Bells, Spells and Murders by Carol J. Perry is the seventh book in A Witch City Mystery series and was as good as the rest in this series. There is no sign that this series is running its course. Chang is good in life as well as in books, so in this outing, Lee Barrett is starting her new job as field reporter for WICH-TV. Lee is assigned to interview Albert Eldridge, the organizer of the Holiday Walk and financial supporter of a number of charities in Salem, Mass. When she arrives for her interview, she ends up with a different story, as she finds Mr. Eldridge dead in his office from blunt force trauma. Detective Pete Mondello, Lee’s boyfriend, is assigned the case. Lee begins an investigation of her own, gathering clues and questioning those close to Albert. She is busy with her snooping, assignments for work and getting her home ready for Christmas. Luckily for Lee, with the aid of her visions, and O’Ryan her cat, she hopes to wrap up the case before sleigh bells ring out on Christmas Eve.

Christmas in Salem was brought alive in this book. Cold weather, shopping, baking, tree decorating, a Christmas play, many Santa’s ringing bells for donations, and the generosity of people around Christmas all add to the setting and ambiance of the story. The mystery was interesting with several suspects, a red herring or two and pointed clues. Even though Pete continually asks Lee to stay out of the investigation, she does not stop, even if it means she puts herself in danger. The characters are the strength of the series. Lee is smart and independent. She lives on the third floor of her Aunt Ibby's house in her own apartment. She has O'Ryan, a cat, who is a real character in the stories, who just happens to have been a witch's familiar before she died. Aunt Ibby, who is sixty something, is a vibrant caring character. She is a retires librarian and does research for Lee. She is also a wonderful cook and they share many tasty meals together. I like that the authors portrays her as a vibrant personalty and there is also a bit of a love triangle for her in this book. There are several characters in this book that have not been in the others, but they all help to flesh out this book. There is a little paranormal in the book as Lee can see images in reflective images (she is a scryer). She doesn't really embrace this and seems to be apprehensive at what she will see. This is one of the ways she gathers information, but it is not overdone. I was not able to figure out the culprit until just before the clues gave it away, which I always enjoy. I will continue to look for more books in this series, as I continue to enjoy them. The publisher, Kensington Publishing, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

This is the seventh installment in this series and gets a solid three stars from me. I read the first two and liked them enough to want to continue, so was pleased to get this as an ARC from the publisher despite it being the latest in the series and having missed a number in between.

Lee has a new job working as WICH-TV's investigative reporter, meaning she's out and about Salem looking for newsworthy items to report on. She wants to do well so as it's Christmas, there are plenty of issues that crop up - homeless pets needing homes for the holidays, a women's shelter in need of donations and cash support, etc. - that she can cover and she does so enthusiastically.

This far into the series, the characters are pretty well fixed - Lee, her Aunt Ibby, Pete, O'Ryan the cat, River North, and friends and colleagues at WICH-TV - but then you get the inevitable newbies, this time the murder victim and some of his colleagues at the Historical Society. The murder happens right off the bat, so you don't get to know the victim at all except through personal accounts of the people who knew him and some research via Aunt Ibby.

So, it was mostly a book about Lee pursuing her career with the station rather than a full-on mystery, although she did do her sleuthing in between and it ended satisfactorily for the most part. Probably my biggest peeve was the use of 'dear': 'Albert, that dear man', 'Lee, dear', 'dear child', 'that dear man', etc. Dear me! It was used A LOT and it just makes the characters sound too, too sweet for words and slightly untrustworthy like they're trying too hard to be nice, you know?

But it is a great series for the most part and one I will happily continue.

Bells, Spells and Murders by Carol J. Perry is the seventh bewitching tale in A Witch City Mystery series. Lee Barrett is starting her new job as field reporter for WICH-TV in Salem, Massachusetts. Lee is set to interview Albert Eldridge regarding the Holiday Walk, but she ends up with breaking news. Albert is dead in his office from blunt force trauma. Detective Pete Mondello, Lee’s boyfriend, is assigned the case which means late nights for him until the killer is apprehended. Lee starts nosing around, gathering clues and questioning those close to Albert. She must work in her sleuthing in between work assignments, shopping for Christmas presents, decorating her tree and participating in a Salem holiday tradition. Lee, with the aid of her visions and O’Ryan, sets out to wrap up the case before sleigh bells ring out on Christmas Eve.

