A Wiccan themed mystery? Oh heck yes!

This was is a well-written mystery but the lead character, Keli, isn't very likeable. Honestly, she's pretty loathsome. I like my lead character in a cozy to be likable because if not- I have no vested interest in her. In theory- Keli should be great- she's practical and smart but whoa, she's not a nice character ha. Other than my dislike of her- I enjoyed the book but I won't read anymore if she's like this throughout the entire series.

This is book 4 in the series, and I enjoyed it as much as I have the first three books. Now, I'm pagan, but not Wiccan - yes it's a thing - so do love a story involving the wheel of the year that I follow. But I also loved how the Wicca/ pagan studf wasn't in your face. It was just there as part of Keli's life. Just a regular part of her otherwise quite busy lifestyle. Meaning this book would be just as enjoyable to read by non pagans, as long as their personal faith doesn't close their mind to freedom of personal faith.

Seriously though, the faith aspect is enjoyable, but not the main thread of the story woven. It's a great small town American cosy crime/ mystery. Keli just happened to be related to this book's main victim.

In some ways I was sad that this was how we got to learn more about Josephine... but it was also really nicely done.

Definitely a book, and series, I would recommend to others.

I love Hesse's A Wiccan Wheel Mystery series. :) I have been reading them as they are released since the first book was published. It has been a lot of fun to follow Keli as she has slowly, but surely, stepped out of the broom closet. The characters are great, the mystery is engaging, and it was terrific to finally meet Aunt Josie (sort of). And, as always, Hesse has done her homework, and is respectful of Wicca and its traditions and beliefs. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a cozy (slightly paranormal) mystery, but the series is best read from the beginning.

Samhain Secrets is the fourth book in the Wiccan Wheel Mysteries by Jennifer David Hesse. I have not read the previous books in this series, and think that returning readers will get more out of it than newcomers. However, I think I was able to catch up pretty quickly and could fully enjoy the read.

After her recent promotion to junior partner, Keli is putting in overtime to juggle her professional career and private Wiccan spiritual practice. With Halloween fast approaching, her duties include appearing as a witch at a “haunted” barn and hand-holding a client who’s convinced her new house is really haunted. But it’s the disappearance of Josephine O’Malley that has Keli spooked. The missing person is Keli’s aunt, an environmental activist and free spirit who always seemed to embody peace, love, and independence. When Josephine is found dead in the woods, Keli wonders if her aunt’s activities were as friendly as they seemed. As Keli comes to terms with her loss—while adjusting to having a live-in boyfriend and new demands at work—she must wield her one-of-a-kind magic to banish negative energy if she’s going to catch a killer this Samhain season. Because Keli isn’t ready to give up.

Samhain Secrets is a fun read. I like that Keli is still fairly new to the practices of Wicca and is finding her ways and path. I think this allows readers that might be unfamiliar with the traditions and beliefs in the religion to learn more right alongside her. I was a little annoyed with some of the unsettled nature of her relationship, there were way too many hints at who else is interested in her to make me feel like she is happy and committed. As a related note her inability to think about letting people know where she is or what she is up to bothers me. Maybe its the mom in me, or the over planner, but when I share a house or have other commitments with people I would let them know I was going off in a canoe, hiking in the woods, or calming ghost related fears. However, aside from her self centeredness I rather liked the characters (including Keli for the most part) and how they interacted. The mystery and red herrings were very well laid out, and I liked the way things kept circling around in new ways. I liked a lot about this read, and think I would have enjoyed it more with the prior knowledge from the previous books.

Samhain Secrets is a good cozy mystery with a good set of twists, interesting characters, and a satisfying ending that still leaves plenty of room for more to come.

