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    The Halloween Truth Spell: The Kitchen Witch, #15
    The Halloween Truth Spell: The Kitchen Witch, #15
    The Halloween Truth Spell: The Kitchen Witch, #15
    Ebook154 pages2 hours

    The Halloween Truth Spell: The Kitchen Witch, #15

    By Morgana Best

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    About this ebook

    A truth spell is an honest mistake . . .

    When the demanding Marina Mercer forces Amelia to do a truth spell over shares in a goldmine, Amelia expects nothing will go wrong. But when Marina's tenant is murdered in gold blood, Marina's boyfriend becomes the prime suspect.

    Now Alder is furious at Amelia for once again finding herself an Australian Sherlock Holmes searching for nuggets of information—but she can't worry about that now. The real murderer is difficult to dig up, and with half the townspeople  telling the truth, Amelia is starting to suspect that the truth won't set you free, but plunge you into trouble.

    The Halloween Truth Spell is Book 15 in this paranormal cozy mystery series from USA Today Bestselling author, Morgana Best.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBest Cosy Books
    Release dateOct 26, 2020
    ISBN9781922420701
    The Halloween Truth Spell: The Kitchen Witch, #15
    Author

    Morgana Best

    After surviving a childhood of deadly spiders and venomous snakes in the Australian outback, bestselling author Morgana Best writes cozy mysteries and enjoys thinking of delightful new ways to murder her victims.

    Read more from Morgana Best

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    • 5/5
      wacky, witchery, murder, murder-investigation, situational-humor, verbal-humor*****Ah yes, nothing like a spell gone viral and a murder at Halloween! Amelia performs an obligatory spell, but then Camino (she of the onesie fetish) causes it to be widely spread. Who knew that a truth spell could be so hazardous? Then Amelia's husband, Alder, is very unhappy because he knows that Amelia will get involved in solving the murder and that ALWAYS puts her in danger. And he's too right! I always laugh myself silly reading this series!

    Book preview

    The Halloween Truth Spell - Morgana Best

    CHAPTER 1

    D o you like dates? Alder asked me at breakfast. We were sharing a stack of fig and caramel French toast. 

    No, I replied quietly so the couple at the next table wouldn’t hear me. I find they give me indigestion, and I spend too much time in the bathroom.

    Now, this is not the information I would have shared with Alder when we were dating, but we were not dating. We were married, and blissfully so. That very morning I’d found myself digging my wedding dress out of the hallway cupboard and spinning around the kitchen.

    "No. Dates. Like, I take you to the movies, hold your hand when you are scared, give you my coat when you get cold. Dates. Alder raised his eyebrow. Did you think I meant the fruit?"

    Alder was looking at me with such a smug expression on his face that I couldn’t possibly admit I had thought he meant the fruit, so I lied. No, I knew you meant the movies, but like I said, dates give me indigestion. I think it’s all the excitement. 

    Is that why you always took so long to get ready when we were dating?

    Yes, I said, snagging the last piece of French toast.

    That’s a shame, Alder replied, because I thought we needed to make dating a thing. A lot of marriages get stale.

    I was horrified. You think our marriage is stale?

    Of course not, but I’m trying to solve problems before they truly become problems. Which is why I think we should date. A lot. Which might be bad for your digestion.

    The couple at the next table had clearly caught most of our conversation despite my best efforts, and now they looked a little bit pale and green. Everyone goes to the bathroom, I told them.

    Two minutes later, the waiter came to our table and told me not to mention my digestion in a restaurant setting.

    Alder stood and beckoned the waiter to a quiet corner, where they both spoke in an animated fashion.

    You should have stood up for me to that mean waiter, I grumbled to Alder as we walked to his car. I was usually excited to eat at this restaurant because it meant Alder needed to reverse park, and there is nothing more attractive than a man reverse parking in a superb fashion. I don’t know why romantic comedies didn’t realise this and put it in their films. 

    I did stand up for you to that mean waiter, Alder replied as he opened the door for me, which is why we’re banned from this restaurant for the next three months.

    Well, I didn’t like their French toast, anyway.

    You loved their French toast.

    Hmpf, I replied as I sat in the passenger seat.

    Alder looked across at me. About this date.

    What did you have in mind?

    Something autumn. 

    It’s spring.

    It’s autumn in America, which is good enough for me. You know there are autumn markets and autumn festivals happening all around now, don’t you? It’s Halloween.

    I know, I said. Soon, Marina Mercer would come to demand her yearly Halloween spell. 

    I want to do something romantic today.

    I like the sound of that, I said. Are we going on a hot air balloon ride?

    No.

    Hmm. What about a last minute trip to Paris?

    Ha! Alder said. No, I have something in mind. It’s even more romantic than Paris.

    What would be more romantic than Paris?

    I know how much you love Halloween. It’s a zombie apocalypse scavenger hunt. 

    My jaw dropped open. A what?

    Isn’t that wonderful? We’re meeting with our fellow survivors now.

    Surely, I had not heard him correctly. Our fellow survivors?

    Camino, Thyme, and Ruprecht.

    We’re doomed, I said.

    A company is putting on a scavenger hunt where they give you a list of supplies you’d need to gather during a zombie apocalypse. Oh, and they pay actors to dress up as zombies, and if you get caught, you are out of the hunt. There are other teams competing, so we need to beat them.

    And this is supposed to be romantic?

    Alder nodded enthusiastically. Absolutely!

