This is a really enjoyable cozy mystery that I read in a couple of sittings. I think I would recommend it to those that enjoy this genre.

Bait and Witch is the first book in a new cozy mystery series and I am so glad because I need more right away!


Josie has loved books as long as she can remember. So much so, she got a librarian’s dream job at the Library of Congress. Then one day, she overhears a shady deal being with the Senator’s chief of staff. After Josie takes the information up the chain of command, she doesn’t feel safe and flees to small-town Oregon for a librarian job.

Upon her arrival, Josie stumbles upon a dead body in the woods and fears she has been found. Not only does Josie have to deal with that fear, she also just found out the library is on the verge of being sold.


I loved the small-town setting of this book. Books, a cat, a witch, it pretty much has everything I would ask for. I enjoyed trying to figure out who was guilty of murder and who in the town I could trust in general.

The little side stories of the townspeople added a nice touch to the book. It really helped bring the town of Wilfred to life.

I would have liked more information about Rodney the cat and his connection to Josie with the same birthmark. I’m hoping that’s something we can find out about as the series continues!

I enjoy cozy mysteries, particularly when they have a book angle! This is the first in what will likely be an enjoyable series. The author's details bring the story to life, and I liked the fact the library is in a Victoria mansion. Josie was an easy character to connect with. Overall, the cast of characters are a quirky mix that work well together to create a fun, quick read.

Josephine Way works as a cataloger at the Library of Congress. On a lunch hour, she and a colleague overhear a conversation that is a government bribe between two men. They decide to contact the FBI and the next day her colleague disappears, but Josephine doesn't know whether he did it on his own. Josephine decides to vanish too and accepts a job in a small town in Oregon. There are surprises all around during the story and a stray cat seems to be the only one she can truly trust. Josephine discovers in herself a rather magical way of connecting readers and books and the power of reading shines through. Also, as a amateur sleuth she did nothing foolish to make me want to yell at her.

This is the first book that I’ve read by this author, Angela M. Sanders but it won’t be the last. Before I was half way finished I was already looking for more books by Ms. Sanders. I loved this book…it took me away from my mind doldrums of nothing to do and a half dozen books that just didn’t catch my attention. I liked the library setting and the books that talked to Josie. Rodney, the cat, was certainly refreshing in a sea of interchangeable familiars. I enjoyed the small-town atmosphere and characters. While the book may not have been perfect (as pointed out by several reviewers), this book caught and kept my interest through the entire book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

A quaint and mysterious story. The plot wasn't predictable like most are. There were several good twists along the way.

This first book in a series had potential. I enjoyed the paranormal/magic aspect of the book. Particularly how the books spoke to Josie. There were a few other things that I had a hard time swallowing. That she would feel that she needed to be on the run and yet had not been threatened. That she left her phone and credit cards at home and yet applied for a job with her real name, and took a plane across the country using her real ID. That did not make sense for someone trying to hide. The culprit was not exactly a surprise to me as this person acted weird., but the motive was a stretch. The timing of the murder was also off. There were too many different plot elements being attempted to quite make it work. For a first book, it would have been better to keep is simpler and do one thing really well.

What a delightfully charming, cute cozy mystery! I was thoroughly entertained
from start to finish and charmed by these characters and the goings on and happenings taking place in the story.

I was in desperate need of a distraction from all of the ugliness currently happening in the world and I found it in this book.


Mentally i’m still here, inside the library of this cozy little novel, with Rodney the cat.

I’ve been on the hunt for a cozy mystery to be completely engaged in and spellbound by and this one was it!

I loved the small town setting, the quirky characters, the mystery, the paranormal and magical aspect, and of course, Rodney the cat.


If you love a magical, charming cozy mystery with a small town setting filled with quirky characters and a marvelous cat, then do yourself a favor and pick this one up. You’ll love it!

Definitely recommend and would most certainly read another book by this author.

A cute new perspective on witchcraft. Josie Way moves to a small town in Oregon to hide out after passing information to the FBI. There she discovers she's a witch, her superpower - books.

A nice cozy story with some quirky characters. It moved at a fast enough pace to keep the reader engaged and had a host of characters that entertained. Not super sure about the spiritual connection with books but it worked it the context of the story.

I would check out another book by this author.

Bait and Witch is truly an exciting read, I couldn’t wait to get back to reading the story.

Loved reading about Josie and her paranormal abilities attached to books and the fact I was totally shocked as to who done it. I couldn’t ask for anything more from this story all except when is the next release? LOL.

If you love paranormal mystery with a small-town setting and a wonderful cat, you have to try this new series.

I enjoyed this book. It's a different perspective on a cozy mystery with magic. I found the story to be interesting and the characters are great. I was surprised by who the killer was. #BaitandWitch #NetGalley

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
A mystery, a library, a small town and a witch! Josie is a librarian at the library of Congress, who overhears a senator making a shady deal. When she and a co-worker whistleblow it, the co-worker disappears. So Josie feels she needs to too. She answers an ad for a librarian position in Wilfred, Oregon. But not all is as ideal as it seems. Josie finds a dead body on her first day. This was a great seasonal read, The characters in Wilfred were wonderful and colorful. And the library itself was magical. I’m not 100% sure I like Josie, but I don’t hate her either. It is obvious this is meant to be a first book in the series, and I do look forward to reading more.

