Crystals: A Fiona Kendrick Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

by Ann Zavala (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Two middle-aged women become convinced that a little witchcraft can avert the bad luck that has beset their lives. Fiona, a struggling painter whose daughter has an inoperable brain tumor, tries a magic altar. Gia, whose husband just left her, takes the ritualistic sex route. Their experimentation backfires, attracting the attention of a manipulative local coven and the destructive power of a mysterious individual. The subject of witchcraft and the suspense surrounding the final psychic-power showdown will probably hook some readers; however, they must not mind chats, cats, and graphic sex. A marginal purchase from the author of the romantic suspense novel San Francisco Gold (Forge, 1995).
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Kirkus Reviews
When life hands you a lemon, just add eye of newt. At least that's what Fiona Kendrick and her best friend Gia Fields decide when they're overwhelmed by mundane but pressing problems. Fiona, battling the IRS over whether she should be allowed the tax status of a professional artist, has a daughter with a brain tumor and a loving husband with a mysterious past. Gia, a romance author whose husband dumps her for a screechy, bleachy blond, is ready to try anything to turn her life around. So Gia joins forces and fluids with a local coven, and Fiona, who as a child saw auras around her teachers, puts her mind to a little telekinetic murder. Not to worry about the consequences: As Gia tells a Bible-thumping friend, ``This is witchcraft, not devil worship.'' Everything goes fine--professional success, death of enemies, etc.--and then it doesn't: An impromptu meeting of the coven at Fiona's blows up in her face; her daughter takes a turn for the worse; the two friends quarrel and gradually realize that this witchcraft thing isn't as simple as it looks--there are awesomely powerful forces arrayed against them, as any theologian or six-year-old could have predicted. Zavala (San Francisco Gold, 1995) whips up a lumpy souffl‚ of domestic heartache plus witchplay, with intermittent naughty bits and a fine flurry of special effects at the climax. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812523598
• ISBN-13: 978-0812523591
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,479,356 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and engrossing - what more could you want?, January 23, 2000

By A Customer

Crystals is a great book for anyone who enjoys off-beat mysteries and/or books with a pagan/old religion/witch craft (call it what you will) twist. The review I read compared it to The Witches of Eastwick. I think it's closer to Practical Magic in that the characters were more approachable and likable. I particularly liked the main character and her family and found myself easily drawn in to their world. The book itself deals with motherhood, marriage, illness, divorce, romance, bad neighbors - things most of us have gone through or shared with a friend at one point or another. Although there are some pretty serious scenes the overall tone of the book is not too heavy - there are moments of humor and some really great plot twists. I just finished reading and rushed to the computer to see what else was available by the author - unfortunately it appears that the author hasn't written other books of this kind - so Ms. Zavala, if you're reading this - please write more of this genre - I promise I'll even buy it in hardcover!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a "Harry Porter" for grown-ups! Great Fun!, April 4, 2000

By	Lana (Walnut Creek, California) - See all my reviews

This is the kind of book you will want to read every single word of, without skipping anything. The main characters are so real and down to earth, with their passion for chocolate and a soft spot for stray animals, they could be living next door. The problems they face range from unpaid bills piling up and running out of toilet paper to sick children and abusive husbands; something most of us women out there can relate to. The writing style is amazing! The nightmare scenes are so vivid and intense, I had to put the book down several times, almost too frightened to continue. The ending is absolutely priceless! Great story!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Worst book ever written?, August 1, 2007

By	J. DeVenuto "sweet tooth" (Wakefield, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...

The subject matter is quite appealing. Two women, convinced their bad luck is due to some sort of a "curse", decide to fight back by learning to use witchcraft.

HOWEVER...

The writing style is appalling. For instance, at one point in the middle of the book (page 195), a major fire takes place because the neighborhood is undergoing a drought. NOWHERE has this fact been mentioned earlier. No mention of anyone sweating profusely, complaints of endless hot humid days, comments about fear of fire, no mention of what season the book takes place in, etc. In fact, on page 168, "The smell of rain was even sharper here (her backyard), overlaid with the metallic scent of lightening." Page 170 then states, "As the storm neared..." Hmmmmmmm....Drought? What drought? In fact, the "heroine" is forever lighting candles inside her house, despite the (suddenly-manufactured) drought.

Several times the author cannot even keep her own characters straight and refers to them by another character's name in a very climactic part of the novel. You want to scream, "Remember your own characters, okay?"

One of the heroines, Fiona, purportedly has a melodramatically-dying-yet-not-dying daughter, Megan. Megan keeps mysteriously appearing and disappearing (no witch craft involved, honestly!) throughout the novel. At one point, Megan, Fiona and Fiona's husband, Harper, are outside, having a conversation (page 275.) Suddely, Megan simply stops existing in the text. It's as if the author forgot she had inserted Megan into the scene.

This novel has way too many moments of this sort. One minute, Fiona is desperately worried about money, the next moment, she gets a huge contract from a greeting card company and she rejoices! The next minute, we're back to no-money pathos. Then she gets a huge check from the IRS. Then we're back to no-money pathos. On and on this theme goes. It gets old fast.

But wait! That's not all! You also get a free Ginsu knife in this book! The women ostensibly are practicing Wicca, although Wicca is supposedly all about white magic (doing no one any harm at any time, not creating harmful spells, etc.) These women start using Wicca for harmful purposes though, almost immediately. (And yes, Ginsu knives are involved.)

One could even overlook that aspect, as well as the entire silly, melodramatic, romantic-wanna-be novel IF...the novel didn't become downright nasty and twisted towards the end. The actions of retribution taken by Fiona against both a neigbor who calls animal control to kill Fiona's skunks, as well as the animal control officer, are mind-bogglingly appalling.

Interestingly enough, although this book feels as if a Jr. High schooler patched it together as their first writing project, the sex scenes were decently written and entertaining.