Scout Randall is more than a witch on a motorcycle. She’s more than the magic she wields. She’s also a woman with a secret past that she can’t remember … a sarcastic wonder who acts before she thinks.The one thing Scout knows with absolute certainty is that she’s got a purpose in life … and that purpose is fighting evil. That’s why she joined the Spell’s Angels, a biker group with offices all … all across the world. It’s because of the group that she finds herself in northern Lower Michigan, in a place called Hawthorne Hollow, where magic is out in the open and Scout finds her powers are constantly on display.
She was transferred to the town because they needed help, although no one will tell her what happened to the woman who held the position before her and she’s constantly distracted by the local denizens, including Gunner Stratton, a shifter with a history he would rather keep to himself.
Scout is determined to do her job … even if it means taking on the congregation of a local church with murky origins. It seems the dead are rising in Hawthorne Hollow and it’s up to Scout to figure out why.
She’s going to have to learn to trust her new co-workers – and a few random outsiders in the colorful town – on the fly because they’re all going to have to come together to take down an enemy that is strong enough to wipe Hawthorne Hollow off the map.
Get ready for adventure, because it’s going to be nonstop from here on out.
more
This book was just plain FUN. I really enjoyed the snark between Scout Randall (the badass witch protagonist) and Gunner Stratton (the romantic interest whom she’s working with for Spells Angels). The suspicious cult church made for plenty of intrigue and the action kept the pace flying. My only wish was that it would have been nice to have Gunner’s magic be strong enough to save the day once in a while, instead of always having Scout be stronger and better than anyone else. I know it goes with the mystery of her past, but it made the relationships between the Spells Angels’ members pretty lopsided. But whatever Gunner lacked in magic muscle, he made up for in charm and wit. And the care that the group gave to the little girl with the abusive father tugged at my heart. Lots of enjoyable reading time.
Audio review from March 2019
I follow this narrator but not this author.
I enjoy Meghan’s work. The only thing I disliked about this particular performance was the struggle with the deep male voices at the beginning, they were much better in the last two hours as she had gotten more comfortable with them.
The story: superbly slow for the first ten chapters. I was so bored I nearly turned it off.
I stuck with it and enjoyed it from when it picked up to the end.
I had such fun with Bad to the Crone. Yes, I know, I’m coming to the series late but that simply means I can easily binge-read one after another to get caught up. And do I ever want to get caught up!
This introduction to the Spell’s Angels Cozy Mystery series grabbed my attention and never let go. We have a puzzle to sort out, a lot of new faces that Scout (and we) have to remember and interact with, a possible attraction with another Spell’s Angel operative, and lots and lots of mysteries to solve. While Scout’s backstory is sad, it also allows even more discovery for her as the series continues and I’m looking forward to that. Scout’s magic is not the norm for any witch, she’s like super witch powers maxed out to the 100th degree. There are things that even Scout didn’t know she could do – and that will be an ongoing puzzle for our heroine to figure out as well.
While I liked Gunner with Scout, I’m still trying to figure this shifter out. His personality is… unique. I adored young Raisin and she will play a major part in Bad to the Crone, and I hope in future stories as well. She’s a smart kid who has had a rough life, I want to see how she grows. There are many new faces to become familiar with and I’m looking forward to each getting their own stories played out as well as the series moves on.
There are also some very dangerous, creepy folks around town. That is where our focus is in this first story. On a church that isn’t really a church as we know it, and a leader who is simply too creepy for words. When some truly weird things start happening around town, Scout dives right into the mystery – mostly professing that she can handle this on her own. She is an independent witch who will have to learn that there is also power in numbers as well. I liked Scout, I loved the banter and snark between them whenever Gunner enters a scene, and I believe I’ll enjoy this entire crew as I get to know them better.
In all, I had fun here. Some questions were answered, other questions arise from those answers, and I believe that’s going to be the fun part as we discover Scout’s powers, where she came from, why she had to be protected, and what is in store for her in this town that fits her like a motorcycle glove. If you love an interesting, grab your attention with a good story type of Paranormal Cozy Mystery then consider picking up Bad to the Crone to begin the Spell’s Angels Cozy Mystery series… like right now.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
If you like the snark, the sass and the sexy / powerful women of Hemlock Cove you should enjoy this series
More powerful law enforcement males who are sometimes alphaholes, and some sexy shifter stuff with shadowy pasts galore for several characters
Buckle up! Hang on tight to the back of that bike! It’s a fun and bumpy wild ride!
