Caitlyn Le Fey is enjoying her first autumn in England, nut-picking in the forest, creating delicious treats in her grandmother’s enchanted chocolate shop, and dreaming of cosy evenings with the handsome Lord James Fitzroy. But the peace is shattered when a mysterious woman claiming to be a witch arrives in the village. Some love her, others fear her… and one person is driven to murder.Soon … murder.
Soon Caitlyn finds herself drawn into a mystery with links to ancient witch trials and—with the help of her toothless vampire uncle and a few magical spells of her own—she sets out to do some sleuthing. But strange things are happening, and Caitlyn is worried and confused. Why isn’t her kitten Nibs growing any larger? What does the new guest at Huntingdon Manor really want? And what is the jewel that seems to be exerting a sinister influence over her cousin Pomona?
There are dark forces gathering in the village of Tillyhenge, and Caitlyn is about to discover that the savage tradition of witch-hunting is still very much alive…
”… the perfect blend of magic and mayhem. This series has me completely bewitched!”
Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.
This book follows British English spelling and usage.
The BEWITCHED BY CHOCOLATE series:
- Dark, Witch & Creamy (Book 1)
- Witch Chocolate Fudge (Book 2)
- Witch Summer Night’s Cream (Book 3)
- Blood, Sweets and Tears (Book 4)
- Bonbons and Broomsticks (Book 5)
- Double, Double, Toil and Truffle (Book 6)
- Salted Cararmel Sorcery (Book 7)
more
I enjoy mixing mystery with magic, and this book did a good job of that. The mystery itself was well done, and I enjoy the characters in these stories. James’s old family friend and a townswoman who hates witches were vicious enough to make great antagonists. The only part of the book that I stumbled over was the chicken subplot (and that’s all I can say without saying too much). But this was an enjoyable read.
Double, Double, Toil and Truffle (Bewitched by Chocolate Mysteries Book 6), my 18th read/listen from author H.Y. Hanna. An enjoyable cozy mystery. I love the narrator’s British accent; I was impressed and enjoyed the vocal variety & inflections of narrator Pearl Hewitt, especially her oh so cute animal sounds & really enjoyed the read. Cozy mystery/romance, captivating primary character, what other blurbs can I use to describe these books? Oh well, buy the book, read the books, get into a good author and some good characters as I have. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. Now I need to find Witch Mocha Morsel (Bewitched by Chocolate #2.5), so I’ll have read all the books in the series. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
I love this Series, the characters are very easy to love. The story winds History, fun and drama together in a fantastic story. I can’t wait for the next book in this Series!
Caitlyn Le Fey is adjusting to her new life in Tillyhenge. Now she has a real family! She is living and working with her grandmother, known in town as the “Widow Mags”. They make fantastic chocolates that they sell at her grandmother’s shop, Bewitched by Chocolate. Her Aunt Bertha and cousin, Evie live across town and operate their own Herbal shop.
One evening, Caitlyn’s friend Lord James Fitzroy invites Caitlyn and her cousin, Pamona, to dinner at the manor. James also has an old friend of his father visiting and wants to balance the dinner table with an even number. It seems that his dad’s old friend, Gerald Hopkins, has a reputation as a notorious witch hunter.
Meanwhile, another woman has arrived in Tillyhenge. Minerva Chattox claims to be a witch, healer, and potion maker. While Caitlyn is searching for her little kitten, Nibs, she discovers a body in the manor’s old ice house. The body turns out to be Minerva Chattox, the self-proclaimed witch, and she is at the bottom of a pool. She was killed in a manner frequently used during the great witch hunts of the 1700s.
Does the visiting witch hunter know anything about the murder? Was he involved? Would he go out of his way to harm Caitlyn if he learned that she was a witch? Could James do anything to protect Caitlyn from his father’s friend? Will there be any more murders?
The book is a wonderful quick read, but don’t try to read it too quickly or you may miss some of the humor, the serious clues, or facts about some of the characters.
3.5 stars
There’s a new witch in town in the sixth installment in the Bewitched by Chocolate Mystery Series, DOUBLE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TRUFFLE. The real witches in Tillyhenge immediately realize she is nothing more than a swindler, and someone decides to end her con once and for all. Villagers who have strong anti witch opinions make their voices heard, louder than ever, and James discovers some hard information about his family legacy.
This is another enjoyable entry in the charming Bewitched by Chocolate series but not my favorite of the bunch. Caitlyn’s magical abilities are becoming more defined and controlled, and she learns more tidbits about her birth mother. However, I am surprised at the source of this information and do not understand why it took so long to be revealed.
The romance between Caitlyn and James is still moving at a glacial pace. Caitlyn does not do herself any favors by acting, at times, flakey and immature. Why can’t she just tell James what is going on and why she is acting a certain way instead of sending James all the wrong signals? That said there is a wonderful scene between the two when he comes to her rescue, and I hope their relationship will truly blossom going forward. I also cannot wait to see how the revelations about James’ father influence their future.
