In the Company of Witches (Evenfall Witches B&B Mysteries 1), by Auralee Wallace

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I found out about In the Company of Witches, by Auralee Wallace when it was the October choice in a cozy mystery book club. I had never heard of the book nor the author before. The idea of a B&B run by witches sounded appealing to me, so I decided to read it with the book club. I'm pleased to say it exceeded my expectations.

The New England B&B is run by Brynn Warren, a young witch, and her two aunts who are also witches, Izzy and Nora. They have only one guest staying there at the time (you'll have to read it to find out why only one) and that guest mysteriously dies. It is soon discovered that she was murdered and Nora is a prime suspect. Did Nora really commit this gruesome crime or was someone else involved? If so, how did the culprit enter the B&B unnoticed? Brynn is determined to uncover secrets and find answers. Unfortunately, she lost her magical powers after her husband died in a tragic accident two years ago. So she will have to use good old-fashioned sleuthing to solve this mystery.

One thing you need to know about this first in series book is that grief is a prominent theme. This may be unappealing to some readers of cozies who prefer lighter books. I'm not a huge fan of heavy topics in cozies, but the subject of grief is close to home for me and the author covered it beautifully. There were several sections that I reread over and over again because they touched me so deeply. That's one of the main reasons I will be adding this book, and most likely the entire series, to my personal library. It wasn't just the portions on grief that moved me. There were very vivid descriptions of the setting that truly felt magical in this paranormal cozy.

A good portion of the book is about Brynn's journey through her grief. The fact that she lost her magic seems to be symbolic and can easily represent the "magic" that people lose when a loved one passes on. The author deals with this subject in a gentle and realistic way. We get to experience Brynn's struggles, as well as how she responds when her aunts and uncle try to help her. I can relate because I lost my childhood best friend in 2010 and two years later I was still grieving. The writing on this subject matter in the book is so spot on it makes me wonder if the author has experienced such grief herself.

This isn't a sad book, though. The subject of grief is well-balanced with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and cozy fall vibes. Along with Izzy and Nora (sister witches who have two very distinct personalities and magical powers) and their niece, Brynn, is the witches' reclusive brother Gideon. They are all so very different that it makes the family dynamics interesting and entertaining. There is also a cat and a crow who make delightful appearances in the story.

I was drawn right into the coziness from the beginning when the witches were sitting in the parlor and Brynn was drinking honeybush (something I often drink). It was fun to have her drinking something other than coffee (something I don't drink anymore) and tea, as is often the case in cozies. When Brynn was out doing her sleuthing, I couldn't wait for her to get back to the cozy B&B, though I know in order to uncover the truth, she had to be out and about talking to people. The whole area seems cozy, but there's just something about the B&B itself that felt comfortable to me (despite the fact that someone was murdered there).

In my opinion, no cozy is great if the mystery isn't strong, and I can say it was that way in "In the Company of Witches". There is a handful of viable suspects and I didn't know who the culprit was until it was revealed. The author did a great job of helping us get to know the characters while simultaneously drawing us into the mystery. The crime happened very early in the book, which I always appreciate. 

This isn't a one dimensional book at all. It made me cry (the first cozy mystery to make me cry!), smile, and laugh out loud. It evoked so many emotions and that's one reason why it's so memorable.   In the end I was deeply moved and excited to find out what happens next.  

The next book in the series, When the Crow's Away takes place in the spring. Sounds like a fun birthday read is in my future next April!