Hello everyone!
I'm back with another review from Hermione Moon, aka the author who is bringing us the lovely kitchen witch stories that hold more than a dusting of romance, and a speck of mystery along the way.
Also, there's the labradoodle (I think the dog breed was changed from the first to the second books, BUT the cuteness of said dog has not), who can honestly steal the show.
I have to say that I'm thoroughly enjoying these stories, and they're short enough to be able to read in one sitting and one afternoon only; me personally? I've read this second one at least two times by now since graciously receiving an ARC, and I have to admit that I'll probably be reading it again sooner rather than later.
There's something to be said about charming heroes and magical heroines, after all, not to mention when they have psychic dogs to help them along their quest.
And if you know that the Holy Grail is included, but not exactly in the way you think, then you'll probably be able to tell this is, indeed, a whole lot of fun.
A Knight on the Town, here we come!
You can find the links to the previous "magical" books by the author that I've read and reviewed down below, including the first book in The Avalon Café series, One Dark and Stormy Knight. As this is the direct continuation of the former, you may want to check that out before reading this review.
If you remember, in the first book Gwen found a body and was trying to help her friend Imogen solve the murder, but equally she was trying to figure out how to free none other than King Arthur from a medieval suit of armour standing in her café. By the end of it, she'd managed to make the ruby stone his soul is tied to into a ring, and he emerged out of there.
That and one murder later, and we join the pair of them right after they arrive at Gwen's house.
And I mean RIGHT THEN as the next time we see Arthur he's wrapped in a towel and dripping from the shower he just took.
Insert dreamy sigh right here.
Anyway, what follows is Arthur's reacquainting with the world at large, because while he's been able to keep loose tabs on it throughout the 1500 years he's been imprisoned in the stone, he doesn't know all the details, and his childlike enthusiasm and obvious appreciation for modern amenities makes you take another look at all that's available to us now, and appreciate it more while you're at it.
Also, something about Arthur in jeans is beyond brilliant.
Unfortunately, even though we'd all love to just spend more time with him and Gwen in private, the first time they strike out on a walk, they visit the Glastonbury Abbey ... where Arthur leads Gwen to another body, of one of the guides that worked there. She was also the sister of that annoying journalist Matthew Hopkins who thinks he's the coolest thing since sliced bread, and I'm sure that'll come to play further down in the books themselves.
The more important thing here is that someone is trying to implicate Gwen in the murder since they've left her watch beside Valerie's body, which frightens Gwen and annoys Arthur.
Luckily, Imogen has a head on her shoulders and not an empty box, and she's known Gwen long enough to be able to tell when someone's being a nuisance, so she doesn't believe it for one second. But the murder does spur Gwen and Arthur to do a little exploring and sleuthing on their own so that they can help Imogen in any way possible.
They also take some time to explore the Arthurian Adventure, of which Gwen's café is a part of, so that Arthur can see what a legend he became over the years since his "death" - and the funniest bit of all is the part with Excalibur, where he explains that apparently a monk writing down the story made a typo.
He didn't pull the sword from a stone, but from a Saxon, and in Latin, the difference between the two is just one letter N.
Typos, am I right?
The two amateur detectives realize that Valerie was part of a coven of witches calling themselves Morgana's Sisters, which harks back to Arthur's sister Morgana, naturally, and not only that but the murderer from the first book was also a member. All of them are identifiable by a tattoo on their wrists, and the pair head out to meet with the other members to see what they can learn about the victim.
As said by the great Hercule Poirot: know the victim, know the murderer.
So they go to a friend who owns boarding kennels, one that works in the jewellery shop, and another who works at a bookstore, and what they learn is that, while they were all friends, Valerie had a knack for rubbing them the wrong way from time to time, and each and every one has a motive because of something she was vying for, a position or an item, but Valerie either got it or was on the verge of getting it.
Not only that, but Valerie was apparently poisoned before she was pushed off the high point which caused her fatal injuries, and for a long while Gwen and Arthur believe the poison comes from a specific flower that grows both tame and wild. It later turns out not to be from the flower, but from oleander, and honey which this was added to (and which Valerie always drank in her tea).
They also learn that Matthew and his sister were estranged and had had a big fight precisely because they're both descendants from a witch that was hanged in the past, something that infuriated Matthew because he always boasts of being the scion of the guy who caught and burned witches, instead.
