The Trouble With Magic (Bewitching Mysteries, No. 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Madelyn Alt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2006

Antiques-shop clerk Maggie O'Neill was a little weirded out when she discovered her new boss Felicity was a witch. But when Felicity becomes the suspect in a local murder, Maggie must enlist Felicity's wiccan friends for help--and discover her own spellbinding talent.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Madelyn Alt’s series opener, THE TROUBLE WITH MAGIC, casts a cozy and often wickedly witty spell." -- Nero Blanc, author of the Crossword Mystery series

"Readers will delight in a terrific mix of murder, magic, and high spirits... An irresistible page-turner." -- Dolores Stewart Riccio, author of THE DIVINE CIRCLE OF LADIES MAKING MISCHIEF

"THE TROUBLE WITH MAGIC is simply spellbinding. A real treasure, one you won't want to miss!" -- Ronda Thompson, author of THE WILD WULFS OF LONDON paranormal romance series

"Will keep you glued to your seat until the last page. In fact, the only TROUBLE is that it ends!" -- Dorothy Morrison, author of EVERYDAY MAGIC

From the Inside Flap

WITCHY WOMAN

I peered out, straining to discern precious details. Dimly I could make out a glint on the asphalt drive below. Marcus's motorcycle. So he'd not left yet. I leaned closer to the window and tried to look straight down.

Without even the slightest hesitation or stab of conscience, I found myself moving the latch to the right and carefully sliding the sash upward, inch by inch.

Cold swept into the room like a marauding invader, invisibly, insidiously. I shivered and dropped to my knees, resting my hands on the sill. They were right down there, all right.

A ring of light edged into view, rippling like water. An oil lamp or flame of some sort. The light moved, and then I could see the two of them, glowing like fairy people in the darkness of night.

They were heading for the woods.

I watched the swinging lantern and shadowy figures disappear into an invisible treeline that I knew must be there. I stayed at the window, despite the fact that I was shivering to beat the devil, and kept scanning the far distance for some sign of what they were doing. It wasn't long before I saw a pale glow lighting the treetops.

Fire? And voices, wafting to me on the wind.

Chanting.

Adrenaline zipped up my spine. I hastily closed the window and climbed into bed, dragging the soft blankets up to my chin. No wonder Marcus and Felicity were an item. They were magical partners. Did they work with others? A coven of witches? Were they out there now?

What had I gotten myself into?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (January 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425207463
• ISBN-13: 978-0425207468
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Madelyn Alt, here. When it comes to The Bewitching Mysteries, I am a blend of creator, innocent bystander, and goddess divine. Which means, I am a writer, a.k.a. one of those strange people who sits staring at the walls for most of the day, sometimes glazed over, sometimes frowning, and sometimes giggling {madly!}.

Contrary to opinions expressed by some, being a writer does not mean that I sit down at the computer every day for a specific amount of time for a set number of days, effortlessly spilling forth the requisite number of words, until finally, POOF! A novel ready for publication. Writing is hard work. Hard, I tell you. Some days, the only way to get through it with your ego intact is with large quantities of chocolate.

But' that being said, it is all worth it in the end because that's when I meet you. The readers. The beautiful people. Your support has been overwhelmingly positive from the very beginning, and I can't thank you enough... Bless you again, and again, and again!


For those who haven't yet been initiated:

The Bewitching Mysteries feature small town single girl and fledgling empath Maggie O'Neill, her witchy boss, and her circle of ghosthunting friends, the N.I.G.H.T.S., as they investigate an increasing level of paranormal disturbance--not to mention a series of unrelated murders--in Maggie's hometown of Stony Mill, Indiana.

A base of mystery, a dash of paranormal fantasy, a smattering of romantic banter, all blended together to create a magical and irreverent cross-genre brew. Mysteries . . . with Hex Appeal!

Readers can contact me through my website at www.MadelynAlt.com. You can sample my personal blog at www.madmadly.blogspot.com, a fun combined blog I share with the Witchy Chicks at www.witchychicks.blogspot.com, or if you've joined the MySpace movement, you can visit me at www.myspace.com/madelynalt. Feel free to pop in and say hi ' I love the company. =)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, January 5, 2006

By 

Deborah A. Barnum "Deb" (Chicago IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Trouble With Magic (Bewitching Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Trouble With Magic draws you right in from the first page. Maggie, dissatisfied with her current job makes a leap of faith,and accepts a job offer to work for Felicity, owner of an upscale antique shoppe, and incidently a practising Witch. The two womnen quickly become friends, and their story spirals into an enchanting, intelligent, often witty tale of magic, self-discovery, murder and mystery. The result is the reader, at least this reader is left wanting MORE, PLEASE. Madelyn Alt is an intelligent, exciting new author who promises to become a great favorite.

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another star!, June 19, 2006

By 

ellen "ellen in atlanta" (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Trouble With Magic (Bewitching Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the 1st of the series that features Maggie O'Niell, and her new friends - Felicity, who gave her a job at Enchantments, an antique shop/metaphysical treasure-filled business, Marcus, a darkly sexy man whom Maggie thinks is Felicity's man, a tough cop, whom Maggie is attracted to, etc.
When Felicity is called to her sister's house, she finds her sister murdered and she becomes the main suspect. Oh, did I forget to tell you Felicity's a witch? Maggie can't quite fathom the world of the metaphysical, shows us she is a sensitive, and begins her journey into this realm.
The 1st page catches you and the book is very entertaining -
Looking forward to the next in the series -
Ms. Alt joins the fine company of Victora Laurie, whose works I love -
Not for those who cannot accept "woo-woo" as it is called in the book - but a fine read.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars There's a potentially good series here, February 5, 2006

By 

Lady Anne (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Trouble With Magic (Bewitching Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Maggie's a nice girl with an awful job who meets a friendly witch, who offers her a nice job selling pretty things to rich people. The nice witch is a suspect in her sister's murder, and we get to meet all the other people in Maggie's life as she tries to clear her boss's name. There are some hunky guys. And Maggie apparently has some kind of psychic Gift.

Okay, so it's not particularly gripping or original, but it's got potential. The book ends with comments that foreshadow something big, bad, and definitely paranormal. Now that Maggie knows she has some kind of Gift, hopefully she'll work on learning how to use it in the next book. There's also the possiblity for a love triangle that would cause some big problems, and other love and family troubles, especially if Maggie decides to persue Witchcraft.

I'll check out the next one, but my big hope is that the paranormal aspects of the stories are expanded on, and that the author continues to spice up Maggie's blah life.