    We arrived at the office for the zombie apocalypse scavenger hunt fifteen minutes later. The surrounding area had been designed to look like the zombie apocalypse, with shells of buildings and barbed wire everywhere. I had no idea what Alder was thinking. 

    Isn’t this glorious! Camino said when I stepped out of the car. I’ve been wanting to wear my HAZMAT onesie for ages.

    We must be careful today, Ruprecht said. He and Thyme had arrived with Camino. As Nietzsche once said, ‘He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.’

    I’m not competing if there’s an abyss, I said. That is one step too far.

    Alder chuckled. There is no abyss. Is everybody ready?

    No, Thyme said. Amelia and I should sit this one out.

    I wanted to agree with her, but Alder was excited about the zombie apocalypse. I sighed. Usually, I would love to sit this one out, but today is going to take a team effort. Shall we begin?

    Everyone but Thyme cheered. There were three other groups competing in the scavenger hunt, and we had ten items we needed to collect before they got the chance, such as bandages, a tactical watch, a pair of binoculars. Each item was spread out on the playing field, which was also peopled with actors playing zombies. Luckily, we got to start in our zombie-free camp, which had coffee. It was instant, but I was in no position to complain. I supposed bad coffee was one of the consequences of an apocalypse.

    What’s our plan? Thyme asked. Should we split up?

    Yes, Alder replied, and then we can all get bitten and turned into zombies. 

    Well, do you have a better idea?

    We stick together, and we go for the bandages and the binoculars first. They’re in the same building.

    Which building? I asked.

    Alder pointed at the map. There are a lot of zombies in that area.

    Which is why we’ll need to move quickly and quietly, Alder replied. He blew me a kiss, and I grinned.

    Still, I was uneasy, and it wasn’t due to the zombies. I was dreading the yearly Halloween spell. Every year, it hung over me like a cloud, and I knew this year would be no different.

    CHAPTER 2

    It was a beautiful spring day in Bayberry Creek. The skies were bright blue, the depth of blue only seen in the southern hemisphere, and the clouds drifted peacefully across the sky. The kookaburras were singing happily above me in a stringybark gum tree. I was at the Bayberry Creek Halloween Fair, which was being held a few days before Halloween this year, and I was arranging the cupcakes.

    As I walked back to my car for more supplies, my foot caught in a hole a bandicoot had made looking for something to eat. I fell hard and landed in the dirt. As I picked myself up, I said a few rude words. I turned around to see Thyme chuckling. Gosh Amelia, language!

    I dusted myself off.

    Thyme was still speaking. It’s such a beautiful day!

    Oh yes, I admitted, but that doesn’t help my mood. I put my hands on my hips and scowled.

    Thyme shot me a sympathetic look. It’s Alder, isn’t it? Trouble in paradise?

    "There’s always trouble in paradise at Halloween, I said. I feel I’m caught in a bind. I’m honour bound to do that spell for Marina Mercer every year, and Alder doesn’t like it."

    Thyme held up both hands, palms to the sky. And can you blame him? Somebody tries to murder you every single Halloween.

    But they haven’t succeeded, I protested, stating the obvious. And what am I to do? My grandmother made that pact with Marina’s grandmother.

    Thyme shook her finger at me. Exactly! Your grandmother made a pact for herself and her descendants, and it wasn’t fair that she did that.

    I know. I resisted the urge to stomp my foot. Still, I would have done the same thing in her place.

    Thyme raised both eyebrows. You would?

    Wouldn’t you? I said. That evil witch back in those days did a spell to keep my grandmother and my grandfather apart for the whole of eternity. If Marina’s grandmother hadn’t helped, then my grandparents couldn’t be together now.

    Thyme nodded and walked off in the direction of my car. I hurried to join stride with her. Yes, I would have done the same thing, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it, she said over her shoulder.

    "Do you think I like it? I said with more feeling than I intended. It’s a nightmare! Like you said, somebody gets murdered every Halloween, and somehow I get involved."

    We had reached my car. Thyme leant against it and folded her arms. Then it’s simple. Don’t get involved this year.

    That was a light bulb moment for me. Of course! No matter how many people get murdered, I won’t get involved.

    I opened the boot of my car and handed a tray of black and green spider cupcakes to Thyme. I noticed she was chuckling and narrowed my eyes. What’s so funny?

    I was joking, she said. "You always get yourself involved in murders."

    I was indignant. I do not! I picked up a tray of chocolate pumpkin witch cupcakes, balanced them on my right hip, slammed the boot with my left hand, and somehow managed to press the remote lock. I don’t mean to get involved, I amended. And what will Marina want this year?

    You’ve had plenty of time to think about it, Thyme said. Just be prepared.

    I was confused, and I said so. Thyme pushed on. I mean, don’t do anything rash. Like, if she asked you to do a spell to make somebody nice, don’t open a window and let it waft all over town like you did a previous Halloween.

    Well, that was funny—in hindsight, I added.

    Thyme frowned. Forewarned is forearmed.

    We had reached our stall. I placed the tray of cupcakes down and set about arranging them nicely.

    Alder is so upset about it, I told her. He called Marina every night for the past week to ask her not to insist upon the spell, but she hasn’t picked up. I don’t know how many voicemails and texts he’s left her.

    He hasn’t actually asked you not to do the spell, has he?

    I shook my head. No, because he knows I’m stuck and have to fulfil the covenant, ethically speaking. He’s trying to work on Marina.

    Thyme rearranged

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