Potions Are for Pushovers

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “Potions are for Pushovers” the 2nd instalment in the “An Eleanor Wilde Mystery” series by Tamara Berry. I was able to read as a stand-alone easily but recommend you read Seances Are for Suckers first.

Potions Are for Pushovers by Tamara Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It may have been a ghost that led Eleanor Wilde to set up shop in a quaint English village. But now that she’s established herself as the town witch, Ellie’s contentedly casting spells on anyone desperate enough—or gullible enough—to request her mysterious potions…

Selling mystical elixirs and tantalizing tonics is a pretty good way for a fake medium to earn a living. Or at least it’s Ellie’s main source of income—until a villager turns up dead. The cause? Murder by poisoning. And though Ellie’s concoctions don’t include anything worthy of a skull and crossbones, suddenly she’s the prime suspect. Her only recourse is to find the culprit who did do away with Sarah Blackthorne. No one liked the mean old battle-axe. But did anyone hate her enough to kill her?

It’s enough of a mystery to make Ellie hang up her witch’s hat and take millionaire beau Nicholas Hartford up on his offer to keep her afloat. Except Ellie is not the kind of woman to lean on a man—least of all a man she adores but whose place in her life is uncertain. Besides, Ellie’s taken on two young witches-in-training—apprentices if you will—and both of them are convinced a werewolf is the murderer.

Just as Ellie’s wondering if there really is something otherworldly going on, animals suddenly begin to disappear—including her beloved cat, Beast. Now Ellie’s on the warpath to uncover the wicked truth about the people and the place she’s only just begun to call home…

I enjoyed the setting of the small village is Sussex England. I found the story to be fun and well-written, with quirky characters and a realistic protagonist in Eleanor. We all have flaws and insecurities , and some of us have even felt like an outsider before so I found Eleanor to be a fabulous main character. I love her cat Beast, (just rescued 2 kittens last week I could picture one of them as her familiar). Her apprentices Lenora and Rachel are a hoot as well.

The mystery was well written with plenty of twists and turns and had a steady pace, even had a few surprises. I suspected but didn’t fully figure out whodunit until it was revealed at the end.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal mysteries.

I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


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