Amanda Cadabra and The Strange Case of Lucy Penlowr

The Strange Case of Lucy Penlowr is quite enjoyable, but you will really want to start with the first book, Amanda Cadabra and the Hidey-Hole Truth. This and the other stories are light-hearted and fun to read while at the same time there is plenty of mystery and sleuthing for the reader to enjoy. I for one was really intrigued by this latest entry as it turns out, it is a very strange case involving Lucy Penlowr, but I will leave the strange part for the readers to learn. Miss Cadabra and Inspector Trewlaney are the epitome of proper Brits, which might explain why they are moving at a glacial pace according to Templeton, the familiar. Was is fate or their families that have set them on path's that crossed? A unique set of characters from Amanda herself, furniture restorer, asthmatic, secret witch with a youthful outlook on life. Then their is the Inspector, a very serious young man with a knack for figuring things out, or is that his extra special talent from his super natural heritage? These stories often have subplots and are told from a couple of different points of view or have interjected thoughts, usually Templeton with his highness's two cents or would that be two pence? Now I just need to grab a cup of tea and some hobknobs.

Amanda Cadabra and Inspector Trelawney are asked into investigate a cold case: who killed an evil man during an attack on the house and the subsequent fire. This is definitely not your usual cold case mystery or even a cozy, but a paranormal/urban fantasy where the story is told installments and there are more than a few unexpected twists.

If you are looking for a traditional mystery this isn’t for you, but for those who like mysteries with a paranormal twist and some action this will be right up your alley. I like the relationship between Amanda and Thomas who are intelligent and have a slow-burn going on. Very slow burn. That is only a minor element of the story. The characters are well-developed.

This is the first book I’ve read in the series. You don’t need to read the others to understand this one but it is obvious there is a lot I have missed by not reading the other books in this series first. In many ways, it is a gentle book. There is action and some horrible things have happened in the past but they are obliquely referred to. Nothing up and close is related in this story. There is a genuine caring between the characters. And a good story to boot with surprises I didn’t see coming.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a very fun series. I've missed out on a few, so will go looking for them. The mystery is interesting both the cold case and the one of Lucy Penlowr. I like the characters and the growing relationship between Amanda and Thomas. We get a nice backstory on Chief Inspector Michael Hogarth,

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for me eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series and this book was no exception.
It's well plotted, entertaining and compelling. Good character developement, a solid mystery.
I like the style of writing and I hope to read other stories featuring these characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Princess Fuzzypants here: I have read a number of the Amanda Cadabra adventures so the characters and the background stories were familiar. And when I speak of familiar, I am not referring to her amazing, handsome and very witty kitty, Tempest. He is by far, my favourite character as he comments in a pithy manner about the various foibles of his human companions. No, I was referring to the rather complex history of Amanda and her family and the other witch clans that had set up shop in Cornwall.

The Cadabras attempted to use their powers for good but there were other clans were not so benevolent in their intentions. In fact, Amanda’s own family tried to do her harm and each successive story is filling in the details of their wrongdoings so that Amanda can discover the cure for her ailments. I am not sure if it might all be a bit too confusing if the reader was to jump into one of the later books, without having read what came before.

Amanda has many allies and friends, including Thomas and her Uncle Mike with whom she attempts to find out what happened the night one of the clans was nearly obliterated. To do this, Amanda must explore the case of Lucy, who is a very different character indeed. It will require patience as Uncle Mike painfully stretches out the telling of story over a series of days. I confess I was getting a bit frustrated myself but once it was all out and they were able to delve deeper into it, it got exciting and enthralling. It also proved to be dangerous for Amanda but she came through. She still is not much closer to finding the location of the missing grimoire that holds the answers. As she and Thomas return home to launch their partnership, we can see the quest will heat up.

Thankfully she will have Tempest and Thomas as the Knights to her Queen. Four and a half purrs and two paws up.