Mrs. Morris and the Sorceress

Rating: really liked it

This is a cozy mystery, and this is the 4th book in A Salem B&B Mystery series. I really enjoyed the beginning and the ending of this book. I found parts of the middle slow moving and boring. I did wish the Ghost character "Jack" was in the book more. I also wish we got to be in the B & B more in this book. The ending I did not see coming, and the ending alone was more then 5 stars. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington) or author (Traci Wilton) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. (*)

Rating: really liked it

4.5 stars

This is the fourth installment in Traci Wilton's Salem B&B Mystery series. Charlene Morris owns a quaint B&B in Salem, Massachusetts. She loves her job and is always ready to go above and beyond for her guests. Charlene's B&B is also the home of Jack, the ghost of the former homeowner. It's the 4th of July and she has taken her guests to see an Independence Day play. Unfortunately, the fun-filled day quickly turns into a nightmare when the lead actress is shot dead while on stage in front of the entire audience. Naturally, Charlene wants the killer to be bought to justice, and with the help of Jack, decides to do some sleuthing.

I thought this was a wonderful addition to the series. Charlene is starting to feel like an old friend and I love visiting Salem and her B&B. I find her to be very caring and likable, and I enjoy the interactions between her and the other characters, particularly Avery, Jack, and Minnie. I also love the friendship that is developing between Charlene, Kass, and Amy. Romance-wise, I'm not sure how I feel about Charlene's two love interests. On one hand, I really like Jack but he's dead and I think Charlene deserves so much more than what he can offer her. But on the other hand, I still haven't completely warmed up to Sam and I don't like his coldness towards Charlene at times. I look forward to seeing how things will play out.

As for the mystery, I thought it was well-plotted. Like the last book, the culprit wasn't on my radar so the reveal came as a surprise to me (always a plus).
All in all, this was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be back for another visit. If you like paranormal cozies, then you can't go wrong with this series set in Salem, with a haunted B&B, witches, and the town's rich history.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: it was amazing

Mrs. Morris and the Sorceress" the 4th instalment in the Salem B&B Mystery series by Traci Wilton. I love visiting Salem and Charlene’s B&B with its resident ghost Jack. The characters are becoming like old friends and I’m especially happy about the relationship Charlene is developing with young Avery almost like a surrogate daughter. I found Jacks and Charlene’s relationship weird at times not exactly sure why but it just did, but we want to feel emotions for the characters and be invested in the outcome. I love all the characters Charlene, Jack, Minnie, Sam and Avery and now I find myself adding Amy and Kass to my list.

The mystery is interesting, well plotted, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing till the very end. I definitely was surprised by the ending and can’t wait for book 5 “Mrs. Morris and the Vampire “ coming out August, 2021.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: really liked it

I really enjoyed this book, I love everything about Salem, Massachusetts, so this series is a home run for me.
Charlene owns a quaint bed & breakfast in Salem, and she’s always ready to go the extra mile for her guests.
Charlene’s b & b is also the home of Jack, the ghost of the deceased homeowner. Charlene seems quite infatuated with Jack, which is sort of sweet, but I hope it doesn’t continue much longer. I don’t think it would allow Charlene to grow as a character, which would be a shame.

I think this is a fun, fast paced story that cozy mystery fans will really enjoy.

Rating: really liked it

A Salen B&B Mystery series is a terrific read, and Mrs. Morris and the Sorceress is a wonderful addition. Jack and Charlene once again find themselves embroiled in another murder that they try to solve. This time, the victim is a young actress who is not well-liked. The author does a good job of providing the reader with plenty of suspects and motives to choose from as they try to determine the killer's identity. The characters in this series are really coming together. I like that Charlene and Jack are a team and he often provides some valuable insights that help lead to catching the killer. The supporting cast is diverse and I really enjoy the relationship that Charlene has established with her young employee Avery. There is still romantic tension between Charlene and Sam but that seems to be always tempered by Charlene's involvement in his murder investigations. The mystery in this installment was resolved with a climactic ending that was a surprise to me. I think the author did a wonderful job of throwing me off the trail of this killer.

