
Synopsis:
Everyone knows that witches aren’t real. And yet when the sleepy village of Habely is rocked by a series of bizarre murders and James Pettyfer is arrested after being caught whilst disposing of the bodies, he claims that he was made to do it by Elodia Knight – a lady who’s capable of magic and can get into other people’s souls.
While everyone else is sceptical of the claims, local Police Typist Armitage Black is nothing but intrigued about what’s going on. Ignoring the warnings of her best friend, Angie Fallows, and the reprimands from Detectives investigating the case, Armitage delves into her own enquiries about what Knight is up to and why she’s doing it – but the more she finds out, the more questions she has.
Armitage is determined to get to the bottom of Knight’s plan and work out how she’s making herself appear to be a witch – but Knight won’t let anything stop her from achieving what she set out to do. As Armitage becomes more and more involved in the case, she finds herself becoming a target of Knight – and becomes embroiled in a battle of wits and determination that has the highest of stakes to everyone involved.
My Review:
I want to thank Ms. Matthews for giving me a copy of her book. An interesting and suspenseful story, this is the first piece in the Armitage Black Book series.
Armitage Black is a great protagonist. Curious and intrigued by a recent case of murder, Armitage thinks she can find out more about the case. She knows something is not right with Elodia Knight, and she pushes until she finds out the truth. She puts herself at great personal risk and does this even though her friends and colleagues warn her not to. I appreciate her determination, her stubbornness, and her compulsive search for the truth. She shows a strength of character that I like in a protagonist. She’s also funny and intelligent with a quick wit.
Other characters in the story are as well created as Armitage. Angie, Luke, Hadaway and even Elodia Knight, the antagonist, have dynamic and distinct personalities.
In addition to the strong character development, the plot of this story is interesting as well. It is a well-paced and unique story that has a few surprising twists. Through most of the book I had as many questions as Armitage, and I liked that the story wasn’t completely predictable and that it was filled with suspense.

Rating:

Favorite Parts:
- a strong and smart protagonist
- well-developed plot
- dynamic, well-rounded characters
- suspenseful
Recommendations:
Readers who enjoy suspenseful thrillers will enjoy this book. It will also appeal to people who like a strong, determined, and curious protagonist who won’t stop until the mystery is solved.