This is the second book in the series. I found it an enjoyable read , although I felt the ending could have been developed a little more. ( )

By Familiar Means: A Witch’s Cat Mystery
Author: Delia James
Publisher: Berkley

Annabelle Britton found out that she has a mystical heritage and has become the companion to a familiar, Alistair who can come and go as he pleases in an instant. Annabelle has come back to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to settle down and spend her days doing what she loves, creating art. She never expected murder to be a part of her new life. Her new found powers, however, are still in their infancy. Her Grandma BB is visiting with her old coven, for the first time in thirty years, and Annabelle is learning hidden family secrets she never knew existed.

When Annabella is hired to paint murals for a friend's new coffee house, it is a wish come true and just in the nick of time. However, the new building is riddled with eerie sounds and strange happenings that have convinced at least one of the new owners that the new shop is haunted. They want Annabelle to find out by whom and get rid of them if she can. After a search using her powers shows that there are multiple secrets hidden in the new shop, they follow a trail that leads them to a body in an old tunnel under the shop.

Her friends Miranda and Jake are suspected of being the killers, but Annabelle doesn't believe it until she begins to hear stories from the couple's past. Not certain who to trust or believe, Annabelle, jumps into the investigation to clear her friends of the suspicions, and possibly herself.

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Annabella is a lively character whose quirks are enhanced by those around her. She is bright, attractive and endowed with a unique magical ability, to feel the energies of places and those who passed through them. Sometimes the power gets the better of her, and she is exhausted by the need to control it. As an apprentice to a powerful Wiccan, Annabelle is learning control but sometimes she doesn’t want to control her power, she wants to let it out and allow it freedom. Her Grandma BB is lovable if a bit distressed and somewhat resentful of the past, yet she always tries not to allow the past to interfere with the future except where her granddaughter is concerned. She is perceived as a bit scatter-brained at times, but she is truly a grandmother to be loved and listened to and one that adores her granddaughter. Together with the help of their coven, they unmask the murderer.


Delia James is a fantastic writer; her characters come alive enabling the reader to picture them in their mind's eye with little to no trouble. The settings are charming and filled with the sights one expects from a New Hampshire destination. The pace of the story is fast enough that the reader will lose track of time and before they know it, they will have reached the last page. The ending is very satisfying; the killer unmasked with a flourish and action packed. This book and series are a must read for anyone that enjoys magic, paranormal or ghost stories. Highly recommended. www.thecozyreview.com









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I would have liked this story better if the main character didn't repeatedly do stupid things. ( )

Not bad, not great. Nothing new, but pleasantly written with genuinely nice characters. Annabelle's grandmother is in town and she gets involved in the 'mystery' of course. She sometimes skirts the bleeding edge of what's fast becoming a 'grandma' trope in cozies: an 80 year old with the body of a 60 year old and the maturity of a 20 year old. There's a love triangle brewing too - not once has it been articulated, but you just know it's there, lurking.

Annabelle takes on a mural commission and while touring the new premises, finds a secret tunnel with a dead body. Because it's not really a secret tunnel unless there's a dead body.

The mystery plotting was...ok. I'm not sure anymore if whodunits are just being poorly plotted and written, or if the new trend is to make it obvious who the bad guys are, but keep the reader guessing as to which bad guy actually did the deed. If this were real life the culprits would have been labelled inept before page 50. Even in print, the false leads were weak beyond belief and the arrest made no sense.

But even so, this wasn't an unenjoyable read. It was light and relaxing; I just won't go crazy for the next one. ( )