Customer Reviews

The Seventh Witch (Ophelia & Abby Mysteries, No. 7)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With centenary birthday celebrations for the estimable Great-Aunt Mary imminent, Ophelia and Abby have returned to their North Carolina home for the festivities. However, things are not going as planned: the usually sprightly Abby is becoming mysteriously listless while Great-Aunt Mary becomes ever more crotchety. It's not long before the malicious Sharon Doran makes her presence known. A thorn in the side as far as Ophelia's extended family is concerned, Sharon is not averse to using her brand of magick to get what she wants no matter what the consequences may be.

Shirley Damsgaard again conjures up a very entertaining story. The setting is nicely evoked as is Ophelia's growing sense of unease: family secrets are gradually unearthed much to the matriarchal Great-Aunt Mary's chagrin. Ophelia and Abby's extended family, often referred to in previous stories, are introduced to the series in this seventh instalment. We have, of course, already met Aunt Dot before. However, under the watchful gaze of her sister, she is more muted in this story than in The Witch Is Dead (Ophelia & Abby Mysteries, No. 5). One disappointment for me was that Ophelia's best friend, Darci, is absent from the proceedings except for one short scene. Her sassiness and sense of fun have always been one of the highlights of the series for me. Ophelia turns instead to her cousin Lydia for comfort and guidance here.

Although each book in this series can be read as a novel in its own right, I'd recommend new readers to go through the stories in the correct sequence. There are a number of characters who reappear throughout the series and events in preceding stories are often referred to. This is a very gentle cozy mystery/paranormal series populated by an immensely likeable group of central characters. In my opinion, the opening novel, Witch Way to Murder (Ophelia & Abby Mysteries, No. 1) is the weakest in the series. My own favorite is Witch Hunt (Ophelia & Abby Mysteries, No. 4), but they're all entertaining stuff.

Book seven of the Ophelia and Abby mysteries could be the final instalment of the series. The author reports on her website that although another story is not being ruled out, there are currently no plans to produce one. The good news, however, is that Shirley Damsgaard is working on a new stand-alone novel.

(Spoilers ahead)
In this book Ophelia never really uses her magick, which does not mean I did not enjoy her using her head, but we never really got to the reason why. Her runes fail her and we never find out why?

Ms Damsgaard touches on the mistrust of people in the Appalachian Mountains (or maybe the Blue Ridge never find out) as far as the use of magick but also shows the hypocritical side by those very people using magic. She never really follows through on that course which would have made for some interesting inserts.

Tink is allowed to use her magick but that whole scene feels cut short. I love the idea of the standing stones, the name of the seven sisters. I think she could have gotten a lot of mileage out of the cleansing scene but again she seemed to cut it short. Also it would have been nice if a few passages were added to indicate what first started the decline of the space and then what happened to the land after it reverted back to the family. Was there an immediate recovery or just a single flower? I would have also like to see more of the ancestors attached to the stones.

The plot involving Aunt Dot and her fairies was left under developed too. You first get the house elf being insulted and then nothing until he is happy with Ophelia again. What is it that he did in the house that wasn't getting done? If Tink can see them, or at least sense them, why was there not more dialog with Tink sharing what she sees of the fairies? Here was an opportunity for some real funny moments that will never see the light of day.

I did enjoy the new family members and how the folks in the area respect their elderly and will drop everything to help them out if called upon. Not enough of that in the real world.

She did have to phone a friend and bounce her issues off Darci back home. And Cobra shows up and things try to start as far as a relationship goes, sort of. But he was working undercover and that plot line never fully develops either. The two plots actually kind of trip over each other.

I also wonder if she studies a pagan faith or just researches it for the stories because there are a few scenes that I would question or that need a little more substance. I think anyone who writes about magick needs to do so with a certain amount of responsibility. There seem to be people out there who believe what is written and try to do magick on their own with out really finding out the basic rules, never do a spell without a circle of protection, never leave the circle after it is cast, never influence or cause harm to others and never forget to close the circle. In the cleansing scene where the negative energies were let loose the circle was never closed. In real life that could be dangerous.

Overall the book was okay. If you really want to read it check it out at the library or Kindle it.

Ophelia Jensen's trip to North Carolina was supposed to be just a family celebration for her Great-Aunt Mary's 100th birthday. Instead, she finds danger lurking in every corner of this small, Southern town. Ophelia's family of witches has a secret hidden, one that threatens her own beloved grandmother, Abby. Just who is Sharon Doran and why does she harbor such animosity towards Ophelia's family? And why hasn't Ophelia heard of another magickal family in the area?

