| Title | : | Charms Witchdemeanors (Wicked Witches of the Midwest, #8) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 384 |
| Publication | : | First published May 1, 2016 |
When a local woman is poisoned at Hemlock Cove’s senior center, Aunt Tillie is the prime suspect. Bay, Thistle and Clove don’t believe their great-aunt is guilty – although Thistle is fine if the police want to haul her away for a long weekend.
Everyone in town is suspicious, but things spiral out of control when FBI Agent Landon Michaels’ boss believes he can’t be objective where his girlfriend’s family is concerned and sends another agent to lead the investigation. The new agent is gung-ho, headstrong and making witchy enemies at every turn.
When the investigation turns to the past instead of the present, Aunt Tillie refuses to talk and a long held Hemlock Cove secret risks being exposed. Bodies start piling up as old grudges overlap with new clues and the Winchesters are caught in the crossfire.
Bay is determined to clear her great-aunt’s name but even she has her doubts when the victim’s ghost points a finger … directly at Aunt Tillie. It’s all hands on deck for an explosive showdown that proves some secrets are best left buried.
Bay just hopes she won’t end up buried, too.
Charms Witchdemeanors (Wicked Witches of the Midwest, #8) Reviews
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I never thought I'd enjoy rereading the series as much as I am enjoying it.
This one offered some history of the "seasoned" citizens of Hemlock Cove (or Walkerville). We got to see the origins of the decades long rivalry between Aunt Tillie and Mrs Little. Mrs Little is horrible btw. And I have newfound respect for Aunt Tillie. The woman is loyal to a fault. She'd never let your secret out. Even if you're dead.
Landon and Bay are as cute as ever. I fully agree with Director Newton, Thistle, Aunt Tillie and probably every person in this series that they should be in a romantic movie. That being said, Landon’s character seriously need to develop and he needs to shed his "alpha male" attitude (which I know happens in the coming books but it still is a little annoying).
Agent Goober was a nice addition. He was very annoying, mind you. But I loved reading Aunt Tillie and Thistle's retorts to his comments. My personal favourite has to be -
“I was selling my wares,”Aunt Tillie replied. Because her “wares”included illegally made wine and the occasional dime bag of medicinal pot, that was a potential land mine in a sea of absurdity.
“I don’t know what that means,”Noah said. “Is she a prostitute?”
“Yes, Noah. She’s an eighty-one-year-old prostitute in Hemlock Cove,”Thistle deadpanned. “She’s rich!”
Sarcasm was obviously wasted on Landon’s new partner. “That’s against the law,”Noah said. “You should probably refer to me in a more professional manner, too. It’s Agent Glenn.”
“I’m going to call you Agent Genital Wart,”Aunt Tillie said, causing Thistle to snicker and Landon to drop his head. -
Writing this mid-read so I can hopefully explain better than I have in regards to previous books in this series.
Landon. Really REALLY needs to go to anger management classes! I get there needs to be conflict for a story to be interesting and I get that couples fight, but calm down dude! That is NOT normal or constructive fighting and that is not how all couples fight. By this point in the series he has to know Bay is going to go try to find the ghost. Heck he practically asks her to in previous books. These two have got to figure out how to communicate. He needs to have Bay's back not assume she's stupid.
If I had a friend whose boyfriend *knew* she got wrapped around an axle when they fought and I found out he deliberately said to her, "You and I are going to blow the roof later ... prepare yourself for a big fight." I'd be begging her to dump the jackass because that's right on the line of mental abuse. It's like he gets off on seeing her upset.
Not cool dude. Not cool at all. No amount of long luxurious locks and looking pretty and bacon love can cover that up.
I love the snark and infighting among the family. You can feel the love amidst even the snarkiest of the snark, but the yelling at Bay thing is like kicking a puppy. If she stood up for herself I might be less all over this topic, but she seems to curl up in a ball and wait for the kicking to be done.
On the positive side, I've practically guffawed a few times while reading up to this point and I'll keep up with the series as it continues. There are definitely more laughs and smiles than angst in the book and I'd still recommend it to friends.
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- Update after finishing the book -
Landon got a little better and even said a few of the things to Bay I wish he'd said all along. That said, it bugs me that Bay and the cousins do all the investigating especially toward the end, which fizzled out instead of ending with a bang. The snark and sass are what saved this book for me. -
This was pretty good, although I am so over Landon Michaels' character.