This is book 4 in the Wiccan Wheel series. I like Keli and her attempts to balance her job at the law firm and her private private Wiccan practice. This has a Halloween setting and when Keli's aunt is found murdered just outside town it complicates her life even more. There is lots of information on the Wiccan religion and Samhain practice but not enough to be overwhelming. I also like the direction the story line is taking. A little romance, a little magic and a little mystery make an interesting read. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

“Samhain Secrets” earns 5/5 Spellbinding Delights…Engaging, Clever!

Jennifer David Hesse’s newest book in her Wicca Wheel Mystery is set during one of my favorite times of the year, and to my delight she chooses to incorporate this celebration in a very realistic manner…no juvenile hocus-pocus. Samhain (sou-en), Irish Gaelic for “summer’s end,” is the “cross-quarter holiday of the Wheel of the Year,” and beginning at sunset on October 31, the Wicca community celebrates the end of the harvest, honors the dead, and communes with the spirits. And Jennifer David Hesse does very well sharing the Wicca way through her delightful character Keli Milani. Along with the town’s candy-laden, costume-donning, haunted-house touring Halloween celebration, we get Kelli’s private and personal Wicca beliefs and practices which include some realistic spell casting like banishing negative energy. But, it's a cozy mystery, too, and Kelli’s aunt has been found…murdered. She assumes her aunt’s activism may have precipitated the crime, but of course, there is the eternal battle between good and evil. Jennifer’s writing style is engaging with great descriptions, a first-person narrative from Kelli’s perspective, and some well defined, even quirky, characters. The banter is entertaining, and as the clues were gathered, my inner Sherlock was entertained. I highly recommend the series, and newbies can start here! No “trick,” just a real “treat”!

Samhain Secrets (Wiccan Wheel Mystery, #4) by Jennifer David Hesse
Kensington, 2018
Crime Fiction (Cozy/Paranormal); 352 pgs
Source: Review copy provided by publisher via NetGalley

While each of the books in the series can be read by themselves and out of order for the main mystery's sake, there are overreaching themes that might be better followed if the series is read in order. One of those themes comes together in this fourth book of the Wiccan Wheel Mysteries, featuring vegan Family Law Attorney Keli Milanni. Keli has made junior partner in her law firm, but is still trying to find her place there. She is always on the go, busy as ever, and having a hard time juggling her work and personal life. She even feels out of sorts when it comes to her spiritual life. And now the body in the morgue belongs to her long lost aunt, who she has always looked up and admired but knew so little about.

For all Keli’s belief in spells and witchcraft, she doesn’t put much stock into the existence of ghosts. One of her clients swears her house is haunted, and Keli points to every rational reason to explain away the occurrences the woman is experiencing, including rescuing a stray cat living in the woman’s basement. Keli herself is beginning to experience some unexplained phenomena, and begins to question her own thoughts on the matter. Is her Aunt Josephine trying to send her a message? Could her aunt be helping her find the clues that will lead to the murderer? And perhaps this will reveal some of Josephine’s secrets from the past. As an environmental activist, she has lived off the grid for quite some time and even her closest friends know little about her.

Seemingly small pieces of the puzzle from earlier books in the series begin to fit together in a more cohesive story about just who Aunt Josephine was. The reader does not need to read the previous books to get the full picture as the author does a good job of laying it all out in this book. Still, it was nice to be able to read about it from the beginning.

I liked Keli from the start, but she feels more like an old friend now. She has a good heart and a good moral compass. I continue to adore Mila, Keli’s friend and fellow Wiccan. It is through her, Keli is learning that she does not have to walk the Wiccan path alone. Crenshaw, the other junior partner in the law firm Keli works for began as someone I would want to avoid, but, I swear, he surprises me every book and I warmed even more toward him in this one. For someone so stuffy and seemingly critical, he really steps up to the plate when needed.

This series has continued to get better with each book, and this one is no different. I still find myself wanting to shake some sense into Keli at times—will she ever learn not to walk (or climb) into dangerous situations, especially without back-up? Probably not. I can live with that.