The first in a new cozy mystery series and I am so glad to start at the beginning of this charming cozy.

Josie and her coworker overhear some shady dealings at the Library of Congress and become whistleblowers. When her coworker disappears, Josie fears for her life and takes a job across the country at a small library.

On her first day work day she discovers that the library, which is housed in a Victorian mansion, is slated for demolition although some of the library board members are trying to fight it. She also discovers a dead body. She freaks out and believes it is someone sent to silence her but there are other strange things happening in the "town" and the history of the sudden closing of the town's mill, so she's not sure. And the death is not the only strange thing happening to Josie-She also discovers an ability to recommend the right book and even describe where to find it (even books she has never heard of) and has a book called Folk Witch continually show up.

An arrest is made in the murder case but strange book titles pop up in Josie's brain-and all appear to say that an innocent man was arrested. Others in the town appear to have motives as well. Josie feels the books are asking her to investigate and so she does-and brings the reader along.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this mystery. The townspeople are great characters and I love the setting of the library in the mansion. Looking forward to having Josie learn more about her magic and there even seems to a potential love interest.

I received an an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinions expressed are my own.

I loved Bait and Witch. This just may be my new favorite cozy mystery author. Bait and Witch is about a gal who is on the run from some bad guys and ends up hiding out as a librarian in a small town. Once there, odd things start to happen and she discovers she may indeed be a witch. Not any old witch, but a witch that among other things, has the power to pick out the perfect library book for your current situation. The characters well written, the setting was spot on, and her sidekick cat is the best. The mystery itself is solid and had me guessing to close to the end. I hated for this one to end, it was that good. I can't wait to read the next in what I hope is a long series.

Charming, supernatural, cozy mystery!
Fans of The Aurora Teagarden Mysteries will enjoy this!

Bait and Witch is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. When librarian Josie moves to the quirky small town of Wilfred, spooky things start happening, and she learns she's a descendant from witches. The library is housed in an old, Victorian home where the books have magical powers. With the help of Rodney the library cat, and a fun cast of characters, they work together to solve the town's secrets.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for sending me an advanced copy!

I really wanted to like this book. Cozy mystery? Library? Magic? PNW setting? All check! It should have been perfect, but it wasn't. Initially I couldn't identify what was off about it, but after thinking I've figured it out. There was just too much. Too many different threads of plot, with multiple mysteries, small-town history/intrigues, and the magic all in a relatively short novel meant that most aspects couldn't be fully developed. It left me feeling unfulfilled. Maybe the second book will be better since several things were established in this first book - I'm willing to give it a shot, but this one didn't meet my expectations.

This could easily become one of my favorite cozy mystery series of the quality of future books matches this one! I’m not usually a huge fan of paranormal cozies but I loved this one.

Josie flees to rural Oregon fearing for her life after being a whistleblower when she overheard something shady at her job at the Library of Congress. She was hired without knowing the full story of the library where she’s working - there may not be a library soon because a retreat center might be built where the library is. Shortly after Josie arrives, she finds a body and it’s initially unclear if it’s connected to what Josie overheard in Washington DC or if it’s more random. There’s also Josie’s ongoing fight to save the library, continues to fear that the woman was there to kill her, and finding out she’s a witch in top of all that!

I really liked Josie’s character, she’s likable, loyal, and intelligent. I absolutely loved Rodney, the cat who had a feisty personality on his own and he’s certainly connected to Josie from the paranormal standpoint. I see the potential for a future romance for Josie too.

The writing flowed nicely, the plot had sone unexpected twists and turns and we don’t know who the good guys in the story are right away. I didn’t guess the whodunit, which is always the sign of a well plotted book!

I can’t say enough how much I loved this anf I highly recommend it!

The premise of this book was intriguing and I couldn't wait to start it. As cozy paranormal mysteries go, this was one of the better ones. A lot of interesting characters and a solid plot line, I truly enjoyed it. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Josie and her colleague become whistle blowers in Washington D.C. and for fear of her life she flees to small town Oregon. Not as smart as can be, she is followed and chased by several. During this time, she gets involved in the community and meets and works with several key characters. Fun group. She also meets her familiar, a black cat, and can hear the books talk to her, which helps, since she is a librarian. Finding out she is descended from a long line of witches, and learning about her powers was interesting. Her being scared and trying to subdue or stifle them is odd. Didn't like that, not that she opened up so much to the people around her. Not smart. Overall though, a good start to a new series and look forward to the next in book. Highly recommend.

When Josie, a librarian from the Library of Congress, overhears a conversation she shouldn’t, she blows the whistle and finds herself on the rub. Trying to hide from potential threats against her, she takes a job in rural Oregon. The next morning she finds a body in the woods near the library and realizes she may have already been found.

As Josie tries to figure out who killed the only other stranger in town without giving herself away, she learns more about the locals and herself. First the two library is actually set to be sold and second, she apparently is descended from a long line of female witches. Now to harness a killer and her power before she hurts someone or becomes the next victim.

Nowhere have I seen it indicated if this is a the first book in a new series or a stand alone. I’m hoping it’s the former as I really enjoyed the town, Josie, and Rodney. Fingers crossed.