Tinsel town comes to Spooky town and Lee Barrett Mondello is ready to don her reporter hat for WICH‑TV news and solve the mystery of the starlet who was murdered by designer chocolates. Darla Diamond was quite the actress and had the ability to play the part of a witch both on and off the screen, just ask her costar Lamar Faraday. Faraday seems like a nice enough guy but maybe even he could be driven to do something rash, like making a $1000 bet that he could hit every single bar in Salem during his stay. Then there are the death threats, but those seemed to have stopped when the left the west coast. The one thing that was not left behind was the odd accidents that seem to plague Paragon Productions. Lee gets a chance to do a little reporting as a result of those accidents in addition to her program director job and has some great luck when it comes to learning things from the gossip network aka Jenna’s hair salon. Thanks to the salon and locals who are in the know, it seems that Lee is getting a jump on details before her husband Pete, a detective with the Salem police either hasn’t released or had not learned just yet. Lee finds some clues in the most unusual places. Even River who is acting as a body double for Darla/Pauline has heard things. River has also seen things in the tarot cards and helped Lee with a little dream interpretation. Lee is a “scryer” which means that she can see things in shiny surfaces, which is like a day dream. Pete has often told Lee that she would make an excellent detective and fully supports the exchange of information. This is another great Witch City Mystery and just in time for Halloween. I have always wanted to visit Salem but after reading this one, I am pretty sure that I will not be going in October. This was a great story with plenty of misdirection and clues to keep me guessing. There are even some great recipes at the conclusion of the story.

Between documenting the progress of the movie, corralling starstruck autograph seekers and fans, and managing unmanageable traffic on Salem’s narrow streets, Lee and her police detective husband, Pete Mondello, are beyond busy. Even Lee’s best friend, River North, tarot card reader and practicing witch, gets in on the action, landing a job as a stand-in and body double. But it only takes one interview for Lee to realize that the male and female leads—whose roles include torrid love scenes—despise each other. Yet the problem is short-lived, literally . . .When the gorgeous lead actress is found dead on a set staged to replicate the room where suspected witches were tried in 1692—and her on-screen lover, in full costume, is discovered sound asleep in her trailer—the hunt is on for a killer on the loose. Nevertheless, the producer decrees “the show must go on!” Now, even with help from River, Lee’s Aunt Ibby, and O’Ryan, a remarkably clairvoyant gentleman cat, sorting out a witch’s brew of secrets, sorcery, and special effects might turn Lee’s documentary into her own final act . . .


This was a fun cozy mystery read. It gave me all the fall/Halloween feelings. It is a Hollywood story murder but taking place in Salem, Massachusetts where the movie is being filmed. I loved the balance between both practical and paranormal investigations in this fourteenth installment of the Witch City series. I had my suspicions about the culprit, but with each new twist, I changed my mind. In the end, as the clues fell into place, the reveal brought everything to light in a highly satisfactory way. And with the conclusion, I can’t wait to find out what comes next for Lee and her crew!

#Deathscene #awitchcitymystery #kensingtonpublishing #kensingtoncozies #netgalleyreads #cozymysteries #cozymysteryseries #bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #booktok #bookrecommendations #bibliophile #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookblogger #igreads #goodreads #bookclub #bookreviews #bookblog

A Hollywood studio is making a witchcraft-themed movie in historic Salem, Massachusetts. Locals are excited to watch, and hopefully to participate in the movie.
Local reporter Lee Barrett is assigned with documenting the progress of the movie as well as a few related projects. She didn't expect to cover the murder of the female lead. Lee and her police detective husband, Pete Mondello put their heads together to solve the murder with the help of Aunt Ibby and O’Ryan, their remarkably clairvoyant gentleman cat.

