A Toxic Trousseau

<b>Readers should know that it pays to read this series in order. By the time you get to this, the eighth entry, a lot of characters have been introduced and have back stories that are only glancingly mentioned here. </b><br /><br />Lily Ivory is the owner of a successful vintage clothing store in the Haight Ashbury region of San Francisco. She is also a witch--the hereditary kind, not the Wiccan would-be kind. Okay, so expect to suspend disbelief and settle in for a cozy. The tale opens with her being served with a lawsuit by the owner of a high end vintage clothing place, who is alleging that Lily's pot-bellied pig (who is really a mythical creature and her familiar, of sorts) head-butted the woman, causing her injury. Lily goes to talk to the woman and see if she can smooth things over; she finds her seriously ill and calls the paramedics.<br /><br />This incident soon embroils her in yet another mystery, involving witches, cowans (nonmagical people), and incompetent police inspectors. Meanwhile, the head honcho witch in SF has gone out of town, leaving Lily in charge of adjudicating magical disputes. There is plenty of comic relief and some suspense, along with a good bit of character and relationship development, which should please fans of the series. I enjoyed the twists of the story and am especially hopeful for the next book, which promises to add interesting figures from Lily's past to the mix.

I have a tendency to believe that the further along you get in a series, the quality of each book seems to go down. This is not the case here.<br /><br />A Toxic Trousseau was a brilliant addition to the series. It may actually be my favorite so far! As far as mysteries are concerned, this book is a perfect example the very best - I was way off! I love how the author was throwing me off the scent with every page. It got to a certain point where I was seriously suspecting everybody that Lily encountered. Lily and Sailors relationship took on a sweeter tone this book, which I don't always like, because you can actually lose the personality of the character to puppy love, which I believe to be a waste. Here, though, it was just beautiful, and so very heart-warming. Some new and VERY interesting characters were introduced in this installment, setting us up for the wild plot ahead. I honestly can't wait!<br /><br />From the moment I received A Toxic Trousseau in my mail box, I started reading and didn't stop until I was finished, about 12 hours later. As soon as I closed the book, I said. "That. Was. Awesome." I will patiently and happily wait another year for the next release, because no matter how long I leave this world, Juliet Blackwell pulls me right back in, as if I never left.

I am under the spell (in a good way) of the Witchcraft Mystery series and a big fan of Lily and her store and friends plus Oscar. The added fashion history information was quite interesting, sad, and scary. Book 8 is a good place to start reading the series and then you will want to read the previous books, if you like paranormal books that are not gory.

When Lily is served papers detailing a lawsuit involving a certain rogue familiar, she decides to pay Autumn a visit in an attempt to come to a peaceful agreement. Sadly, she stumbles upon Autumn in some of her final moments, leaving her with a new mystery on her hands. Meanwhile, Aidan leaves Lily in charge when he leaves town, allowing her to finally see what his daily job entails.<br /><br />Blackwell has brought yet another delightful installment into our lives. I like that <i>A Toxic Trousseau</i> takes a different path than previous installments. We see more into Lily and Sailor’s day to day relationship with one another, which allows us to become more invested in the pair. We’re also given a glimpse of what is to come as Lily tries to figure out Aidan’s motive behind leaving her in charge. If anything, learning some of his more popular duties piqued my interest because it allowed Lily to become acquainted with a different side of the magical folk in her city. We now see who Lily and company will be going up against even if we do not know the specifics of what is in store. It was interesting to see the light and dark sides of some of these new characters, so I’m looking forward to seeing them again.<br /><br />This installment takes a bit of a different path than previous installments. The mystery itself seems to be a bit in the air while being connected to multiple parts of the story even if we do not see it at first. We have the cursed trousseau, a mystery house, and mysterious death that weigh heavily on Lily’s mind. We also continue to see Lily grow as she tries to get to the bottom of these different aspects that are plaguing her. Rather than jumping into these mysteries alone, she asks for help and takes her friends along with her. She has made a family for herself that she trusts and relies on, and I love seeing her realize that she can count on these people as much as they count on her. The story is captivating from beginning to end. I also I found myself wanting to attend any party with Bronwyn and company. The final chapter had me yelling in excitement. I am now eagerly awaiting the ninth book!

An excellent installment in Lily's adventures in San Francisco! In this go-around, not so much combating evil as a plain old-fashioned who-dun it. Far from diminishing the tale, scaling back the paranormal just a tad gives the reader a chance to visit with all the characters who make up this series and a good look at the progress Lily's made as a character. Rest assured however, the end is not in sight! This is just the pause that's the set-up for wild new adventures to come!

I'm going to miss Lily, Oscar, and the rest of the gang, as I've just finished the last one in this cozy supernatural mystery series. Hopefully Ms. Blackwell has plans to release a new one soon??

This story held a delightful plot line, and even though it was book #8, it really delivered a really good story. For those of you who have already experienced this witchy cozy goodness, A TOXIC TROUSSEAU, the seventh installment, won't disappoint.<br /><br />A girl breezes into Aunt Cora's and serves Lily with a personal injury lawsuit from Autumn Jennings. Jennings, a sort-of competitor, visited the store, but Oscar, the potbellied pig didn't like how she treated the clothing or the people and head butted her. She fell but seemed all right when she left. Lily would rather handle this situation peacefully if she can, especially after Aiden Rhodes has left her in charge of the city's witches while he's out of town, but all is not well at Autumn's store when Lily and Maya arrive. In fact, Autumn seems very ill and ends up dying after she's taken to the hospital.<br /><br />Lily, of course, is the police's prime suspect, so she sets out to find out whodunit. Blackwell introduces some interesting characters from the dog walker/process server, who runs away when she sees Lily on the street; Renee, the cupcake baker; an old woman named Mrs. Morgan who has a poodle; Jamie, the curse banisher; and Cody who works at the Winchester haunted house and, along with his wife, Eleanor, owns a dog named Mr. Bojangles. It all ties together so nicely when Bronwyn opts to have her birthday party, a slumber party no less, at the haunted house with Sailor and Lily as bodyguards. No Lily Ivory mystery is complete without haunted clothing though. In this case, it's a cursed trousseau; the legend tells of a shoeshine boy, a rich guy and a fiancée, and many believe the trousseau still holds the curse. There's a lot going on in this story. Some threads have dealt solely with this particular story while others give additional background on characters and move the series itself a head with details about a coming magical event.<br /> <br />SUMMARY<br />Even the most skilled sorceress can’t ward off a lawsuit, and Lily is not at her enchanting best with her hands full as the temporary leader of San Francisco's magical community. So after her potbellied pig Oscar head-butts rival clothier Autumn Jennings, Lily tries to make peace without a costly personal injury case.<br /><br />But any hope of a quiet resolution is shattered when Autumn turns up dead. As one of the prime suspects, Lily searches for a way to clear her name and discovers a cursed trousseau among Autumn’s recently acquired inventory. Lily must deal with a mysterious dogwalker and spend the night in a haunted house as she delves into the trunk’s treacherous past. She’s got to figure out who wanted to harm Autumn fast, before the curse claims another victim… This book was really quite a delightful surprise. I often don't pick this genre, but have been a little more over the last couple years. Highly recommend.

