jackirenee's review against another edition
3.0
With some sexy and intimate dreams visiting her lately, Ophelia Jensen is finally turning into an optimist. Then the literal man of her dreams shows up into town...and is immediately shot. Yep, back to the same old, same old for Ophelia.
One reason I love these books is the setting. Being a gal from Central Iowa, I love hearing mention of running into Des Moines for movies and shopping, or seeing the name of my favorite winery owner appear on the page.
I also love these books for Ophelia's relationship with her grandmother, Abby. Their relationship continues to grow and we discover more and more about each of their abilities. I also adore seeing the changes that have taken place since Ophelia's adoptive daugher, Tink, has come into the picture.
The Witch's Grave delved into some tough political waters, which I appreciated as it brought a bit more intellectual meat to the stories than past books have. Some would likely say it was a bit soapboxy, but I tend to agree with the opinions presented, so I enjoyed reading the perspectives as they were written.
However, these books tend to follow the same patterns, story after story. I sometimes even wonder about Ophelia's intelligence, given that somethings are so completely obvious in the storyline that I sometimes find myself shouting at the Ophelia, disturbing my family as they quitely watch the TV.
Regardless, Abby and Ophelia are a hoot and I am on to the next book in the series.
One reason I love these books is the setting. Being a gal from Central Iowa, I love hearing mention of running into Des Moines for movies and shopping, or seeing the name of my favorite winery owner appear on the page.
I also love these books for Ophelia's relationship with her grandmother, Abby. Their relationship continues to grow and we discover more and more about each of their abilities. I also adore seeing the changes that have taken place since Ophelia's adoptive daugher, Tink, has come into the picture.
The Witch's Grave delved into some tough political waters, which I appreciated as it brought a bit more intellectual meat to the stories than past books have. Some would likely say it was a bit soapboxy, but I tend to agree with the opinions presented, so I enjoyed reading the perspectives as they were written.
However, these books tend to follow the same patterns, story after story. I sometimes even wonder about Ophelia's intelligence, given that somethings are so completely obvious in the storyline that I sometimes find myself shouting at the Ophelia, disturbing my family as they quitely watch the TV.
Regardless, Abby and Ophelia are a hoot and I am on to the next book in the series.
hisaacson's review against another edition
4.0
Full review: http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2009/05/mystery-monday_25.html
paperbackstash's review against another edition
3.0
The author seems to like experimenting to keep the series fresh. Sometimes she takes them out of town, sometimes she introduces new characters like adopted daughters and eccentric aunts, sometimes she shakes up whether they're investigating a murder or something else, and in this book she does some kind of weird merge with flashbacks of a woman in Nazi times who has to say goodbye to a love interest.
The backstory was interesting but it's not a personal preference for me when an author does that. Color me uncreative, but I don't care for keeping track of two main characters with two different time lines. I'm woefully limited that way. That aside, the back story worked to tie together the beautiful and somewhat surreal introduction to this one where Ophelia acts completely un-Ophelia like with a new man.
The mystery is different in that she is not trying to solve a murder or find a missing person, but instead is trying to solve an attempted murder and find out the story of the her visions and what her new suitor has been up to. It has potential to be fascinating, but falls short at times, missing a step and curtailing by being too calm and with no big twists or shocks. For the past life, that one turned out to be emotionally moving and actually heart-wrenching.
Even if the author changes up the story by trying new things, she keeps the same old mannerisms that drive me bonkers - such as exaggerated hand and head movements for the main characters as they decide things, wonder things, and point out things. The intelligence is only so-so for Ophelia and she goes from lukewarm to friendly for her personality. Abby is still not my favorite as she's too over the top cliche, but Tink is an enjoyable delight as the introduced daughter of her own unique powers.
Overall this is an enjoyable book if you're a fan of the series, but it falls short of the others, missing something I can't put my weak detective finger on.
carolsnotebook's review against another edition
3.0
This wasn’t my favorite in the series. I can’t really put my finger on why. It was a good story, with the present echoing the past, and it was interesting how Damsgaard mangaged to pull all the various thread together. It seemed to lean more toward the magic and supernatural aspects and less toward the actual mystery than previous installments. It just wasn’t quite as gripping, for me. I can’t say this would stand alone, either; you really need to have read the others in the series before starting this one.
I like that Ophelia is beginning to trust her own gifts and hopefully Tink learned a lot during her stay in the hills, where she was sent for her own safety. Darci was around, but not really an integral part of the story, and I was hoping Ethan would show up, but he only talks to Ophelia once, telling her to stay out of the investigation. I guess this one was more about Ophelia’s growth as a witch and some aspects I’ve enjoyed in past books were left out.
I like that Ophelia is beginning to trust her own gifts and hopefully Tink learned a lot during her stay in the hills, where she was sent for her own safety. Darci was around, but not really an integral part of the story, and I was hoping Ethan would show up, but he only talks to Ophelia once, telling her to stay out of the investigation. I guess this one was more about Ophelia’s growth as a witch and some aspects I’ve enjoyed in past books were left out.
jmeston's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the witchy stuff but pretty small potatoes, not memorable.
More...