Halloween is always one of the busiest times of the year for the town of Salem, Massachusetts, but now it’s especially chaotic. Paragon Productions has descended on them for a location shoot of their witch-themed movie called “Night Magic,” and everyone seems to be in a tizzy with the arrival of the actors and crew. Already working as WICH-TV’s program director and occasional field reporter, Lee Barrett Mondello has also been assigned by her station manager to direct a documentary about the film’s production. It looks like it may be more of a true-crime documentary than a behind-the-scenes-making-of feature though, as the starring actress Darla Diamond is murdered on the set replicating the 1692 Witch House room. Only a few of Lee’s closest friends and family know that she is a scryer, able to see past, present, and future visions in reflective surfaces. While initially alarmed and determined to avoid visions as much as possible, Lee is now more accustomed to them and attempts to use her sight to decipher the clues and catch a murderer.

It turns out that Darla Diamond’s demands and abrasiveness had made her a number of enemies on set, so it seems a little too convenient that her double and even Lee’s best friend River North are so readily available to step into the actress’s role and replace what AI can’t. Lee’s detective husband provides the information that Darla was poisoned by her favorite chocolate candy, which has Lee’s Aunt Libby and her movie mystery critique group labeling the crime as the Liquid Centered Murder. A lead actor with a gambling habit getting arrested after a night of bar hopping, a stunt man hocking souvenir face creams, and a former child actor all have Lee and her aunt’s mystery-solving “Angels” immersed in a politics of an overbudgeted $300 million movie extravaganza.

This 14th in the series has a lot of fun depicting the behind-the-scenes shenanigans and chaos of a location movie set. Extremely timely as well is Lee’s visit to an animal rescue farm, where a former chimpanzee and bear “actors” have retired and are able to enjoy a more natural lifestyle (even if it does come with occasional human treats). Lee continues to learn more about her scrying powers, but even more time is spent with River North’s tarot reading and in-depth analysis of the meaning of her cards. Eerily relating both to the murder case and Lee’s life, this and Lee’s visions make this the perfect book for the Spooky Season or anyone looking for a paranormal mystery read. A fun twist at the end of the novel will have readers also eagerly anticipating the next installment of this witchy, but still very cozy, fun mystery series.

Death Scene is the 14th book in the Witch City Mystery series. by Carol J. Perry. Set in Salem, Massachusetts this installment follows are main character Lee as she navigates Salem in October and getting the scoop on a witchy movie filming in town. Tasked to film a documentary on the film, Lee has to wear a lot more than her usual tv producer hat. She's also settling into her life as a newlywed to police detective Pete Mondello.

The movie, Night Magic is suppose to become a halloween classic, but has been plagued with issues from the start. Finally it's big star is killed and Lee has a vision that there is more to the death than first thought. Once again thrown into the mystery through her reporting and paranormal skills, Lee works to uncover the secrets surrounding the film and it's dead star.

We get lots of great side character moments and all the cozy elements we've grown to love in this series. Another great read!

Was it just last year I picked up my first Witch City Mystery and enjoyed following along as Lee, her Aunt Ibby, her psychic cat O’Ryan, her bestie, and her detective hubby solved a supernatural crime on All Hallow’s Eve in Salem? I had such a good time that I was delighted to keep going with the next installment in Carol J Perry’s engaging cozy mystery series.

Death Scene is the fourteenth in a series of standalone paranormal cozies set in the bewitching old New England town of Salem. While I likely would have gotten more out of Death Scene if I had read the series sequentially, Carol J Perry writes in such a way that readers can pick up any book in the series and do alright jumping in wherever.

I was glad the time period was back in the fall during spooky season. This time Salem is hosting a movie crew filming on site in the building where the Salem Witch Trials took place. Lee has to put back on her journalist had and step into the interviews and getting the spilt tea on the actors, crew, and all that’s going on. The whole town is in a fervor about it and even her best friend, River has a bit role.
Not long on the set and Lee realizes the romance leads despise each other and there is a whole lot of dangerous undercurrents here. Then the leading lady gets bumped off on the set. There are so many people who have a motive and then there is the sabotaging of the film that Lee is determined to help her detective husband, Pete get to the bottom of it all.

O’Ryan remains my favorite character with his uncanny abilities and Ibby and her older gal pal friends are scene stealers, too. The setting of Salem and the spotlight on the Witch Trials was a real shining bit especially in the fall season and mysteries related to the movie set on location. Lee and Pete are a good partnering and I appreciated the low drama related to her amateur detecting at his professional side. She’s smart and doesn’t horde what she knows. The paranormal element is low key, but a fun addition. The pacing is steady and swift in places unlike many cozies, but I appreciated this as this could have slogged down with all the movie staff and locals who were in the circle of suspects and witnesses. Sadly, I missed being right about the culprit because I changed my mind.

