Mrs. Morris and the Witch
By Traci Wilton
Kensington
2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

After the death of her beloved husband, Charlene Morris is starting her life over running a Bed and Breakfast in Salem Massachusetts. For her first Halloween as a Salem business owner, Charlene is seeing just how over-the-top the tourist-driven town becomes as it celebrates a Psychic Fair, Witch Festival, and Witch Ball. Her own guests are signed up for a tour led by Kevin Hughes, one that takes them to Morganna’s Witch House, run by the alluring witch Morganna. When her shop closes earlier than expected, Charlene and Kevin have the horror of discovering the witch’s body, most likely poisoned to death by cyanide.

What no one knows is that Charlene has her own in-house ghost, that of recently deceased Doctor Jack Strathmore. She and her cat Silva are the only ones able to see his form, something of a shame considering his designer-clad body and undeniable good looks. Jack has his own issues with jealousy over Charlene, not hiding his resentment towards the attention she receives of Detective Sam Holden. This new murder will have both men vying for Charlene’s time, with Sam having the advantage considering that he is alive and has inside information on the investigation. Feeling overly protective of her guests, Charlene champions the police’s early suspect Dylan Preston, a young man with shifty alibis, an online date, and jacket left in Morganna’s store. Despite Sam’s pleas to stay uninvolved, Charlene doesn’t hesitate to begin questioning Morganna’s business rivals or disputing Wiccans.

This second in the series live up to the charm of the debut, which introduced an emotionally wounded Charlene still recovering from the loss of her spouse. The ghost Jack isn’t shy about his interest in her, not seeming to see his lack of being alive as an obstacle to their future. Sam of course has the advantage of being amongst the living, and his patience as he continually finds Charlene questioning his suspects and in the midst of chaos makes him a prime candidate in her future. That he also recognizes Charlene’s need for time to mourn and accept of loss of the love of her life further sets him apart, although ultimately it will be her decision on how she decides to move on. Interactions with her parents and guests provide movements of humor of levity, as do Silva’s frustrations with Jack and his ability to be shed upon. This is a charming, light-hearted paranormal mystery that features a vulnerable, relatable heroine and a ghost who both enhances and complicates her life.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I liked the original premise of the series. A widow buys a house to convert into a B & B and discovers it comes complete with hunky ghost. In the first book, Charlene solves the murder of her ghost but instead of moving on, he and she begin a pseudo romance. Or at least a romance as much as a living human and a ghost can manage. In an interesting twist, book two takes place only a week later, spanning Halloween in Salem.
It has a coven with lots of witches and would be witches, a murder of one of the witches and lots of suspicious behaviour within their community, a tempting chief of police who wants to keep Charlene safe, two sets of guests in her B & B and a very sweet kitty. It happens to be a good mystery with lots of intrigue and some magick and ghostly goings on. There were the obligatory twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. But I think what I liked best was the self awareness of our heroine.
She realizes she is doing some dumb things and at one times suspects she may be venturing into the too stupid to live territory. It is refreshing. It still puts her in harms way but at least she knows she is doing it. The final show down with the reveal turns out to be something she tries to but cannot avoid. I really liked the way our ghost, who is bound to the house, manages to save her. It was a nice turn.
Five purrs and two paws up.

It's time to celebrate Halloween in Salem and Charlene Morris, newly widowed and new resident of Salem. To give herself a new start in life she has left Chicago and bought a seven bedroom mansion in need of some TLC. Her plan is to turn it into a B&B and, tonight is the Big Day, so to speak. Ready to take her guests on a Halloween tour of Salem, Charlene didn't see any dead body on the list of sights to see but that's what she gets. Morgana, a local Wiccan sho owner is found dead in her shop. On top of that shock, the police focus on one of her guests as the killer. Feeling certain that the police have it all wrong she starts her own investigation with some help along the way.
This was the perfect cozy to help me escape these stressful times. The added character of Jack, the hunky ghost who calls Charlene his friend is very nice. I hope he never figures out how to move on. He's a keeper. The puzzle kept me guessing and I fell for a red herring and guessed wrong. Charlene is a very likable protagonist with the expected shortcomings every amateur sleuth should have. I'm looking forward to her next mystery, Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past due out on September 29, 2020.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mrs. Morris and the Witch is the second title in the Salem B & B Mystery series and drew me back into this world quickly with a lively Paranormal Cozy Mystery to sink my teeth into.

This time around we find Charlene with a newly renovated Bed & Breakfast opening just in time for the Halloween craziness that overtakes Salem each year. She’s planned well, but she didn’t expect to discover a dead body after returning from a ghost tour. It seems the victim, who really was a witch in more ways than one, wasn’t liked much by a lot of people, yet the person who is the main suspect is innocent and Charlene sets out to prove that. Along the way she’s going to discover more background on this witch than she’d ever have wanted to know and has to stay one step ahead of the true killer before they decide she’s getting far too close.

As a reader who truly enjoys the ride of any Cozy Mystery it’s not my main focus to figure out whodunit but to have fun with the journey… and I certainly did with Mrs. Morris and the Witch. With enough twists and turns to create a pretzel along with a few red herrings tossed in this story will lead you on a merry chase to catch the real killer. I’m enjoying getting to know these characters better and I do like the building relationship between Charlene and Sam. Yet, since there can be really no true relationship with the adorable Jack I certainly hope he soon becomes Charlene’s sidekick in solving crimes… and not a ghostly part of a three-sided romance.

In any event, I had a blast with this second story in the Salem B & B Mystery series and would not hesitate to recommend it for readers who love a really good Paranormal Cozy Mystery. The next title is out in the fall with a Christmas feel to it, looking forward to that release.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This is the second book in the series and it will keep you spellbound from the beginning to the end. I really enjoyed the first book but I have to say this one is my favorite so far. It's also one of those books that if you aren't careful you can give to much of the story away.

So let me say that Charlene owns a really nice Bed and Breakfast in Salem and it is Halloween. She has a full house. Her guests include a variety of people. But she and Kevin, a bartender and tour guide, take them into town for a walking tour of things that Salem has to offer. It's Halloween and everyone is aware that Salem is known for their witches and ghosts. None of the guests suspect that the Bed and Breakfast is haunted by the way. But Jack is a friendly ghost and only Charlene can see or hear him.

While they are in town, they stop at Morgana's Glass orbs and see some that they want to get. Morgana tells them she will have them ready in a couple of days, she will be open til 10 and she is going in the back to work on them until then. They all disperse and go about their separate ways in town knowing they were to meet Charlene and Kevin back at Morgana's at ten.

When they all meet up there at ten Charlene notice's that the store is locked up tight and it's not quite ten yet. She tells Kevin and they peak in the windows. Kevin sees a leg on the floor and they proceed to break in. That's when the story really gets going and just skyrockets from there.

If you want a great read with awesome characters and a lot of suspense and some humor. Jack can be quite an amazing character and so can Sam and Charlene. You won't want to miss this one. I can't wait for the next in this series.

A Halloween murder mystery. Charlene is just trying to run her B&B and keep things running smoothly. When her first group comes she sets up a tour on Halloween night. Who knew at the end of the tour she would find a dead body and one of her guests is a suspect. She runs her theories by her resident ghost who has a jealous streak while trying to get answers by talking to other possible "suspects". This gets officer Sam very frustrated as he is a friend who wants more. She will learn there are Wicca followers and that not only ghosts are real but witches and magick is a real possibility. A very good mystery with a lot of information to make this story seem very real. I received a complimentary copy and I am voluntarily reviewing

I loved the first book in the series and this one was equally fun and enjoyable. The author has all the right elements we cozy readers love. The charcters are all fun and add to the story, the setting of Salem is atmospheric and fun and the sleuth was very well crafted. Bravo to the author ! Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

Charlene is opening her Salem B&B in time for a Halloween tour . What could possibly go wrong ! The B&B is decorated and the guests are booked . Her resident ghost is present and activity enjoying the time of year. This is her first Halloween in Salem and Charlene wants to enjoy all the fun , Charlene decides to go on the tour with her guests and has the unfortunate luck of finding another body. When a guest of hers is suspect number one she is determined to prove him innocent.

