Lost Witch

About This Audiobook

*Lost Witch* isn’t your grandmother’s cozy mystery—it’s a sharp, fast-moving romp where small-town gossip collides with supernatural stakes. Harlow Torrent, a Slip Witch with a knack for trouble, stumbles into a murder investigation just as her high-school reunion dredges up old rivalries. The real kicker? Her snarky, talking mouse familiar steals every scene he’s in, turning what could’ve been a by-the-numbers whodunit into something fresh and unpredictable. Natalie Duke’s narration leans into the humor without overplaying it, her dry delivery perfect for Harlow’s wit and the book’s offbeat charm.

What sets this apart from the cozy-mystery pack is its refusal to soften the edges. The magic system feels lived-in (no info-dumps here), the suspects are genuinely unlikable, and the stakes escalate beyond a simple murder—think arson, blackmail, and a witchy power struggle that simmers beneath the town’s veneer. The 6-hour runtime moves at a clip, with Duke’s pacing keeping even the exposition-lighter moments engaging. If you’re tired of saccharine small-town mysteries but still want a dash of magic with your mayhem, this is your audiobook."

"review": "I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at the ‘talking mouse’ premise—until I met *that* mouse. Voiced by Natalie Duke with the perfect mix of smugness and exhaustion, Harlow’s familiar is the secret weapon of *Lost Witch*, turning what could’ve been a gimmick into the heart of the story. Duke’s performance is consistently strong, though I wish she’d leaned harder into the secondary characters’ quirks (the high-school mean girl, in particular, blends into the crowd a bit too much). The real standout, though, is Tess Lake’s knack for balancing tone: one minute you’re laughing at Harlow’s snark, the next you’re genuinely unsettled by the escalating threats.

The plot’s pacing is where opinions might divide. The first act hums along with reunion drama and witchy intrigue, but the middle sags slightly under the weight of *too* many suspects—each with motives that feel a tad repetitive. That said, the final act delivers with a twist that’s both earned and satisfying, and the magic system (tied to emotions, with messy consequences) adds a layer of depth rare in cozy mysteries. My only real critique? The audio production occasionally suffers from uneven volume levels during high-energy scenes, forcing me to adjust my headphones. Still, for fans of mysteries with bite—think *The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency* meets *Practical Magic*, but grittier—this is a winner. Just don’t expect all the answers by the last page; Lake leaves enough threads dangling to hook you for the next book."

"tags": [
"paranormal cozy mystery with humor