Merlin is a great help throughout the investigation because he can go where they can't, he can act like a decoy because of the fact that no one looks at a dog twice, and also because he has the connection to the other side and can sometimes lead them down the right path if they stray (like showing a specific journal to Gwen which she should look through, for example).
Also, he has the cutest, sneezing laugh. And he's in love with Gwen, but Arthur seems to be perfectly alright with that bit, which makes their friendship even more solid.
And speaking of love.
Throughout this book, Arthur and Gwen slowly tiptoe around one another, with Gwen starting to believe she just might be his reincarnated wife, although granted she's hopeful that what plagued them in the past might be avoided this time around (Guinevere and Arthur suffered a number of miscarriages). Arthur is patient and gentle, showing Gwen rather than telling that he's willing to wait as long as it takes - considering he's already waited 1500 years, this is a peace of cake for him.
He's also absolutely adorable in learning how to use a mobile phone and trying to offer her what used to be his money, but since the laws in the UK are pretty strict regarding finding old treasure, what he gifts Gwen instead is the chance to help excavate it and enjoy some archaeology while she's at it.
That, and she has a slightly other-worldly experience when she sees through space and time to the night when Arthur buried the money, and he sees her in the future, standing there with it dug back up.
More proof positive that they're soulmates and meant to be.
Arthur is offered a job with Gwen's uncle Max so that he can help contribute, and the two of them enjoy going out with Christian and Imogen as well, which is where Christian is roped into the whole 'this is King Arthur' thing since he's a bit too smart to be lied to for long. And because he ALSO has a good head on his shoulders, he believes them. Plus like any good history nerd would do, he can then quiz Arthur all he likes.
With things in their personal lives slowly settling - and Matthew Hopkins being made aware that Gwen is no longer alone, because Arthur does NOT like him - they refocus on the investigation, because Gwen keeps seeing visions of Valerie all over the place, all the time.
Her previously dormant powers seem to be awakening more and more as she goes along.
By the end of it, though, it's the oleander honey that leads them to the friend from the coven who works at the jewellery shop - and makes honey, of course. Why did she kill Valerie, you ask? Well, she's dating Matthew Hopkins, and she wanted to do something for the man, in her own mind, because she knew how much he hated witches and how much he argued with his sister. But she didn't count on him being unhappy about it and going to the police, which is how Imogen learns about the facts and comes running.
Why implicate Gwen though?
Jealousy, because Matthew likes her so much.
With another murder under her belt, Gwen can finally relax a little, and she returns a gift to Arthur while she's at it - a bear brooch that she had given to him as Guinevere back in the day, and which had been in the museum at Glastonbury but she arranged to take it out. The two of them kiss in the warm sunshine, the promise of summer right around the corner.
And Sir Boss returns to the café. All is well in the world!
Lovely, witty, and also showing us some human sides to Arthur that you might not expect, like how he regrets not being an actual king for Gwen, how he wants to contribute, how offended he is that she would think he'd want to sleep with her right off the bat ... those small things, and his endless enthusiasm and curiosity, solidify his picture as an actual man who's REALLY there now. Gwen remains the compassionate and intelligent woman from the first book, and her friends are really pulling through in this one as well, so I'm hoping for more double dates in the future.
And Merlin! Merlin deserves his own spotlight, he's so cute, and the fact that he's a psychic dog is icing on the cake.
And Merlin! Merlin deserves his own spotlight, he's so cute, and the fact that he's a psychic dog is icing on the cake.
With the bonus that the murder victim is part of the same coven of
witches as Mary Paxton, the murderer from the first book is, too, I think that it may tie in to the third book of the
series, at that. Surely it wouldn't have been introduced just to then
disappear? Especially because of its name, and the fact it's been a
while for some time - I think we could see some more of Arthur's
reactions, especially if they do practice some more of the dark arts.
Whenever he speaks of his sister Morgana, he doesn't have the usual
reactions we see in other adaptations, so I'm curious to learn more
about their relationship there.
The book is a great length for an afternoon read, the writing flows nicely and brings with it the promise of summer at Glastonbury, and like people in the book itself I'm cheering Gwen and Arthur on.
I dare you not to fall in love with the guy!
The book is a great length for an afternoon read, the writing flows nicely and brings with it the promise of summer at Glastonbury, and like people in the book itself I'm cheering Gwen and Arthur on.
I dare you not to fall in love with the guy!
All in all, highly recommend!
xx
*image not mine
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