Strange Magic: An Essex Witch Museum Mystery(The Essex Witch Museum Mysteries)

When she inherits her eccentric grandfather’s Essex Witch Museum, Rosie Strange is determined to sell up and cash in. On her first visit there she encounters Bronson, the enigmatic caretaker of the museum, and Sam Stone, an enthusiastic PHD student, who was helping her grandfather to drag the museum, with its wonky exhibits and moth-eaten tableaus, into the 21st Century. But before she can drop her bombshell on the museum’s loyal retainers, they are approached by an academic, George Chin, who wants them to find the remains of an executed witch from the 1500s – Ursula Cadence. Despite her cynicism, Rosie finds herself sucked into the chase and, using her investigative skills - honed through her soul-rotting job as a Benefit Fraud Investigator – begins to unearth the extraordinary story of Ursula’s tragic demise and her peculiar post-mortem journey. But someone else is after the remains, too. Who is the man in the dark Mercedes and what is his connection with a vulnerable child who appears to be the target of a demonic possession? Rosie doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but there’s a strange magic descending over the Essex Witch Museum and if she doesn’t keep her wits about her, it could be about to claim her too...

About the Author :
Syd Moore lives in Essex, where the Rosie Strange novels are set. Previously to writing, she was a lecturer and a presenter on Pulp, the Channel 4 books programme. She is the author of the mystery novels The Drowning Pool and Witch Hunt.

Review :

'Dennis Wheatley meets Caitlin Moran.'

‘Strange Magic is that rarest of things: a book which sets out unashamedly to entertain, and does so with wit, style, and erudition. I gleefully submitted to a tale of witchcraft, feminism, mysterious strangers, historical atrocities, plucky heroines and ghastly apparitions – and came away more proud than ever to be an Essex girl.’

‘Confident, down-to-earth Essex girl Rosie is an appealing character, and there is plenty of spooky fun in this spirited genre mashup.’

‘A brilliant beginning to a highly original new series. I promise, this book will hold you spellbound!’

‘A witty, whip-smart read that captivates the reader and conjures a plot full of danger, fun and romance…the characters are brilliant – relatable, real, witty and warm. The plot is a puzzling mystery that sweeps the reader along, and Moore's voice as a writer is one that will make the reader want to go out and buy her other books.’