Josie Way loves books and always has. For the past few years, she’s worked at the Library of Congress – her dream job! But when she and a coworker overheard some shady dealings by some government bigwigs, she’s forced to go into hiding or risk her life to tell the truth about what happened. What better place for a librarian to hide than a library in a small, out of the way town on the other side of the country? Will Josie be safe here in a quaint and, frankly, magical library, or will the criminals find her here, too?
The first book in the Witch Way Librarian series, Bait and Witch is Angela M. Sanders’ first fiction release. Featuring mystery and magical realism, Sanders weaves a tale where the library and the books themselves are as much of a character as the people. This is a story about looking beyond the cover to what lies inside, but also about the value of libraries in our communities as more than just a repository for literary works.
I give Bait and Witch 4 out of 5 stars. This is a cozy mystery with mystical aspect I think most literary lovers will appreciate – who doesn’t want to feel connected to books and have the works speak to them! I really appreciated the way Sanders wrote the community impact into this book – the clubs that met in the library and the support they showed the library at the end. I loved the characters and the structure of this book. However, this book did verge on feeling like a made-for-TV-movie script – a few twists and turns, but this was something you’d expect to see on Hallmark. If you need a lighter, cozy mystery or quick read – this is the book for you!
With themes of “off screen” murder, I would recommend this to more mature readers over 13. If you’re a fan of the magical realism of Heather Webber or the writings of Bailey Cates or Lauren Elliott, you may love this book! I’d also recommend this book as a cozy mystery book club selection with so much to unpack around the magic in these pages!
I chose Bait and Witch for the Read With Lindsey Reading Challenge prompt “set in a bookstore or library”. This prompt is in honor of National Library Workers Week and other library and bookshop honorary days in April. As this book shows, our communities need our libraries. They provide so much more than just books. They provide continuing education classes, a place for clubs to gather, and other resources like tool libraries and state park passes. Most library cards also provide online and digital resources as well like the Libby app where you can check out eBooks and audiobooks! Stop by your local library today and ask your librarian for more information on the programs and resources available with your library card!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: My Name is Victoria, Lucy Worsley
- Current audio book: A Brutal Reckoning, Peter Cozzens
- Book I’m most looking forward to: I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy
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