I'm looking forward to more books in the series and many more enjoyable return visits to Salem. I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: it was amazing

Charlene Morris is hosting a group of guests at her B&B over the Fourth of July and has seats for everyone to see the one time play about Salem’s contribution to the American Revolution. Everyone is in the spirit and as the second act opens, one of the replica rifles is dropped and discharges, leaving the lead actress dead, shot right through the heart.

It is soon discovered that the rifles did not contain active ammunition, meaning someone shot the actor from the crowd. Getting her guests back to the B&B and providing any assistance she and her resident ghost can to help the police find the murderer are Charlene’s top priorities. She can’t help getting involved when she witnessed the murder take place, it’s just part of who she is, but this time she may have stuck her nose in one time too many. Can Charlene and Jack help find the murderer or will Charlene be joining Jack and haunting the mansion for ever as a couple?

I love all things Salem and this series makes me happy. From the B&B to the cat, Silva, to the history shared about some piece of Salem’s history in each book, it always delivers along with a solid and well crafted mystery. One of my favorite series and regardless of the season the story is set in, it’s ALWAYS a good time for a visit to Salem

Rating: it was amazing

A series that just keeps on giving! This latest installment has it all, well developed characters, a fun mystery, and a setting the reader feels like they can step right into.

Rating: really liked it

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of Mrs. Morris and the Sorceress (Book 4 of the Salem B&B Mysteries) by Traci Wilton in exchange for an honest review. Charlene Morris owns a Victorian B&B in Salem, Massachusetts, and she shepherds her guests, as a group, to local events in addition to simply providing lodging and breakfast. Charlene and her guests attend the Fourth of July celebration; as part of the festivities, they watch a one-time-only showing of a play depicting a historic event. During the second act, the incredibly beautiful star of the play is shot dead while on stage in front of the entire crowd. Charlene and her resident ghost Jack assist Detective Sam Holden in identifying the culprit. The actress’s beauty was only skin deep; since she was as ugly inside as she was gorgeous outside, it’s going to be difficult to separate the killer from those who wanted to kill her.

I haven’t read the prior books, so there were a few surprises. Overall, I had no trouble following the story or keeping the characters straight. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, holiday festivities, plays, actors, historic events, and ghosts.

#MrsMorrisandtheSorceress #NetGalley

Rating: really liked it

Charlene and Jack are back at it again when actress, Madison Boswell is shot in broad daylight at an outdoor Fourth of July play.
Madison's ugly personality sure has the suspect list pretty long, but Charlene quickly jumps to find out who the murderer is.
All our favorite characters are back. Detective Sam Holden, Minnie, and Silva the cat.
Silva is my personal favorite as she's always up to her cat antics.
Charlene learns alot in this book. She finally realizes that she has been taking too many risks in trying to solve this case. Her relationship with Jack Strathmore is so bittersweet, because they have sparks between them even though he is nothing more than a ghost. As a reader, I want this relationship so bad, but the feelings she has for Detective Sam Holden are strong too. Will she ever get to put her whole heart into either man? I can't wait to see what Charlene endures next. Everytime I read these books by Traci Hall and Patrice Wilton I am completely swept away and enthralled in the wonderful stories they write. They are a powerful duo and write so beautifully together.

Rating: it was amazing

Don't expect a totally unbiased review: we are American Revolutionary War folks and Independence Day is our High Holy Day. So when a new book in a fun cozy series has its murder on that day... Well, what can you expect? The publisher's blurb is a good hook, so no need for a recap or spoilers. Charlene Morris is a fairly recent widow who bought a marvelous old mansion which she operates as a B&B in the historic town of Salem, Massachusetts and enjoys the company of a wonderful man who is a rather progressive ghost. That's important because he is more helpful to the amateur sleuth than the local law. The series is amazing and so is her sleuthing. Loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Rating: really liked it

Charlene Morris owns Charlene's, a mansion in Salem, MA she turned into a B&B. She also seems to get into trouble a lot trying to solve murders. Her sidekick in her investigations is Jack Strathmore's ghost. Jack was the previous owner of the mansion. I like how Charlene logically works on the investigations. She manages to get clues just by talking to people and being nice. Once again Charlene manages to put herself in danger but also solves the case. I really enjoy this series.

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Rating: it was amazing

Charlene Morris owns a Salem, Massachusetts B&B that used to belong to Dr. Jack Strathmore. Unfortunately, Jack was murdered there and it was up to Charlene to solve his murder. But now Jack and Charlene have settled in nicely, except for the fact that no one except her cat knows he exists. But she can't deny her attraction to him, nor should she.