I have never really warmed up to Pomona, but she is in a downward spiral here. I know what is happening to her is important for the series long story arc, but she is really unpleasant. I worry for her and hope this story arc is explored in the next book. Viktor is as lovable as ever, but I miss Widow Mags. She makes little more than a cameo in this tale. Evie is still feeling out her magical powers, much like a new colt learning to walk. Her “oops” this time around is comical, but there is a lesson to be learned in breaking her spell, leading to a satisfactory resolution to her problem.
The mystery seems to take a backseat to everything else going on, but it does serve as a catalyst exposing the hate some villagers feel and leads to great danger for Caitlyn. I did guess whodunit fairly early in the story, but I missed some of the clues pointing to his/her motive. It all fit together well in the end, neatly tying up this book’s murder, but there are plenty of loose ends to explore in future books.
DOUBLE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TRUFFLE is a lot of fun, and I look forward to reading many more of Caitlyn’s adventures.
I received a copy of this title from the author and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
Double, Double, Toil and Truffle earns 5+/5 Hazelnut Truffles…Delicious Fun!
BRILLIANT! H.Y. Hanna has added another entertaining gem to her Bewitched by Chocolate series with this sixth book adding a bit more with some old-fashion witch hunting. Caitlyn’s magical family has long been shunned by local villagers, even though, they really don’t know the truth behind their suspicions. So it is shocking to discover that their active resistance to only good-intentions magic does not translate to a self-proclaimed witch offering “custom spells and charms.” Minerva Chattox, professed to be descended from the Pendle witches, instigates interest by many locals, but, of course, Aunt Bertha knows, “That woman is not a witch!” Caitlyn accidentally happens upon Minerva in the middle of the legend-laden stone circle with a band of “for a fee” clients, chanting gibberish. While performing one of her “Abracadabra!” incantations, an angry group of protesters arrive with one condemning and threatening her. Minerva vehemently responds reminding the group her powers can “even summon death.” Crash. Flash. Boom. The man is struck by lightning. Ok, it is in the middle of a storm, but how are detractors going to explain this. Even more so, Minerva is found dead…possibly in a manner reminiscent of witch trial torture.
Hanna’s writing style is an engaging treat with descriptive language, delightful humor, and dialogue that illustrates well the tone and personalities of a marvelous group of characters. The murder mystery is intriguing, and the side stories continue to engage with the mystery of the runes and search for the hag stone, strange occurrences, and the enigmatic and scary Thorn Blackmore all still needing attention. Even the budding relationship between Caitlyn and Lord Fitzroy continues to have its interruptions and questions whether Fitzroy truly believes Caitlyn’s magical truth. Hanna’s witch and vampire lore is fascinating, too. I love Viktor and the idea that, like bats, there are different “species” of vampires. His fruit bat behaviors add delicious humor when it’s easy to interfere with his focus if bilberries are nearby. And “fur” friend fans will greatly enjoy the antics of kitten Nibs and her slobbery buddy mastiff Bran. I greatly enjoy googling information about a theme or reference made in my cozy, and being a longtime fan of the witch and vampire lore, I am always eager to learn more. H.Y. Hanna piqued my interest with a mention of the Pendle witches, so off to google articles in Wikipedia, UK articles, and historical sites. Excellent series. Brilliant book six. Cozy fans shouldn’t miss.
I’ve been enjoying this series so far and was excited to start this sixth book in the series. For some reason I couldn’t get as into it as normally. I think this was one of those instances where I just picked up a book in the wrong mood sadly.
In Double, Double, Toil and Truffle a new witch comes to the small village of Tillyhenge. It quickly becomes clear this person is not a real witch and it seems she is actually a fraud and a con artist. Some of the villagers are eager and enthusiastic about her powers, but others want nothing to do with the witch and want her gone. She “helps” some people and gets them to pay her large sums of money for her spells and such. Ofcourse she ends up dead one day and it quickly becomes apparent it’s murder.
I liked how with the mystery it was clear from the start that it was murder, so there is no uncertainty about that fact due to how the person was murdered. I did manage to guess the murderer right somehow, even though I wasn’t sure of the motivation. I didn’t even pick up some of the clues that did point to that person’s direction, so that was a bit weird and I was actually a bit surprised when my guess turned out to be right. The twists and turns in the mystery weren’t as compelling as I am used to from this author or maybe that had something to do with my reading mood. I did like how the mystery got wrapped up.
There are a few things that don’t really get resolved, but most of those will probably be resolved in later books I think. I like the overarching plot line this series has, but sadly it’s very slow going. There are however some interesting plot points related to the overarching plot that line that get revealed in this book. Mostly paranormal related things that both expand the world building and add to the overarching plot line I think. And some new information about Caitlyn’s mother comes to light, although it somehow felt a bit strange that she only found out now, as this source has been available since book 1. Which made it a bit unsatisfying that it took her 6 books to find this out.
