Potions and Pastries
It’s been two years since Katie, and her aunt and uncle opened the Honeybee Bakery. They create delicious treats with a special magical twist for the good people of Savannah. After a dinner celebrating the bakery’s anniversary, they all take a stroll along the waterfront. They meet Orla, a colorful character who has been telling the fortunes of locals and tourists alike for years.
The next day, Orla meets with a tragic accident, but Katie’s intuition tells her it is something more sinister. Alongside her trustworthy coven, her aunt and uncle, and her firefighter boyfriend, they work to figure out what happened to the unfortunate fortune-teller before the killer does it again.
Series: A Magical Bakery Mysteries – Book #7
Author: Bailey Cates Cattrell
Genre: Witch/Paranormal Cozy
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Rating:
Bailey Cates Cattrell is a brilliant writer who is imaginative and original. Potions and Pastries is the 7th book in the Magical Bakery Mysteries Series. It is a tremendously well-written story that compliments the series and creates a desire in the reader for more.
Katie is learning what she is capable of and to trust her instincts. When Aunt Lucy’s friend, Orla is run down in front of her, she senses that it was no accident. It doesn’t take her long to convince her coven, Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ben, and boyfriend, Declan that she is right and enlist their help in finding the crafty culprit.
The characters in this story, as well as the entire series, have habits and personalities that make them endearing and unforgettable. Katie is still coming to terms with her magic. She is fearful at times that it will get out of her control as she did once before. She is cautious but able to overcome her apprehensions at just the right time.
Declan is an interesting romantic lead as well as a genuinely nice person. Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ben are adorable, entertaining and the type of relatives it would be great to have. The other characters are equally interesting and pleasurable.
Savannah is a gorgeous setting for this series. With the historical homes and businesses, Spanish moss, and green spaces at every turn, it is romantic and easily lends itself to magical ideas. The riverfront is filled with hustle and bustle, with street vendors hawking their wares, yet retains a semblance of a time long ago.
The use of dragonflies as spiritual guides is a charming addition that is steeped in historical mythology. The reader can imagine them buzzing around, leading Katie to her next adventure or clue. Myth has it that dragonflies, signify change, mainly of self-realization; the type of change that gives a person a profound understanding of the meaning of life. Traditionally the Dragonfly’s harried flight while skimming across water represents going beyond what’s on the surface. This is very aptly used in Ms. Cates series.
Readers will find themselves on pins and needles waiting to turn the page and finding all the clues to the identity of the killer. The reveal of the murderer will come as a surprise to many readers. Overall Potions and Pastries is a delightful addition to this series. It is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys authors such as Heather Graham or Ellery Adams.
About the Author:
Bailey grew up in the West and earned degrees in philosophy and English from Colorado State University before moving to the Pacific Northwest for twenty years. She’s worn a variety of hats, including driver’s license examiner, bookseller, and newspaper ad manager. Bailey traveled the world as a localization program manager for Microsoft, but am now back in Colorado. She lives with her guy and their tabby, Cheesecat the Orange.
Like many of her cozy characters, she believes magic is all around us if we only look for it. Having apprenticed with a master herbalist for a year, she’s prone to concoct teas and tinctures for family and friends from the stash of herbs stored in the corner cabinet in her office.
For two years, Bailey managed her own soap making company, including product design, manufacturing, and marketing. Aromatherapy played a large part in that business, and she has a collection of essential oils next to her herb stash. Unlike the main character in the Enchanted Garden Mysteries, she doesn’t distill her own oils…yet.
When not writing, Bailey loves to cook, peruse cookbooks, garden, read, bike, and hike the gorgeous terrain outside her door.
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