SUGAR AND SPITE (Witch City Mystery #15) by Carol J. Perry will be released on October 28, 2025, by Kensington Cozies.
Lee Barrett, program director for WICH-TV, is working on one last project before going on maternity leave. Her series on candy stores around Salem takes her to Casa del Chocolate. While touring the boutique’s candy manufacturing plant in the basement of the Parker mansion, Lee discovers the dead body of Shirley Parker’s ex-husband. Barney Bingham had a bad reputation around Salem, and there is a long list of suspects who might have wanted him dead. Unable to resist a good story, Lee continues looking into the murder while her husband, Detective Pete Mondello, conducts the official police investigation. Not even the birth of her daughter can stop Lee from finding the killer.
SUGAR AND SPITE is the Witch City Mystery that I’ve read. The main reason I read it was because it took place in Salem around Halloween. Unfortunately, I struggled with the timeline of the story. With the baby being born and then references to Christmas, I felt like a lot more time had passed than really had. There were also several times the characters did something and then, a few pages or chapters later, making a reference to still having to complete the task (ex: having the baby's room repainted and later saying that it still needs to be done). Between my confusion over the timing of events and other questions, I just could not get into the story. For readers of the series, I’m sure it’s an enjoyable addition to the series. It just wasn’t for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.