Aunt Ibby and O'Ryan are my favorite characters in this book. I didn't know who the killer was.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

This book is in my Year of the Series project but honestly I was already working on getting caught up because it is one of my absolute favorite series and this one did not disappoint! I especially enjoyed that Lee's Aunt Ibby is front and center around this one. The book starts with Lee and her cameraman, Francine following a tip to an old abandoned granite quarry. A tip has led the police to the resting place of a 40 year old missing person case. That resting place just happens to be in a car 100 feet down in the quarry and the missing person just happens to be Aunt Ibby's high school sweetheart - the very same high school sweetheart who stood her up for senior prom. And since there is a reunion being planned Aunt Ibby is very much in touch with her 5 of her best friends from high school and is knee deep in mysteries. I liked getting to know Ibby on more of a personal level then just as Lee's confidante and research extraordinaire. I love Lee's new position as investigative reporter as she is able to really dig into the investigations and I love having the crew from the news station involved. Francine, Marty and Rhonda are some of my absolute favorite side characters. This is a great cozy series with characters I love hanging out with, mysteries that keep me guessing, and just a splash of paranormal. I'm already looking forward to picking up the next book in the series.

I really loved this book in a new to me author. The characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

I really wanted to love this book since I have been reading the series since it came out and this one was just okay. The plot did not suck in me like the previous books in the series.

Once again Carol J Perry has provided readers with an intriguing mystery with just the right dash of paranormal flair. This time, things hit close to home when an antique sports car with human remains is pulled from the river. Aunt Ibby’s extreme emotional response on learning who could be in the car worries Lee. It appears that one of Aunt Ibby’s classmates had disappeared on prom night - one with a close personal connection to Ibby. Now it looks like his disappearance was something sinister - murder. Naturally, Lee is on the case, both for her aunt’s sake and for the sake of her job as an investigative reporter. Someone is willing to kill to hide old secrets - the question is who.

Part of what makes these books appeal to me is the likable nature of the central characters. You enjoy their company and care what happens. Perry has not fallen into the trap of using less characterization as the series progresses, which makes it easy for newcomers to jump right in. And of course O’Ryan is always a treat and has an important role to play - a bonus for cat lovers.

5 / 5

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

-- Crittermom

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! The Witch City series is one of my favorites! In this 8th book, Maralee,’s aunt Ibby is planning the class of 1974’s reunion. I feel that this can easily be read as a stand-alone story. Maralee is a news reporter in Salem, MA and gets word of something happening involving police at an old quarry in town. When divers retrieve a 1970’s Mustang with a body inside, our reporting sleuth is on the case, as is her police detective boyfriend, Pete. As it turns out, the body is that of one of the Class of 1974 classmates.

I thought this was an interesting spin on a cozy mystery, as Maralee is gathering information about the man who was found in the car. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy mysteries with a hint of the paranormal. Thanks to #NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The eighth book in the Witch City Mystery series by Carol J Perry is Final Exam. Lee is busy with her job at the news station in Salem, but she still has time to check in with Aunt Ibby's 45th high school reunion preparations. When an old car containing a body is pulled out of the water, the two things become even more entangled. The story flowed well even with the multiple story lines. I like the Salem setting of this series. I have read previous books in the series, but this one can be read and enjoyed on its own.

I continue to enjoy this series. Lee and crew are back at it again. I always look forward to new books in this cozy mystery series. *ARC provided by NetGalley for review.

Some things do not stay hidden forever, especially when the police receive a tip. Aunt Ibby is getting ready for her 45th high school reunion by reuniting with a few old friends over party committee meetings. This group is missing a member who was very special to Ibby so special that her life might have even been a little different. A cold case and a hot tip make for great mystery as Lee uses her investigative reporter skills and Officer/boyfriend Pete detects. What happened on that fateful night when Ted went missing. Of course Lee also has the help of her cat O'Ryan, believed to have been a witch's familiar, and the tarot reading skills of River North this was a another great Witch City book. Does make one stop to wonder what could be at the bottom of various ponds in the country.

