The second Salem B&B cozy mystery takes readers to Salem, Massachusetts at Halloween. Readers can easily pick up Traci Wilton’s Mrs. Morris and the Witch, even if you haven’t read the previous book. It’s only a week after the adventures in Mrs. Morris and the Ghost. Widow Charlene Morris, whose B&B is haunted by the ghost of the previous owner, Dr. Jack Strathmore, is now ready to host her first guests.

Charlene sets up a haunted Salem tour for her guests. On one of their stops, she orders two witch balls from a shop owner, Morganna, who said she blows the glass herself. The group is supposed to meet back at the bus at 10 PM. But, when Charlene arrives back, she finds Morganna’s shop dark. When the tour guide spies legs through the window, Charlene and a firefighter break in. They find the body of Morganna, a local Wiccan. And, Charlene smells almonds, so the firefighter rushes them out because he says it’s cyanide.

When Detective Sam Holden takes one of Charlene’s first guests, Dylan, to police headquarters, Charlene protests. She knows the twenty-one-year-old isn’t a killer, although he did disappear that evening. She only saw him again after Morganna was killed, and then he ran off. If Sam won’t listen to her, she will help Dylan clear his name, even if she has to get involved. This time, she’s going to question people who knew Morganna, people in the local Wiccan community. Even if Sam and Jack are both unhappy that she’s endangering herself, she excuses it, saying she’s looking out for Dylan. Of course, she also wants to satisfy her own curiosity.

I loved the first book in this series, Mrs. Morris and the Ghost, in which Charlene looks for Jack’s killer. As I said when I reviewed it, I’m a fan of paranormal mysteries in which an amateur sleuth falls for a good-looking ghost, mysteries such as Cleo Coyle’s Haunted Bookshop mysteries or J.J. Cook’s Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade books. But, Charlene Morris goes too far in this book, which is disappointing. She thinks Sam is being difficult because he won’t tell her about his investigation. Sam is being difficult? Even she has to admit there’s a point when “all common sense fled”, and she was too-stupid-to-live.

Overall, I feel sorry for Detective Sam Holden. He’s interested in Charlene, and he tries to protect her. But, he’s competing with a handsome ghost. In some ways, he’s competing with two ghosts, Jack, and the memory of Charlene’s beloved husband. In other series,, there’s no living romantic interest that has to compete with the attractive ghost.

I’m going to read the next book when it’s released, Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Xmas Past. I just hope Charlene Morris, the amateur sleuth, is a little wiser in the third book.

Traci Wilton’s website is www.traciwilton.com

Mrs. Morris and the Witch by Traci Wilton. Kensington Books, 2020. ISBN 9781496721532 (paperback), 323p.

*****

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