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5 Stars... I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every read in this series, but for some reason the majority of them hovered right there at 4.5 Stars; this one just toppled right over to that 5 Star read for me… It held all the elements that I have come to love in Amanda Lee's writing, humor, family bonds, intense romance, an intriguing mystery, but I think this one just had that extra intensity that I desire both in the character relationships as well as the overall storyline... A great mystery that twisted and turned until the big reveal at the end that I certainly did not see coming; well thought out and impactful to the character development... Also, the romance between Bay and Landon runs that fine line between sweet and sexy filled in with some sass to give it flavor... Just adore these zany characters and their heartfelt and hilarious interactions... Fantastic read from start to finish!:)
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Well done Amanda Lee: I didn’t even guess the culprit in the mystery until you wanted me to.
The cousins are a hoot - picking on each other but supporting when it counted. The whole family is nuts and it’s so much fun listening in. (And this is said in spite of me reading the story - not as an audiobook - because that’s what it feels like.) -
Not the biggest fan of the new narrator. Her voice she does for Thistle sounds like a man's voice.
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Oh man I've missed this crazy family. I love these witches and the aunt. It's amazing how many murders take place in this small town. In this one everyone is trying to clear Aunt Tillie. It seems the harder they try the more it seems like it's her. She one tough cookie to crack and is willing to take some secrets to the grave with her. We see the relationships growing stronger.
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Warning--do not read this book if you have an aversion to clowns...or bacon.
Charms & Witchdemeanors is the 8th full length book in the Midwest series. On the family front, the three witchy cousins (Bay, Thistle & Clove) are anxious about Clove's decision to move in with her boyfriend. Things become complicated when their wily Aunt Tillie is accused of poisoning an elderly woman at the senior center. Her accuser (and long time rival), Mrs Little, contacts the local FBI office instead of the town sheriff. She believed the sheriff's close ties to Tillie's family would prevent him from taking the matter seriously.
Bay is understandably surprised when her FBI boyfriend, Landon, is accompanied by a newbie agent, Noah, to investigate the crime. High jinks, bickering and more murder ensue...just another day in Hemlock Cove.
Amanda Lee has a knack for creating insane magical families. Wicked Witches of the Midwest and the Aisling Grimlock series are a joy to read. I know that each new book will be chock full of high energy happenings and hilarious sibling competition.
Is the series goofy and completely unbelievable? Of course! But there's almost nothing better than escaping on a Bay Winchester adventure for a few hours (perhaps with a chocolate martini in hand). -
Charms & Witchdemeanors: Wicked Witches of the Midwest 8
2.5 stars
Chronological order not necessary but recommended.
In A Nutshell:Aunt Tillie is accused of poisoning at the senior centre. Noah Glenn, the assigned FBI agent, is gung-ho, headstrong and believes Aunt Tillie guilty. So her great-nieces step up to prove Aunt Tillie innocent. There are good one-liners and fun until Landon (her great-niece's beau) spoils the story.
The Plot: When a resident dies from coffee poisoning after the euchre tournament, Aunt Tillie is in the frame. She did promise retribution for losing. Mrs Little accuses her longtime rival Aunt Tillie of poising her competition. And because of the local sheriff close ties to Tillie's family, she calls in the FBI.
The Protagonist(s):Bay Winchester is the lead protagonist. She is a witch and a journalist. Sadly, the independent Bay of the days of old has become weak and insipid. Fortunately, we have Aunt Tillie as the strong, crazy but wise protagonist.
Aunt Tillie is a hoot and the reason why I return to these books. She is my role model for when I reach maturity. In this story she is splendid: disagreeable, smart, all knowing and lie.
The other reason to read these books is a look at some aspects of American culture. Landon, beau to the weak Bay is awful. So, Bay is involved in a shooting and is recovering from shock. Landon forbids her family from disturbing her. Anyway, quite rightfully, Bay's mother Winnie turns up. It is her daughter and her guest house where Bay lives. It's in defiance of Landon's instruction not to disturb them. So, Landon tells her that she cannot see her daughter. It's classic domestic abuse behaviour: isolate the victim from the family. And then he says he is getting naked in the tub with her!
