Tarnished and Torn

Witchcraft Mysteries, Book 5

By: Juliet Blackwell

Narrated by: Xe Sands

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

When Lily arrives at an antique jewelry fair, her bargain sensors go off left and right - but she also picks up a faint vibration of magic. Could the hard-bargaining merchant Griselda be a fellow practitioner? It certainly seems that way when a sudden fire sends panic through the crowd, and Lily discovers Griselda murdered in a way that nods to an old-fashioned witch hunt. A crime that hits close to home turns into an unwelcome flash from the past when the police bring in their lead suspect - Lily's estranged father. Though he may not deserve her help, Lily is determined to clear her father's name and solve a murder that's anything but crystal clear.

©2013 Julie Goodson-Lawes (P)2013 Tantor

Tarnished and Torn

My absolute favorite book from the series thus far. Xe Sands is an amazing narrator.

This series would make an excellent TV series

This series by Juliet Blackwell is excellent and the narration divine. It would be great as a TV series I wish one of the networks would Make this a reality!!!

Love her characters!

Xe Sands has the best voice! The character in this series are so colorful and funny I cannot get enough of her books.

Series is beginning to drag

I am not a fan of series books - the first two or three are usually good and then the stories either start to repeat or are just full of filler. This is the fifth book in this series and there are definite signs of fatigue. Lily is suppose to be this really powerful witch, but all through this book she is weak, needing rescue several times and pines for her lost love through most of it. I finished the book, but if there is a sixth in the series I am not sure I will take a chance. I have enjoyed the first books of the series.

It fell a bit short

I was looking forward to this book but it fell a bit short. It wasn't as interesting as the previous books. Lily shopped and solved mysteries. There wasn't very much to it. The characters are likable but the villain was predictable. I will probably read the next book because I like the series as a whole.

Ok, if you like political proselytizing.

What would have made Tarnished and Torn better?

*Spoiler Alert* I've been enjoying this series despite the author's apparent bias (and thus plot predictability) against financially successful English-speaking Americans of Northern European descent. However, the political speechifying has become too much and I won't be getting any more of this author's books.

Has Tarnished and Torn turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not at all; I still love the genre, as long as there's no preaching.

Which scene was your favorite?

Due to my annoyance with the political pontificating, I was cheering for the antagonist in the whimpering-heroine-in-peril scene.

What character would you cut from Tarnished and Torn?

Sailor

Any additional comments?

The protagonist is repeatedly attracted to men who aren't that into her. This is purportedly due to the early abandonment by her father. If I were going to read any more of the series, I wouldn't want to see that storyline again.

Listened to one, listened to them all

I was really enjoying this series, but this book was just lame. The mysteries have become predictable and formulaic. Probably 75% of the short book repeats things the author has said over and over and over again in previous books. There's no character development...except for Lily becoming a whiny, weak victim. My daddy was mean to me. My boyfriend(s) are total jerks whom I can't trust, but I'll go ahead and give them the benefit of the doubt and wonder what's wrong with me because they're just too sexy to resist. Mundane humans attack me, and I do nothing to stop them, hoping some man will come along and rescue me.