I enjoyed reading Bells, Spells and Murders. The author captured the holiday spirit in this merry cozy mystery. While Bells, Spells and Murders is the seventh story in A Witch City Mystery series, it can be read alone. Ms. Perry provides Lee’s backstory allowing you to know her and how she came to live and work in Salem. Christmas in Salem was brought alive in this book. Cold weather, shopping, baking, tree decorating, a Christmas play, Santa’s ringing bells for donations, family flying off for the holiday and twinkle lights are all included. I loved how the bell theme was spread throughout the story (some of the references will have you giggling). The mystery was interesting with several suspects, a red herring or two and pointed clues. I wish the solution had not been so obvious, and I could have done with less repetition of case details. I did tire of Pete telling Lee to stay out of the investigation. He should know by now that she will keep investigating even if her life is in peril (there is no stopping Lee). All the storylines are nicely wrapped up at the end of the book. My rating for Bells, Spells and Murders is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). Bells, Spells and Murders is my favorite book in A Witch City Mystery series. There is love, humor, murder, family, friends and Christmas fun in one festive cozy mystery.

Carol Perry celebrates Christmas with a Witch City mystery in Salem, Bells, Spells and Murders. Lee Barrett is a news reporter at the Salem WICH TY who also uses her psychic senses to chase down clues to murder with help from her cat O'Ryan. Her boyfriend is a murder cop so things get complicated. Murders linked to the local Christmas charity provide lots of room for investigation. As they close in on the murderer a blizzard hits Salem. Lots of excitement.

Lee Barrett is now a field reporter for WICH tv in Salem, MA, a position she is delighted to have earned. Her report on a charitable organization didn't go as planned as the intended interviewee is found dead, slumped over his desk. Her aunt, Ibby, and police detective, Pete, have her back as she decided to investigate.

Highly recommended for cozy fans who like a touch of the paranormal. Definitely one of my fav series!

Princess Fuzzypants here: I truly like Lee Barrett. I like how the books have allowed her to grow from teaching television classes at a local college to being an investigative reporter on camera in this one. She is pretty darned good at her job too. Of course, it does not hurt that she has a habit of stumbling into the middle of murders and mysteries. With her intrepid videographer, she manages to be on the very front line of the death of an important philanthropist. In fact, when she goes to interview him, she finds him slumped at his desk.
What appears at first to be a natural death turns into a very tangled and sordid conspiracy and it takes all of Lee’s skill to unravel it. Her boyfriend, a cop, does not mind her input and in fact, shares what he can with her but wants her to stay safe. She wants to stay safe too. In fact, unlike some cozy heroines, she does not tempt fate although she does go to the edge in trying to get her story.
As it turns out, she is very lucky she has O’Ryan, the former familiar of a late celebrated witch. He and his feral lady friend are the only things that save Lee from disaster. Despite having visions and intuitions and even tarot readings from her best friend, Lee finds herself trapped by the killer and only the kitties can save the day. Of course. We kitties are amazing and O’Ryan is one of the best.
What would our humans do without us?
I give it five purrs and two paws up.

Bells, Spells, and Murders by Carol J. Perry, is the 7th book in the Witch City Mysteries, which takes place around Christmas. I really enjoyed this book, and have already read the other books in the series. Lee Barrett now has her dream job, a field reporter on WICH-TV, in Salem, MA. On her first assignment she discovers the dead body of prominent humanitarian, Mr. Eldridge. Lee is determined to find out what happened with the help of her cat O'Ryan, Aunt Ibby, and her detective boyfriend. This book has everything you want in a cozy mystery, plus a little paranormal thrown in. The story kept me intrigued and reading page after page. I am looking forward to reading Lee's next adventure.

