A Vision In Velvet (A Wishcraft Mystery #6), Juliet Blackwell

Synopsis: Lily Ivory hopes to score some great vintage fashions when she buys an antique trunk full of old clothes. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for.

As soon as Lily opens the trunk, she feels strange vibrations emanating from a mysterious velvet cloak. When she tries it on, Lily sees awful visions from the past. And when the antiques dealer who sold her the cape is killed, Lily suspects a supernatural force might be behind his death.

Then Lily’s familiar, Oscar the potbellied pig, disappears. Lily will do anything to get him back—including battling the spirit of a powerful witch reaching out from the past. But even with the aid of her grandmother, unmasking a killer and saving Oscar might be more than one well-intentioned sorceress can handle.

Thoughts: Yet another fabulous story in this series. I think this is my favorite so far. Lily is really coming to grips with her power, her helping spirit,and her various relationships. The entire storyline around Oscar's disappearance had me worrying throughout the book, scared he wasn't coming back. I was pleased with the way that was resolved, and tied to the main murder mystery. 

Tarnished And Torn (A Witchcraft Mystery #5), Juliet Blackwell

Synopsis: When Lily arrives at an antique jewelry fair, her bargain sensors go off left and right—but she also picks up a faint vibration of magic. Could the hard-bargaining merchant Griselda be a fellow practitioner? It certainly seems that way when a sudden fire sends panic through the crowd, and Lily discovers Griselda murdered in a way that nods to an old-fashioned witch hunt.

A crime that hits close to home turns into an unwelcome flash from the past when the police bring in their lead suspect—Lily's estranged father. Though he may not deserve her help, Lily is determined to clear her father's name and solve a murder that's anything but crystal clear.

Thoughts: My least favorite book of the series to this point. It seemed a lot darker than the others, and I prefer my cozy mysteries to be a little more light and fun. However, I do hope that Ms. Blackwell will further explore the relationship between Lily and her father, Declan.

In A Witch's Wardrobe (A Witchcraft Mystery #4), Juliet Blackwell

Synopsis: Lily Ivory is living her dream of owning a vintage clothing store—and practicing magic on the side. But when she encounters a sinister sleeping spell, Lily comes face-to-face with a nightmarish evil… 

Taking a night off from running her successful San Francisco clothing store, Lily attends a local art deco ball where vintage fashions steal the show. But when a young woman at the event falls under a mysterious sleeping sickness, Lily senses that a curse was placed on the woman’s corsage. 

Before Lily can solve the woman’s magical ailment, she’s asked to assist in investigating a string of poisonings in the Bay Area witchcraft community. She’s gained the trust of the local covens by supporting women’s charities through her clothing store. But soon, Lily suspects that one of her new acquaintances might not be so well intentioned and could be dabbling in dark magic and deadly botany…  

Thoughts:  I actually first read this book about a year ago (see April 2013 for my thoughts at the time). I think this is my favorite of the series so far, maybe because I've become so invested in the characters. I still can't decide whether I like Aidan or not, and I like the relationship developing between Lily and Sailor. However, I still think Oscar is my favorite character...even though he's part goblin. part gargoyle, he's such a whiner, rather like a petulant toddler.

Hexes And Hemlines (Witchcraft Mystery #3), Juliet Blackwell

Synopsis: With her vintage clothing store taking off, Lily Ivory is finding that life in San Francisco suits her just fine. But her ability to sense vibrations from the past, so useful in locating secondhand gems, has landed her in the middle of a new mystery . . .

Lily gets called away from Aunt Cora's Closet when the police need a witch's take on a strange case. Malachi Zazi was stabbed to death in his apartment, under a ladder, surrounded by the number thirteen, a broken mirror, and a black cat—superstitions that the victim, as head of a rationalist society, was devoted to discrediting.

When the police identify a suspect from the Serpentarian Society, Lily is shocked to learn it's someone she knows. But with bad luck plaguing all its members, she begins to wonder if there's more at work than mere coincidence. And while there aren't many clues from the crime scene, Lily finds evidence of dark witchcraft and a hex on her friend's doorstep. With her friend's safety at stake, Lily is determined to use magic to find the murderer before everyone's luck runs out.

Thoughts: Every installment of this series draws me in more and more. All the talk of snakes in this one had me a little creeped out, but the rest of it was the usual great fun.

A Cast Off Coven (A Witchcraft Mystery #2), Juliet Blackwell

Synopsis: Students are spooked at the San Francisco School of Fine Arts, and Lily is called in to search for possible paranormal activity. In return she's been promised a trunkful of Victorian-era clothes recently discovered in a school storage closet.

But Lily finds something else: the body of a wealthy patron of the school. In between running the store and seeing her new boyfriend, Max—a "mythbuster" who is uncomfortable with her witchcraft—she uses her sleuthing skills to try to solve the murder. Soon Lily senses something from the school's vintage clothes, but it's not the smell of mothballs—it's the unmistakable aura of evil intent.

Thoughts:  Murder, ghosts, and demons....not exactly conducive to learning, even at a school of fine arts. But Ms. Blackwell writes about them in such a way that most of the book left me smiling---except for a couple of really creepy scenes.  Lily's familiar, Oscar, is starting to grow on me, especially in his gobgoyle form (half goblin, half gargoyle)--his potbellied pig form is, naturally, mute.  Max and Lily are getting closer, which is fascinating to follow, sinee he doesn't believe in anything supernatural.

Secondhand Spirits (A Witchcraft Mystery), by Juliet Blackwell

Synopsis: Lily Ivory hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora's Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion—she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry—her store becomes a big hit.

But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime. She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it's not easy—especially under the spells of sexy "mythbuster" Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily's witchy ways be forced out of the closet?

Thoughts: Read this a few years ago, but when I found the entire series in audiobooks from my library, I decided to start over from the beginning. Lily is such a fun character, and I love the idea of her having a vintage clothes store, where she can match clothes to people based on the vibrations.  Her "familiar," Oscar, is great fun as well.  The mystery is well told, and while the clues were there all along, they weren't always easy to pick out, which for me is a good thing.

In A Witch's Wardrobe: A Witchcraft Mystery, by Juliet Blackwell

Synopsis: Lily Ivory is living her dream of owning a vintage clothing store—and practicing magic on the side. But when she encounters a sinister sleeping spell, Lily comes face-to-face with a nightmarish evil… 

Taking a night off from running her successful San Francisco clothing store, Lily attends a local art deco ball where vintage fashions steal the show. But when a young woman at the event falls under a mysterious sleeping sickness, Lily senses that a curse was placed on the woman’s corsage. 

Before Lily can solve the woman’s magical ailment, she’s asked to assist in investigating a string of poisonings in the Bay Area witchcraft community. She’s gained the trust of the local covens by supporting women’s charities through her clothing store. But soon, Lily suspects that one of her new acquaintances might not be so well intentioned and could be dabbling in dark magic and deadly botany…  

Thoughts:  A quick, fun read that I spotted on display in the library while picking up some other things. Now that I've read this one, though, I'm going to have to read the rest of the series. From Lily and her vintage clothing store, to her "familiar" Oscar--a gobgoyle (half goblin, half gargoyle) who changes into a potbellied pig around non-supernaturals, to her friends and neighbors, both human and not....it's a fun group of characters!