Attorney Keli Melanni is a closet Wiccan getting ready to celebrate one of the most sacred of Wiccan holidays, Samhain. That is until her mysterious eco conscious aunt turns up dead. Keli didn't have a chance to get to know Aunt Josephine although she was familiar with her good works with Sister Seeds. Why was Aunt Josie doing in the woods that night and why does Mrs. Hammerlin think her new home is haunted, how are Keli and Wes ever going to find time to be together even though they share a home. I liked the dash of occult mixed with the multiple story lines and interesting characters. The mini mysteries did not take away from the main thread and in fact enhanced it while helping the reader to get to know the other characters as well. Great read, great series can't wait to see what is up next!

I was looking for a spooky cozy mystery for the Autumn and came across this new to me author and series. The cover screamed ‘Spooky,’ as did the title. The blurb intrigued me further. I was curious that amateur detective heroine is a practicing Wiccan and I wanted to learn more about it.

Samhain Secrets is the fourth book in the Wiccan Wheel mystery series. It has an ongoing series storyline with the main character, Keli, her love interest, her friends and associates introduced by Jennifer David Hesse in the earlier books. That said, I had no trouble jumping in with this fourth book.and

So, the murder mystery occurs during Samhain (Sow-en- I’ve been pronouncing this wrong all these years) and one of Keli’s clients is upset that her new home is haunted needs Keli’s advice and help. Keli is getting visions and dreams sent from her dead aunt to help her solve the murder.

My hope to learn about everyday practices and holiday practices for a Wiccan were more than met. I enjoyed meeting someone who represented well. I’ve tried to enjoy fiction stories before featuring a Wiccan character, but they always felt like a cliche. Keli did not. She cares about leaving a soft carbon footprint and she is Vegan. She’s practical and down to earth in many ways.Keli is a lawyer with a nice boyfriend whom she met in the first book. They are figuring out the first days of moving in together.

There were a couple disappointments that kept this from being completely enjoyable. First of all, Keli was rather a jerk to her boyfriend. She worried that she and Wes were like ships in the night with her job getting more and more demanding and she felt distance growing. The distance was all on her. He’s leaving her notes and trying to keep his schedule clear at certain times for them to be together while she doesn’t seem to say no or set boundaries with anyone except Wes. I get it. She’s trying to solve her aunt’s murder, but there’s this cool invention called a cell phone and hers is even cooler because it allows for texting. Seriously, she would turn around and disappear on him for hours with no heads up about her changed plans so he’s left texting and worrying with no response knowing she’s investigating a murder. On one occasion, the last he heard, she was meeting with a guy who was interested in her and she brushes him off when he warns her that a guy from her law office also has an interest- oh and lets not forget the secretive writer who also gets a warm look and likes what he sees (yes, it was one of those where every guy seemed to be attracted). She gets all snippy at him when he called her on it. Fortunately, this seemed to be her epiphany moment because she then worked to include him in her plans.

Secondly, I’m about to contradict myself a bit with the way I described her when I said she wasn’t the cliche and was impressed that she was practical. I was speaking of her lifestyle, but now I’m referring to her amateur sleuthing efforts. For some reason, I always have the idea that lawyers are deliberate and analyze their moves and words. So, I got a surprise when she acted impulsively and pulled a couple o f stupid moves that she survived because she was lucky. She would frequently go dashing into the dark with no backup or anyone knowing where she’s at on the trail of a murderer and she kept stuff back from the cops and broke into private property more than once to snoop. Oys…

The mystery set up was interesting because it involved the world of environmentalism — specifically farming practices, the availability of heirloom seeds and eco-terrorism. Keli’s Aunt Josephine ran a non-profit that got heirloom seeds into hands of farmers who were working hard to keep away from the chemicals and stay organic, but she also seemed to be involved in the darker side of her cause, too. There were several people who were suspicious. I honestly had no idea about the solution until the reveals began at the end. I confess I was more caught up in the hauntings at the house and cemetery, Keli’s romance, and her times alone and with others who were Wiccan.