This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am new to this series and author, and this author has picked up a new fan. I also must say even though I’ve never read a book in this series, the author did a great job of making sure new readers knew what was going on, or had gone on the past, so we wouldn’t be lost. I liked all of the characters (I think the cats were my favorite!) and will have to read the previous books to see what all I’ve missed. I do have to mention that some of the book could have been cut out and still would have been a good read. The plot got bogged down a little bit by a lot of description and by Lee’s new job as a reporter. These things weren’t terrible, but I don’t think were completely necessary to the book. There were also a few timeline inconsistencies in this book that I hope will be corrected by publication. However, overall, this book was a great paranormal cozy that flowed along smoothly even with those minor hiccups. Even if you don’t like paranormal, there were few elements that were so I think you’d still like this. Give it a try! Highly recommend! I was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

First off, thanks to #NetGalley & #Kensington for the opportunity to read an e-book ARC of this one. This series has been a favorite of mine since book one, so I was very happy to get to read this one! Ms. Perry crafts excellent mysteries with just enough "paranormal" happenings. While this one is not my favorite in the series, it's still a great read. I figured out "whodunit" very early in the story, but that didn't make me like it any less. Lee is back at WICH, but as a reporter this time and not a "faux psychic". Her comings and goings due to her job could be a deterrent in some ways in future books, but I don't think it had any effect on this one. I like Lee & Pete's relationship. It comes across as natural. 2 of my favorite characters, O'Ryan and Aunt Ibby, are around, though not so much for Aunt Ibby this time. I missed not having River be more a part of the story. I always enjoy mysteries that are built around holidays and Ms. Perry does a great job with Christmas and Halloween centered stories. If you're a fan of this series already you'll definitely want to be on board for this one. If you haven't tried the series yet, and I highly recommend you do, I'd start with an earlier one so you're not lost on some of the finer points!

Love this series!
Lee Barrett is back on the air in Salem Massachusetts. Christmas is in the air an Lee is covering the season for WICH-TV when a local philanthropist is found murdered. Lee and the gang find themselves smack in the middle of things and her cat O’Ryan, her visions, and the Tarot cards are trying to tell Lee something, but what?

The series is a fun one and the Salem setting is true to the city and I love that the author uses actual businesses in her stories. As a visitor to Salem, it’s fun to recognize some of the spots. Escape to Salem for Christmas and enjoy the mystery! Can’t wait for the next entry in the series!

I enjoy the authors writing as she has a talent for a fast paced well plotted mystery. This is the 7th in series and does not disappoint for long time fans of the series. I highly recommend this book for everyone that enjoys a touch of the paranormal and a well crafted mystery.

Lee Barrett the protagonist of this series has her dream job at Salem’s local TV station as the new field reporter, She is set to interview the chairman of a popular walking tour through Salem’s historic district until she finds him murdered . Lee begins to follow leads with the help of her wise cat O’Ryan and psychic visions . When a revealing clue leads to another murder Lee finds herself close to the truth and may be in danger. With the help of her friends and her boyfriend and one smart intuitive cat, she is soon to solve the case.

Bells, Spells, and Murders is a fabulous addition as the 7th book in the “Witch City Mystery” series. The characters all add to the story and the paranormal aspect is not overdone but just right for the plot.. The romance of Lee and her police officer boyfriend adds to the story but does not overpower the plot and has promise for further stories as they have moved in together. I loved the sleuth and found it had many whodunit and twist and turns to conclusion. A very enjoyable read.
Thank you for the ARC. My opinion is my own.