All in all, this was a fabulous fall light spooky read to get me charged up for the season. I appreciated my second encounter with the Witch City Mystery series as much as the first and now would like to go back for the earlier mysteries. Paranormal cozy fans need to nudge this one onto the fall reading stack.

ARC Review
Death Scene by Carol J Perry
4.25/5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Carol J Perry, and Kensington Publishing for this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a Halloween cozy mystery to read this October, check out this book
This is book #14 in the Witch City Mystery series. It takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in October. It is a story about a movie being filmed about the witches of Salem. There is talk about Hocus Pocus and classic cult reference that millennials will enjoy. And who doesn't love a book that has animals in it - there's cats, goats, and retired show biz animals that settle in a farm for their retirement. Reading this is like being behind the scenes of filming BUT with mayhem and murder being at center stage. There are some magical elements in this story are Lee is seeing things that aren't really there....or are they?

This was a fun cozy mystery read. It gave me all the fall/Halloween feelings. It is a Hollywood story murder but taking place in Salem, Massachusetts where the movie is being filmed. There were lots of possibilities for whodunit, but can Lee find out who the real killer is along with her police detective husband Pete. You can read out of order but might struggle with who is who for the characters. I haven't read any others in the series, but I was able to follow along. If you're looking for a good cozy mystery this fall, check out Death Scene.

#book #deathscene #caroljperry #caroljperryauthor #cozymystery #cozy #netgalley #netgalleyreview

Lee Barrett Mondello has to wear a lot of hats in her work at Salem, Massachusetts’ WICH-TV. While she’s officially the television station’s program director, her boss Bruce Doan would be much happier if she would once again take on the role of executive director of documentaries as well, especially with a big budget movie currently in town. Night Magic, starring the glamorous Darla Diamond and Lamont Faraday, revolves around the historic Salem witch trials, with time travel and a love story thrown in for good measure. Lee can’t really argue with Bruce about the appeal of covering a movie that looks like it will be just as good for local tourism as other blockbuster films shot in the area have been previously, even if her schedule is already really full. She just has to figure out where to fit in the coverage with all her other duties.

She isn’t the only local drawn into the orbit of Night Magic. Bruce himself has invested in the production, and Lee’s best friend, TV tarot reader River North, has landed the role of Darla’s body double. It’s a great addition to River’s resume, especially with the opportunity for an expanded role should Darla’s official stand-in be needed elsewhere on set. The only downside to the filming is that Paragon Pictures has decided to do it in October, Salem’s busiest tourist month. Traffic, never fun to begin with, is just an outright nightmare with the film shooting on location at various spots around town.

The real horror begins, however, when Darla is found dead on-set. Rumor has it that no one really liked her, as she’d fully earned her reputation as a spoiled diva. Apparently, someone deliberately poisoned the specialty European chocolates she had flown in specifically for her own consumption. It’s a minor blessing in disguise that she’d forbidden anyone else from having a taste, as the rest of the chocolates are swiftly confiscated in the wake of her death.

Lee’s police detective husband Pete is put in charge of the investigation. But as Lee herself works on the periphery of the production, both in covering the breaking news and in gathering material for her documentary, she begins picking up clues as to who murdered Darla. With insights as well from River’s tarot cards, her own abilities as a scryer, and the enigmatic ways of her gifted cat O’Ryan, will she and Pete be able to identify and stop Darla’s killer before they strike again?

I loved the balance between both practical and paranormal investigations in this fourteenth installment of the Witch City series. Lee’s versatility is to her credit as she juggles her various roles and responsibilities with aplomb. The behind-the-scenes peek at the TV station goings-on are always a treat. Her supporting cast continues to be a delight as well, whether they’re helping with or even occasionally hindering her tasks.

