Blog tour: The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmieri + review
Paranormal
Paperback/eBook, 368 pages
Published May 13th 2014 by St. Martin's Griffin
"Ms. Palmieri's authentic dialogue, and ability to paint a family in crisis, is both charming and layered. If you're a lover of Southern fiction, magic in its many forms, and the kind of storytelling that keeps you turning the pages, you've come to the right place, y'all."—Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of Whistling in the Dark
"Murder, mystery and magic meld in a novel of absolute enchantment. About the lies we tell, the love we struggle for, and the way we find our way back to our rightful place in the world, Palmieri's book is a stunner."—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Is This Tomorrow
"Magic weaves its way through this beguiling southern gothic, swirling from the moss-laden trees around the Big House through the misty and menacing Belladonna Bay, and settling into the hearts of Bronwyn and her niece, Byrd, whose Strange Ways most people just don’t understand. Reminiscent of Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells, this bewitching tale of ghostly mystery, love and family ties will enchant you from the very first page and linger in the air around you long after the last."— Wendy Webb, bestselling author of The Fate of Mercy Alban
It’s the trouble you aren’t expecting that gets you. And it’s all around you, Bronwyn, it’s all around you like the air.…
1/2
Paperback/eBook, 368 pages
Published May 13th 2014 by St. Martin's Griffin
About the Book:
Bronwyn "BitsyWyn" Whalen hasn’t set eyes on the
red dirt of Magnolia Creek, Alabama, for fourteen years—not since her mama
died. But with her brother, Patrick, imprisoned for the murder of her childhood
best friend, and her eccentric father, Jackson, at his wits’ end while her
eleven-year-old niece, Byrd, runs wild, Bronwyn finds herself once again
surrounded by ancient magnolia trees and the troubled family she left behind.
She becomes immersed in a whirlwind of mystery and magic as she tries to figure
out what really happened that fateful night her friend died. And as her bond with Byrd deepens,
Bronwyn must face the demons of her past in order to unravel her family’s uncertain
future.
In Suzanne Palmieri's thrilling new novel, The Witch of Belladonna Bay, readers will learn if love and magic are enough to bring a broken family back together.
In Suzanne Palmieri's thrilling new novel, The Witch of Belladonna Bay, readers will learn if love and magic are enough to bring a broken family back together.
Praise for the
Book:
"Suzanne Palmieri has crafted a riveting tale that will
keep you up late at night guessing what will happen next. It is a story that
will intrigue both male and female readers. Guys, don't let this one slip past
you."—Jason Mott, New York Times bestselling author of The
Returned
"Ms. Palmieri's authentic dialogue, and ability to paint a family in crisis, is both charming and layered. If you're a lover of Southern fiction, magic in its many forms, and the kind of storytelling that keeps you turning the pages, you've come to the right place, y'all."—Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of Whistling in the Dark
"Murder, mystery and magic meld in a novel of absolute enchantment. About the lies we tell, the love we struggle for, and the way we find our way back to our rightful place in the world, Palmieri's book is a stunner."—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Is This Tomorrow
"Magic weaves its way through this beguiling southern gothic, swirling from the moss-laden trees around the Big House through the misty and menacing Belladonna Bay, and settling into the hearts of Bronwyn and her niece, Byrd, whose Strange Ways most people just don’t understand. Reminiscent of Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells, this bewitching tale of ghostly mystery, love and family ties will enchant you from the very first page and linger in the air around you long after the last."— Wendy Webb, bestselling author of The Fate of Mercy Alban
Buy the book
About the author:
Suzanne Palmieri Hayes is the author of The Witch of
Little Italy and the forthcoming The Witch of Belladonna Bay
(May, 2014). She is also the co-author of I’ll Be Seeing You under
the name Suzanne Hayes. She lives by the ocean with her husband and three
darling witches. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.
Connect with the author:
When I usually address characters speaking to me, their being "real" as a strong-point in a novel which drew me to it, well...that point has never been so strongly executed or felt as it was while I was reading The Witch of Belladonna Bay. This was the first novel I read by Suzanna Palmieri Hayes and I began to fall in love and awe with her story and characters on page one. These characters simply weaved their way in and never let go.
Her characters have this easiness about them. They simply exist and it feels as though I've always known them. The author's skill at characterization and description amazed me. Bronwyn "BitsyWyn" Whalen has to return to the southern town she left fourteen years ago after she receives a phone call. Her brother Patrick is jailed, the charge "murder" and of her closest friend from childhood. Bitsy may have disliked her parents, but her relationship and feelings for her brother have never changed. She has to go back to help him. When she arrives, she soon learns a cousin needs saving as well as Bitsy's own self.
The descriptions of New York captured my attention, but when Bitsy returns home, the gothic feel of the South sucked me in. I could feel the humidity, smell the floral and fauna, hear the cadence of the various voices. Consider me enthralled.
The prose is spellbinding, the story intriguing. The Witch of Belladonna Bay is about family, forgiveness, acceptance, and love. There's magic, mysticism, a touch of romance, and family drama, but the tale is ultimately about oneself and the journey some must take--for to better understand the present and prepare for the future, one must fully understand their roots, where they come from and come to grips with it. This novel may be part of a Summer Reading Challenge, but I will quickly admit, read Bitsy's story anytime of the year. Be forewarned, The Witch of Belladonna Bay will get under your skin and stay in your mind. I loved it!
Rating: 4.5
1/2
Cover comment:
Works for me.
Book source:
Netgalley
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