Witch Hunt: An Ophelia and Abby Mystery

by Shirley Damsgaard

Book Overview

Small-town librarian Ophelia Jensen is finally starting to embrace her lot as one of the "chosen"--a psychic and folk magick practitioner, a.k.a. a witch. Expert loving guidance from her magickally... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061147117
• ISBN13: 9780061147111
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

LOVE IT!!

I absolutley love these books!! I had not read a book in 5 years and read the entire series in two weeks!

Honestly...3 1/2 Stars...

It was good, but not as good as the others. I had a hard time getting into the story. The first 3 books just pulled you in from the first page; this one was a little work. For such a quick read, it took me a long time to finish it. I was glad of the growth in the characters, but there was just too much hemming and hawing (the story stalled) about motherhood and bad boyfriends. The ending was not a surprise for me. I thought the clues throughout the story made the "bad guys" obvious. In fact, I knew who they were at their first appearance. I will continue to read this series, because it is a good one. The characters are usually well developed, the mystery engaging, and the story well told. I recommend it.

The Trouble With Bikers

They're back! Our favorite witches, Ophelia and Abby have another murder to contend with in their hometown of Summerset. As ever, the story unfolds through the eyes of Ophelia, librarian and reluctant psychic. In `Witch Hunt', she has to deal with the effects of a teenager's misuse of a Ouija board, Abby's somewhat unwelcome present of a recalcitrant puppy, and the unwelcome presence of a nasty band of bikers who descend on the town. One person who takes an unhealthy interest in one of the bikers is Becca. Becca is the cousin of Darci, Ophelia's best friend. And Becca is found in her underwear, holding a knife next to the dead body of said biker. This is another very enjoyable cozy from Shirley Damsgaard and, in my opinion, it's the best in the series so far. Don't expect a roller coaster ride, though. `Witch Hunt' builds slowly to its climax as Ophelia tries to piece together the events leading up to the killing. Ophelia can usually count on the wise counsel of her grandmother and white witch par excellence, Abby to steer her through the choppy supernatural waters. But here, Abby is more crotchety than in previous stories, and there's even a bit of a falling-out between our heroines. There are also some creepy moments in store for Ophelia as she encounters one particularly scary biker. The exciting conclusion keeps you turning the pages and leaves you wanting more. If you've been following the Ophelia and Abby mysteries, this instalment will be a welcome addition to your bookcase. For those who haven't yet read any of the previous novels in the series, this fourth story has an integral character who was introduced in the third book, `The Trouble With Witches'; you may want to read that novel before embarking on `Witch Hunt'.

fun paranormal mystery

It is a small quiet town where murder rarely happens, but at least twice Ophelia Jensen has been in the middle of homicide investigations. This isn't as crazy as it sounds because she is a psychic and both times her power led her to the killer. She lives with her foster daughter Tink, a thirteen years old medium and she is very close to her grandmother Abby the witch. After years of denial Ophelia admits she has powers and she lets her grandmother teach her folklore magick. The serenity of the town is disturbed when El Serpiente, a bad motorcycle gang noted for extortion, running drugs, and murder, come to town. Her best friend Dori and Ophelia as well as Dori's cousin Beatrice go to the bar where the gang hangs out and Beatrice disappears with one of the gang leaders. When Dori and Ophelia go to Dori's place, they find Beatrice with a knife in her hands and blood on her. Adder is dead and the police arrest Beatrice but Ophelia is sure she is not guilty. She quietly investigates and gets help; if one can call it that, from Adder's spirit. Each mystery that Shirley Damsgaard writes is better than the last. Her characters grow as they deal with what life hands them. Ophelia finally accepts she is a psychic who can do magic and her grandmother eases up on the pressure. Ophelia no longer denies that Abby was a practicing witch. Both grandmother and granddaughter have a beautiful relationship based on equality. The mystery in WITCH HUNT is well plotted and the villains hide in plain sight. Harriet Klausner

witch hunt

I didn't think this series could get any better after the third installment, "The Trouble with Witches," but "Witch Hunt" is the best so far. We see growth in Ophelia and Abby's relationship and within Ophelia herself. Now that she has an adopted daughter, Tink, Ophelia's life is completely different. She seems to understand her estranged mother better than before, and I hope we might get a bigger glimpse of that relationship in the future. I'm also glad that Darci has become a strong, minor character. She acts as Ophelia's foil, yet they are the best of friends at this point in the series. The mystery came to a truly shocking end. I had no idea who the killer was, and some of the characters had mistaken identities that I didn't expect. As usual, Ophelia uses her "talent" to help solve the murder, but the magic in this series is much different than any other series I've read. The magic here is very much tied to the earth, seeming to resemble folk magic. I enjoy the use of runes as well. With the addition of Tink and her ability as a medium, I can't wait to see what this series has in store.