There were five recipes included, and I had to try out this one:

QUOTE
Aunt Ibby’s Half-Hour Chicken Marsala

4 chicken breasts sliced horizontally
8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced ½-in. thick
8 oz. cremini mushroom, sliced
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. minced onion
¼ tsp. Pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
⅓ cup + 1 tbsp. flour
⅔ cup dry marsala wine
5 tbsp. olive oil
⅔ cup beef stock
3 tbsp. butter
Minced parsley for garnish

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter over high heat in a large skillet. Sprinkle the chicken slices with salt and pepper on both sides and dredge lightly in the ⅓ cup of flour. Shake off excess flour and put them in the pan. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes on each side until golden, then set them aside in a plate. Put 2 tbsp. olive oil and a tbsp. of butter in the pan and add the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms for about 6 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste about halfway through, then put the mushrooms on the plate with the chicken. Add the remaining olive oil, then the onions and garlic, and sauté about a minute until soft. Sprinkle in the remaining tbsp. of flour and cook for a minute to get the flour taste out. Pour in the wine and the beef stock and stir until the sauce is slightly thickened. Then slide the chicken and mushrooms into the pan. Add a tbsp. of butter and cover the pan and cook it for a couple of minutes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, garnish with parsley, and serve.
END QUOTE

If it weren’t for all the extra work I had to put in with staging and photographing each step of making the recipe for this column, I’m fairly certain that this dish really only would have taken me half an hour to prepare, as the name promises. You definitely want to use thinner pieces of chicken here, and don’t be afraid to cook the entire dish over high heat. It’s well worth it.

I served the chicken over spaghettini, as my kids requested, and even my picky eaters enjoyed the dish overall (though the verdict is still inconclusive over the mushrooms themselves.) This delicious and quick-cooking dinner is something I’ll definitely be making again!

Next week, we’ll travel all the way to the opposite coast to investigate potentially homicidal hijinks at a fall festival while cooking up an even more comforting chicken dish. Do join me!

Princess Fuzzypants here: This is another of my favourite series as I have travelled an entertaining journey with Lee, her aunt, her husband and her cat, O’Ryan. They have been through a number of hair raising adventures and this one is no different. Lee is wearing her investigative reporter hat, amongst many others, as she works on a documentary of a witch trial movie that is being shot on site. Things take a much more serious turn when the leading lady is murdered. This is just the latest disaster that has plagued the film both in Hollywood and Salem.

Lee and Pete work together to get to the bottom of the mysteries. Lee, in her reporter guise, gets people to talk to her and she shares her information with Pete’s investigation. She is a heroine who tries to be careful and does not charge off into dangerous situations. But O’Ryan senses there is danger around and becomes very protective of her. He has a doubly good reason but I will let you read the story rather than let “the cat out of the bag”.

Always enjoyable, this story keeps up the tradition. Five purrs and two paws up.

* Love when Lee gets a chance to do field reporting. Her ongoing competition with Scott for stories is fun.
* Perry continues to find ways to showcase Salem in an engaging way.
* I appreciate that Lee actually does her job instead of finding ways to avoid work to go sleuthing.
* The actual mystery and clues move kind of slowly/bog down a bit.
* Love the animals
* I don’t buy that Pete would bumble around
* The “mystery” and reveal were disappointingly obvious

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Death Scene is the 14th installment in the Witch City mysteries by Carol J. Perry. I've loved this series from the very first book. Death Scene is no exception. A great read anytime, but especially around Halloween. I definitely hope there are more books to come. #NetGalley.

Salem, MA is used to huge crowds and traffic jams in October but even long-time residents are excited when a movie is filming there. WICH-TV program director and chief documentary maker Lee Barrett is busy with filming a documentary about the movie along with her other duties; unfortunately, her police detective husband Pete Mondello also becomes involved when someone is murder on the movie set. Lee and Pete investigate the murders separately but together and they find the killer before the movie crew leaves town?

