Hexes and Hemlines: A Witchcraft Mystery by Juliet Blackwell

And the series goes on…

                This time, witch Lily Ivory is asked by the police to help with an investigation.  A dead body has been found in an apartment filled with all sorts of superstitions.  Knowing Lily’s talents, Inspector Carlos Romero wants her thoughts on the situation, but nothing much further than that.  Lily, on the other hand, ends up with other ideas.

                When Lily’s friend Bronwyn starts to become distant, Lily finds it very strange.  New to having friends, and not sure what to do, Lily goes to Bronwyn’s apartment to find out what is the matter.  What she discovers is that Bronwyn’s son-in-law is in trouble, and that trouble may have to do with the body that was found.

                Wanting to help her friend, Lily gets further into the investigation.  The problem is, everyone, including eventually Bronwyn, tells her to stay out.  Even her mentor, Aidan Rhodes, tells her to stay away.  Aidan is so concerned about Lily’s involvement that he sends the surly Sailor to be her bodyguard.  The problem is, no one will tell Lily why they want her stay out of the investigation.  All she knows is the case involves a man many are afraid of.  Someone who calls himself Prince High Zazi, he is a man who is supposedly a devil, as well as the father of the victim.  Without much more information to go on than that, Lily moves forward with her investigation, putting herself, and her friends, in danger.

                I felt badly for Lily in this book.  So many people were telling her what to do without explaining why.  Even though she was only trying to help, and had been previously asked to do so, her friends all got mad at her for helping, which is what they usually want Lily to do.  On top of that, Max returns to town and tells Lily she’s wrong for him because of the fact that she’s a witch.  Getting hit from all sides, it is really only Sailor and her familiar Oscar who continuously stand by Lily’s side.  This is why I’m even more cheering for Sailor (whose walls are starting to come down) and Lily to get together.  If she doesn’t get together with Inspector Romero first, of course.  Both of these men are much better matches than Max, who I have never been fond of.  Or, Lily can stay on her own.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  The important thing is for Lily to stay away from Max who does not accept, and probably never will, who Lily is.  That would be a horrible relationship for Lily to be in.  It would only cause her a lot of hurt, in both the short and the long runs.