Book Review: All Hallows Hex: A Witchy Cozy Midlife Mystery by Nancy Stewart

Rating: 4 Stars

First off, let me just say that I had a blast reading All Hallows Hex—it’s like a warm cup of herbal tea on a chilly autumn day! This cozy mystery has everything you could want: witches, wine, and a sprinkle of the weird. Set in the charming wine town of Moonridge, California, we meet the Windthorne sisters, Iris and Marigold. They’re not just any sisters; they’re witches who whip up the most magical wine in the region—Moonshadow Reserve! Just when they think they’re about to enjoy the annual Samhain festival, things take a dark turn when a historian turns up dead in their vineyard. Talk about a buzzkill!

As Iris dives into the whodunit, she uncovers some seriously dark magic that threatens not only her family but also the festival they’ve been working so hard to prepare for. With the veil between worlds thinning, Iris races against time to piece together the clues and protect her loved ones from sinister forces. The journey is packed with family drama, a touch of chaos, and plenty of midlife musings that really resonate with us middle aged ladies.

What I loved how this book is how it strikes that perfect balance between witchy vibes and small-town charm. The world-building is delightful—the atmosphere feels just right for getting into the Halloween spirit. Stewart's writing style easy to read. The characters have this warm familiarity that makes you feel like you’re hanging out with friends rather than just reading about them.

Sure, the plot isn’t super complex. It’s a cozy mystery after all! That said, it's overflowing with coziness, and plenty of intrigue to keep you hooked as you turn the pages.. If you’re anything like me and love stories that weave together themes of sisterhood, midlife challenges, and just the right amount of paranormal fun, then All Hallows Hex is definitely worth checking out.

Overall, I’d give it four stars! If you're in the mood for a cute and enjoyable read that captures the essence of cozy mysteries with a magical twist, you absolutely need to grab this one—it's a spellbinding good time! Plus, don’t forget to look up Nancy Stewart’s other cozy mysteries; they’re always a treat. 🍷✨

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Thank you Nancy Stewart ( @nancystewartmysteries ), Victory Editing NetGalley( @victoryeditingngc ), and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read All Hallows Hex early (publishes October 29, 2024).

The first in a new series, we meet the Windthorne family, local vintners and witches! Someone is trying to sabotage the vineyard with black magic and a visiting historian ends up dead on Halloween during the winery’s Samhain festival. Oldest sister Iris must find out what is going on both in the vineyards and with the rest of her family members before more harm is unleashed.

This was the perfect book to read right before Halloween. Cozy and witchy—with a tight knit family in a small town. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series!

#AllHallowsHex #NetGalley #NancyStewart #Victoryeditingngc

All Hallows Hex is book one in the new Windthorne Witches series by Nancy Stewart.
I need to keep my eyes peeled for the next book in this amazing series.
A phenomenal cozy mystery and paranormal intrigue.
With witchy vibes, midlife magic, and small-town charm this book was unputdownable.
The perfect book for the upcoming fall evenings.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Victory Editing for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

‘the Windthorne Witches were all together and we were happy.’

This looks to be a promising start to a new series and I found it highly entertaining and intriguing after a slightly dry start. The story focuses on 40 something Iris, a green witch, running a vineyard with her family as Samhain approaches. Things turn ugly when someone sets out to sabotage the winery and the festival and a dead body is found at the heart of the vineyard. While the murder mystery is interesting the real story is the Windthorne family who are all at crossroads in their lives: Iris is approaching menopause while rediscovering that her life didn’t end when her husband died, grandmother Hazel’s magic is evolving into something softer, brother Jasper is finally showing signs of magical ability for the first time, sister Mari is going through a tumultuous time with her not so ex husband while their daughter Emmy and niece Sophie are struggling to control their powers. I’m looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: October 29, 2024
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I read this in one chilly weekend curled up with a hot cup of tea and a warm blanket by the fire and literally the vibe was vibing with this book. I thought this was such a fun cozy read. I love a good cozy witchy mystery.

This was a fast paced read with very likable characters and a great backdrop and storyline. You have a small town setting with magic, witches, a dash of romance and a good mystery and ending as well.

This is definitely a great one to put on your tbr if you love these types of reads. So cute and will be sharing about this book with my bookish friends.

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op

Nancy Stewart is a new author for me, and I literally could not put this book down! This is a magical cozy mystery, and I had to know how it all ended.

Iris and her sister Marigold, along with their grandmother, run the winery with a little hint of magic mixed in. They're all getting ready for a Samhain festival and a historian, looking to learn more about Druidic arts, shows up dead on the night of the festival. What Iris starts to figure out is that someone is placing bits of dark magic around their winery, and something odd is found with the historian's body. What ensues is Iris trying to get to the bottom of this mystery.

In terms of character development, it was a bit lighter than I normally see within the books I read, but it was no less enjoyable for it. It was a bit of a lighter read, though it did hold my interest well!

I appreciate the opportunity to read this.

🧙‍♀️🎃Witchy Read 🧙‍♀️🧡

This was an ARC read from Net Gallery that I thought would be fitting for the Halloween theme and the perfect book to end October!

It is a quirky, quaint, cozy mystery that is filled with magic, mystery, and murder!!
It was a quick read that flowed smoothly, and the chapters brought the story to life in a smooth and entertaining way.

