Scan barcode
A review by theavidreaderandbibliophile
Grimoires, Spas & Chocolate Straws by Erin Johnson
4.0
Grimoires, Spas and Chocolate Straws by Erin Johnson is the eighth Spells & Caramels novel. Imogen Banks and her friends are still residing in Kusuri on Badlands Island. They are living in Jiji’s guesthouse and earn their keep by helping the guards with their duties and other chores around the house. The group is getting an opportunity to go to the beach with the guards for the manta monster migration festival at Umiru. While the guards will be protecting the fisherman, the bakers will get to enjoy the spa treatments offered by the oriental town. After indulging in the dragon spa treatment at Doragon Spa, there is an uproar when a client is found dead in the sand. Imogen wonders if their hostess, Miss Sara who is referred to by locals as the “black widow” could be the culprit since she was arguing with the victim prior to his death. Things are further complicated when Yann, a fellow baker, falls head over heels for Miss Sara. They do not want Yann to become the next man ensnared in Miss Sara’s web. Imogen and her fellow bakers set out to uncover the truth and get their vacation back on track.
Grimoires, Spas and Chocolate Straws is another entertaining installment in the Spells & Caramels series. I do suggest reading the books in the Spells & Caramels series in order. Each book builds upon the previous one. Grimoires, Spas and Chocolate Straws is a creative cozy mystery with magical elements. Erin Johnson has a vivid imagination. She has created whimsical worlds with quirky characters and plenty of humor. I found Grimoires, Spas and Chocolate Straws easy to read thanks to the author conversational writing style (It has an ease to it). The story progresses along at a steady pace with vibrant descriptions of the forests, the monsters, and the distinctive spa town of Umiru. It is nice to see the various characters pairing up, but they are still maintaining their close friendships. We get to find out more about Imogen’s brother, Horace. I was quite surprised by his revelations. Iggy provides levity with his one-liners (I enjoy his droll commentary). The book has a special ending that will please fans of the series. The mystery is not complex, but I had a good time following the clues and zeroing in on the killer. My rating for Grimoires, Spas and Chocolate Straws is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I am eager to find out what happens next with our band of bakers in the next Spells & Caramels tale.
Grimoires, Spas and Chocolate Straws is another entertaining installment in the Spells & Caramels series. I do suggest reading the books in the Spells & Caramels series in order. Each book builds upon the previous one. Grimoires, Spas and Chocolate Straws is a creative cozy mystery with magical elements. Erin Johnson has a vivid imagination. She has created whimsical worlds with quirky characters and plenty of humor. I found Grimoires, Spas and Chocolate Straws easy to read thanks to the author conversational writing style (It has an ease to it). The story progresses along at a steady pace with vibrant descriptions of the forests, the monsters, and the distinctive spa town of Umiru. It is nice to see the various characters pairing up, but they are still maintaining their close friendships. We get to find out more about Imogen’s brother, Horace. I was quite surprised by his revelations. Iggy provides levity with his one-liners (I enjoy his droll commentary). The book has a special ending that will please fans of the series. The mystery is not complex, but I had a good time following the clues and zeroing in on the killer. My rating for Grimoires, Spas and Chocolate Straws is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I am eager to find out what happens next with our band of bakers in the next Spells & Caramels tale.