Witch Way to Murder: An Ophelia and Abby Mystery    by Shirley Damsgaard Order:  USA  Can Avon, 2005 (2005) Paperback Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Martina Bexte Ophelia Jensen lives in the small rural town of Summerville where nothing much out of the ordinary happens and one day blends into the other. But Ophelia is anything but ordinary, as her grandmother Abby keeps reminding her. Both women are psychics, descended from a long line of witches. Ophelia had hoped that moving back home and taking over as town librarian would help her get over the death of her best friend and fellow college professor - a death she foresaw but was unable to prevent. Ever since that terrible day she's hated her abilities; what good is being psychic when she can't prevent tragedy? When a handsome stranger with a charming smile and a gift of easy banter breezes into town claiming to be a fertilizer salesman, Ophelia's sixth sense goes on high alert. All those questions and all that research Rick Davis is doing in the library's archives couldn't realistically have anything to do with selling fertilizer. Suddenly all sorts of odd things are happening around town, from the theft of bomb making material to the discovery of a corpse in the woods behind Abby's house. The fact that Ophelia is suffering from a series of disturbing and disjointed dreams only add to the lethal blend as she, Rick and Abby try to puzzle out exactly what's going on around Summerville. This mystery is well written and intelligent with great moments of humour, and filled with a real sense of small town rural America. The plot is straightforward and it's not hard to guess who the bad guys are. But that doesn't matter; presentation is everything and Damsgaard does a wonderful job with her fine cast of characters, particularly Ophelia and her inner struggle to accept her gift. Witch Way to Murder is a classy debut with a catchy premise, one that shows great potential for more wonderful stories. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews