This is a really good fun book. I laughed out loud in places. The magician and his wife/partner are as over the top as could be and everyone else takes their character to its extreme.

Loved it. More please.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read an advancee review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book! I really enjoyed this story! It was a fun, light read, and also had some laughs. I enjoy anything witchy and anything paranormal so this was a great book for me. Overall, I gave it 4 stars because it was super enjoyable, I would love to read more in the future.

Everything about this book is quirky. The characters and storyline are interesting. I can actually see this as a movie. Definitely an enjoyable read.

Billed as a 'paranormal comedy thriller' I think this would work better on the screen, following a good edit. The comedy element came from the fact that Sandra is willfully ignoring the fact that her family have supernatural abilities, and this just didn't work well on the page. I'm not sure if that was because I couldn't really relate to Sandra or her family, or because there were large passages of the book that were quite slow going. Towards the end, when Sandra admitted that there is something uncanny about her family, and that it might not only be the finances she needs to save, but actual lives, the pace picks up and I enjoyed the book a lot more.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the copy in return for an honest review.

Witch Dust is a very fun and quick read. It’s quirky and filled with eccentric characters and happenings. Sandra, our protagonist and first person narrator, is dragged to meet a family she didn’t know existed when her mother becomes fed up with her father’s latest affair. While discovering that her new extended family is a bit more than she expected, Sandra is somehow wrangled into helping with the struggling family business. What she refuses to acknowledge is that the work she is doing is attracting the attention of something dangerous.

I thought Sandra was such a fantastic character - she’s so consistently head strong and stubborn throughout the novel. She’s also clever, impulsive, and competent. It was so fun to see her keep all these traits while working through her denial of what her family really is. The supporting cast of characters are all equally fun, and made up of unique individuals. How I’d love to be a fly on the wall in a room full of them.

The only thing I found I didn’t like about Witch Dust was the fairly long introduction to Sandra’s parents and the first few years of her life. I’m not sure how this could have been done differently, but it meant it took a bit more effort to get into. The pay-off was definitely worth it, though.

For those who like (mostly) light-hearted paranormal reading, with fun and strong characters, this is doubtless a novel to enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

There is a really long and chatty blurb – so my advice would be to skip it, as it reveals far too much that this accomplished author tells you in her own time, within the story. And that would be a real shame, because this is a little gem. I thoroughly enjoyed the first-person viewpoint of Sandra, whose odd upbringing has equipped her with superb organising skills, a hatred of muddle and a real sense of entitlement. That last one isn’t a bad thing – she has been brought up with two showbiz parents, both with egos the size of a planet, so she had two ways to go, either be cowed into permanent submission, or come back with an ego of her own. Which still is a whole lot more attractive than either of her parents, whom I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. The fact that she talks about them with exasperated affection says a lot for her inherent niceness, I think.

I very much appreciated the humorous thread running through this one – Sandra makes an amusing narrator, with her enjoyable descriptions. I also liked the fact that when it got dangerous and a whole lot darker – which it does – she neither becomes Supergirl, or collapses in a whimpering heap. In fact, she copes with discovering exactly what her family is and what they can do impressively well, and I appreciated that Messik took pains to set up a premise where it didn’t take a quarter of the book before Sandra accepted the weirdness that was unfolding around her.

And weird it certainly is… Sandra’s family is eccentric to the extent that she decides that marketing some of that oddness to build up the fortunes of the family hotel seems like the way to go. But it also draws down some seriously unwelcome interest and alongside the farcical humour, something a lot darker emerges. It’s very well done – never too much, but there were some genuinely creepy moments. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read, taking some familiar tropes and putting a pleasingly original spin on them. The ebook arc copy of Witch Dust was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
9/10

Paranormal comedy thriller - sounded promising. Sandra is the lead character. Her parents are a pair of performing illusionists who live to row and make-up. This time Mother and Sandra head off to mother's family of which Sandra knew nothing believing what she had been told as a child the Mother was an orphan. Said family comprises grandmother, great grandmother, uncle and various others, all eccentric and the woman all witches of the white sort. They live in a large dilapidated house trying to make ends meet running it as a hotel, not very successfully. Sandra manfully accepts the eccentric relatives and decides that she will have to make the hotel idea work so that she can get out and go back to her "normal" life - all by the week-end. Things go downhill, an OTT documentary film crew arrive, 'Ghostbuster' types arrive, along with a food writer who raved about the cuisine (cook possessed by various celebrity chefs at different times but also Chief Sitting Bull who sort of gets in the way of the celebrities), not to mention the black witches who are also paranoid, The characters are larger than life, well being witches they would be, and there's plenty of almost farce going on, rushing from room to room, hiding behind things and so on. A satisfying drawing to a conclusion but with the suggestion that there might be more to come. I could cope with that. A read to take one's mind off darker things. Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A fun and enjoyable story that kept me hooked till the end.
The plot is engrossing and entertaining, the world building interesting and the characters are well thought and likeable.
It was an excellent and fun read and I want to read the other instalment in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A fun and different read. And they gave away just how the knives into the assistant’s outline is really done, even when he is blindfolded...
And what a way to run a hotel... and what a family. I hadn’t realised 8 was a coven but maybe with the baby they were really 9? And such a sweet baby and so used to being thrown from person to person.
I got the evil person wrong. I should of thought about the timeline more. More fool me. And the whole head twisting thing? Really nasty and then the wasps...
Not going to say all of what happens but look out for some paranormal nasties. And yes, of course Sandra or Serenissima is not going to stay away from the hotel. So we can expect more of the same in the future, which I shall look out for. I liked her - Sandra that is, and thought she coped extremely well under the circumstances. But them after coping with her parents all her life...

The old saying "You can pick your friends but you can't pick your relations" is given a delicious twist in this jolly tale of witches and warlocks.
30 year old Sandra is the daughter of magicians Adam and Ophelia. Sandra's view of her parents' magic shows was radically altered when, as a young girl, she saw her mother actually disappear during one of their performances. Since then, Sandra has tried to live a "normal" life and be the sensible one in her family. But, all that changes when her father is unfaithful once too often, which results in Ophelia asking Sandra to take her to see her family.
This request comes as a shock as she'd always thought her mother was an orphan. Reluctantly she drives her mother to the family home where she meets a bunch of odd relations she never knew she had and then things start to get really weird. Sandra is persuaded to use her organisational abilities to resurrect her new family's fortunes, turning their hotel business into a haunted house experience.
But the harder she tries, the more obstacles are put in her path. There's the chef whose culinary skills involve channeling famous TV chefs - but the spirit of Sitting Bull gets in the way. There's a housemaid who hanged herself and a TV documentary crew looking for a sensational story.
I don't want to give away any more of the plot, so I'll just say this was a story that made me smile and even laugh out loud. The action gets bogged down here and there but overall it's fun read. A book to raise the spirits, if you'll pardon the pun!

Oh wow! I absolutely loved this book! It was such a refreshing read after being immersed in so many horrors and psychological thrillers! Everybody needs to read this.
The characters. I absolutely love Sandra, a woman who knows her own mind regardless of all the craziness going on around her!
Then there’s Murray. The solid one in Sandra’s life. Who brings the stability she very much needs at this point in her life. I want a Murray in my life!
Witch Dust is a fantastic book. So very different to what I normally read which has now got me hunting down similar stories. Plus I’ve also found out she has two prior books to this. So guess where I’m going!
This author is fantastic and thoroughly deserves the 5* I’m giving it!
Also a huge thanks to netgalley for giving me this ARC. Very much appreciated!

#netgalley #witchdust

Sandra's parents are a world famous magic act, however the magic element is not simply tricks of the eyes. Thanks to her father's wandering eye, Sandra and her mother take a trip to visit family she never knew existed and they just so happen to be witches!

I have really mixed feelings about this one.

The first 50% was really slow for me, so slow that I struggled to even see where the plot was going.

However, I loved the last 50%. There's lots of magic and creepy scenes and I definitely didn't see the twist ending coming.

I loved the eccentric and wacky family but couldn't connect with Sandra the main character. I felt she was very woe is me and unnecessarily negative about fitting in with her family.

Overall, too much was left unexplained for me so I gave this 3 stars.

If only it was possible to give a book 6 stars! Witch Dust definitely warrants at least 6. It is an absolutely joyous read. Each and every character is entrancing and entertaining in their own right. Who can fail to fall in love with the exotically named Serenissima, Ophelia, Murray, Devorah and even Ink? They wormed their way into my affections and by the end of the book I was firmly in love with everyone. The prose is witty and razor sharp. You may need a packet of plasters to hand whilst reading. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments as well as snorting, OMGing and giggling occasions. Ms Messik has written a book that is pure joy. Reading Witch Dust was like getting a hug from my best friend whilst the man of my dreams fed me Ha'agen Dazs ice cream, which had become calorie free and essential to maintain a healthy diet having just won the lottery on a triple rollover week. Unadulterated pleasure that I never wanted to end. When will we see Witch Dust on the big screen? I'd even settle for the small screen. I didn't want it to end. You simply MUST read it. You can always thank me later.

My Mother has a lumpily-packed Louis Vuitton carpet bag clamped under one arm, a stout black cat struggling under the other and a brown envelope, gripped damply between he front teeth. She appeared, without warning, in the middle of the living room. I hated it when she did that.
She had to spit out the envelope before she spoke, "I've just killed your Father," she said.


Actual rating: 2.5

Serenissima Adamovitch, Ophelia and Adam Adamovitch's only daughter, can't help but feel out of place in her less than normal family. Both of her parents are famous magicians that can't seem to leave each other alone, despite their many verbal and physical battles. When Ophelia catches him with yet another mistress, she coerces Serenissima to bring her to her old family home - a family she never knew existed. There, she discovers she'd rather do without a family and a home with a possessed chef, a failing hotel business, and some odd hereditary powers.

This book started out SO strong with an Addams Family-like feel and an eccentric set of characters. But, as soon as we arrive at Ophelia's family home, things go downhill. Serenissima is easily one of the most unlikable characters I've ever come across. She's whiny, spiteful, and arrogant - while it is fitting at times, it's mostly just aggravating. Also, I swear if I ever read the word "ruddy" again... Nor did I find the book comedic at all, but instead it was filled with a thick layer of unnecessary sarcasm from Serenissima.

Some of Messik's best writing is in the beginning and in the end of the novel, and there are a couple of horror scenes that she writes with mastery. I wish that same feeling carried on through the whole novel. This book had sooooo much potential, I was disappointed that it had such terrible character development for Serenissima.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
In the midst of all the dire Corona news I needed something to cheer me up and boy, did I find it!
A weird, wonderful and wacky world in which a woman, Sandra, daughter of two self-centered illusionists, finds herself drawn into a family she never knew she had. The characters you'll meet in this book are such strange fun and the writing is top notch. I had read two other books by Marilyn Messik in the Stranger series (wonderful and I'm lucky to have no. three waiting for me!) and have become a dedicated fan. Such a refreshing change from all the dark mysteries I tend to read. Give yourselves a boost and read all her books, it's definitely worth it.

This was a well written book with a host of characters. I do mean characters. Sandra gets more than she bargained for when she takes Ophelia to stay with her family no one knew she had. The resulting meet, greet and crazy will keep you entertained for hours.

This is a fun story which is all fantasy with some likable characters involved. I was pretty much hooked from the first page and although there were a couple of times I thought Sandy needed to get over herself, I really liked how she did things on her own terms. It is a light and humorous read and filled with colourful events and an unusual cast.

I cant say too much about the plot because it would definitely spoil the first few chapters if I did. Just suffice it to say that should there be a sequel, I would definitely read it and hope the author is thinking of writing just that!

Pick it up, it's worth your time to read it.

I would give it 4.5 stars if I could.

This was a world of wonderfully weird characters with witty/cutting dialogue that made me laugh out loud several times. The story didn't pick up for me until halfway through and then all the action came crashing in one after another. I enjoyed parts of the story, but had a hard time staying interested even after things were taken up a notch. I wanted more witchcraft.

Witch Dust was a quirky book with a huge cast of crazy characters. There was a lot of background build up and it took awhile for the action to start. Sandra is forced to deal with her frustrating parents amid a scheme to fake a haunting, and ends up confronting some family secrets. I felt like there was a lot of set up to the story, and not enough action. I found it hard to like many of the characters, and it wasn't funny enough to make me want to keep reading. I was definitely unsatisfied with the ending, it didn't feel like things were resolved.

Over the past few weeks, I've struggled to read my usual psychological thriller and historical non-fiction books; a possible case of 'reader's block', I guess. I decided that it was time to try a different genre and 'Witch Dust: A Paranormal Comedy Thriller' by Marilyn Messik proved to be exactly the change of pace that I needed.
'Witch Dust’ tells the story of Serenissima (Sandra), the daughter of two well-known illusionists, Adam and Ophelia. Sandra spends her life trying to distance herself from the theatrics of her parents shows. She refers to their work as magic, and then of course, there is the ‘fishy stuff’ – the actual magic as cast by her mother. When Adam and Ophelia have another of their infamous tiffs, Ophelia demands that Sandra drives her to visit their family. This comes as rather a shock to Sandra who has always believed her mother to be an orphan. An even greater shock is the realisation that her new-found relatives are all witches! And the fun is only about to begin.
Messik has a talent for witty writing and plenty of darkly comic humour that ensured I was laughing my way through the book. There are a lot of elements in this story – several eccentric family members, wayward magic, potential evil, psychics, haunted hotel……. yet Messik managed to pull all of these disparate elements together successfully without loosing the thread of the story.
An easy, funny and lighhearted read. I fully recommend and do hope that there will be a followup.