It is a light read perfect for spooky and sweater season. I enjoyed reading this book after a long day at work as it was something I could just use unwind to without having to keep track of toomsn twists and turns.

It is time for the Windthorne family's vineyard to host their annual Samhain festival in Moonridge, California. Iris, a midlife green witch, works alongside her younger sister Marigold to produce the region's most magical wine, the Moonshadow Reserve ,But when a renowned historian is found dead in their vineyard, the sisters’ peaceful routine turns upside down. As Iris digs deeper into the mystery, she uncovers dark magic at play—magic that threatens her family and the festival they’ve worked so hard to prepare for. With the veil between worlds growing thinner by the day, Iris must race to unravel the clues, clear her family’s name, and stop a malevolent force from wreaking havoc in Moonridge.

This cozy, witchy mystery was a fun, quick read. Although the culprit seemed obvious from the start, it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book. This book was just as much about sisterhood, embracing your magical powers, and family as it was the mystery itself. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries of the witchy variety, then you should definitely check this out!

The absolute perfect book to get in the October/Halloween mood, witchy and fabulous, the plot felt a little predictable at times but I really enjoyed this, definitely a comforting cozy read, want to read more in this series!

So cute! Omg how I loved to read this book. The plot is so good, the characters are fantastic and I recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic and the story is immaculate.

A fun little spooky themed mystery!!!
It’s a fun plot and I’m a sucker for anything with a mystery and magic!

All Hallows Hex is a lovely read. The story moves along at a good pace, and the characters are relatable.

The story starts out with a mystery - who is trying to hex the vineyard? - but quickly this turns into the search for a murderer. The plot is consistent and engaging, and moves along at the perfect pace. I also love the inclusion of magic - the author has clearly done some research and is familiar with the various concepts and correspondences.

Overall this was a lovely book, that I am happy to recommend to both friends and students.

This book has a perfect fall, cozy, witchy vibe. I enjoyed the premise of the Windthorne Witches and look forward to future installments of the series. The plot was a little predictable, but it did get me in the mood for witchy season.

Heat up some mulled wine and settle in for this cozy witchy mystery.

The Windthorne family have operated the Willowveil winery for centuries. It’s not necessarily a secret, but kind of an unspoken agreement with the small town of Moonridge that there is magic flowing through the founding families of the town (think Vampire Diaries meets Practical Magic).

A professor comes to visit the winery going to learn more about the Windthorne family, but soon the family feels as if they are being targeted. Especially when they start to discover signs someone or something is trying to break the protective spells around the winery. Then the professor ends up dead and it becomes a mystery that the Windthornes need to decide if this was an accident or if it’s related to the families secrets.

While this didn’t really have a lot of character development, the overall story and pacing was intriguing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this.

This is the perfect witchy romance book that will have you curled up with a glass of mulled wine and a warm blanket. It is a light and cozy read that is very entertaining, especially when the grandmother is in the scenes!

A perfect cozy-type mystery for Halloween. Mixed with some drama, witchcraft, and a bit of romance this story makes for a quick and fun read.

Must be read sipping a glass of wine - or sparkling grape juice!

‘All Hallows Hex’ is cosy witchy mystery surrounding the Windthorne family who have operated the Willowveil winery for centuries.

It’s kind of an open secret in the small town of Moonridge, that magic is present in the old founding families. When a Professor comes to visit the winery, eager to learn the Druidic principles and viticulture the Windthorne’s use. Questions start get a little personal and the family discover poppets, iron stakes and burnt mandrakes along the boundary line of the winery. Someone is trying to destabilise the protective enchantments around the winery.

But when the Professor is found dead the evening of the winery’s Samhain celebration, the threat is escalating. Is it related to a family secret or an accident?

I liked this story more than I was expecting. It’s definitely a cosy read. You don’t really get much development in the characters. The vibes of the world building is great though. I was getting hints of Practical Magic (without the curse) + slight under the Tuscan sun feelings.

Overall, it’s an easy, short read. The pace is methodical and expected for a cosy small town mystery. The hints of romance were a little far fetched and didn’t really add anything to the plot. Perfect for someone light if you want to get into Halloween this year!

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook, I’m enjoying reviewing what you grant me.

#AllHallowsHex #NetGalley featuring sisters Iris and Marigold is a very good story that I enjoyed.
The sisters are preparing for the town’s annual Samhain festival, preparing to reveal their wineries newest blend, Moonshadow Reserve. Things don't go as planned, and a visitor is found dead, on the winery property.
The sisters find someone has been using dark magic, and they need to intervene before turn more deadly.
I enjoyed the writing style of this book and I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

This is a quick cozy mystery with witches, wine, and murder. It's was fun, light-hearted, and easy to read. However, I wish the main character was introduced sooner; I had to go back to make sure I didn't miss it. I also felt like there was a lot going on in the story; instead of cramming it all in, more focus could have been added to specific areas of the plot that moved the story along. Also, the last chapter felt unnecessary.

Sometimes I just need a light book once in a while as a sort of mental palate cleanser, and one such genre I use is a paranormal cozy. This seemed like one of the ones I needed, and it was a more mature character to boot. Thankfully, it was just what I needed. I was drawn into the plot almost immediately, and it is such a fun book. We don’t get to know the characters as much as I usually like, but that wasn’t an issue. I mostly figured out the villain, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment. This is a fun, uncomplicated paranormal cozy to wile away an afternoon with. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.