Carol Perry continues her Witch City mysteries with Final Exam. Lee Barrett is a reporter for WICH TV in Salem so
she follows a tip to the local quarry where the police are seeking to bring up an old car with possible human remains inside. There is a link to her aunt and her friends who are getting ready for a class reunion. Who is the corpse? Whodunit? What are the flashes of the past the Lee sees in mirrors? Clues? False leads. Enjoy this creepy cozy.

Lee Barrett is a field reporter for the local television station, and along with her sidekick camera person, Francine, get the story of a lifetime. Only the story also involves Lee's Aunt Ibby and her 45th high school reunion. Lee and police boyfriend Pete work the cold case from different perspectives. Neither of them, nor Aunt Ibby, really understand her visions - actually her cat, O'Ryan, seems to the have the best handle on their importance, but they eventually lead Lee or Pete to look at things differently.

This was an interesting combination of cold case, love lost, and secrets leading to more potentially more killing. There are complications and twists and turns that keep the story moving. Perry also entwines emotions and reactions of the characters that gives them personality or leaves them flat and unknown like Penelope. The ending makes sense, but I didn't have the mastermind nailed. If you like a good cozy mystery with a hint of the paranormal, you'll enjoy this one.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

Lee and her psychic cat, O'Ryan are on the case to investigate a murder case that has her Aunt Ibby in a flutter. Lee is the first reporter on the scene when police pull a vintage sports car from the quarry with human remains behind the wheel. This is book 8 in the Witch City Mystery series and can be read as a stand alone. Lee and her family are fun to know and her romance with Pete is a nice sideline story. Enough paranormal to make these readers happy but a well written mystery as well. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is still a great series. I enjoyed getting to know more about Aunt Ivy’s past. I also like Lee and Pete’s relationship. They are a happy and contented couple with no drama. Which is a refreshing change from a lot of cozy mysteries.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

I love this series of books. The characters have been developed so they feel like old friends I'm visiting again while they are most definitely not your everyday neighbors in the hood. The setting is of course a neighborhood of paranormal relatives and friends that live amongst the everyday normal lives. It's entertaining to see how they have built their own world with their own consequences and villains to chase. Carol Perry has a very vivid imagination that takes us with her when her characters start to solve an old murder with new consequences. The stories entertain and make you forget your dishes and laundry for awhile. isn't that what a good book is supposed to do?

Final Exam: A Witch City Mystery
By Carol J. Perry
Kensington
March 2019

Review by Cynthia Chow

Once Salem’s WCH-TV’s late-night show call-in psychic, Lee Barrett has a lot to prove as their new and youngest field news reporter. It’s why she and her camerawoman Francine Hunter are following a tip that that police divers are searching for something dumped in the water-filled old North Shore Granite Works quarry, and why they are the first news crew to report that a body may have been left in a vintage red Mustang. The real breaking news though is the reaction by Lee’s beloved Aunt Ibby, who upon seeing the TV bulletin drops a Spode porcelain platter of cookies while refusing to explain why. As it is, their immediate attention is required by the planning of Aunt Ibby’s Salem High School class of 1974 reunion, which is bringing together a prestigious group of graduates. The kids who once sat at the “popular table” will be missing one of their members though, as an alarming discovery is made that will tie together Lee’s story with a cold case led by her boyfriend Detective Pete Mondello.

For once, Pete doesn’t mind that his own “Nancy Drew” is getting involved in his investigation, as she brings her own unique talents that he has come to accept. A scryer who sees visions in reflective surfaces, Lee has learned that the sights are open to interpretation, and the real challenge is in deciphering them. When not acting like a normal cat prone to napping most of the day, her familiar O’Ryan lends a paw by rather forcefully providing his own clues that are often even more confusing than her visions. By combining a witchy investigation with her budding reporter skills, Lee will be tracing the path of a killer who has cruelly deceived a town for forty-five years.

