Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Vintage clothing store owner and witch Lily has a lot on her plate. Just home from her honeymoon, she, hubby Sailor, and her familiar Oscar are finding Lily’s apartment a little too close for comfort. Plus, she needs to get into her new role as leader of the local magical community, and it is in this capacity that she discovers the body of a Treasure Island resident in the former leader Aiden’s office. And, it appears that she has a half-brother newly arrived in town. While researching the history a recently acquired mermaid costume, she finds possible connections to Treasure Island. As the body count rises, and paranormal implications come to light, Lily does all she can to ferret out the truth.

I have enjoyed this series a great deal in the past, but this eleventh Witchcraft mystery is not my favorite installment. Perhaps, it is me and the state of world that gets in my way of enjoyment this time around. I am currently hyperaware (and probably more than a little hypersensitive) of current hot button topics, and reading, often offhanded, comments about wishing there was a gender neutral honorific for husband and wife (because spouse is too awkward?) and small-minded people totally took me out of the story.

If memory serves correct, the magical elements of this series have increased in importance and focus with each book to a point that here in Synchronized Sorcery the murder mystery feels neglected. I never connected with the victim(s) or felt compelled to find justice for them. The killer’s character is only partially developed, and I really want to know the why of their thinking and opinions. I guessed the killer’s identity partway through the story, but their reveal still felt jarring.

To me, the characters save Synchronized Sorcery. I feel like I know these long running characters and enjoy their company. Lily is likable and relatably flawed. Oscar and Lily’s grandmother and coven provide a lot of comic relief. The supporting cast at the vintage clothing shop is great…the characters on Treasure Island not so much. Blackwell’s fans will be tickled to see a character from her Hunted Home Renovation Mystery Series cross over into Lily’s world.

Synchronized Sorcery just did not do it for me, but I think other readers of this series and fans of paranormal cozy mysteries (very heavy on the witchcraft) may enjoy this much more than I did.

Synchronized Sorcery is another fantastic book in the Witchcraft Mystery series. The story is a continuation and includes many of the same characters (full-time and part-time players), but the storyline is fresh and exciting. This series should be read in order. This installment features a Nazi theme, the 1939 World’s Fair, mermaid costumes, and…. Lily’s half-brother?? I loved how the author wove all these themes and more throughout the story.

When Lily finds an exquisite mermaid costume among a pile of laundry in her shop, she’s perplexed. She didn’t buy it and none of her employees know where it came from either. The vibrations surrounding the garment are peculiar to Lily. So much so that Lily vows to research where it came from and how she ended up with it in her shop. Her eventual discovery is shocking.

The Witchcraft Mystery series by Juliet Blackwell just keeps getting better and better. I love Lily and Sailor, along with Oscar's companionship. Lily is simply an amazing and down-to-earth witch. I have enjoyed watching Lily's character grow so much throughout the series. She is embracing who she is and allowing others into her life without all the doubt and suspicion. Her comfort level with her surroundings have vastly improved. She has friends that accept her for who she is and what she does, a very successful resale shop, and a familiar that sometimes just steals the show. All of Lily’s employees and friends are wonderful secondary characters.

Each story in this series has been developed nicely. The reader is taken on a new adventure in the world of the paranormal. The content of each book is never duplicated or stagnant. The novels are suitable for anyone who wants to read them - teens, adults who don't like sex or swearing, and adults who do like those things but also like the cozy mystery scene, too (like me).

If you're looking for your next witchy cozy then I highly recommend Juliet Blackwell's Witchcraft Mysteries. They are written well, have great storylines, solid plots, and easy-to-like characters. The dialogue between all characters is smooth and understandable and the novel is an easy, relaxing read. I am waiting patiently for the next book in the series.

While I was provided an ebook to read, I will be purchasing a paperback copy for my bookshelf.

Synchronized Sorcery: A Witchcraft MysteryBy Juliet BlackwellBerkley July 6, 2021 Review by Cynthia Chow Few newlyweds would take their pet pig along with them on ahoneymoon trip through Europe, but Lily Ivory and Sailor are not your normalcouple and Oscar is not your average pig. Sailor is a (weakened) psychic, Lily a powerful witch, and Oscar hershape-changing gobgoyle familiar with a love for cooking and all types of humancuisine.  Before they have time to settlein back home in San Francisco and her Haight Street vintage clothing shop AuntCora’s Closet, Lily senses something a little off.  Not only does her mentee witch Selena presentLily with an ominous drawing of a beautiful – but dead – mermaid, Lily picks upserious vibes from a donated mermaid costume. While Lily believes that the design carries the trademark pink color ofElsa Schiaparelli, a death linking the victim to Treasure Island indicates thatsomething more is afoot. A man-made island built for the Golden Gate InternationalExposition at the World’s Fair just before World War II, Treasure Islandcontinues to be an eerie mix of suburban neighborhoods and desolate, contaminatedwastelands.  At the time of the Fair rumorsspread of a mermaid saving a young girl from drowning, a child who would latergrow up to show healing powers of her own. Unable to deny the coincidences lining up, Lily’s to-do list only expandsas it includes figuring out the veracity of a long-lost unknown brother, takingover and grand pooh-bah of the witch community, tracking down Oscar’s gargoylemother, and finding a home for a bat who may be a familiar.  And oh yes, prevent a prophesied magicalapocalypse.    Thankfully,Lily has her fellow witches, Haight Street friends, and Sailor at her side,although his desire to expand their household in literal and figurative meansis giving her heart palpitations. This 11th in the series fully embraces itsfantasy elements, while incorporating enough traditional cozy mystery traits tokeep a foot in both worlds.  Beinginhabited by a demon spirit who occasionally pops out is troubling for Lily,but the creature known as Deliverance also proves to be quite handy in a fight. Oscar is at his neediest now that a newintruder – namely Sailor – has entered the picture, which makes theshape-changing pig hungry for snacks and attention.  Lily’s complicated family is only going toget more so due to the arrival of the charming Dragomir, whom she suspects ofbeing both a liar and a possible murderer. Readers will be delighted to see another visit from the author’s HauntedHome Renovation mystery series, and Mel Turner offers solutions to the newlywed’smore practical dilemmas.  The explorationof very timely topics stirring on Treasure Island enhances this always-charmingseries, which continues to expand its mythology and allows its extraordinary charactersto grow and evolve through new stages in their lives.