Notwithstanding that Landon is an awful character, he was almost bearable this time around. The subplots see the cousins, well Clove, developing. And I like how the family pick up the cue and act in concert. But the star is Aunt Tillie. She is enough to try the patience of a saint.
It's Aunt Tillie so go for it.
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Book Rating
Sexual Content: U
Language: U
Violent: u
Would I read the next oneor reread?: Yes
My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1* Finished the book but didn't like it.
2* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot.
5* A great read. A prominent example of the genre. -
I’m starting to skim
I love the Winchesters. I love Chief Terry.
I cannot stand Landon. Once again, I’m reading a series by an author who seems to delight in making the male love interest in the series a controlling caveman. The Mystic Caravan books have the same issue. Kade and Landon are cut from the same cloth.
Landon yells, puffs out his chest, tells every single person what to do. It’s annoying. And Bay is so insecure. Every. Single. Book. She’s convinced he’s going to leave her and breaks down into a sobbing, morose mess. She’s not independent. She doesn’t seem to be a very powerful witch either. Aunt Tillie has the power, Bay waits are puny for her man to come home and yell and worries about him leaving her at any moment.
I prefer Aisling Grimlock or Izzy Sage or even Zoe from the authors other series.
I’m finding myself skimming pages every few chapters when Bay and Landon go through the usual “ I’m mad, we are going to fight” and “are you going to leave me?” And I love you so much let’s have sex”. It’s every book.
I found this series after reading Mystic Caravan so I’m going from one book to the next. Going thru them at full speed is causing me to grow weary of the male love interests and some of the stories from each series are too similar.
I’ll try to read the rest but I’m struggling with Neanderthal Landon and Insecure Bay. The ridiculous amount of times they have sex in the books seems to be the only time they get along with crying or yelling. -
When a 60 year old secret leaves a trail of death..
Mrs Little is a woman on a mission, spying Tillie at the Senior Center she's been banned from attending, Mrs Little not only reports her to Chief Terry but also Landon's boss at the FBI office in Traverse City.. making ever more outlandish claims even accusing her of murder before a body turns up.
So when Patty Grimes is found dead at home the following morning and there's a suspicion that she was poisoned Aunt Tillie is directly in the firing line and Chief Terry has no choice but to follow up even as Tillie pulls every stunt she can to drive him to despair.. quack!
Never one to be daunted Tillie continues to fight every step of the way refusing to reveal what she was up to at the Center, let alone why she'd fallen out with Patty all those years ago.
Wary about Mrs Little's claims that Chief Terry and he would hide the evidence, Landon brings in another Agent, Noah Glenn, to run the investigation but Glenn is gung-ho, blinkered and an all round douche.. he refuses to look beyond Aunt Tillie and when more victims appear he's more than happy to accuse Bay, Thistle and Clove of murdering them to protect Aunt Tillie.
It's going to take all the bacon to keep Langdon calm, truth spells, ghostly conversations and a big admission from Tillie to get it solved.. Mrs Little has a lot to answer for once again.. -
I chose this book because I wanted something that was silly, fluffy and light-hearted. This is book book eight of this series where a family of witches reside in a town that re-braded itself as “witch” town to promote tourism.
The tourism is working and the Winchester’s are still an enigma to the town. In fact, Aunt Tillie is hated by many of the original townspeople. as she is always spouting curses to get back at them.
Now, Aunt Tillie is a person of interest in the poisoning of the coffee machine at the senior center in Hemlock Cove. The reigning ladies have accused her of the poisoning and banned her from the center.
When a body is found and rumor has it that death was caused by poison; Mrs. Little calls the FBI and claims that Sherriff Terry can’t be impartial because he is in cahoots with the family. So, two FBI agents are sent to Hemlock Cove, with a new agent, Noah Glenn assigned the lead with Landon to assist him. Noah is gung-ho, ambitious and quickly makes witchy enemies.
Read the hi-jinks of the Winchester’s as they try to solve the murder of Patty Grimes, while attempting to rein in Aunt Tillie from exposing their “witch” powers. -
I just love this series! 😁
I'm addicted.
7 (witchy) women (three generations) running an Inn in a small town.
A close, loving, loyal family, with all the bickering, hair pulling, and snarky comments that go with being a part of a family.
The guests are witness to all the goings-on, but think it's dinner theater.
Totally hilarious!!
Throw in a couple of murders, ghosts, poltergeists, and spells.