THE SEVENTH WITCH is the seventh book in a series featuring the amateur sleuthing duo of Ophelia and Abby. Ophelia's family heritage is explored in this episode and fans of the series will appreciate the additional insight into the characters of Abby and Ophelia, particularly in relation to their feelings about their magickal gifts. However, THE SEVENTH WITCH can be read as a stand alone as Shirley Damsgaard provides all the necessary history so the reader can enjoy visiting with these wonderful characters!

Shirley Damsgaard does a magnificent job at capturing some of the quaint aspects of a small Southern town. The focus on food and the sense of self-sufficiency and determination to handle things by one's self shine through clearly in THE SEVENTH WITCH and provide a tiny glimpse into the psyche of the South. The lunch scene at Cousin Lydia's makes me giggle even now, for it truly epitomizes the Southern family gathering.

THE SEVENTH WITCH is difficult to classify into any one genre as it blends elements of the paranormal, mystery, and romantic suspense genres. Shirley Damsgaard delves into dark secrets and the power of magick without overwhelming the casual reader with too much esoteric material. THE SEVENTH WITCH is my first foray into the Ophelia and Abby mystery series but it will definitely not be my last! Bravo!

COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS

This is the latest book in the Ophelia and Abby series (#7!) and the series is going strong!

Abby, Tink, and Ophelia have gone to visit their aunts to celebrate Mary's 100th birthday. While there, Ophelia becomes aware of a feud between her family and another local family, but when no one wants to talk about it, her curiosity gets the better of her! After finding a dead body (again!), she begins to investigate the other family, and in the process, she unearths some dark, ugly secrets.

There isn't as much magick as in previous books, which I kind of missed, but her relationship with Ethan moves forward, and we get more information on her ancestors, especially Abby's mother, Annie, which adds quite a bit to the story.

All in all, it wasn't the best book in the series, but it was still a very good read.

In the seventh installment to the Ophelia and Abby series, Damsgaard pens a fun loving adventure full of eccentric characters in "The Seventh Witch". This volume takes readers to the small backwoods family town in North Carolina where Abby grew up for a monumental occasion. Warmly enveloped by their enormously extended family--well, most of them--upon arrival, Ophelia is shocked to find that this reunion may actually have dangerous consequences for several members of her family. In her unwavering search for the truth, she stumbles upon more trouble than one nosey witch can handle.

Those new to the series may initially believe they are missing a few key ingredients from previous editions as characters from the past suddenly appear; however, Damsgaard takes special care to preserve the forward momentum. With a healthy dose of creativity, humor and romance, "The Seventh Witch" is a pleasant weeknight getaway.

I really like this series and it has steadily gotten better over each book (I gave the first one three stars and this five so that sounds like improvement to me). I really liked how Ophelia came into her own in this book. I always knew she was a forced to be reckoned with and it was awesome to see that happening in this book. I was so excited to see her taking a strong stand against people (including Great Aunt Mary who she has always been afraid of). I liked the "mystery" element of this story (it wasn't much of a mystery besides figuring out how they would get the bad witch to be punished for her crimes). I loved this book and recommend this series to a cozy reader or someone looking for a light paranormal read.

I have read all the books in this series. This is one of the best. I enjoyed Abby and Ophelia returning to their roots. Ophelia has grown to embrace her powers which was Abby's wish from the beginning of the series. I also enjoyed the furthering of the relationship between Abby and Ethan. I have read that Shirley is going to "shelf" this series for a time. I hope; however, it isn't permanent. I would love to see the growth and maturing of Tink, Abby's continued use of her powers, and the growth of her relationship with Ethan.

Great book, Shirley. I loved it.

Although I agree with Dj this was my favorite in the series so far. I loved the setting (Appalacia) and the strong female characters. I would have liked to have seen some more magic surrounding the circle of stones (Seven Sisters)and the kind of power they could have raised. Hopefully Ms. Damagaard will return us to this place in future books and continue to let us in on the lives, history, and magick of Ophelia's family who live here. The spark of romance was an exciting addition as well... I look forward to seeing how this thread of the stories will play out.

This as an interesting read; I really loved the mountain-y feel that it had about it. I wish that the main character and the love interest would have escalated into a more developed relationship (maybe it does in the books that follow?). I also wished that the villian was a little more villan-y.... What's up w/ all my -y words?

Abby and Ophelia are going to the mountains of north Carolina to see and be with Great aunt Mary's 100th birthday.Ophelia senses there is alot of saddness and mystery around Abby while she is at the old Homestead. A old fued between family witches has cropped up and Ophelia crosses Sharon one of the mountain witches. Sharon practices black arts and everyone on the mountain is afraid of her powers and crossing her.Ophelia thinks she is a fake and sets out to prove it.Several yards from the homestead is a clearing with 7 stones. A ancient people made a sacred place but now it is owned by Sharon Doran and her family of misfits. What is abby's secret? Why was the land sold to the Dorans' if they were so evil?