title: Murder at Witches' Bluff
author: Silver RavenWolf
description: Weaving "authentic magickal practices into the story" (as this novel supposedly does) may make a book "PC"Dpagan correctDbut the magick does little here to assist a hackneyed plot, flat characterizations and less than enchanting writing. Dialogue is mumbled, murmured, barked, coughed, sneered, sneezed, seethed, snapped, croaked and oozed as often as it is said, but it still remains lifeless. Siren McKay, five-foot-four and with a waist-length dark braid, has just been acquitted in New York City of murdering her less than legitimate businessman lover, and returns to her hometown in rural Cold Springs, Pa. Strange fires, combated by stalwart, long-haired firefighter Thorn Tanner, have been burning there. The area is periodically plagued with these firesDthe last coincided with the birth of Siren 32 years before. Are the fires "magickal"Dconjured by someoneDas Tanner's grandmother, the witchy Nana Loretta, believes? Siren, who turns out to have certain witchy powers, is eventually initiated into the Craft. As Halloween approaches, Siren, Tanner and the colorful LexiDa retired stage magician sort through a sordid past as well as the murderous present. A soap operatic mishmash of drug trafficking, sibling rivalry, true parentage, ancient curses, murders, a professional killer named Serato and more are eventually sorted out with some help from the reading of a will and the Goddess Herself. Though flush with flaws, the novel is not without charm, and the pagan readership is large and growingDand Llewellyn knows how to market to it. Sales may turn out, in fact, to be bewitched. (Oct.) <br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
zlib_text: ## Chapter 1
  
  
  
  
  
  "We are not going in.” Mace had Raven by the shirt, his hand fisted into the
  cloth.
  
  
  
  
  
  Vine swallowed. Only two days ago Mace and Raven, along with their parental
  stand-in, Will, had rescued Nikki from her godfather, Damon Vessler—yeah,
  rescued. You could argue that she’d chosen Will and the Halflings, but
  decisions could always be revoked. As far as Vine was concerned, it was
  amazing Nikki was still staying at the house. Vessler was like a thundercloud
  on the day of a parade, hovering and waiting to strike. Vine could feel the
  approaching threat. So could Mace and Raven, which was one reason the two of
  them were seconds from tearing each other apart. The other reason was
  completely wrapped around Nikki herself. They both had it bad for her. And no
  one—including Will—knew if or when she’d go running back to Vessler.
  
  
  
  
  
  And all of those factors caused Vine to stay alert. He’d even left the house
  without the bag of candy he’d spent an hour carefully packing after Ze