On this day, she's taken a group of her B&B guests to see a local play about the colonial battle in Salem, that occurred without a shot being fired. At least that's what they all expected. What they saw was the lead actress being killed by a single shot to her chest. While horrific, everyone wonders what went wrong. Charlene, who was filming the play for Jack, now needs to send it to Sam to see if anyone notices the shooter.

Charlene can't help herself and wants to find out who killed the young woman. What she discovers is that Madison Boswell had more enemies than friends, and no one was saddened by her death except her parents. Not even her brother, Logan. So who wanted her dead? When Charlene starts investigating the death with the help of Jack, who is going over the video for clues, it takes her to Boston to Madison's funeral, where she finds out even more about her. But when Charlene starts getting too close to the killer, it's apparent to them that she might have to join Jack in his ghostly world...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read every one of them. I love this series and the characters. Charlene and Jack have a different type of relationship, of course, since he's a ghost and she isn't, but there are things that transcend the boundaries of life that we may never know about. (Okay, I'm a sucker for human/ghost stories and I admit it. Everyone has their quirks and this is one of mine).

Anyway, Charlene wants to know who killed Madison, and so she starts questioning people about the woman's life. Her friend Amy, who is an actress in the play, offers up not-so-flattering information, among others. It seems Madison, while beautiful, was not a nice person and didn't care who she stepped on. It's obvious that this time she stepped on the wrong body and lost hers in the process. Now Charlene has the task of keeping her guests happy and still finding time to look around, since she doesn't want a negative opinion of Salem or her guests thinking there's a random killer on the loose.

I do like the character of Charlene. She's intelligent and thoughtful; never overtly attacking people or accusing them of a crime. Jack is more human than others, truly caring for Charlene and a worthy partner in her investigations. Sam isn't, unfortunately, quite as attractive to me as he is to Charlene. I still think he has a bit of coldness about him that just doesn't relax him at all. But in this book we get to see a bit more of Kass, who was delightful in another book and just the same in this one. The characters are believable, and come to life while reading, which is always a good thing.

We also get to know a little more about the history of Salem and surrounding areas -- more than the witch trials, which I would say everyone already knows -- and I do love history and historical facts, so that was interesting to read. Of course, we mustn't forget the B&B, which would be such a lovely place to visit. Charlene is indeed a lucky woman to have it.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, it was a bit of a surprise, but that is always welcomed, too. The clues might have been there, but they were easy to miss (and I will admit, I wasn't looking because I was enjoying the book too much); and the reasons for the murder were as old as time itself. I was sorry to see the story end, and I, like Jack, hope that at some time in the future he can find his way back to humanity (hey, it's fantasy so anything can happen, right?). But I also hope that this series goes on for a long time still, and I will continue to read each one. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but it in no way influenced this review.

Rating: it was amazing

Charlene Morris is enjoying the 4th of July events, where she and several of her guests from the B&B are watching a reenactment of Salem's Rebels. Charlene was filming under the guise to show her folks, but it was really for Dr. Jack Strathmore, her resident B&B ghost. One of the actors is the girlfriend of Charlene's friend, Kevin Hughes. The play is how the British soldiers marched to Salem to look for stolen cannons, only to find out that they couldn't cross because the bridge was dismantled, and despite the soldiers against rebels, not one shot was fired.

That was, until during the play, one actor dropped his musk prop, and Colonel Alexander Leslie, played by Madison Boswell clutching her chest fell off the stage. This wasn't supposed to be part of the play! A murder in broad daylight with countless people around. The musk props had fake gunpowder, and Michelle Fendi, a nurse, pointed out that the fatal wound was not from a musket, but a handgun. Charlene runs after Kevin & Amy, and inadvertently overhears a heated exchange from another couple.

Charlene enlists Jack's help viewing the video to see if he notices anything that stands out, which he does find something unusual. Charlene starts to suspect one person, but her list will grow after learning Madison had rumors about her being a witch.

When the cast is invited to Madison's funeral, Charlene's is invited by her actor friends, Kass & Amy, to go along. When her friend Kass, hits it off with Logan, the older brother of Madison and the trio of friends get a personal invitation to the home, Charlene does a little snooping, and gets caught twice where she shouldn't be.