I found it moderately engaging and I might pick up another book from the series because all in all it was rather entertaining. For those looking for a mildly spooky paranormal cozy mystery, maybe give this one a go.

I rec’d this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

It's that magical time of the year. Keli Milanni, recently promoted to junior partner at her law firm, has a great deal of work on her hands, both in the office and after hours. She's playing a witch at a haunted barn, and she's also working to help one of her clients, who is afraid her newly purchased house is haunted.

To top things off, a body has been found in the woods, and it turns out to be Josephine O'Malley, Keli's long-lost aunt, an environmental activist and free spirit who always seemed to embody peace, love, and independence. Keli has to work to come to terms with her aunt's death while working to help her haunted client and learn to adjust to her new life with her live-in boyfriend, Wes.

Oh, and there's the fact she needs to find Josephine's killer, before he, or she, strikes again.

Tightly written with beautifully drawn characters, Samhain Secrets is a perfect cozy mystery. Is is especially enticing at this time of year, since the plot revolves around Samhain and features ghosts.

The author used the past and the present and drew the together in a perfect tale that led to a great conclusion. Along the way she leaves little breadcrumbs that make you think the killer could be one of many people, and when you find out who truly did it, you wonder how you missed the clues, which are subtle, until you get to the end and think, "Duh."

I really like Keli, who is strong and willing to conduct her own investigation, despite the misgivings of those around her. Her best friend, Farrah, is great, too, as is Keli's boyfriend Wes. Together they all weave a wonderful world that draws the reader in and keeps them enticed from the first page to the last.

This is the fourth book in the Wiccan Wheel series, and it's the first one I've read, and I'm now a fan. I didn't feel lost not having followed the series. There is just enough backstory to give the reader clues, and make them want to read the other books, if they have not.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the Wiccan Wheel series.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

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This book is perfect for fall reading as it is a great way to welcome in fall with a mysterious cozy mystery.
This is a delightful cozy mystery with a protagonist who balances her full time legal career with being a witch.
She is active with her coven and as Halloween approaches she has many responsibilities with her witch duties. I found this a enjoyable read. I am new to the author and look forward to further books in the series.

Keli Milanni is living with her boyfriend Wes and balancing her daytime career with her nighttime practice of being a witch. She is trying to solve a haunting of a old Victorian house and balancing upcoming Halloween duties. . Keli has many friends in her small town and enjoys her life and romance. The romance is done here just right and not a main part of the story. Her Aunt is a free spirit and activist who disappears and is found murdered. She is determined to find the person who murdered her aunt as she feels a unusual bond with her although she did not know her well.

The plot opens with a Halloween theme and the well crafted mystery surprised me with many twist and turns along the way. I enjoyed the Halloween theme and the supporting charcters. This was a enjoyable read that I highly recommend. I look forward to further books in this fun series. The perfect book to read in fall !
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my personal review.

Princess Fuzzypants here: While there were parts of this book that I really enjoyed, other parts were a near miss for me. It felt a bit like the author was throwing a whole bunch of stuff into the mix to see what stuck. For some that might have increased the enjoyment with lots of things churning around the main story. For me, it muddled it. Having said that, the things I liked, I really liked.
I enjoyed the supernatural aspect and I especially enjoyed it when our heroine, Keli, was adopted by her black kitty. She did spend a lot of time trying to figure out a name when it seemed pretty obvious considering the circumstances. Keli’s wayward aunt has been murdered. The aunt, Josie, was a family black sheep who had little contact with anyone but with whom Keli feels a strong bond. Keli figures if she can find out who killed her aunt she will understand her aunt better.
It seems her aunt may have been an ecoterrorist in her youth and her crimes might have caught up with her. Keli is willing to use whatever means is necessary to discover the truth and allow her aunt’s restless spirit to settle. I did enjoy the way various elements of Wicca are woven into the story with a great deal of respect..
When the mystery and the villain is revealed, the motive for the murder is a surprise. So much focus has been placed on another plot line that it felt a bit like a cheat. It was a humungous red herring and I followed it to the end. It is not nice to fool a kitty.
Overall, it was still enjoyable even if I felt I was robbed of a chance to figure it out.
I will give four purrs but only one paw up.

