A Paranormal Women’s Fiction with a bit of class, and a lot of sass, for anyone who feels like age is just a number!

Divorced, desperate, and destitute, former restaurateur Defiance “Dephne” Dayne finds out she has been bequeathed a house by a complete stranger. She is surprised, to say the least, and her curiosity gets the better of her. She leaves her beloved Phoenix and heads to one of the most infamous towns in America: Salem, Massachusetts.

She’s only there to find out why a woman she’s never met would leave her a house. A veritable castle that has seen better days. She couldn’t possibly accept it, but the lawyer assigned to the case practically begs her to take it off her hands, mostly because she’s scared of it. The house. The inanimate structure that, as far as Dephne can tell, has never hurt a fly.

Though it does come with some baggage. A pesky neighbor who wants her gone. A scruffy cat who’s a bit of a jerk. And a handyman bathed in ink who could moonlight as a supermodel for GQ.

She decides to give it three days, and not because of the model. She feels at home in Salem. Safe. But even that comes to a screeching halt when people begin knocking on her door day and night, begging for her help to locate their lost objects.

Come to find out, they think she’s a witch. And after a few mysterious mishaps, Dephne is beginning to wonder if they’re right.

I loved Darynda Jones’s humor and style. I read her Charley Davidson series and didn’t actually think I’d read any more books by her, but this one popped up as “available” on my Libby app, so I grabbed it. I actually didn’t realize it was her book until I’d already borrowed it.

I’m a big fan of dramedy, and this book (like the Charley Davidson series) brings the dramedy vibe to the speculative fiction world — there are some serious things that happen to people (attacks, murders, etc.) that definitely aren’t funny, but the characters (in this series, Defiance) use humor to defuse situations and cope. Her style reminds me of the TV show “Mom,” but with some supernatural stuff thrown in.

Betwixt is another great example of supernatural dramedy, and it was a fun read. There are a lot of similarities with the Charley Davidson series, but still enough differences for it to be a difference series. If you enjoyed Charley’s stories, I recommend this book.

R-rated for swearing, adult situations, and some violence. Get your copy here!

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