I love the author's descriptions of Salem at Halloween. The charcters are all fun and add to the story. The sleuth was full of clues and red herrings that kept me guessing. A winning second in series. I look forward to the next in series.

I love this series even more now that I've read the second book. Charlene's relationship with Jack, the resident ghost in her B&B was so sweet but sad since they could never be together like a regular couple. She had to be content with him giving her sage advice about murders she always seemed to fall into finding. Jack was terribly jealous though of the cute detective, Sam Holden who clearly liked Charlene, and the feeling there was mutual.

I had a feeling at one point who the killer was after a carefully placed clue. But there were a lot of great red herrings along the way and interesting characters. Charlene ended up in the hospital because of one of them. Then at the showdown, Jack did something to save her life, as much as a ghost who can't leave the property can do, that is. I can't wait for the next book and have the Kindle version on preorder.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Mrs. Morris and the Witch is the second Salem B&B mystery. Charlene has opened the B&B in time for Halloween and has a house full of guests. She and Kevin take her guests on a tour of Salem and the Halloween activities. That night a shop owner named Morganna is murdered.
Morganna claimed to be a witch. One young guy staying at Charlene’s is implicated in the murder, so Charlene makes that justification for investigating.
Jack, the ghost in book 1, is her sounding board. Charlene does a lot of really dumb things and puts herself in harms way.
I had issues with Charlene’s behavior in book 1 but I hoped she would improve. She didn’t. I really dislike cozy mysteries where the heroine is terminally or nearly terminally stupid book after book.
The story line merits the 3 stars. I’m not sure about picking up anymore of this series.

Mrs. Morris and the Witch is the second in A Salem B&B Mystery series by Traci Wilton. This is an easy to read cozy that checks all the boxes, great setting, likeable characters (main and secondary), humor, needed blend of plot twists/side story, a hint of romance, and a cat. Then there is the ghost of the former owner who appears to be falling for the owner.
Not only is It opening week end for the B&B, but it's the Halloween Celebration in Salem and Charlene is booked. While on the haunted tour she planned, she finds a shop with glass blown globes and meets the glass blower, Morganna, a wiccan. She places an order and finishes up the tour. When they return to the van, something catches Charlene's eye by the shop and she goes to investigate. There she finds Morganna's body. By the time the police arrive, one of her guests goes missing. Then when the guest's jacket is found to be part of the investigation, Charlene gets involved in the case. Morganna, she finds, wasn't the most liked person in Salem and what happened to the spell book she supposedly stole.
I can't wait for the next book to see what is next for Charlene.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Kensington Books for an honest review.

Mrs. Morris and the Witch Is the second book in the Salem B&B Mystery series by Traci Wilton, the pen name for the collaboration of seasoned authors Traci Hall and Patrice Wilton. This story takes place just a week past the end of the first book. It is Halloween week in Salem and Charlene’s B & B is completely booked on its grand opening weekend.

On Halloween, Charlene has scheduled a special tour for her guests led by friend and owner of Brews and Broomsticks, Kevin Hughes. On the group’s walk through town on their way to the historic graveyard they visit stores including Morganna’s Witch House, where they are taken with the special glass orbs she makes. Assured she will be open until late for those in the group wanting to place orders, they are surprised that the shop is dark when they return, and startled when they see the young witch sprawled on the floor.

As Charlene is the one who found her, she becomes embroiled in the mystery of what happened to Morganna, unraveling a ball of deceit and an underground of illicit drugs. As Charlene tries to protect one of her lodgers, a young man who said he had simply come to Salem to meet a girl, she crosses swords with Detective Sam Holden and paths with those intent on purveying evil, endangering herself once again.

This is a very good paranormal cozy mystery with strong themes and modern messages. The characters are likable and the plot is twisty. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it and look forward to the next book in this series.

With this next installment, the series continues to find its footing. Mrs Morris still doubts herself, worries a lot, but still manages to make bad decisions which lead to problems for her. The setting of Salem, and lots of fun characters keep it interesting.

This is the second book in the series. Charlene has moved from Chicago to Salem and is now running a bed and breakfast. The house came with a surprise guest, a ghost which only Charlene can see and talk to. Halloween has come to Salem and Charlene has her first full house. She has arranged a bus tour on Hallows Eve to visit the shops, cemetery, and other hot spots. As Charlene stops by a shop just before closing, she finds the owner dead. When one of her guests is the prime suspect, she can’t help getting involved.

I enjoyed this book and loved the characters. I look forward to the next.

This is the second book in this series, and it is a very cute cozy paranormal. I love Mrs. Morris, and I am enjoying getting to know her. She has opened a B&B after the death of her husband three years ago, trying to make a new life for herself. After a rough start (see book one), she has finally opened, and she has a batch of guests. However, they discover a body on a tour, and things go downhill from there. I love the way she investigates, trying to find a resolution and justice. I have to admit, however, that I do not really like the almost romantic interest between Charlene and Jack, and, to be honest, I haven’t liked him much from the beginning. I find both the interest and him a little off-putting. I do like Sam, though, and hope they work out. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Mrs. Morris and the Witch by Traci Wilton is the second book in the paranormal cozy A Salem B&B Mystery series. Each book in the series holds it’s own mystery that is fully solved so all books can be read as a standalone if choosing to do so although there will be character development carrying over from book to book.

The first book of the series introduced readers to Charlene Morris who after losing her husband had needed a fresh start in new surroundings so she decided to move from Chicago to New England. Charlene found a wonderful historic mansion in Salem and thought starting her own bed and breakfast in the touristy town would be the change she needed. What Charlene didn’t expect was to have her new B&B come with it’s own resident ghost.

After solving the murder of the handsome ghost named Jack in her B&B Charlene is now ready to open for business just in time for the town’s annual Halloween festivities. With a house full of guests to entertain Charlene arranged a tour of Salem but what she didn’t expect was to find the body of a local witch on the tour leading her to begin another murder investigation.

The Salem B&B Mystery series is a wonderfully quirky cozy series with likable characters, even the resident ghost, Jack. There is a lot of fun in this one with some laughs mixed in with the line up of suspects for the murder. Definitely my type of zany fun that will keep me coming back for more and more.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Charlene Morris finally has her B&B in Salem up and going, resident ghost and all. As she navigates her new life and her new friendship with Jack (a very handsome ghost), she's learning to go with the flow. Especially at Halloween. Salem goes all out for the holiday -- ghost tours, lots of tourists, Halloween and witch themed everything..... And, unfortunately......murder. When Charlene finds a local businesswoman dead in her shop, her first Halloween in Salem quickly proves both spooky and dangerous.

I love this series! Charlene is a strong, intelligent and determined main character. And she's backed up by some awesome side characters as well. My favorite is Jack though. He's life-challenged, but helps out when Charlene needs him the most. I feel a bit sorry for them though, as they would be interested in a relationship if Jack was a bit more corporeal. And I have to say I also feel a bit sorry for Charlene.....she just wants to get rolling on her new life & business, and dead bodies keep popping up.

Another great cozy mystery in this new series! And there isn't long to wait for the next book -- Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past comes out in the fall of 2020! Yay!! :)

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Mrs. Morris and the Witch is a cozy mystery filled with murder, witchcraft, and the culture of Salem. It's so easy to read and full of intrigue. Traci Wilton did a good job of creating an interesting plot surrounded by cool characters.

Charlene is recently widowed and is looking for a fresh start. She buys a historic mansion with the hopes of turning it into a bed and breakfast. She is opening her doors to customers and things don't go as planned. Charlene discovers a dead body and it happens to be a local Wiccan.

