I Buried a Witch by Josh Lanyon

Narrated by Kale Williams

I Buried a Witch is book two in Josh Lanyon’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks series, and it picks up just a couple of weeks after the events of book one, Mainly by Moonlight. Because all three books are linked by an overarching plot, it’s fairly safe to say that this one doesn’t really work as a standalone. The author does include a bit of backstory and information about book one, but I think listeners will be best served by listening to the books in order so as to get the full picture.

Mainly by Moonlight introduced us to Cosmo Saville, antiques dealer and witch, and his fiancé John Galbraith, the newly appointed Police Commissioner for San Francisco. The story kicks off when Cosmo finds a business rival dead at his shop and after that it’s an almost non-stop few days of mayhem when one of Cosmo’s friends is left in a coma following a hit-and-run, one of his oldest friends disappears, he learns of the existence of a secret society that threatens the existence of the Craft (as witches are known) – and to top it all, someone tries to kill him on his wedding day. Oh, and there’s just one other problem that could put paid to the life he’s looking forward to building with the man he loves. Cosmo hasn’t told John he’s a witch. Oops.

When I Buried a Witch opens, Cosmo and John have just returned from their honeymoon in Scotland, and are still basking in newlywedded bliss. They haven’t been back a day before Cosmo discovers that several members of the local wiccan community have been murdered in various gruesome ways and suggests to John that he be allowed to help with the investigation into what’s going on. Cosmo’s knowledge of wiccan beliefs and customs (coupled with his own witchy insight and understanding of possible motives) could be invaluable – but John shuts him down immediately and makes it clear he won’t tolerate Cosmo becoming involved. But Cosmo can’t just sit by while his magical ‘cousins’ are murdered, and this, coupled with his determination keep his secret community safe while he tries to identify the person responsible for the murder of Seamus in book one and work out who may be involved in the Society for the Prevention of Magic in the Mortal Realm (SPMMR) very quickly lands him in hot water with John. During an argument in which John once again demands Cosmo’s absolute obedience over the matter of the investigation, Cosmo finally tells him the truth, and John, furious at being lied to and suspicious now of everything about their relationship, packs his bags and leaves that night.

Devastated, but refusing to give up on his marriage quite yet, Cosmo tries to find a way to repair the damage at the same time as he continues to search for answers to all the magical problems surrounding him – which continue to mount up. What is the exact nature of the threat posed by the SPMMR? Who is killing the local wiccans? And more to the point, who is trying to kill Cosmo? The author has a lot of plates spinning and we don’t get any answers here; we have to wait for book three, Bell, Book and Scandal for that.

I continue to enjoy the intriguing alternate universe Josh Lanyon has created, a world in which witches and their complex hierarchy and ages-old rules secretly co-exist alongside everyday ‘mortals’ (as Craft term non-magical humans). Ms. Lanyon has recently indicated that she intends to extend the series beyond this trilogy, so I hope to learn more about Craft society in due course. I also like Cosmo a lot, even though he doesn’t always listen to good advice and makes some poor decisions. He’s kind, funny and good-hearted and I really want him to get the HEA he so longs for, but I can’t deny that I’m still somewhat baffled as to what he sees in John, who is still something of an enigma. I’m hanging in because I trust the author to turn it around in book three; and because in spite of John’s ‘my way or the highway’ attitude, there’s something real between them beneath it all, and I genuinely believe that Cosmo loves John – even if I’m not sure why – which is enough for me to be invested in them finding their way as a couple.

Possibly my favourite part of the story was Cosmo finally realising that by lying to John, he’d handed him all the power in the relationship –

The ability to negotiate a hard bargain is the ability to walk away from a bad deal. John – it was right there in the fierce lines of his face, in the steely gleam of his eyes – was prepared – always prepared – to walk away. I was not. Could not even contemplate it.

– and that if they’re ever going to make a go of things, that imbalance must be addressed. Actually, I found a greater appreciation for the troubled romance when listening than I did when I read the book on its initial release. The contrast between the Cosmo of book one – so focused on being in love that he blithely ignores the warning signs of trouble ahead – and book two – admitting that he’s got no-one to blame but himself for what happened and then setting out to save his marriage, but not at any cost – is well done, and the more self-aware Cosmo added an element of maturity and realism to the story. He has to stop trying to be someone he’s not and start to assert himself; and once that happened, I started to see glimmers of hope for them, so I’m cautiously optimistic.

Kale Williams returns to the narrator’s chair for this instalment, and once again delivers an accomplished and enjoyable performance. His portrayal of Cosmo is a real highlight; he has so thoroughly captured the character’s quirky charm and humour that I can’t imagine anyone else in the role (so to speak) and his is the voice I hear in my head when I read the books. He adopts a deeper, slightly clipped tone for John, which works particularly well to depict a man used to command and who is obviously used to keeping his emotions well under wraps. There are some intense scenes in this story, and Mr. Williams gets right to the heart of them, skilfully conveying the hurt and disappointment felt by Cosmo and John during the argument that leads to their break-up, and the raw poignancy of the later scenes in Paris when they believe that perhaps they’re beyond reconciliation. Most of the secondary cast members – John’s sister, his mother, Cosmo’s mother and friends etc. – appeared in the first book and are portrayed consistently and clearly differentiated so there’s no confusion as to who is speaking at any one time.

In spite of my criticisms, I enjoyed I Buried a Witch and am sure that anyone who enjoyed Mainly by Moonlight will enjoy it as well. Kale Williams’ engaging performance is an excellent argument for experiencing this series in audio, and I’m looking forward to the release of Bell, Book and Candle in the near future.

Caz

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