Book Review: The Trouble with Magic
Magic, Murder, and Mystery Among Witches
Maggie O'Neill wanders from her usual path toward her boring job, into Enchantments, a a New Age bookstore and befriends it's owner, Felicity Dow. In a bit of serendipity, she gets fired from her old job only to get hired by Felicity. All goes well, and Maggies loves the fun store, interesting clientele and even more interesting proprieter. Unfortunately, Maggie discovers two interesting things about her new friend; 1) Felicity is a witch and 2) She has just been arrested for the murder of her sister.
The Ways of Witchcraft
Alt does a commendable job writing of modern pagans and witches. Though Felicity never describes herself as a Wiccan, it's pretty clear that is what she is. In this book, there is none of the theatric spells and magic battles of such books as the Harry Potter series. There are some scenes where Felicity and her coven commune with spirits and Maggie explores a psychic side of her own. But the magic is very realistic, even anti-climactic, and the characters like Felicity are very normal individuals.
There is the occasional reference to Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Pagan figures like Starhawk, Margot Adler, and Dion Fortune. But Alt writes an easy book for outsiders from the Pagan movement to understand and for seasoned magic users to enjoy and relate to.
Even though there are no torch wielding villagers or burnpiles in this small Indiana town, Felicity and Maggie are met with mistrust and skepticism especially during Felicity's arrest. Maggie firsthand experiences the prejudices that modern pagans still have to face and why many still hide in the shadows.
The Magical Mystery Women
Maggie and Felicity make a brilliant amateur detective duo. Maggie tells the story in her dry witty narration. Observing the former tourists who have moved into town to seek a quiet life, she sardonically observes, "Behold the Me Generation is alive and well."Maggie is also given a lot of idiosyncracies such as a crush on Tom Selleck and an overtly intrusive mother and sister that make her a fun character.
Despite her penchant for one-liners and her sarcastic attitude, Maggie is at heart very naive especially when it comes to the people in her town. She thinks she knows them, until they turn against Felicity and herself and she is stricken with the idea that one of them is a murderer. She also exhibits a lot of loyalty towards Felicity, some would say too much loyalty, to someone she just met. But she visits her in jail, and stands up for her new boss helping in her investigation.
Felicity is a very kooky warm-hearted character, one this reader took an instant liking too. The sweet alternate to Maggie's sometimes sour nature, Felicity has a charm and kindness around her that makes her arrest hard to accept. Who would accuse this sweet woman of murder?
She also has a mysterious quirky side like in the scenes where Maggie discovers Felicity chanting with her boyfriend, Marcus or where Felicity introduces her new employee to N.I.G.H.T.S., an amateur ghost hunting society. She maintains a knowledge and strength in her belief in the supernatural and optimism despite adversity.
About the Author
Madelyn Alt writes from her home in northeast Indiana where she lives with an "extraordinary number of persons of the male variety of various sizes and ages", two Siamese cats, and a shepherd lab-mix. The Trouble with Magic is the first book in the Bewitching Mystery series. Alt has written three other books in the series with the latest No Rest for the Wiccan due in November 2008.
The Trouble with Magic cover
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