A Grave Roast - A Review

 Review

A GRAVE ROAST by A. N. Sage
The First Orchard Hollow Mystery 

 

Piper Addison isn't much of a witch. At almost 40 her magical ability is fairly abysmal. She's a solitary witch looked down upon by the mean girls of the local coven, and instead of a nice cat or other animal, her familiar is a snarky ghost. On the upside, she's just opened her own coffee shop, Bean Me Up, and customers are flocking in to get caffeinated. At least until her espresso machine breaks down, she discovers a dead body behind the shop, and the sheriff shuts her down. Piper will soon have more than wonky witchcraft and broken appliances to deal with as she becomes even more involved with the murder and starts investigating on her own.

 

A GRAVE ROAST introduces readers to a misfit witch in a paranormal world. You can't help but feel for Piper, who, even at almost 40, is still subjected to mean girls. I think her doubts about herself and her powers as well as the feeling of having no one to rely on resonates with people. On a positive note, the joy she finds in reaching a dream, especially one that allows her to show some distinctive parts of her personality to the world, resonates as well. While Piper may feel alone-she does have two primary beings in her life-Harry and Stella. I love Harry Houdini, the rascally raccoon who continually breaks in to Bean Me Up to steal treats. We get to read one chapter from his point of view. I wish there was more as it brought better understanding and meaning to his role in the book. While Stella comes off as snarky, she truly is helpful and well meaning... and, well, snarky. There's more to her than meets the eye, however. The same can be said for Joe. The almost slapstick physical encounters with Piper made me laugh and I love how he wants to become involved and help in her investigation. I hope they can work through the bombshell he drops at the end of the book.

 

The mystery itself is compelling and Piper's involvement is understandable. I love how we slowly start to learn more about her and the world of Orchard Hollow.

With humor, lots of coffee, and an intriguing mystery, A GRAVE ROAST is a fun first foray into a magical world.