Secondhand Spirits: A Witchcraft Mystery, Book 1

I just discovered these types of cozy, paranormal mysteries, and I have to say I am ready for more. Secondhand Spirits is light and breezy fun with a bit of darkness for some edge. For me witches can always add to the recipe for a good time; throw in some vintage fashion, a cool San Francisco Haight-Ashbury setting, a haunted house, a gargoyle that can morph into a pot-belly pig, herbs, spells, and demons and ... what more can you want. And there are NO vampires, a huge plus as far as I'm concerned! The characters were all likeable as well, especially the magic-wary Lily who can no longer deny her powers when she discovers children have been going missing in the City (what can be a touchy subject is handled in a sensitive manner). This is certainly not rocket science I know, but it IS terribly fun brain candy which we all need at least from time to time (me more than most probably)! As of this writing Audible has no other books from this series, so I hope more are on their way.

I agree with past reviews that this story started out very slowly. A bit too much descriptive writing about the scenery and not enough about the characters, but it does pick up midway through the book. The narrator was very hard to get used to. She has a very wispy voice and every sentence just trails off..... Once the story started to pick up I was able to get past the voice, but I am not sure if I will go to the next book in the series if it is the same reader.

I liked the story line and have downloaded the next book because I want to see how Lily develops.

The voice was a little to flat for me. I kept falling asleep. But I liked the story line so I'm trying the next in the series.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes interesting characters.

The whole ongrowing relationship with her "pet" was very sweet.

Xe Sands performed all characters well, especially Lily.

I read the book a few years ago, and enjoyed it even more on audio. Great characters, read well! Wish you had more of her books!

Any with the pot bellied pig/gargoyle.

When she almost drowned saving the child.

She also writes as Hailey Lind and wish you had these books as well.

I will listen to it again as I love the characters in her stories. I was hooked from the very beginning and hope the other books in the series will be available soon on audible.

Though the idea of this book is the kind of fiction I find entertaining, I found the characters a little hollow, I wish I would get to know them a little more to really care what happens to them.

A decent story, but the narration is a distraction. Ms. Sands is not without talent, but her style doesn't fit this type of story. She speaks in a throaty almost-whisper that trails off at the end of each sentence, sometimes to the point that I had a hard time understanding the last word. Her accent sounds genuine and she doesn't overdramatize (an annoying habit of some narrators), but the low, gravelly softness of her voice made it sound like she was going for some sort of languid, ultra-sexy sound even when there was nothing languid or sexy about what was happening in the book. The end result is that the book had a heavier feel that I was looking for and that the reviews I read by people who had read the print version indicated. Granted, there are some heavy themes in the book, but even Oscar's antics seemed almost depressing when described by this narrator. It did get slightly better as the book progressed, but overall I found the voice so distracting that I sometimes lost track of the story.

Otherwise, it was a good story, and the descriptions of vintage clothing, witchcraft, and San Francisco were excellent. I would like to continue the series, but I might switch to the print version.

being from Texas that twang is not good. need to work on that and some of our quirks down hear. love the story line love the characters. love oscar. next one downloaded and ready.

Great listen, keep my earbuds on all day couldn't stop.

Reminded me of Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates, but not so cartoony.