Ava Morgyn Follow

THE BANE WITCH by Ava Morgyn is a contemporary, adult, paranormal, thriller focusing on Bane Witch and interior designer Piers ‘ Acacia’ Corbin.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Piers ) and third person (Reyes) THE BANE WITCH follows Piers Corbin in the aftermath of faking her death to escape her abusive and controlling husband. The only family she knows of is her aunt Myrtle, a strange woman she met only once but a woman who will reveal the reality of who and what is our story line heroine. For as long as she can remember, Piers has been drawn to plants and poisons, but more specifically the berry of the pokeweed, and in this, her need to devour and eat pokeweed is disconcerting until the arrival of her aunt Myrtle who sees more than Piers could have ever thought possible. Fast forward to present day, now working and living in Crow Lake with her aunt Myrtle, Piers, now known as Acacia, will discover she is descended from a long line of bane witches, women who consume poisonous plants and berries, using their powers to rid the world of dangerous men. As the body count increases, local sheriff Regis Brooks begins to suspect a connection to Piers and Myrtle, and the investigation into Piers’ ‘death’ arrives in Crow Lake, near the Canadian border.

The world building is detailed and complex as Piers aka Acacia learns about the family history, the legacy and the venery (practice of hunting) she knew nothing about, details hidden by her mother, a woman who denied her heritage in the wake of debilitating need and pain. Meanwhile, there is a serial killer hunting in the woods of the Adirondacks, and Piers suspects she may be a target of the Saranac Stangler.

There is a building romance and relationship between Piers (Acacia) and Sheriff Regis Brooks but a relationship that struggles in the face of the numerous murders, and the sheriff’s suspicions regarding the method of killing. Piers and Regis’ love is forbidden but Piers is determined to protect the man who has stolen her heart. The $ex scenes are limited and mostly implied.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and interesting secondary and supporting characters including several members Piers’ extended family, known as the venery. We are introduced to Piers’ aunt Myrtle, cousin Azalea, Sheriff Regis Brooks, Detective Emil Reyes, Piers’ husband Henry Corbin, as well as a number of local villagers including Ed and his dog Bart, and targeted victims and abusers. I am hoping the author has plans for future story lines involving Piers’ extended family of witches.

THE BANE WITCH is a magical story of secrets and lies, power and control, betrayal and madness, abuse and murder, family and acceptance. The premise is dark and dramatic; the characters are determined, charismatic and disconcerting; the romance is subtle.

Looking for a great Witch Read for Spooky Season that has a strong story about family and sisters along with a good romance? Then this is a great choice to start October with. Cordelia, what better name can an Anne of Green Gables fan find that will pull them into a fall read than this 😁, is having money problems and is in a tough place in her life. Everything seems to be going wrong and then her quirky aunt passes away and when the aunt's lawyer calls and informs her of her inheritance, there is more than the Connecticut house at play. She must reconnect with her estranged sister Eustace and together decide what will happen next. With tensions high and stories to be shared, not to mention all the emotions that must be confronted. Its not just human conversation, memories, and living history for this pair of sisters to face. The aunt's house itself has ideas of its own along with spooky figures, witches, and magic that will have their say in Cordelia and Eustace's story. At first is may appear that money problems are over, but there is more than meets the eye to this inherited house. Secrets abound, mysteries need to solves, emotions will be confronted, and bonds of all types will be tested.

This was a beautifully written and well plotted story that had me picking up the phone and characters king in with myself sister. This is a book that just calls out for pot of tea, cozy blanket, and quiet afternoon.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the copy that I read. What a way to welcome in Spooky Season!

THE WITCHES OF BONES HILL by Ava Morgyn is a contemporary, adult, paranormal, murder/mystery thriller focusing on the Bone sisters Cordelia and Eustace.

Told from omniscient third person (Cordelia) THE WITCHES OF BONE HILL follow sisters Cordelia and Eustace Bone as they struggle with the direction of their lives. Estranged for five years, the death of their distant great aunt Augusta would bring the sisters together, in an effort to claim their rightful past. For years, the Bone sisters had heard the rumors of witches and magic but their arrival at the Victorian mansion, once owned by Augusta and centuries of heirs, would elicit a well of magic within Cordelia and Eustace, magic that placed a target on the sisters’ lives. Meeting groundskeeper Gordon Jablonski, revealed a familial connection to the house on Bone Hill but a connection that was dark and dangerous for everyone concerned. Dealing with the locals was going to be difficult but dealing with their great aunt’s attorney would prove deadly and wrong.

THE WTICHES OF BONE HILL is a slow building story of family and secrets, power and lies, magic and witchcraft, greed and murder. Cordelia and Eustace Bone would discover a famiy history of clairvoyance and necromancers, beast riding and magic, obsession and murder; and an oath that would require bone for bone, blood for blood. The premise is suspenseful, intriguing and thrilling-bordering on horror; the sisters are determined and desperate; the secondary and supporting characters are questionable and powerful.