After meeting Madison's fiance, and hearing about the missing engagement ring, Charlene recalls Madison wearing it while on stage and after a mishap, who might have it. Charlene's questioning her adding three suspects at the top of her list for the murder.

This is such a fun series! I love reading how Jack, who only Charlene can see and speak with, pranks the cat or guests. There is a little rivalry between Jack and the dashing Detective Sam Holden, where both pull at Charlene's heartstrings. This time around, Sam allows Charlene to be humiliated, and almost handcuffed, where Charlene gets so angry that she doesn't want anything more to do with him. The surprise was, Jack found himself agreeing with Sam!

A handsome live-in ghost, a witch, a flirty detective, a missing item, and ghost light make a very entertaining read!

I requested and received an ARC by NetGalley via Kensington Books and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

Rating: it was amazing

In this fourth instalment in the Salem B&B Mystery series by Traci Wilton, Charlene Morris is a B&B owner and widow who bought an old mansion. She runs "Charlene's" in Salem, Massachusetts, a historic small town and she enjoys the company of Jack Strathmore, the progressive ghost of the former homeowner.

Charlene acts as a group guide for her guests, taking them to local events in addition to providing lodgings and breakfast. Charlene and her guests attend a Fourth of July celebration; as part of the festivities, they watch 'Salem's Rebels' a one-off showing of a play depicting a historic event. During the second act the ravishingly beautiful star of the play, Madison Boswell is shot dead while on stage in front of the entire audience. Charlene and her resident ghost Jack assist Detective Sam Holden in identifying the culprit. So who might have wanted to kill her?

In this cozy tale, Traci Wilton wastes no time presenting the reader with the murder very early on. The author's characters are very engaging, their presences jumping from the pages and by the time I finished reading I felt I had gotten to know them quite well, whilst wanting to meet up with them again. Charlene is curious, smart, friendly, and she seems very genuine. The diverse supporting characters were a hit for me as well; from the staff at the B&B, Minnie and Will, to the B&B residents and the flirty Detective Sam Holden, and others, the reader is treated to well-crafted characters. I liked the romantic frisson between Charlene and Sam. Whilst the storyline builds upon the previous books, the novel can easily be enjoyed as an individual read.

The author gave me everything I desire from a fantastic cozy mystery making it easy to escape right into the humorous, light story and I appreciated the clever way Salem’s setting and culture were embedded into the tale. The suspects popped, the pacing was even and there were more than enough twists and surprises along with a mega climactic finish. If you enjoy a great ghostly cozy you need to check out this series. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Mrs. Morris and the Sorceress and I can't wait to read the first in the series, Mrs. Morris and the Ghost, as well as revisiting Charlene and Jack in book five, Mrs. Morris and the Vampire.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Rating: it was amazing

This is the 4th installment in the Salem B & B mystery series. Charlene Morris runs “Charlene’s” in Salem and has been in town about ten months. Charlene’s is her home and she has a houseful of guests on this 4th of July and she takes her guests to the events on the common and they plan to see a new play that is being staged by the local theater group. Charlene is taping the production on her phone for her housemate Jack who is a ghost and former owner of the mansion and as the 2nd half of the play begins, one of the actors drops a musket which goes off and the main actress Madison Boswell grabs her chest and falls off the stage. Madison was shot but not by the musket. Charlene calls police detective Sam Holden and one of her guests is a nurse who jumps into action to try and help Madison. Unfortunately, Madison does not make it and it is clear that it is a murder but no clue as to who could have shot her with a full common of people. Charlene’s friend Kevin’s girlfriend Amy was on stage at the time and she learns Madison was not well liked and was involved with one of the owners of the acting company. As Charlene starts to asks questions, she learns that Madison although beautiful and hypnotic she was not a very nice person and was estranged from her brother Logan and left her fiancé Tyler in L.A. while keeping his family heirloom engagement ring. Plenty of suspects to go around. I liked that Charlene is out there making friends with Amy and Kass (she owns a tea shop in town) and liked their trip to Boston (although it was for a funeral), I also like her relationship with Avery who she mentors. This was a good mystery and the ending keeps you on the end of your seat. Looking forward to the next installment.