This is the 7th in this series and I continue to enjoy reading about Lee, her boyfriend, her aunt, her friends and her cat. Lee still sees things in reflective surfaces, although fewer times than in past books. Her cat offers up clues (that Lee has trouble putting together) to help solve the mystery. Lee is now a field reporter and so this book has that as a main plot line. The murder is interesting so I enjoyed reading the book. I look forward to many more.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

One of my favorite authors, one who writes a character that is never over the top nosy, "I can do it better than the police" sort. Lee is a native of Salem, MA and lives with her librarian Aunt Ibby. She is dating a local police detective and, until this, the seventh in the series, she was teaching on air reporting at the Tabby, a multi-arts school housed in a former department store. Now she is working for a local tv station as an investigative reporter. Sure beats the first gig she had at the station. She was the host of the midnight movies and was a fake psychic. Hey, it was a job and it was the start of some very strange things. Lee lost the job, adopted a witch's familiar/cat and discovered that her real talent was being able to see visions in very shiny objects. Mostly things she didn't want to see, thank you very much.
Now, in the seventh book, she has come to expect (but still not welcome) the visions, her love life is going well and living in her own apartment on the third floor of Aunt Ibby's house fits her to a T. Add the clever cat and a job she likes and Lee is happy. Until she and her camera person, Francine, go to interview a local philanthropist about upcoming Christmas events. Too bad she can't interview the poor man - he is now a corpse with a caved in skull and the interviewee is now Lee because she found the poor man slumped over his desk, many hours dead. Lee's boyfriend is on the case. All very familiar.
Lee does her own investigating while doing a wide assortment of local assignments, many for Christmas spots at the station. Will she be able to figure out what the latest series of visions mean? And what do those doors in her visions have to do with the murder? She has a sense of foreboding when Frankie, the mysterious white cat shows up. She only seems to appear when danger is lurking around the corner. With the help of family and friends, Lee will wrap it all up with a bow, ready to go under the Christmas tree.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Everyone in Salem, Massachusetts is getting ready to celebrate the Christmas season. Santa's with their kettles and bell ringing to donations being made to the homeless and needy. Lee Barrett is WICH-TV’s new field reporter. She is sent to interview Albert Eldridge, Chair of the Holiday Walk committee. When she goes into his office, she finds Mr Eldridge dead. Who would want to hurt this man? Pete Mondello is a cop who arrives on the scene to investigate. Pete is, also Lee's boyfriend. As a reporter, Lee finds it hard to stay out of the investigation. Bodies and clues start stacking up. Will Lee survive the Christmas Season? Plenty of mystery. I loved this book. Lee is one of my all time favorite characters. I received this book from Net Galley and Kensington Books for a honest review and no compensation otherwise.

This is the second book in this series that I have read and once again, I missed reading them in order. It was obvious to me that I had missed at least one as I read it but only because of changes in Lee Barrett's life. I want to read the ones I missed more than ever now. .Last time I saw Lee, she was teaching a class at a local type of college. Now, she's a reporter for the local tv station. It seems a very natural fit. We definitely learn more about the town this way and I loved it as it made the world building even more real.

The mystery was well-done and we jump right into it. I kept bouncing around as to who did it, then I thought it was a conspiracy but I couldn't figure out why, then I went back to trying to figure out who it was on an individual basis. All in all, it was a very satisfactory conclusion that neatly answered all the questions brought up during the book.

I am truly enjoying Carol J. Perry's works and she's become a new author I have to follow.

Thank you so much to Carol J. Perry, Kensington, NetGalley, and Penguin Random House Publisher Services for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts and opinions with others.

I didn't quite enjoy this one as much as I did the other book I read by this author Grave Errors. I felt the mystery in this one took a back seat to all of Lee's running around news reporting, which started to get a little boring after a while. I think the author could have dropped a lot of that and it would have tightened up the story and placed more focus on the murder mystery. There were also quite a few inconsistencies within the story, but hopefully, those will be fixed by the time the book is officially released.

That being said, I still did really enjoy the characters themselves. Lee is a great leading lady. I continued to love Pete and their relationship. I loved Aunt Ibby, and O'Ryan the cat, and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. Throw in a yummy sounding recipe, and it certainly made for an enjoyable (if not perfect) read.

