Snuffed Out by Valona Jones is the debut of A Magic Candle Shop Mystery. The cover is what drew me to Snuffed Out. I love the colors, the cat, and the touch of magic. I had a difficult time wading through this story especially the first few chapters. The author is setting the stage for the series. I liked the descriptions of the historic district of Savannah. The story is told from Tabby's point of view, so we are subject to all her thoughts. Tabby is timid and afraid to use her powers. There was an incident in the past which has caused Tabby to be afraid of using her abilities. Sage is the bolder sister with strong abilities. It feels that Tabby is influenced by Sage's abilities and choices. Sage uses her powers too often. She should not use her abilities to influence others. Sage is prejudiced against non-witches. The twins are energetics which means they can manipulate energy. I was not a fan of the main characters (as you can tell). I found Tabby to be wimpy. There are frequent mentions of the incident that caused Tabby to lock up her powers, but the details are not given up front. The descriptions of their powers were tedious (they helped my insomnia). I found the transitions to be choppy. There is a romantic partner for each sister. The chemistry was missing. It felt like they had boyfriends because they were supposed to not because they cared for the person. The mystery was okay. The sisters go around talking to various townspeople trying to uncover the truth (we meet a lot of people). They uncover secrets and suspects. Some aspects of the mystery are farfetched and others for convenience. There were too many characters. It is hard to keep them straight. I like Auntie O. She is a delightful character. There are repetitive details. We do not need to be reminded all the time that the twins are witches, how they manipulate energy, or about the incident that has caused Tabby to ignore her powers. I like that the story had a diverse cast, but the way one person's gender was handled was insensitive. There are confusing and conflicting details. It was a challenge to get through this story. I feel that Snuffed Out could have used another round of edits. Snuffed Out is a Southern cozy mystery with energetic candles, supernatural sisters, a deceased customer, a suspected salesclerk, a historical city, and a curious cat.

Share/Like this Review?

Snuffed Out by Valona Jones

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When a good friend is wrongly accused of murder, the Winslow sisters desperately search for the real killer.

Snuffed Out is a fun and unique new cozy mystery by Valona Jones and kicks off her new series, the Magic Candle Shop Mysteries. The magical element is provided by the two sisters, who are "energetics" and have the ability to absorb and manipulate energy. One twin, Sage, is comfortable and confident in her skills. However, due to a traumatic event in her past, Tabby is not. She blocks her abilities and refuses to tap into her special gift, and this causes some tension between the two sisters.

The story is told from Tabby's point of view. Her hesitancy to accept her energetic talents stems from an incident several years earlier, which almost resulted in her killing someone with her power. That incident is never fully explained; only bits and pieces are revealed as the current story unfolds. In fact, there are a couple of backstories hinted at but left unexplained, which had me feeling so strongly that I had missed a previous book that I quit reading to research whether that was true or not. Perhaps, these stories will come to light in future books.

Sage Winslow is a complicated character with hidden secrets or worries left untold at the end of the book. Early on, she's very moody: one minute, a loving sister, and the next, an almost evil thing. She and their store clerk, Gerard, have a romantic history that continues to cause her some heartache.

The murder investigation was compelling, with many friends and acquaintances of the Winslow sisters involved. There is even a missing chihuahua to consider. I enjoyed the candle shop business, the descriptions of candlemaking, and the various other items the girls stocked in the store. The story also focuses on the subplots of the sisters' budding romances, both with young men they have known since childhood. There are adult situations with discussions about their hookups, but it was still sweet watching Tabby navigate the change in her relationship with Quig from childhood friend to grown-up man and friend with benefits.

Central to this story is the lovely and historic Savannah setting. The Book and Candle Shop is in the heart of downtown's historic district, a great draw for tourists. I like the mention of the various other businesses with their living spaces above that are neighbors to the Winslow's shop.

With its unlikable murder victim and tense push-pull sibling relationship, I recommend SNUFFED OUT to cozy mystery readers who like candle or bookshop-related settings or stories set in the southern US, specifically Savannah, Georgia.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

Share/Like this Review?