One of the things that didn’t really worked for me while reading this was how the tone of the book can be a tad silly at times? Normally I like that, but in my current reading mood it didn’t fully work for me. Things that are supposed to be funny, just felt a bit too silly somehow. And then there are some of those weird scenes that something goes wrong just so Caitlyn can find a clue or get her in the right place, which makes it feel like mostly a coincidence how she finds out anything at all. I just would’ve liked a bit more agency here with Caitlyn actually going after facts or doing things because she wants to, instead of just being in the right place at the right time. Or her kitten runs off again and she goes scampering after him, not sure why she just doesn’t wait for him to return as that’s what cats usually do in my experience. It just felt a bit forced sometimes or too convenient and the kitten feels like a plot device half of the time to get Caitlyn somewhere. I also never fully warmed up to Nibs somehow. I do like Victor though, although I have no clue how he can keep vampirism a secret.
While I like Caitlyn, her behavior can also grate on my nerves at times. Like the date with James scenes, where she acts weird and doesn’t bother to explain herself. It felt rude toward James how she acts at times. Or all her worries about her hips, I know it’s realistic, but I just wish she would worry a bit less about it sometimes. There are also scenes where I like how she stands up for what she believes or when she tries to teach Evie to do right thing.
After how book 5 ended I was expecting things to finally warm up between James and Caitlyn, but sadly there isn’t much in the way of that in this book. James has been away for a while and while he tries to further things, events and things keep popping up to prevent them for having a nice date, which was just a bit annoying. After 6 books I would like to finally get to see them a bit closer and see them deal with other struggles than the getting together struggle. It would be nice to have some more scenes where they are together and feel their romance as at times it’s hard to really feel their romance now. It was quite refreshing to see a few small quarrels between these two as James is so polite at times. I also liked how they both admit they were wrong about something at the end and apologize.
As for the side characters. I enjoy reading about the Widow Mags and Caitlyn’s aunt Bertha. There also was a plot line regarding Evie again and it felt realistic how things progressed. And I liked how the Evie plot line got resolved. There also is something going with Pomona and that doesn’t get resolved in this book, but I think it ties in with the larger plot line. I didn’t really like how she acts in this book.
The magic also seems a bit confusing sometimes with how what works. There were a few spells we hadn’t heard of before and with each book there is more about magic that we learn, but there doesn’t seem to be a big overarching way of how magic works, but it’s still mostly fun to read about. And with each book you learn a bit more of what else if out there that’s paranormal or relate dot magic.
To summarize: This is another fun installment in this series, but due to it not quite fitting with my current reading mood I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. The mystery was decent, although the twist and turns in the mystery weren’t as compelling this time. Or how Caitlyn got involved in it didn’t feel as strong either. I did manage to predict the murderer by coincidence mostly. There are a few interesting side plot lines like the one with Evie and some progress in the overarching plot line. The overarching plot line is progressing really slowly, but I liked the few new bits we learned in this book. Caitlyn’s behavior bothered me at times and some of her behavior or actions felt a bit forced for plot reasons. Or thing being too convenient or coincidental just to get her somewhere. Sadly the romance between her and James didn’t really progress in this book like I had expected and things always seem to come between their romantic scenes. I would be happy for them to actually have a romantic scene without interruptions for a chance as it’s hard to really feel their romance like this. While not my favorite book in this series it had some great parts too and I am looking forward to see how the series progresses.
I love this series, is there another witch in town? and a witch hunter? and what’s wrong with some of the animals in the village? This one got me I usually figure out who the Murderer was in this books but I was wrong with this one. Can’t wait til the next one.A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own, as I voluntarily choose to reveiw.
This latest installment in the Bewitched by Chocolate Mysteries book is the best book yet, and it is definitely a page-turner. We find Caitlyn Le Fey continuing to adjust to her newfound family and fledgling magical powers in the Cotswolds village of Tillyhenge. When a so-called witch descends upon the village selling her spells and enchantments, the stage is set for anti-witch sentiment and suspicion among many of the villagers. Mystery, murder and a bit of mayhem follow.
I continue to enjoy Caitlyn, her friends, and family in this series, which is engaging, funny and mysterious. I can’t wait for the next book!
A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
I recommend all books by H.Y. Hanna. I’ve read them all.
I really enjoyed this book and find the whole series spell binding. I think what I like best is that the characters are so much fun that you never know what is going to happen next, like turning teenagers into chickens. I like the mystery side to the stories but find it is the witch craft spells – the ones that don’t always work the way there are ment that have me hooked and eagerly waiting for the next book and for it to come out as an audio book.
Caitlyn has a big problem someone is pretending to heal the villagers in Tillyhenge using magic and it has caught the attention of a witch hunter. Caitlyn knows that Minerva Chattox will be safe as she is not a real witch but what about herself and her new family? Then Minerva dead body is found and she has been killed very much like they did in the old witch trials. Is someone killing witches or is something else going on? There are also strange happenings going on in the village with unexplained illnesses striking the animals. She also has to worry about her two cousins, Evie is practicing magic and Pomona is acting strange? Can she get past all that and finally find some alone time to spend with James or will she be the next victim of the witch hunter.