She starts to investigate and plays detective. There is also a bit of romance/love triangle. There are two men in her life named Jack and Sam. One is a real person and one is a ghost. They are supportive even when she makes spontaneous decisions that get her into trouble.

Overall, I think the book is a good read if you are a fan of cozy mysteries. I give Mrs. Morris and the Witch 4 stars. The characters make the story and I really enjoyed the added mystery of living in Salem.

Charlene Morris moved from Chicago to Salem for a fresh start after her husband's death. She bought a wonderful historic mansion with the intent of turning it into a B&B. In this second installment in the A Salem B&B Mystery series, Charlene has renovated her B&B just in time for Halloween and is thrilled to be welcoming her first guests. She takes them on a ghost tour of the city, but the fun-filled evening turns into a nightmare when Morganna, a local Wiccan, is found dead in her shop and one of her guests becomes the prime suspect. Charlene is convinced that her guest is innocent and decides to clear his name and find the real culprit.

I found this book to be a charming and entertaining read. The author's writing style is easy and fun. I enjoyed the setting with its rich history and culture. I thought it worked perfectly with the paranormal aspect of the story. Charlene is a kindhearted and intelligent main character. However, she lacks impulse control and has a tendency to put herself in dangerous situations. As I have said before, I really don't mind love triangles in cozies, however, one of Charlene's love interest happens to be a ghost. Jack is a charming and witty character and I enjoyed his interactions with Charlene, but he's dead and has to move on at some point. I don't see how there can be anything between him and Charlene so I'm hoping the author focuses more on developing Charlene and Sam's relationship. The mystery was well- crafted, with plenty of suspense and red herrings to keep me guessing. I was quite pleased with myself as I did manage to figure out the culprit's identity and their motive about halfway through the story.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to spending more time with Charlene. I can't wait to see how her business grows and how the relationships in her life develop. If you enjoy paranormal cozy mysteries, then I highly recommend this one. It's the perfect Halloween read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mrs. Morris and the Witch by Traci Wilton is the 2nd book in A Salem B&B mystery series, and a fun Halloween story. Charlene Morris is a grieving widow, who bought an historic mansion sight unseen in New England, she is from Chicago. In this book, Charlene finds the dead body of a local Wiccan, and with the help of her partner, which happens to be a ghost. This book is such fun. I found this book to have a well developed plot and characters. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. This book makes me feel that I was right there and part of all the chaos. I love the cover of this book and the cat. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries, with a little paranormal activity.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In Traci Wilton's second cozy mystery featuring a new sleuth on the Salem scene, when widowed B&B owner Charlene Morris discovers the dead body of a local Wiccan on Halloween, she and her charming ghostly partner must help the local Salem, Massachusetts, coven to find the killer.

Halloween is the biggest holiday of the year in Salem, Massachusetts--but when B&B owner Charlene Morris finds the dead body of a witch, it spells trouble...

Charlene, recently widowed, has renovated her historic mansion just in time to greet guests arriving for the town's annual Halloween festivities. She's lucky to have a helpful staff to provide support--as well as a handsome ghost named Jack standing invisibly by her side.

Unfortunately, while the revelers head out on haunted tours, have their fortunes told, or grab a drink at Brews and Broomsticks, a killer walks among them. When Charlene discovers Morganna, a local Wiccan, dead in her shop, she starts getting cozy with the local coven, looking for clues to locate the crafty culprit. Salem may be famous for the false accusations of witchery in centuries past, but this time someone is genuinely guilty--of murder...


My thoughts:
Would i recommend it ? Yes
Will i read more of this series ? Yes
Would i read more by this author?yes
As soon as i saw this on NetGalley i knew i wanted to read it since i read and liked the first one and just like that one it didn't let me down.Because i needed something i could get lost in and what better way then a cozy mystery.It was like I was with old friends and that i had never left Salem, and i loved how the author used more of the history and bright the characters more to live .With that said i want to thank the publisher as well as NetGalley for letting me read and review it and i can't wait to read more of this series .