Lily Ivory's life to an outsider seems mundane. Waking up, opening her vintage clothing store, closing her vintage clothing store, dinner, going to bed. But Lily relishes in the mundane. She is really a witch (a rather strong one at that) who cast out her nomadic ways to settle down in San Francisco. Lily is always worried that she is not normal enough or that people don't like her. Remaining normal on the outside becomes harder when La Llorona decides to take a child while Lily is right around the corner.
"Wolfsbane and Mistletoe" by Charlene Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner is a book of short stories all about werewolves and Christmas. All of the stories take you to different places and through different emotions. Each tale has a complete story that leaves you wanting more when you have to move one to the next. The plots vary from biblical figures, well known book series and good old family values. Some of the stories are hilarious with connections to other things in the world, logical with explanations and serious with mystery.
Both stories in Ballistic Babes by John Zakour and Lawrence Ganem are extremely funny and full of adventure and witty banter. Yet still, the book holds the mystery aspect as any mystery book written. You are dragged through two different cases in Zachary Nixon Johnsons head, but you have HARV (or HARA depending on the case) to keep you company. HARV is Zachs trusty and handy side kick that is wired right into his brain and is one of the smartest computers in the world. Made by Dr. Randy Pool, Zachs clumsy and socially inept friend who basically uses Zach as a guinea pig for his gadgets.
This book is a riveting, haunted mystery. It has the thrill of the chase and the thrill of the ghost. Two different genres beautifully blended into one book. Pen and Jack have such amazing minds, and then combined, they have the capacity to figure out any mystery they are confronted with, including figuring out who killed Miss Todd and why. While trying to catch the murderer, Jack shows Pen parts of his own case that tie into Miss Todd's murder. These two cases together make up The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion.
