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Join Alicia Meldrew for more adventures in Middlewitch Mayhem - the second book in the Middlewitch Chronicles by Heather Parker. (Although it’s not necessary to have read Middlewitch first!)
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Just because Alicia Meldrew is a witch doesn't mean that everything in her life is double, double, toil and trouble. Then again, trouble does have a way of finding her over and over again, even in the cozy little town of Middlewitch.
Alicia is starting to settle down with her new husband and a baby on the way, but little things like demon possession and mis-cast time spells keep getting in the way. Still, lake monsters, vampires (the bad kind, because you can't generalize, you know), and vengeful enemies are no match for her, especially with the support of family and friends.
With the community coming together to help her, her cats Domino and Tango dispensing wisdom each in their own way, and her husband James even doing a little bit of magic himself, Alicia can manage just about anything. Except possibly getting along with her mother-in-law...
Excerpt
Pandemonium
“Nice service, dear?” I asked, trying to scrape the fried egg out of the casserole dish. The yoke had burst and was slithering over the peaches.
He peered at my culinary efforts which probably didn’t look terribly appetising.
“My mother would be ashamed to put a meal like this in front of my father!”
I was shocked. Now my cooking isn’t perhaps my best feature, but I’ve never pretended otherwise.
Domino glanced up at James in surprise. “Well, Olive isn’t trying to save the world between meals, is she?” he murmured. “You feeling all right, James?”
“Keep out of this, Dom,” growled my husband. “I’m not in the mood to argue with you —or Tango,” he added, turning to the young ginger and white cat sitting on the mat in the corner. Our puppy had chewed it, and Tango felt it his duty to hide the evidence. The cat looked upset. He loved James and he knew something was wrong.
James turned back to me. “I listened to an interesting sermon this morning at St. Mary’s. It made me think, I can tell you. All about the evils of witchcraft and Satanism.”
My blood ran cold. Now I knew he wasn’t well. He was gibbering.
“You’ve allowed vampires, time travellers and all sorts of riff raff to come and live in Middlewitch. Look at Cyril de Winter up at The Grange—and Alf the Satanist.”
I was shocked. “What on earth are you talking about? Cyril and Alf are good people—they’re two of our best friends! You know Alf retired from Satanism when he met Cyril. He’s happy doing plumbing now, which is good news for this village. Folks always need plumbers. And you’ve always known I was a witch. You’re been part warlock yourself since we got married. You said you didn’t mind. You were proud of me!”
“Wait, Alicia,” said Domino urgently. “Can’t you see something’s happened to James? Can’t you feel it in the air?”
I stopped and closed my eyes. I sniffed the air. There was absolutely no mistaking the ghastly, corrupt stench of a demon in the room.
“Not that,” muttered Dom impatiently. “That’s your casserole.”
“Oh, yes,” I sighed with relief. “But he is possessed, isn’t he? My beloved James possessed!”
James’ eyes glittered. “I’m going to fight you, Alicia Meldrew. You and all your unholy creatures. We both know Middlewitch is the mystical centre of the world. Well, I’m warning you, I’m going to take it from you. I’m going to control the universe!”
With that, he threw my casserole across the kitchen and stormed out of our cottage.
I stared after him in shock.
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