Evil Turns: (5 Madeline Maclin Series)

Murder by witchcraft? Private investigator and former beauty queen Madeline Maclin thought she'd seen it all in her small North Carolina town of Celosia. Yet Evil Turns, fifth in the lively series by Jane Tesh, opens with a young man's body covered in strange occult symbols found in a local vineyard, putting Maddy on notice that there is more than one witch in the neighborhood. Years ago, a group of women in town formed Darkrose Coven, a practice now taken up by younger residents who insist that their dark rose tattoos only honor their favorite character from the popular Pagan Desires books and movies. Has the old coven reappeared? Is the new coven responsible for the ritualistic murder? Intrigue unfolds as Celosia prepares for its centennial. The Women's Improvement Society, led by wealthy, obnoxious Amanda Price, plans to create an outdoor musical drama, Flower of the South, extolling Emmaline Ross, one of the state's first vintners. Amanda steamrolls past City Councilmember Harold Stover, who fears Celosia cannot afford this costly venture, and Nathan Fenton, who refuses to let her use his Camp Lakenwood land for the production. When Harold is murdered, Amanda is the prime suspect. She hires Maddy to prove her innocence. Are the two murders connected? What about Megan Underwood, a local wiccan from the defunct commune, Peaceful Meadow, which had ties to the Darkrose Coven? Megan complicates Maddy's inquiries, drifting in and out of town claiming she is Emmaline reborn. What is the secret the Darkrose Coven is so desperate to hide? Maddy is stretched to the limit. Not only is she juggling her time investigating murder suspects, feuding locals, and a long-ago missing infant, she also has to fend off threats by a disreputable goon from her husband's past-her talented and charming spouse, Jerry Fairweather, had once been a con artist. Their current life together, committed to the straight and narrow, could be totally wrecked. Madeline needs magic of her own to unravel the twists and turns of tangled relationships and to find one singular lost soul.

About the Author :
Jane Tesh is the author of two mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press- Madeline Maclin Mysteries and Grace Street Mysteries. Now You See It is third in her Grace Street Mystery series, after Stolen Hearts and Mixed Signals. www.janetesh.com

Review :
Covens, centennial celebrations, and murders rock a small North Carolina town. Madeline Maclin Investigations must juggle a surprising number of cases for such a quiet rural area as Celosia. Former beauty queen Mac and her husband, Jerry Fairweather, a reformed con man who works as a short-order cook, quickly become involved in several murder cases. First the body of a young man is found in a local vineyard covered in witchcraft signs. There used to be a coven of sorts in Celosia, and although the girls with the Darkrose tattoo claim they're just fans of a popular book series, some interested parties fear they're following in the footsteps of their elders—in some cases, their mothers. Mac, who has no client for the vineyard murder, is soon hired by Amanda Price, a woman of considerable substance in Celosia, who's determined to stage an outdoor play honoring Emmaline Ross, one of the state's earliest female vintners. Pushy, opinionated Amanda steps on so many toes trying to get the project going that she's the obvious suspect when Harold Stover, who violently opposed her, is found dead. Undaunted, Amanda makes plenty of new enemies casting the play, especially as she plans to play the lead role. But wouldn't they rather kill Amanda than Harold? At length Mac learns that both Amanda and her unacknowledged flower-child sister grew up in a local commune. Jerry's insights as the music and lyric writer for the play help uncover more clues. So does his talent for picking locks. Even though Amanda's the worst possible client, Mac, convinced of her innocence, continues her search for a killer or two. Mac's fifth adventure is just as quirky as its predecessors (A Bad Reputation, 2014, etc.), with the bonus of a stronger, more complex mystery. Beauty queen turned private eye, Madeline Maclin is disturbed when a young man’s body is found, covered in occult symbols. Could this have something to do with the Darkrose coven formed years before? Lately the coven has resurfaced with a newer, younger following. Are they practicing black magic? Sacrifices? After a second murder, Maddy is hired to prove the accused’s innocence, but to do so she must uncover the secrets of the Darkrose coven. This is a well written series with faithful followers who will be delighted in this latest offering filled with menace, mayhem and witchcraft PI Madeline Maclin returns to solve more cases with the help of her ex-con husband, Jerry. A young man has been stabbed and covered with symbols popular with a coven that practiced years ago near the town of Celosia, North Carolina. Maddy learns that some teen girls have been seen performing occult rituals in the woods and looks for a connection to the murder. Meanwhile, Maddy is hired by the director of a community-theater production who is the chief suspect in another murder, this one of a man who was opposed to the theater’s latest production. A missing baby, a pregnant teen, blackmail, and a dangerous con man have all returned to Jerry’s life to complicate matters further. There is so much going on here that readers may struggle to keep track of it all, but Tesh eventually pulls the many threads together. Clever surprises and an appealing sleuth keep this series fresh. Once this story took off, it kept my attention from the moment Madeline became involved in the various cases she was hired to do. From keeping one person out of jail to uncovering a secret best hidden to keeping her husband from his past, Madeline has her hand full and she does that so easily in this evenly-paced drama.~~~I love the comfortable tone and the way each chapter flowed from one to the other giving you enough clues to that leads you closer to the identity of the person responsible, and boy was it a doozy with all that was going on with each suspect. The author did a great job of blending it all together with some interesting twists that made sense once it was all said and done. What I like best about this book is there’s always time for some humor and it is a welcome joy to see the appearances of Austin and Denisha. With engaging dialogue and a lovable cast of characters, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to more adventures with Maddy, Jerry and her friends. Madeline, a beauty queen–turned–PI, lives happily with husband (and ex-con man) Jerry Fairweather in Celosia, NC. Life turns interesting when a body covered in arcane symbols turns up in a village vineyard. Is there a coven operating in Celosia? The tattooed followers of the Darkrose assembly claim only to be big fans of the popular “Pagan Desires” franchise. Maddy is hired by wealthy Amanda Price after she is accused of murdering city councilman Harold Stover, who had opposed her plans to stage a play celebrating the state’s first female vintner. Is Harold’s killing connected to the initial crime?~~~VERDICT Lots of suspects keep Maddy busy in her fifth adventure (after A Bad Reputation). This immersive and picturesque cozy is a great choice for Joan Hess and Denise Swanson fans. The plot twists and turns with unexpected happenings as Amanda demands more and more from her minions.