A Toxic Trousseau by Juliet Blackwell is the eighth Witchcraft Mystery novel. Lily Ivory owns Aunt Cora’s Closet in San Francisco, California. Lily sells gently used vintage clothing and encourages her customers to wear the items (Lily loves to wear the clothes from her store). Lily is in the store when a young woman approaches her. It turns out that Lily is being sued. Autumn Jennings came into the store recently and was disdainful of the merchandise. Oscar, Lily’s shape-shifting familiar, gave her a nudge (well, maybe a head butt) into some clothing. Ms. Jennings is claiming that she was injured (from falling into some clothing) and is suing for compensation. It turns out that Autumn owns a vintage clothing store as well, though she carries older clothing (Victorian, 20s, Edwardian) with designer labels that people could not wear on an everyday basis (they are better for museum displays). Lily cannot afford a lawsuit and goes to talk with Autumn (and takes Maya with her). They do not find anyone in the store and then they hear thumping above. They go to investigate and end up with a gun pointed at them. Autumn is unstable on her feet and then collapses. Unfortunately for Lily, she ends up a prime suspect because of the lawsuit. Inspector Carlos Romero (whom Lily is used to working with on cases) did not get assigned the case. Inspectors Stinson and Ng get the case and they hope for a quick solution. Lily feels compelled to investigate. Sailor tags along to keep Lily safe (he has certainly changed) and Oscar manages to join in (he does not want to be left out especially if there is going to be food). Lily investigation leads her to a cursed trousseau, a supposed haunted house, and a dog walker (who just happened to be the process server). Lily is not sure if there is anything magical in this case, but it is definitely suspicious. In addition, Aidan Rhodes is going out of town and asks Lily for a favor (she owes him one). Lily needs to take of Aidan’s satchel (which everyone is afraid of) and handle witchy disputes (and some licensing issues). Lily is going to need her wits about her to get through this week! Join Lily, Maya, Bronwyn, Sailor, and Oscar in A Toxic Trousseau.<br /><br />A Toxic Trousseau was just delightful. It was wonderful to visit Lily Ivory, Sailor, Oscar, Maya, and friends in San Francisco. The mystery was complex, twisty, and hard to figure out (just the way like them). There is some misdirection as well (to throw the reader off the scent of the real killer). I enjoyed the information on vintage (Victorian) clothing and how certain colors were created (green wallpaper was known to kill off people). Oscar’s hijinks are humorous and highly entertaining. I did not want this book to end. I give A Toxic Trousseau 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it as you can tell). A Toxic Trousseau has an enchanting (and romantic) ending! I cannot wait for the next book in A Witchcraft Mystery series. We will finally get to meet Lily's grandmother, Graceila and her coven (and Lily's mother). If you like magical cozy mysteries, you will be delighted with this book and series. A Toxic Trousseau can be read alone, but I highly recommend reading the previous books in the series. They will help you understand the characters, their relationships, and their abilities. In A Toxic Trousseau will get more information on the upcoming magical battle and meet the enemy (it will surprise you).<br /><br />I received a complimentary copy of the novel in exchange for an honest evaluation of the book.<br />

A TOXIC TROUSSEAU by Juliet Blackwell<br />The 8th Witchcraft Mystery<br /><br />Lily Ivory is surprised when she is served papers and finds herself being sued! Autumn Jennings is claiming that Oscar attacked her in Aunt Cora's Closet and is seeking compensation. But Autumn is no ordinary customer. In fact, not only does she run a high end vintage clothing shop she's also in debt to the witchy godfather of San Fransisco - Aidan Rhodes. When Lily and Maya go to Autumn's store to attempt to work things out-they find her spouting paranoid ideation while holding a gun on them and ultimately collapsing. Despite the prompt arrival of paramedics Autumn dies in the hospital. When doctors and police suspect poison Lily and Bronwyn top their suspect list. Now Lily needs to find out what's really going on. Could it have something to do with Autumn's latest clothing addition? With Sailor and Oscar for support Lily searches for the truth while handling city matters for Aidan and preparing for the Nebulous Big Nasty which is heading their way. <br /><br />A TOXIC TROUSSEAU is unique in that the mystery takes a more meandering path. In fact, we're not sure what the mystery really is. The mystery of the trousseau, of the curse, of the house, of the death, and who and where is Scarlet; all these questions entwine Lily, along with the mysterious satchel and the job with which Aiden has tasked her. Instead of a simple mystery story it's more of a preparatory book, setting the stage for a huge magical showdown. By the end of the book we have a much clearer view of that Nebulous Big Nasty heading their way, as well as a group of reinforcements coming to town.<br /><br />Lily and her friends continue to delight. These characters are imbued with such spirit and vitality, it's sometimes difficult to believe they're fictional. Character development has been an integral part of this series, deepening the bonds connecting the characters, both with each other and readers. Lily has grown so much, yet she still manages to keep a sense of innocence, awkwardness, and charm even as she has become a powerful woman. Part of that power has come from her ability to accept help and friendship from others. While a part of her will always be a solitary witch, she can count on the love and friendship of others to support and encourage her, even as she supports and encourages them. And while Sailor remains swoonworthy, it is Oscar who has truly captured my heart!<br /><br />Juliet Blackwell's Witchcraft series continues to be one of my most favorite series. A TOXIC TROUSSEAU is a multifaceted mystery including a local legend involving a curse, a fictional representation of the famous Winchester House, and a fascinating part of fashion history which combine to create a captivating story.

This is one of the best books if not the best book to join the Witchcraft Mysteries series.