This is the second book of this series that I have read and I enjoyed it even more than the first. Even though I missed book two and three in the series I didn't feel as if I was missing anything from the story and was able to jump right back into Keli's world. SAmhain's secrets follows Keli as she tries and solves the mystery of her elusive aunt Josephine and the twists and turns in the story kept me on my toes and guessing the whole time. The Wiccan side to these novels is something I really enjoy, especially as I identify with pagan practices, but it's not something that is forced on the reader if you are not a practitioner. In fact the only thing I don't particularly like about this book is that Keli is still "in the closet" with her practice and only a few close friends know about her religion. I could understand that being the case in book one, but I thought by book four she would be more comfortable in her skin. Even if she didn't want her boss or family to know, she should seem more comfortable practicing in her own home and around other Wiccans. That said it my be Hesse's plan to have Keli grow into her power over the series and it didn't take away form the story. I solid cozy series and if you like you mysteries with a side of paranormal definitely check it out!

First off, thanks to #NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of this one! I read the first book in this series a couple of years ago and was not overly impressed with it. However, when I saw this one, these books have GREAT cover art, it really caught my eye. The Halloween/Samhain season is one of my very favorite times of year and I do like a good cozy mystery with a bit of "woo woo" to it. Keli has become a much more likable character. I didn't much care for her in the first one. In this one, she has gotten her act together and is trying to juggle an overflowing life like the rest of us. She's just been made partner at her firm and is working overtime and trying to make her relationship with her live-in boyfriend work. To add to that, she's just found out her estranged aunt has been found dead at a campground. Her aunt was always a free spirit and Keli didn't think she had any enemies, but that doesn't seem to be case. What looked like an accident is being called a murder. Keli is determined to find who had it in for her aunt. I hadn't felt compelled to read any of these after the first one, but after this one I'll check out the next in the series! Calling this one 3.5 stars, but no .5 stars allowed so rounding up! Recommended!

Samhain Secrets brings a welcome taste of fall to combat the lingering summer heat.  As you may expect from the title, there is a paranormal aspect to the mystery, but don’t be daunted - Samhain Secrets is a mystery foremost rather than a fantasy.  Keli Milanni is a practicing Wiccan, but that is only one of many parts to her life. Jennifer Hesse’s new cozy is a murder mystery where an important and controversial set of topics plays a major role - mass commercial farming, pesticide use and the forced reliance of small farmers on genetically modified seeds (which must be purchased each season because the plants are sterile).  


Keli always felt connected to her Aunt Josephine, despite their few meetings. Kelli’s Aunt Josephine was always a free spirit, focused on environmental causes, but Keli doesn’t realize the extent of her Aunt’s activities until after her body is discovered and Keli begins to investigate.  Why was Josephine in town? What had she discovered or threatened to reveal that made her a target? I have to admit that the novel is a bit predictable. (The culprit was obvious from early on). But the writing and the character interaction more than make up for that.


Jennifer Hesse’s Samhain Secrets is an entertaining cozy with just the right amount of supernatural intervention. The skillful inclusion of current issues adds to the suspense, and encourages the reader ask questions.  All in all, Samhain Secrets is a well plotted cozy with a fascinating assortment of supporting characters and suspects. Whether you are selecting a mystery for a book group or choosing one for your own enjoyment, Samhain Secrets is an excellent choice.