BAD TO THE CRONE is the first book in the Spell’s Angels Cozy Mystery series. These will definitely need to be read in the order of release.
This is entertainment! Humor, suspense, snarkiness, and a touch of romantic interest had me glued to the steering wheel much more than my fear of driving!
This is a light-hearted cozy-witchy-detective team out to stop the enemy from destroy their town while getting to know the new witch in town. The characters are sweetly diverse. The storyline is simple enough, but engaging, and there is plenty of backstory.
The new witch in town, Scout, was left on at a firehouse when she was a toddler with nothing – not even a name. The firemen named her after a character in a book (by someone whose last name is also Lee). Turns out she is like no other witch any one has ever seen before. I look forward to finding out more about Scout’s past and why she is so magically strong.
Narration: Meghan Kelly did a wonderful reading of the story with just the right amount of dramatic flair. Her pronunciations, enunciations, and emotions were well done.
Note: While I received this book as a gifted audiobook copy, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: BAD TO THE CRONE
Series: Spell’s Angels Cozy Mystery #1
Category /Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Listenability: NSFW
Received from: Meghan Kelly (as an Audible gifted copy)
Scout’s origins are a mystery. After being left as a toddler at a fire station with no memory of her parents, she’s taken in and given a name. As she grew, it became apparent that she had a special set of gifts. She feels it’s her duty to use her powers for good and joins a biker club called the Spells Angels to fight evil. It means a nomadic lifestyle, loose roots, and the chance to find out where she came from.
When she rolls into Hawthorn Hollow, it’s quieter than she expected and Scout can’t imagine what dangers the small town could possibly hide. It’s so little, she doesn’t even need her bike to get around. But it turns out evil likes small and quiet, the kind of cozy places where neighbors trust one another and never lock their doors.
With a team of powerful witches, including a broody, handsome Gunner, Scout fights to keep her new post as monster-free as possible. But questions about her own past and getting to know the ins and outs of her new crew makes for a complicated time for our witchy heroine.
I wish the actual Spells Angels bikers played a bigger part in the book. It had great potential and I thought a witch on a motorcycle was such an awesome idea, but once she’s in Hawthorn Hollow, Scout’s biker crew is just, well, a crew. It would have made more sense to just make it a coven instead of build up the biker stuff in the beginning just for it to fall a little flat. Since this is a series, I’m hoping the next books have some serious Harley vibes.
Scout was a fun character and I really want to know the rest of her backstory. Strong female leads who don’t take any back talk are some of favorites and her sassy comebacks were always welcome. Perhaps Gunner might be strong enough to take her on, but who knows what their idea of romance would be! Knowing them, it’d be rounding up some varied and hitting the biker bar for some wings.
The narrator Kelly couldn’t disappoint me if she tried. This particular cast of characters was wild compared to the traditional romances of hers I’ve heard in the past. The range of her voice is always impressive. She’s gone from a sweet school teacher in the Midwest to a werewolf king to a strong biker witch and have none of them sound the same. I like to think I could identify each of the books she’s worked on with nothing more than a character clip! Maybe I’ll try that one time and put my possible skills to use.
I really enjoyed this audiobook mystery. The narrator did an excellent job on bringing the characters to life! I really enjoyed all the characters and the mystery was a good one. The supernatural aspect made it fun as well. I am looking forward to another! I received this audiobook by my request in exchange for a review from Audiobook Boom.
Wow! This book is so interesting to listen to. The way magic is described and the uniqueness of Scout’s abilities is amazing to listen to. I really hope that she and Gunner are able to find their way together and hopefully find out what she is missing in her memories about her childhood.
Narration was phenomenal! The way Meghan does so many different voices seamlessly is beyond amazing. I always knew who was talking at any given time and the emotions she can put into the character’s words are so realistic you feel like you are right there to see it yourself.
Yes, yes, yes! A new series from Amanda M. Lee – thank you! I haven’t read every one of her other series (working on it), but this one is equally as good as those I have read. A new cast of likeable characters and a totally different scenario from her other books- and the magic, of course – this author has a terrific imagination! I didn’t think there was enough of her trademark snark in this one, but perhaps as the series grows and the characters become more comfortable, some will emerge! Looking forward to the next one.