This eighth in the series continues to masterfully blend practical investigations with witchcraft elements that feel grounded in reality. Tarot card clues and readings by her friend River North are effective as they force Lee to examine her life, and while possibly predictive they also reflect the worries she has on her mind. Well-balanced plotting and writing make spending time with these characters a delight even when they aren’t investigating, especially now as she is integrating her professional life with her witchy one. Clues sprinkled throughout lead to a logical solution, yet few will predict the motivation of the murder. Recipes included highlight the downtime Lee has with Aunt Ibby and Pete, moments filled with emotional support, comfort eating, and teasing banter. A heart-warming moment Lee has with one of her visions, and a bench that brings back memories she didn’t know she had, deliver the perfect moments of sentimentality and genuine emotion. An edge-of-the-seat confrontation will satisfy those looking for a little more edge in their mysteries, with a resolution that cleverly reveals the twists and unravels the truth behind the clues left behind for Lee and her friends. Now that Lee is more accepting of her occasionally shocking visons, it will be intriguing to see how she continues to progress as both a talented scryer and a budding investigative reporter.

I love this series. This is Book 8 of the Witch City Mystery series. Lee has had several careers in the series, all loosely connected with the TV industry. This helps keep the series fresh even though many of the main characters remain the same. Now as an investigative reporter, she is investigating the story behind an old car dredged up from a gravel pit with a body inside. It turns out that the car is associated with an old disappearance involving her Aunt and her high school friends. There is less use of her special visions in this one than in others, but the power does add to her solid sleuthing skills. Her boyfriend becomes more three dimensional in this one and her cat O’Ryan (great name, by the way) continues to be a delight. This can be read as a standalone but to get the full effect of Lee’s growth as a person it would be good to read in order.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. Lee and her Aunt Ibby are back! This time, the intrepid news reported for Salem's WICH TV is covering the old quarries, where an anonymous tip about a car (and possibly a body) are in the 200 foot deep water. Meanwhile, Aunt Ibby is preparing to host the meeting of her 1974 HS reunion committee, consisting of members of the 'most popular' from her HS class. It turns out that there is a car and a body. And the remains are of a member of that 1974 class, with special meaning to the members of the reunion committee. This is not the first in the series and easily is read as a stand-alone book. I've enjoyed reading all of Ms. Perry's series about Lee and the folks in Salem. She writes a well-crafted and easily readable cosy mystery. I highly recommend the series.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I am always excited when a new book in this series comes out. I really like Lee, the heroine, her aunt, her friends and her boyfriend. I especially love her kitty, O’Ryan, who adopted her after his former human, a witch (he was her familiar) was murdered.
Lee is now an investigative reporter who stumbles on the big story of the day. An old Mustang is dredged from its watery grave in a gravel pit. Quickly she learns her beloved aunt and her high school friends are deeply involved in the mystery surrounding the vehicle and its deceased passenger. Lee is ably assisted in getting to the bottom of the mystery by O’Ryan who guides her to some of the answers. As an investigative reporter there is nothing odd about her interviewing people or looking for clues. But she also has a gift- although sometimes she might not think of it in such terms. She gets visions in shiny surfaces like mirrors. Often they can be cryptic particularly since she doesn’t know if they represent the past or the future.
She is going to need every bit of help she can get if she is to solve the murder and stave off any future deaths. Now that boyfriend Pete knows of her “talents” he shares what he can with her as a cop and takes her visions seriously. It doesn’t stop him from worrying about her.
It’s a good mystery although I must admit I found the killer was highly suspect. It did nothing to detract from my enjoyment of the story.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.

Final Exam was my first introduction to Lee Barrett and O’Ryan, but I am so pleased to have found them! In this story, Lee is the lead reporter covering a cold case – human remains found in an old car. It doesn’t take long to realize that the cause of death may have been murder, and the culprit may still be around.

Final Exam has a fun cast of characters, especially O’Ryan. I love cats in cozies, and a psychic one is just that much better. The mystery itself was very well done and I really enjoyed this book.

Final Exam is the eighth book in this series and I can't wait to read the first seven. I have found a new favorite writer to add to my list. This is a must read for everyone.