“Death Scene” is the nicely done fourteenth book in Carol J. Perry’s Witch City cozy mystery series. I really love this series starting with the setting of Salem, MA – Perry does a great job of depicting Salem on the page throwing in just a touch of the supernatural. Halloween in Salem is an important part of the storyline without overwhelming it. I also like the way Perry seamlessly blends in fictional and real stories of Salem’s history – so well done that at time I couldn’t tell which was which! I also love the description of Lee’s day to day job including her interactions with her coworkers and the way she helps Pete solve the mystery without being intrusive. Speaking of the mystery, while it was well plotted, I did figure out very early on who the killer was. Still, it was fun to read and the part where the killer was finally revealed was well done. All in all a fun read with a great ending!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

The latest installment of Lee's adventures as a member of WICH TV does not disappoint. Fall has arrived in Salem and a movie production company has come to complete its latest about the Salem Witch trials. When the star is murdered Lee and her husband Pete are on the case to find the killer. Along with the murder investigation, Lee, as usual, finds herself with double and triple duty working on various projects at the TV station. Filled with the usual characters as well as the new ones from the movie company, this book does not disappoint.

I don’t usually jump into a long-running series midstream, but that’s exactly what I did with Death Scene, the 14th book in the Witch City Mystery series, set in Salem, Massachusetts. So that may be the reason for my lukewarm reaction to this book. I do love a good cozy mystery, especially one with some gentle paranormal vibes, but this one was just okay for me. The author did provide some backstory at the beginning of the book so I didn’t feel lost, not having read the other books in the series.

Lee Barrett works on the local TV station in Salem. She wears many hats there: program director, field reporter, etc. So, okay, here’s something right off the bat that I just had to suspend my disbelief for - Salem is a suburb of Boston and definitely wouldn’t have its own TV station, except maybe a public access channel. Anyway … a movie is being shot in town, one that combines the famous Salem Witch Trials of the 17th century and a contemporary aspect. When an actress is murdered, Lee puts on her sleuthing hat, trying to assist her policeman husband, Pete, in the investigation.

From perusing the blurbs for previous books in the series, I expected more of a paranormal focus, from Lee’s scrying talent to her supposedly clairvoyant cat, O’Ryan. There really wasn’t much of either in this story. I did enjoy her friend River, who did some tarot card interpretations.

As is sometimes the case with cozy mysteries, there are a few nice-sounding recipes at the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Another fun addition to the series. I enjoyed following Lee and Pete as they tried to figure out who the murderer was but thought it was obvious from the beginning. I also enjoyed the movie setting but this was not my favorite in the series. I will still continue with it as there are a lot of changes coming for the residents of Salem.

An enjoyable mystery that grabs you from the beginning and keeps you guessing until the end. It’s a cozy mystery with just enough “non-cozy” elements to appeal to a wide variety of readers.

Another great installment from the witch city mysteries. All the usual players, and I can’t believe I am saying this but goats, a chimp and a bear! The chimp and bear retired from the entertainment industry now living in a zoo type place. Very fun and unexpected!

I love the characters in this series & book. I like how the main characters interact. I also really like that I can recognize a lot of the sites in Salem, as I’ve been there. The ending is a big surprise, I kind of got the impression that this is the last book in the series. #DeathScene #NetGalley

I said the last book from this series would be the last one I read but I changed my mind and I'm so glad I did. This book is so much better than the last book! In this book there is a big film production at to Salem and disrupting Lee's and everyone at Salem's lives. The film production is everything everyone can talk about and there are lots of rumors about the diva who is the film's star. When she winds up dead Lee and Pete (who isn't insufferable in this book) team up and actually get some investigating done quickly to figure out who killed her.

I cannot stress enough how the attitude change from Pete made this book so much better. It could also be that he wasn't in the book as much, I'm a certified Pete hater so that might have done it for me. I really like Lee and most of the cast of characters so it was really nice revisiting Salem and the WICH-TV crew. I thought the mystery was very easy to solve so I deducted one star but I still had a good time finding out how the characters get there. Last, I would recommend reading the previous books since there is very little background in this one, but I'm sure you can just pick it up without knowing the lore and enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing | Kensington Cozies, and Carol J. Perry for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance. All opinions are my own.

Once again, another interesting read from this author. I like the characters and that they move forward in the characters lives. I enjoy the setting as well. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to author, publisher, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.