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A Charmed Death (Bewitching Mysteries, No. 2) | 
 enlarge | Author: Madelyn Alt
Publisher: Wheeler Publishing
Category: Book
Buy New: $24.95
New (1) Used (4) from $17.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  25 reviews
Sales Rank: 6133797
Format: Large Print
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 471
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 8.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 1597224731
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9781597224734
ASIN: 1597224731
Publication Date: March 21, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 3 weeks
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Product Description
Maggie O'Neill must turn on her own charms-mystical and otherwise-while investigating the death of one of her customers from the antique shop, Enchantments.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
Steadily getting better! December 19, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
If the first entry into the series was a toddler's first clumsy attempts at walking, then the second book in the Bewitching Mysteries series shows that the books are quickly maturing into a series worth reading.
The plotline of this book has Maggie plunged headfirst into yet another murder mystery in her hometown. When the high school's resident mean girl turns up dead no one is quite sure where to look. The high school sweetheart? The lovestruck friend? Or is it someone completely unexpected? In any case expect a good dollop of witchcraft and slight hints at romance.
Overall I really liked the series. There's one or two things that could be changed, most noticably the romantic triangle. It's painfully obvious that Marcus is interested in Maggie (and not dating Liss). It's even more obvious that Tom is not right for Maggie- their romantic scenes just come across as awkward and the reader can't help but wonder when Maggie will realize that she's dating the male equivalent of her mother & sister. For that matter I can't help but wonder if this is all going to pay off in a future book when Maggie FINALLY realizes that she can be her own person without running away or alienating her family. (I.E., her breaking it off with Tom is the defining moment when she realizes that she doesn't have to put up with people telling her how she should live her life or being condescending.) That's pretty much the only big thing that is flawed so far in the series. I know that Alt's probably saving it for some big scene later on in the series, but I can't help but get a little frustrated and impatient. It's just a bit tedious. In any case Alt needs to trim the dead weight (Tom) out of the series & either make him less condescending (making him a more believable romantic possibility) or downgrade him to an occasional character.
4.8/5
 The characters are all very endearing and well developed. December 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A Charmed Death is the second in the Bewitching Mystery series. Fun and lighthearted, but with enough serious to hold my attention, this series is quickly becoming addicting.
Small town Hoosier Maggie O'Neill is slowly learning how to use her new powers and is making more friends since joining a ghost hunting society. Aside from a bit of confusion in her love life (choosing between the staid cop or the hot ghost hunter) and a small amount of spiritual energy bouncing around her apartment, all is well in Maggie's life. Things have gotten mostly back to normal since the murder in the first book, The Trouble With Magic and she hopes it stays that way. As we all know though, things never stay the same. When a popular but somewhat catty high school girl suddenly disappears, it puts a pall over Maggie's small town. After Amanda Roberson's body is found in local creek, Maggie is drawn to the investigation.
People think that small towns are like an open book; there are no secrets. But as Maggie soon discovers, there is always more to people than meets the eye. She learns things about her fellow residents, including the "innocent" victim, that she never wanted to know. After finding a memory card containing compromising photos of Amanda and an unknown male, Maggie gets more than she bargained for. Not only do the photos completely change the scope of her investigation but they also put her in danger. After a break in at her apartment it is clear that she is making someone a little nervous. It's the final confrontation though, that makes her a bit worried that she will not live to see the end result.
This series, while a bit tame compared to other paranormal fare, is delightful and entertaining. The characters are all very endearing and well developed. When clues started popping up in reference to the identity of the murderer, it was enough to lead you in the right direction but not quite enough to give it away and I liked that. It always drives me nuts to figure it out in the first few chapters. As a whole, these books are easy to recommend to anyone and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Reviewed at Bitten by Books Paranormal Fiction Review Site by Becky
Charming 2nd Book in the Series! November 20, 2008
If you are looking for a fun read this is a great series!
Very light hearted reading mysteries with a bit of magic added in for fun.
I love all the characters and the "love triangle" Maggie is finding herself in.
I have read the first 2 books in the series so far and I am now 2/3 through the 3rd (Hex marks the Spot).
I have No Rest for the Wiccan waiting to read next.
What a bewitching series! February 17, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed Madelyn Alt's first installment in her bewitching mystery series 'THE TROUBLE WITH MAGIC' so it was a no brainier to hop on the second book as soon as possible.
'A CHARMED DEATH' started of a bit slow, in my opinion, but quickly picked up the pace once the second murder in as many months occurred in heroine Maggie O'Neill's small Indiana town. This time the victim is one of Stony Mill High School's most popular teenage vixens, the not-so-nice Amanda Robeson. Amanda, who's sexual promiscuity has been a not so well kept secret at the high school goes missing only turn turn up dead just days after Maggie discovers one of Amanda's many enemies at SMHS casting a binding spell on her. Leading Maggie to wonder if Amanda's death was at the hands of a malicious murderer or someone in her very own magical community.
This is a very quaint and endearing series but don't let that description fool you...the mysteries will keep you guessing until almost the very end. I was very happy to see Maggie's abilities really begin to surface in this installment, something that the first book was lacking. I look forward to watching Maggie perfect her craft and become a real force within her magical community! 4 Stars!
A Fun Series February 12, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I thought this book was a fun follow-up to book one. This series was introduced to me by a like-minded friend and now we look forward to each installment!
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