Bookish Thoughts: Jennifer David Hesse's Midsummer Night's Mischief/Bell, Book & Candlemas/Yuletide Homicide

The intruder knew it was wrong to be there. ~ Opening of Midsummer Night's Mischief

Midsummer Night's Mischief (Wiccan Wheel Mystery, #1) 

by Jennifer David Hesse

Kensington, 2016

Crime Fiction; 352 pgs

Occasionally I go on a series binge, and my most recent one was Jennifer David Hesse’s Wiccan Wheel Mysteries featuring attorney Keli Milanni. The first in the series is Midsummer Night’s Mischief. As Summer Solstice approaches things seem to be going relatively well on the work front for Keli. She’s just landed a big case, involving a heirloom worth millions, when suddenly things take a turn for the worst. Her client is found murdered, the Shakespearean heirloom is stolen, and the family is blaming her, putting her job on the line.

I know something about the Wiccan religion, but not a lot, and so it was interesting to get a glimpse of it through Keli’s eyes. It’s presented in a much more realistic way than most of the paranormal cozies I have read featuring witches which lean more heavily in the fantastical direction. In a society that ostracizes those who practice Wicca or other non-traditional religions, it is no wonder Keli tries to keep her own beliefs and practice a secret. Even her best friend does not know.

Midsummer Night’s Mischief introduces several characters who will appear over the course of the series, including Crenshaw, a rather proper and formal sort of lawyer who also works at Keli’s firm. There’s Farrah, Keli’s best friend—the kind of best friend  I always wish I had--who would drop everything and come running when Keli calls. There is also Wes, the photographer, part-time bartender, who Keli feels a distinct attraction to. Wouldn’t you know it that just as Keli gives in to her feelings, Wes becomes one of the suspects in the murder investigation. She does not really know much about him, but she hopes he won’t turn out to be the killer. My favorite character of all, even over Keli though, has to be Mila, the owner of the New Age gift shop in town. Wouldn’t I love to be her friend too?! 

While not an all-around nail-biting suspense novel, Midsummer Night’s Mischief did have some intense moments and it kept me guessing for a while. I think I suspected a number of characters (so many have believable motives), although I kept coming back to the same one. I liked that the detective assigned to investigate the crime seems like a smart and decent. This was a fun mystery overall, and I could not wait to dive into the next book in the series. Which I obviously did right away. 

*                    *                    *

The energy in the air was palpable. ~ Opening of Bell, Book & Candlemas

Bell, Book & Candlemas (Wiccan Wheel Mystery, #2) 
by Jennifer David Hesse
Kensington, 2016
Crime Fiction; 352 pgs

Time flies in Edindale, Illinois although it feels like just yesterday I just finished reading the first book in Jennifer David Hesse’s Wiccan Wheel Mystery series. Talk about taking it up a notch! Hesse certainly does just that in this second installment. Maybe it had something to do with the focus on my favorite character in the series, Mila, but, even then, this one seemed more action packed, suspenseful, and had me guessing pretty much to the end. There was also more description of Wiccan beliefs and traditions, which I appreciated.

Moonstone Treasures, Mila’s New Age gift shop, has been the recent target of vandals.  Threats and accusations of witchcraft have Mila on edge. And no wonder. Keli wants to help her friend, but is very protective of her secret—that she is a practicing Wiccan. Mila has never applied pressure to Keli to join her coven, but makes sure Keli knows she will always be welcome. Keli is joined again by her ever faithful friend, Farrah, and the two do what they can to find out who could be behind the threats and rumors. Could the vandalism of Moonstone Treasures be related to recent burglaries of businesses in the area? Or could it be the real estate agent or a secretive client who is hoping Mila will be scared off and sell?

It was easy to see why Keli would get herself involved in this investigation given her friendship with Mila. She cooperates with the police for the most part, although she has a penchant for picking up evidence and sticking it in her pocket, I have noticed. Again we meet Detective Rhinehart, who tolerates Keli better than I think most police officials might. He is ever the professional though.

In Bells, Book & Candlemas, we get to see another side of Crenshaw that we hadn’t seen before, a more theatrical side. I am still not sure what to make of him to be honest, but he is growing on me. Then there is Wes, with whom Keli hasn’t spoken to in a while—a surprise given how close the two seemed to be getting in the last book. We soon learn why, however—another mystery solved.

I really liked how everything came together in this novel and the growth our heroine has gone through from the beginning of the first novel to the end of this second one.

*                    *                    *

"Blackmail?" ~ Opening of Yuletide Homicide 

Yuletide Homicide (Wiccan Wheel Mystery #3) 
by Jennifer David Hesse

Kensington, 2017
Crime Fiction; 320 pgs

I love how the titles of all the Wiccan Wheel Mysteries coincide with Wiccan holidays. For Wiccans Yuletide is a time to celebrate rebirth. Yuletide Homicide is the third in the series, this one taking on the subject of politics, blackmail and, murder. Keli is teamed up with fellow attorney Crenshaw Davenport III to look into the blackmailing of a wealthy businessman who is running for mayor of Edindale. Keli can think of a million reasons why someone might want to blackmail someone like Edgar Harrison given his reputation. When Keli discovers his body at the hotel where the company Chirstmas party had been held the night before, the threat level rises. It turns out Mr. Harrison isn’t the only one being blackmailed.

With an ex-boyfriend showing up in town unexpectedly—and then disappearing, and her boss, who obviously hasn’t told Keli everything, telling her to drop her investigation, Keli must know more. Detective Rineheart deserves some sort of award for his patience and tolerance of Keli. Or maybe he knows she’ll solve the crime faster. Although I suspected who was behind everything in this one, I did not know the motive until it was revealed.

I like Keli, but she does not always have the best judgement, and too often finds herself in situations she could have easily avoided if she had been more cautious. This was another fun book in the series. I like that Keli’s best friend and boyfriend are now aware of her religion—it makes things easier for Keli, no doubt, in that she no longer has to keep such an important part of who she is from these two important people in her life. Yuletide Homicide was a great addition to the series. 

For more information about the author and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

---

© 2018, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.