Customer Reviews

Speak Daggers to Her

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For less money, you can buy "Bell, Book, and Murder" instead, which is a compilation of all three Bast books (including this one). Wish someone had told me before I bought all four!

For years, I thought the sub-sub-sub-genre of positive urban pagan fiction, with a good witch as the central character, began and ended with Mercedes Lackey's creation, Diana Tregarde.

Happily, I stand corrected.

Bast (aka "Karen Hightower"), is one of those characters whom I would love to meet in real life--intelligent, funny, flawed and very stubborn. Upon recieving a distraught phone call concerning the death of a pagan newbie, Bast finds herself winding through a maze of black magic, coven politics, and religious fakery (saying something is "Wicca" when there isn't even a shadow of a resemblance).

Edghill also provides a wonderful tour of the Manhattan pagan scene (good, bad, and downright nasty). The author is not above taking a well-aimed shot at the hyprocracies lodged in both the mainstream and alternative religions.

Bast is also portrayed as having a "Real Life". Ever notice how, in some books, the protagonist is described as having a profession; but doesn't spend a lot of time working at it? Too busy tracking down evil oogies from the Netherworld, I guess. Kudos to Edghill for having the sense to not only require her brain-child to hold down a nine-to-five job as a graphics designer and layout person, but have Bast actuall *go to work* during the story. Manhattan rent aren't paid in fairy lights and levin bolts, ya know!

Good work on developing a villian who is a classic in Occult fiction: the ultimate head-tripper who truly believes their own press. You'll see how the abuser sets the stage, chats up the victim, begins to extract promises and behavior that no ethically-minded person should ever do, and then begins to demonstrate what happens when the victim tries to escape. A good guide for all Seekers, no matter the Path.

The ending might be a let down for some, but remember: Bast is dealing with the "Real World". She doesn't have hands that shoot out blue lightning, or flashy Jackie Chan-style tactics, or the Goddess physically manifesting as a shining Being at the eleventh hour. All Bast has are brains and bit of bravery.

A nice, entertaining read.

Fantasy mysteries are getting more and more popular. SPEAK DAGGERS TO HER by Rosemary Edghill was one of the earlier efforts. This is the first of a series of mysteries staring Bast the witch.

If you happen to have any knowledge of Wicca, Neo-Paganism, Gardnerian and all of the rest you should get a kick out of this book.

Bast is called by a friend and fellow coven member when a mutual friend dies. While handling all of the details Bast comes across some inconsistencies. Miriam, who we never see alive, recently joined a Russian based sect that boasts that their power struck her down when she tried to abandon the group. Bast investigates further and gets drawn into the sect.

There are two reasons that this book can be considered cross-genre. The first is that only a science fiction fan will get all of the science fiction jokes, plugs, analogies and whatnot the pepper the book liberally. The other is the element of magic. Because it is talked about in religious terms it is left to the reader to decide whether magic or coincidence plays a role in the events.

Rosemary Edghill is both a mystery and a fantasy author. However, I have one small problem with the book. While Bast continually uses science fiction references there is absolutely no mention of her reading or watching the stuff. Other than that I found it to be a very enjoyable book. You will probably find it in the mystery section although the spine is unlabeled.

If you're tired of the same old thing in your mysteries, if you think you'll scream if you see another Agatha Christie reissue, here's a book that will alternately have you rolling with laughter and gripping the sides of your chair in suspense.
The narrator Bast (Karen Hightower only to those who don't know her at all) is a heroine quite different from any you've seen before. She's a member of the New York City wiccan community, and while I don't know much about wiccan, I can vouch that the wry humor about New York City, as lived by the unsung many who are just above the poverty line, but way below the Park Avenue co-op crowd, is dead on. The subways are crowded, unpleasant, and always marginally scary, but the heroine rides them anyway; there's no other way to get around if you can't afford cabs. And the apartments range from classic lofts where a modern day Madame de Stael holds court among her New Age friends, to an upper, upper West Side apartment whose living room has been furnished by "people who have always been roommates." The book is also, when it turns to death by black magic, quite terrifying, in an understated fashion that makes it all the more horrific.
Rosemary Edghill--already known to her fans as a writer of topnotch Regencies and fantasy--has turned to the mystery genre with great effect.

This book is wonderful. It is a murder mystery set in NYC's Wiccan community. Ms. Edghill's descriptions of both NYC and the Wiccan community are on target. She also manages to weave the thread of Wicca into the story so that it is an integral part of the plot. She doesn't use it for shock value or just to have a hook. It's a must read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery, whether Wiccan or not

I was delighted to find Speak Daggers to Her. It was a top notch, fast paced, easy to read mystery. If you are a witch or a pagan, you MUST read this book. It is one of the few that accurately portrays modern witchcraft. Others might want to learn the truth about wicca in a painless way. I couldn't put this book down, and I raced through it.

Simply wonderful. It's a bit light, but sometimes we need a good, easy read. My favorite part of this book and the second in the series was Edghill's excellent character development of Bast, our reluctant heroine. Highly recommended for a dark night when it's a touch cool outside and the wind knocking at your door.

#1 in the Bast mystery series, featuring Karen Hightower, a Wiccan living in New York whose magical name is Bast. When Miriam, a friend from the Pagan Community is found by her lover dead at home with no apparent injuries, the lover panics because of some run-ins with the law and calls Bast. A quick perusal of Miriam and her home reveals that she had gotten involved with some questionable practitioners--she's wearing a chicken claw necklace and Bast finds a strange, small book that looks similar to a Catholic missal, but it's written with blood.

Things get even stranger when Bast checks her answering machine messages later in the day and finds one from Miriam asking for her help. If not for that, Bast might've been willing to let it slide. The police aren't interested in Miriam's death, her sister in the midwest is estranged from her, and how would you convict someone of causing death magically anyway? For that's what Bast believes has happened and sets out to prove it for her own (and Miriam's) peace. Her searches eventually lead her to Ruslan, who heads a group practicing a form of Russian shamanism that involve drugs, submission and black magic. The few people she tells within her own coven and circle of friends at first don't believe her and then are unwilling to help bring justice for Miriam's death. Bast examines her own beliefs and practices as she decides how she will proceed.

I really enjoyed this book, first of all because it's realistic (although, written in the mid-90's, a bit dated) and doesn't treat the idea of Witches and Pagans as a "para"normal thing, but as a real system of beliefs and practices--which it is. I like Bast, I liked her grasp on the whole Pagan Community and I loved the sense of place the author imparted--this is New York, yes, but New York seen from a Pagan point of view. Unfortunately there are only three in this series...fortunately, I have the other two and am looking forward to them!