4 / 5


I received a copy of Samhain Secrets from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


— Crittermom

This time a really tough mystery was developed. Aunt Josephine was found dead. I wont give to many spoilers. Let's just say If you read the series up until now Aunt Josephine was a mystery in herself. She was the main reason Keli moved to Edindale. They were sort of twin or sister souls I would say. But we didn't know so much about Josephine/Josie/Shima/ AKA What ever people knew her by. You just have to read this one to finally put the pieces of Aunt Josephine together. It clicks eventually.

The story opens with Keli donning a witch costume to work for her boss at a "Haunted Barn". It is almost Halloween. I think we all know or believe something about ghosts. But the Haunted Barn is more like an attraction than being really haunted. The adventure that follows has Keli exploring a haunted house (which does have a ghost), a graveyard, and a wooded area behind rental cabins. All really spooky stuff this time around.
To be honest the series has been a little light on the real heavy spooky stuff. "Samhain Secrets" fits right in with the darker side of the wheel of the year. Though I stopped reading when dark came, and I was reading alone in the near dark, It's not a thriller at all. It did turn out that ghost was really a sweet kitty. That same kitty made it onto the cover. So that lightened it up again. She is a tricky cat, but a treat just the same. The real life howling, or Banshee in the night was way serious. It though leads to more clues, and family secrets for Keli. In the end Keli finds the true meaning of the veil between worlds. A really good book to add to the series.

One of my favorite genres, probably 2nd after urban fantasy, is paranormal cozies. This one fit the bill quite well. I’ve read a couple of the previous books in the series, but that is not a problem as the author does quite well keeping the reader informed of anything that is important to know if the other books in the series haven’t been read. One of the aspects I love about this book is where it takes place: Southern Illinois. I live quite close there, and it’s a pleasure to feel that the setting is close to me, almost like Edindale is just one town over. And, of course, the writing was great, the characters fun, and an interesting plot. If you like a paranormal cozy, do give this book and series a try! Highly recommend! I was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

Here is your chance to peek into the life of a modern-day witch, or in this case a Wiccan, and learn something about this spiritual culture practice in a delightful cozy mystery setting. Spells, incantations, calls to spirits, tarot cards, and sisterhood. Keli Milanni weaves the practice into the quest to find the person who murdered her aunt, Josephine O'Malley, an estranged free spirit of the family who chose to leave the nest early.

This is my first experience with the author and this series, but the characters feel well developed and the situation easy to absorb. Keli's boyfriend Wes has moved in with her. She has a cadre of good friends and a strong stable position in a legal firm. Her aunt has always been an enigma in her life and though she didn't really know her, still feels a bond. In a quirky sub-plot, Keli must solve the appearance of a haunting in a Victorian home (sale) in which she played a legal part when the new buyer begins experiencing all manner of bumps, thumps, and screams in the night.

The storyline of this well-laid plot opens with a Halloween hook and the pace remains steady. I enjoyed the connection between Keli and her friends and the dialogue was kept light though serious. The author doesn't overwhelm the plot with romance and the subject is kept clean and matter-of-fact. The mystery veers through twists and turns and I must admit I did not suspect the perp nor the reason behind the murder until it was revealed in conclusion. The conclusion wrapped up most loose ends while creating a couple new ones. (Samhain - pronounced sou-en - "A time for celebrating the final harvest, honoring the dead, and communing with spirits.")

I downloaded this ebook from the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read this fun mystery with a spiritual twist. This will be a #MustRead come Halloween! Recommended for those who enjoy an entertaining read that includes the supernatural, ghosts, and paranormal in their cozy mysteries.

I learned so much while reading this book and it wasn't dry lecture either. Keli has to wrestle with the loss of an aunt she's long tried to get to know while balancing solving the mystery, a rather demanding client, funeral arrangements, the faith she has now verses the faith she was raised in when her family comes to visit, and a whole lot more. The end held a plot twist that tied it all together in a way that I never saw coming. This was an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Jennifer David Hesse, NetGalley, and Kensington Books for allowing me the chance to read this book and share my thoughts and opinions with others.