Ofelia Archer has a full life … which only gets fuller when a dead body lands in her backyard.As owner of New Orleans’ premier supernatural speakeasy, Ofelia is always in the thick of things when the witch hits the fan. That’s no exception now … even when the local police start breathing down her neck.Zach Sully has a colorful background. As a panther shifter, he keeps his true origins secret … secret while walking the colorful streets of the French Quarter keeping law and order. A tourist murder draws him into new and uncharted territory, and a feisty witch is at the center of it.
Sully and Ofelia circle one another … warily … as they both try to solve a mystery that revolves around an outsider who somehow had ties to their little corner of the world. Eventually, they’re going to have to join forces … and it’s not exactly a comfortable meeting of the minds.
Chemistry is one thing. Trust is another. Ofelia and Sully will be forced to get over their inner misgivings and unite if they want to solve the crime … and stay alive in the process.
Welcome to a magical world, where the characters are colorful, the magic is fantastical, and the drinks are poured strong.
It’s Bourbon Street, baby, and you’ll never be the same again.
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5 Star review The Hexorcist (A Supernatural Speakeasy Cozy Mystery #1) by Lily Harper Hart
AUDIO REVIEW:
Book one in an exciting new series from Lily Harper Hart and I could not wait to dive in. This was an entertaining cozy mystery that ticked the boxes for me.
Ofelia Archer is a witch and owner of a New Orleans Speakeasy bar. When a dead body is found near her bar, detective and panther shifter Zach Sully is sent to investigate.
Ofelia is drawn to investigate and a partnership is formed with Sully. The more she learns, the more danger she is in. There were numerous twists and turns within the story and I found the characters easy to relate to. Add in the potential relationship between Ofelia and Sully and I was hooked.
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and am looking forward to seeing where Ms. Hart takes the series. The narration by Meghan Kelly was entertaining and I enjoyed the variety of voices she used for the characters. It added to my listening pleasure.
This story is such a delight! I didn’t know much about it going in. Just a store owner who’s a witch and a hot cop who’s a panther. I love paranormal stories so I dove right in. I couldn’t be happier with this selection. I laughed, chuckled and smirked more than once. The characters are amazingly realistic and I enjoyed watching…err listening to them during this journey.
I will be checking out more from this author. Oh..as I did listen to this I wanted to say them Meghan Kelly did a wonderful job on this one!
In The Hexorcist we meet witchy bar owner, Ofelia Archer and her crazy little family. I really enjoyed the start of this newer series from author Lily Harper Hart, and cannot wait to read more.
Summary:
Ofelia Archer has her hands full with running her underground bar and taking care of her family. They get a lot fuller when a dead body is discovered within feet of her establishment’s door. As the owner of a premier supernatural hub, Ofelia is often in the thick of all things witchy, and this instance is no different. Especially not when she smells hex magic on the deceased’s body. She’ll have to be a step ahead of the handsome detective on the case, though. Zach Sully is observant and smart, and for some reason he’s drawn to the raven-haired witch. On a personal level. They may have chemistry, but trusting the other is a little harder to commit to. But in order to make a break in the case, they’ll have to set their misgivings and wariness aside to share information. There’s a killer on the loose and working as a team will be the only way they can keep Ofelia from being the next target.
The first book in the Supernatural Speakeasy series was a good one. With likeable characters, magic, and detailed world-building, I was pulled in from the very beginning. I really liked Ofelia. She was a smart, strong and sassy business woman. She has a lot on her plate, what with running her bar, supporting her brother, taking care of and watching over her father, and having a certain role in her community. It was entertaining to read how she handled it all with the added intrusion of a murder and handsome new detective. My only issue with Ofelia was her minor meltdown towards the end. She acted as though it was her right to confront a known killer and put herself at risk, and then pouted about it when she was told no. It was just very childish and annoying. Sully was fantastic, but mysterious. He’s a capable and smart detective with good instincts. I loved that he was a shifter, but I want to know more. He seems to have an interesting history, and I hope we get a deeper look at his past in future books. I loved Ofelia and Sully together. I wouldn’t say their chemistry was immediately noticeable, but I do feel they have a lot of it. It was just more of a gradual increase in awareness the more time they spent together. In my experience with LHH’s MC’s they have a slow burn before becoming a couple. While I do feel this is in effect here, it also seems that Ofelia and Sully won’t fight it as hard as some other characters have. Overall, this was an entertaining read with all the magic I could want. The mystery kept me reading and searching for clues right alongside Ofelia and Sully, and I positively glowed with all the supernatural elements thrown in. The setting for this series is perfect, and being a total nerd, I researched some of the information to see how much truth was mixed with the fiction. I love that LHH seemingly did all the legwork required and I got to learn some interesting facts about New Orleans. It has a rich history and I’m excited to see even more about the vibrant culture there. Supporting cast is pretty great, too. I’m interested to see if there are any minor story arcs involving Ofelia’s brother. I was a bit bummed at her father’s characterization, though. He obviously has issues, but he wasn’t displayed in the best light. I do hope that changes in future books and we can see some character growth there. A great start to the new series and I can’t wait to dive into the next mystery.
I love this mystery and it’s accurate description of New Orleans. A wicked blend of magic and the big easy. Every character has their own quirks and I can’t wait to see what develops between Ofelia and Sully.
Excellent debut in a new series! Loved the magical background of New Orleans, the characters were great. Eagerly awaiting Book #2!