Speak Daggers to Her

by Rosemary Edghill

Book Overview

Karen Hightower, also known as Bast, is a single white witch living in Manhattan. When a friend drops dead of unknown causes, Bast turns detective to find out why. Her search leads her through the cults and covens of the occult underworld in search of a killer who may have black magic on his side.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312856040
• ISBN13: 9780312856045
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Forge
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

wonderful little gem!

For years, I thought the sub-sub-sub-genre of positive urban pagan fiction, with a good witch as the central character, began and ended with Mercedes Lackey's creation, Diana Tregarde.Happily, I stand corrected.Bast (aka "Karen Hightower"), is one of those characters whom I would love to meet in real life--intelligent, funny, flawed and very stubborn. Upon recieving a distraught phone call concerning the death of a pagan newbie, Bast finds herself winding through a maze of black magic, coven politics, and religious fakery (saying something is "Wicca" when there isn't even a shadow of a resemblance). Edghill also provides a wonderful tour of the Manhattan pagan scene (good, bad, and downright nasty). The author is not above taking a well-aimed shot at the hyprocracies lodged in both the mainstream and alternative religions. Bast is also portrayed as having a "Real Life". Ever notice how, in some books, the protagonist is described as having a profession; but doesn't spend a lot of time working at it? Too busy tracking down evil oogies from the Netherworld, I guess. Kudos to Edghill for having the sense to not only require her brain-child to hold down a nine-to-five job as a graphics designer and layout person, but have Bast actuall *go to work* during the story. Manhattan rent aren't paid in fairy lights and levin bolts, ya know!Good work on developing a villian who is a classic in Occult fiction: the ultimate head-tripper who truly believes their own press. You'll see how the abuser sets the stage, chats up the victim, begins to extract promises and behavior that no ethically-minded person should ever do, and then begins to demonstrate what happens when the victim tries to escape. A good guide for all Seekers, no matter the Path.The ending might be a let down for some, but remember: Bast is dealing with the "Real World". She doesn't have hands that shoot out blue lightning, or flashy Jackie Chan-style tactics, or the Goddess physically manifesting as a shining Being at the eleventh hour. All Bast has are brains and bit of bravery.A nice, entertaining read.

Wonderfully written. Caustic wit with a touch of paganism

Simply wonderful. It's a bit light, but sometimes we need a good, easy read. My favorite part of this book and the second in the series was Edghill's excellent character development of Bast, our reluctant heroine. Highly recommended for a dark night when it's a touch cool outside and the wind knocking at your door.

compelling -- can not put down!

I was delighted to find Speak Daggers to Her. It was a top notch, fast paced, easy to read mystery. If you are a witch or a pagan, you MUST read this book. It is one of the few that accurately portrays modern witchcraft. Others might want to learn the truth about wicca in a painless way. I couldn't put this book down, and I raced through it.

An amusing, interesting and thoroughly engrossing read.

This book is wonderful. It is a murder mystery set in NYC's Wiccan community. Ms. Edghill's descriptions of both NYC and the Wiccan community are on target. She also manages to weave the thread of Wicca into the story so that it is an integral part of the plot. She doesn't use it for shock value or just to have a hook. It's a must read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery, whether Wiccan or not

An irreverent, sharp-edged mystery

If you're tired of the same old thing in your mysteries, if you think you'll scream if you see another Agatha Christie reissue, here's a book that will alternately have you rolling with laughter and gripping the sides of your chair in suspense. The narrator Bast (Karen Hightower only to those who don't know her at all) is a heroine quite different from any you've seen before. She's a member of the New York City wiccan community, and while I don't know much about wiccan, I can vouch that the wry humor about New York City, as lived by the unsung many who are just above the poverty line, but way below the Park Avenue co-op crowd, is dead on. The subways are crowded, unpleasant, and always marginally scary, but the heroine rides them anyway; there's no other way to get around if you can't afford cabs. And the apartments range from classic lofts where a modern day Madame de Stael holds court among her New Age friends, to an upper, upper West Side apartment whose living room has been furnished by "people who have always been roommates." The book is also, when it turns to death by black magic, quite terrifying, in an understated fashion that makes it all the more horrific. Rosemary Edghill--already known to her fans as a writer of topnotch Regencies and fantasy--has turned to the mystery genre with great effect.