Another wonderful cozy mystery by Carol J. Perry. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. Each book has been a mystery that isn't easy to figure out, with memorable characters and a setting that I absolutely love. I hope more stories are coming! I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Bells, Spells, and Murders: A Witch City Mystery
By Carol J. Perry
Kensington
September 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

Halloween isn’t the only holiday exuberantly celebrated in Salem, Massachusetts. In fact, the town is embracing the Christmas season with the theme of “Ring in the Holidays in Salem,” with Santas ringing on over street corner, bells decorating every store, and a musical bell performance by the Christmas Belles ladies Even cat O’Ryan is adorned with a bell collar. WICH-TV investigative and new field reporter Lee Barrett has spent the day covering holiday community and charity events, with her next appointment set to interview the chairman of the Holiday Walk committee. It looks as though the rigidly punctual Executive Director of Historical Charities will be indefinitely late though, as Lee has just found Mr. Albert Eldridge slumped over dead in his office.

Immediately on the case is Lee’s boyfriend, Detective Pete Mondello, but when he goes into serious “cop mode” he is focused on tactile evidence and forensics. He is not entirely comfortable with Lee’s recently developed skills as a gazer, which gives her the ability to see portentous visions on the surface of shiny objects. The difficulty comes in deciphering the meaning of what appears, especially when they occur at unpredictable and inconvenient times. Lee and her young driver/photographer Francine are determined to follow the murder investigation through, despite Pete’s admonishments and a rival reporter standing by ready to scoop the story. Interviews with those involved in Mr. Eldridge’s proposed Heritage Village are instrumental in tracking down who may have had reason for wanting him dead, but just as important are the clues presented through Lee’s visions and her undeniably psychic cat. If only they could figure out what the reappearing images of doors and the Christmas Carol actually mean…

This is lucky number seven in the always entertaining Witch City Mystery series, as it seamlessly weaves paranormal aspects into what is definitely a novel for the Christmas season. There is even a snowy blizzard predicted by WICH-TV’s highly qualified if bosomy weathergirl to create the perfect frosty holiday setting. O’Ryan’s mischievous clue-dropping and Lee’s eerie mystical visions will please those who enjoy Wiccan elements, but what proves to be even more fascinating are the details of Lee’s investigative journalism. The nuances of crafting a timed-to-the-second video news shoot are genuinely compelling, as are the on-the-spot live broadcasts that must sound practiced but natural. The former late-night television “fake” psychic has finally come onto her own, able to use her otherworldly gifts to enhance investigative reports while squeezing into a little Christmas shopping on the side. Completely irresistible is Lee’s Aunt Ibby, who before jetting off to London utilizes her librarian superpowers to research witnesses and track down suspects. Who could resist a mystery where home libraries are organized by the Dewey Decimal System, an Agatha Christie novel provides critical clues and Gremlins is the holiday movie of the night?

Lee is back! This time around she's working as a reporter and she finds Mr Eldridge, the chairman of the walking tour of Salem and booster of charities, dead in his office. One thing I've liked about this series is that Lee works with the police - well, admittedly her boyfriend Pete, a detective- rather than around them. THere's also a light paranormal element (nothing too woowoo), good characters (Aunt Ibby), a cat, and all the other elements of a fun cozy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Trust Perry not to go over the top but to keep the story briskly moving along with good twists.

Another great installment in Salem, Massachusetts featuring Lee Barrett, friends, family, and co-workers. In this book,me get to see Salem in Christmastime. Of course that means everyone is super busy when a murder happens. By the end, another will have occurred. Lee uses new skills she picked up from Pete, her detective boyfriend to help solve the case.

Likes- Christmastime in Salem setting. I liked all the events and descriptions of decorations. Also how being so busy can affect murder investigations, and perhaps your judgement when you are tired, stressed and the weather is bad. I like Lee lalways learning new skills and implementing them. I love the cats, as usual O'Ryan needs more time in the book!

Dislike- I found some hints to be too obvious. I know it's holiday season, but we barely ever see River. Also, usually holiday season brings out charity in many people. We see the santas being charitable ( or not) but all Lee is doing is filling in for her aunt at the concert, and donating money to the santas. Considering she made visits to hospitalized veterans in the past I think she would do more. When she bakes cookies for someone, it really has an agenda attached.

Despite dislikes, still a great read and I will be looking forward to the next book!