian/Alexandrian era. I found some of the metaphors odd and kept hearing early writing teachers correcting them. Maybe that's my problem: instead of enjoying it for what it was, I kept letting those critical voices play in my head. (Bad voices!)

There were some spots where she really developed the tension, so I know she's got the talent. I'm looking forward to future tries.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't Put It Down!, November 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder at Witches' Bluff (Paperback)

This was an amazing book to read. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Silver Ravenwolf did an excellent job. The mystery in this book keeps you guessing till the end. All of the characters were well thought out and developed. The character Tanner really hit home with his struggle of who he is concering the Craft. I am very proud to say that this book represents the Craft in a wonderful light.

I recommend this book very highly.