That Old Black Magic (Lizzie Hart Mysteries #2) Caroline Fardig

Lizzie Hart is a copy editor for a local newspaper. After an attempt on her life where she was seriously injured, she returns to work hoping to continue her life without any fanfare. However, fate seems to have other plans.  A friend of Lizzie's is found murdered and his fiancée is the main suspect. To find the murderer she has to infiltrate a coven, but in another twist of events, people close to a few members of the coven go missing. 

This was one suspenseful but hilarious read! Written in the first person, Lizzie’s sarcastic wit balances out the gravity of the murder she tries to solve. She does not pull any punches and says things as they are, but she is also sensitive to the sensibilities of the victim’s family. She is unlike her love interest, Blake, who will stop at nothing to get a story at any cost. While the murder is resolved, this book ends in a cliffhanger which readers may find a little frustrating. There is also a sense of the ending being rushed without much resolution except for the fact that the murder was solved.

Nevertheless, this was a good read that entertains one with the heroine’s remarks and the secondary characters’ antics, which will draw several chortles or more and have readers anxious to read Lizzie's next adventure!

M.P. Ceja