An interesting premise: Check!
A good heroine and interesting secondary characters: check!
A location that makes me want to visit: check
A fully-fledged idea that is well executed: eh…. check?
I have no idea how to write this article without sounding like an ungrateful wretch. I got 3 books for less than the price of one by a special promotion online. All of the books kept me engaged and interested in their stories, there was nothing glaringly bad in the writing, and yet…
Beezley and the Witch is the story of how a very average with below-average magical abilities witch is kicked out of her coven after a ‘joke’ spell gone wrong. Her coven which lives in secret harmony with the humans in a small New Zealand town. Her accommodations and most of her requirements are covered by the coven and through her job as librarian. When she is kicked out she also loses her job, house, and means of travel. She has no ‘real’ skills to market in the human world and lives in a small town so finds it very difficult to find a job. Desperation forces her to answer a posting for a private detective who needs an assistant, but only Witches need apply.
It turns out that the private detective was a former police detective who was turned into a dog, Beezley. Beezley does not remember who or why he was turned into a dog, only that witches are the only ones that can hear him speak as humans only hear barking. Beezley is not interested in finding out who turned him into a dog, only in solving the case he was last working on.
The unlikely pairing work to solve a case meeting a cast of characters and unlikely scenarios along the way.
The idea is simple enough. The world building was fantastic. But the execution was almost painful. I probably sound like an old fuddy-duddy but where have all the good editors gone? This story could have been fantastic. A little editing and crisping up would have done wonders. Unfortunately, it seems as though this book was self-published along with two follow ups. I wouldn’t say no to this, I would absolutely put it on for long road trips where you want a nice easy tale to entertain you without distracting you. And my 8 year old niece absolutely adored it.
That does sound like an interesting premise.
“nothing glaringly bad in the writing, and yet…” I have had many a reading that I felt this way about! (And yes, where have good editors gone?)