Add to that a hunky FBI agent.
And last but not least, 85 year old Aunt Tillie, (think Granny, Beverley Hillbillies,) who curses anybody who gets 'on her list' with (imaginitive, mostly harmless, but very, very irksome) spells. Especially when they mess with her pot (oops! I mean oregano) field.
As I said ... I'm hooked. -
Once again, it's something in Aunt Tillie's past that is coming to haunt Bay Winchester. This time, Patty Grimes has been poisoned and Mrs. Little has called in the FBI. Normally, that would be fine because Bay would get to see her boyfriend, Landon, but this time a new FBI agent, Noah Grimes, is sent as well. And Noah seems bound and determined to put Tillie behind bars.
Unfortunately, that means that Bay and her cousins are going to have to prove Tillie's innocence. That becomes a problem when more of Mrs. Little's friends start dying.
An interesting story, this one involves Edith, the ghost from the newspaper office. Did all of the pieces fit together neatly? Maybe, maybe not but this is a fun series and they don't really need to in order to enjoy the books. -
You have to like witches, snarly comebacks, and wicked humor to enjoy this series of books.
The players in this series of books are the only real witches in the town of Hemlock Cove. Everyone in town is convinced the cousins and aunts are witches but no one knows for sure, except perhaps the people who make the mistake of messing with a member of the family. The series won't be for everyone but I have found the series to be thoroughly entertaining. The series has all the twist, turns and the unexpected of a good mystery. Throw in a little magic and witchy humor and you had have a fun to read page turner. -
No magic?
Another great story in the Midwest! I really wish I could hang out with this family. Funny, funny, funny! Not sure I could handle the life and death situations, but eh, with Aunt Tillie I'd risk it.
As much as I love the magical revenge/saves, it was kinda cool that karma really did deliver in this story. Can't wait to see what happens next! Hopefully a little more Clove. She's so sweet! How I can adore someone I totally would not like in real life is crazy..... I'm more of a Thistle girl in real life. Lol -
I enjoyed another series by the same author, and her books are free on Kindle Unlimited, so I gave this series a chance, reading all the books back to back, so they all run into each other in my head. It was fun. If you like cozies (light mysteries without much suspense - think "Murder She Wrote") and you like paranormal novels, this series is perfect for you. The characters are loveable and a lot of fun. The mysteries are not that hard to solve, but enjoyable all the same. Aunt Tillie is a really funny character.
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This was the funniest Witches of the Midwest as of yet.
There has been a suspicious death of a woman who was an acquaintance of Aunt Tillie, and when it comes out that she was poisoned, Aunt Tillie becomes the main suspect. The cousins, Bay, Thistle, and Clove try to find out who really is the killer and Clove is moving out of the guesthouse and into the Dandridge with her boyfriend Sam. This book had me laughing out loud and sometimes snorting. It is a worth while book, I highly recommend it. -
Mysteries galore!!!
In this book, aunt Tillie's past was explored. When certain elderly ladies are murdered then Bay comes to the realisation that it all centres around certain events that occurred many many years ago.
Aunt Tillie refuses to reveal anything.
This time the Feds send another agent to investigate the murders. Edith murder gets resolved and loads of secrets are revealed about the residents. -
This eights installment in the "Wicked Witches of the Midwest" was by far the hardest for me to read. Aunt Tillie's persona becomes harder and harder to tolerate and I was seriously peeved by her character. I'm glad that she's in focus only in the first third of the book.
When you get past that, the plot will suprise you in a rather positive way. I really enjoyed the way everything developed and I cannot wait to pick up the next book. -
Loyalty & Stubborness know no bounds!!
Another great book in this series. Another mystery that goes back a few years & has Aunt Tillie digging in her heels with Stubborness & loyalty.
Amanda Lee has an amazing sence of humour & sarcasm. I love the way she has the characters interacting, it's so realistic. Some of the words used are a bit 'odd' & 'unusual' but they fit in well with the storyline & characters. -
Five stars
Somehow I missed reading this book in the series! This book ties up a lot of things that had left me wondering... Welcome to another issue of the crazy Winchester family of witches. Murder and mayhem abound as a sixty year old scandal surfaces in Hemlock Cove. I love the author's snarky sense of humor and Aunt Tillie is my hero! I want to grow up to be just like her. Well written and well edited.
