Secondhand Spirits

A Witchcraft Mystery, Book 1

By: Juliet Blackwell

Narrated by: Xe Sands

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Lily Ivory hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora's Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion - she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry - her store becomes a big hit. But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime.

She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it's not easy - especially under the spells of sexy "mythbuster" Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily's witchy ways be forced out of the closet?

©2009 Juliet Blackwell (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Lily Ivory is a 21st-century Samantha Stevens, minus the nose wriggling. The story combines fun and seriousness for an entertaining read." ( Romantic Times)

good story

first book of the series, enjoyable to listen to and I love the clothing references!

Fun new entry to the genre

Enjoyed the slightly altered universe. Unlike some who do not care for inner dialog, I found the author's use of it to both enrich the character and the story. Well done.

Now on my cozy mystery list!

Read/Listened for Fun (Audible/Paperback)
Tracking Books Read Review (Short)
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.00

Audio Rating: 4.50 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Secondhand Spirits made me want to hop in a plane and visit San Francisco!

Overall Thoughts:I have had this book for a very long time and can't believe I just got around to it! Secondhand Spirits was a bit of a darker cozy mystery but still had all the elements I love: good case, interesting characters, and the paranormal element was just part of how she figured out the case. I liked Lily from the get-go and feel like I will like her more as the series progresses. Overall this was just a fun listen that helped me get through laying tile! Gotta love books that will distract while doing that!

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Xe Sands / Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins


I love Xe! She hasn't let me down yet and this was no exception. I will admit that I am listening to two Juliet Blackwell series at the same time and both are narrated by Xe. I haven't gotten confused once about which book I am listening too because Xe does little things to make the characters sound different. She is one of the narrators I can count on to make a good book stand out through narration.

Final Thoughts: This is now on my cozy mystery list!

Light and fun!

Where does Secondhand Spirits rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the first book I have listened to by this author and it was very enjoyable.

What did you like best about this story?

The story was easy to follow.

Have you listened to any of Xe Sands’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The narrator was easy to listen to and the inflextion in her voice enjoyable. I look forward to listening to additional books by this author in this series.

Intriguing Surprise

I bought this book because the narrator's low key, rich and soothing voice intrigued and relaxed me when I listened to the sample. I'm so glad I did buy it. Narrator does an excellent job with the voices. The author slowly deveops a rich story that I found surprisingly detailed. I look forward to further character development in a cast with lots of possibility. The treatment of the subject of witchcraft is nuanced and unique. There is a lot of interesting information and food for thought. I'm looking forward to listening to the next book in this series.

Its been a long time

Any additional comments?

A long time since any book grabbed me like this one! Absolutely loved the experience. Combination of great women's relationships and good sexual tension. The Pot Belly pig/ Gargoyle is genius. Great character building, dialog, and the plot was fun! The characters have depth, yet they are not evil! (okay, to me it seems like most authors spend way too much time giving the villain some layers)The only bad thing about this book is that there are no more available! Thank you for the ride Juliet!

Good story; wrong narrator

Would you try another book from Juliet Blackwell and/or Xe Sands?

I will buy the rest of this series on my Kindle and listen to it using Text-to-Speech. I liked the story and characters. I don't feel the narrator is right for these characters. I think I'd do better to let the computer voice read it.

What did you like best about this story?

I'm a fan of this genre (such as Molly Harper & Darynda Jones). Lily's story about her life with witchcraft is fun with a good dose of mystery and suspense built in. I recommend the series and the author-- in Kindle format. Save your credits for something with a different narrator.

How could the performance have been better?

Xe Sands has a soft, extremely sultry voice, and tends to drop her volume at the end of the sentence so you might not hear what she says. I felt like I'd just called a 1-900-sex line. It was distracting and I needed to rewind the book several times because my mind wandered. (and I was driving). An author wants the narrator to grab the audience and keep them enthralled with the story (so you buy more books). When you read a section where the character is excited, you should sound excited (or scared, sad, happy, etc.) Ms. Sands needs to show emotion when reading. She is GREAT at sultry. But I don't want a woman trying to seduce me during my witchy mystery. If this were an erotic romance it would be perfect for Ms. Sands.

Did Secondhand Spirits inspire you to do anything?

I want to go vintage shopping!

A fun listen

Would you listen to Secondhand Spirits again? Why?

I enjoyed this book very much and liked the San Francisco location. The vintage aspect was fun. No doubt I will listen to it again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Secondhand Spirits?

Going into the basement and the amount of vintage clothing there.

Which scene was your favorite?

Nothing stands out since the story flows well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

You have to have an open mind to enjoy the witchcraft aspects of this story.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this book and Xe Sands is such a fantastic narrator that the story moves smoothly. Ms. Sands velvety voice draws you in, wraps around you and makes the unbelievable, believable. I bought this book because of the narrator and the story sounded fun and interesting. Neither disappointed me. Outstanding narration of a good book. I highly recommend Secondhand Spirits.

Wonderful little hidden gem.

What did you love best about Secondhand Spirits?

I was totally caught off guard by how much I really enjoyed this story. I would never have thought of myself as one who would enjoy reading about witchcraft, but i do love a good mystery, expecially a lighthearted one like this one. The narrator was perhaps a good part of why I enjoyed this so much. She really made each character come alive with small changes in her voice. Since this first book, I have gone on to read the entire series and then the author's other series about haunted houses, also with a lighthearted mystery involved. Now I have to sit and wait until her new book in this series comes out this summer.

Unexpected, Refreshing, Page Turner

I bought this book as a throw away during a two for one sale. There wasn't anything else I wanted, and of all the books in the listen, this sounded the most palatable. I needed some books to keep me awake on a long eight hour drive home. This one took me completely by surprise. From the very first, Xe Sands had me hooked on her smooth Texas twang, her distinctive yet exaggerated male voices, and her ability to give voice to this wide cast of kooky characters. Every new twist and turn I followed with child like excitement. It's been years since a mystery's ending has surprised me, and this one did.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery, and to anyone who enjoys the supernatural and paranormal. It was a non stop read the whole way through. I even sat in my car in the drive way an extra 30 minutes just to finish the ending. It leaves you completely satisfied with the one book, and yet hungry for more. And thank heavens there's more!