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Essex Witch Museum Mystery #6
Strange Tricks
Secretly Rosie Strange has always thought herself a little bit more interesting than most people - the legacy her family has bequeathed her is definitely so, she's long believed. But then life takes a peculiar turn when the Strange legacy turns out not just to be the Essex Witch Museum, but perhaps some otherworldly gifts that Rosie finds difficult to fathom.
Meanwhile Sam Stone, Rosie's curator, is oddly distracted as breadcrumb clues into what happened to his missing younger brother and other abducted boys from the past are poised to lead him and Rosie deep into a dark wood where there lurks something far scarier than Hansel and Gretel's witch....
Meanwhile Sam Stone, Rosie's curator, is oddly distracted as breadcrumb clues into what happened to his missing younger brother and other abducted boys from the past are poised to lead him and Rosie deep into a dark wood where there lurks something far scarier than Hansel and Gretel's witch....
Audible Audio
First published June 8, 2021
17 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Syd Moore
17 books197 followersBefore embarking on a career in education, Syd worked extensively in the publishing industry, fronting Channel 4’s book programme, Pulp. She was the founding editor of Level 4, an arts and culture magazine, and is co-creator of Super Strumps, the game that reclaims female stereotypes.
Syd has also been a go go dancer, backing singer, subbuteo maker, children’s entertainer and performance poet, She now works for Metal Culture, an arts organisation, promoting arts and cultural events and developing literature programmes.
Syd is an out and proud Essex Girl and is lucky enough to live in that county where she spends her free time excavating old myths and listening out for things that go bump in the night.
Syd has also been a go go dancer, backing singer, subbuteo maker, children’s entertainer and performance poet, She now works for Metal Culture, an arts organisation, promoting arts and cultural events and developing literature programmes.
Syd is an out and proud Essex Girl and is lucky enough to live in that county where she spends her free time excavating old myths and listening out for things that go bump in the night.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 13, 2021
‘Strange Tricks’ is my first Essex Witch Museum but I am intrigued to go back from the beginning of the series because Rosie Strange is a brilliant main character. Moore writes all of her characters with a brilliant wit and spooky charms.
One thing that enticed me into this series was the promise of a modern take on the supernatural genre which typically isn’t my go-to genre but I liked the way the story took creepy twists and turns within a realistic mystery of missing boys.
I did find quite a few tangents within the narrative which obviously helped to characterise Rosie but at the same time at times it did go slightly too off topic and became distracting from the main storyline. An interesting read that I think I may have enjoyed more if I had read the series from the beginning, although still reads as a strong standalone read.
One thing that enticed me into this series was the promise of a modern take on the supernatural genre which typically isn’t my go-to genre but I liked the way the story took creepy twists and turns within a realistic mystery of missing boys.
I did find quite a few tangents within the narrative which obviously helped to characterise Rosie but at the same time at times it did go slightly too off topic and became distracting from the main storyline. An interesting read that I think I may have enjoyed more if I had read the series from the beginning, although still reads as a strong standalone read.
July 16, 2021
Somewhere in this book was an interesting story. I could feel the author’s intention, but the writing style was nowhere near strong enough to deliver.
The main character Rosie is irritating. While I appreciate her narration is in keeping with her character, it was extremely difficult to read. From half a page on the contents of her suitcase to three pages on toenail varnish, there was an excessive amount of description. One sentence contained six ‘many’s which frankly is not needed. None of the lengthy soliloquies led to a major plot point, which is usually the reason for seemingly insignificant details being exaggerated.
Lurking beneath these adjectives was a vague, predictable plot line that could have been quite interesting - mystery amongst a witch museum - but wasn’t. The secondary plot of Rosie’s mother was told through diary entries from the 1980s... written in the style of the 1780s. It was confused, ridiculous and frustrating.
This book is apparently the sixth in a series, but prior knowledge wasn’t really required. Not that I’ll be reading these, or any subsequent books about the museum. Very disappointing.
I was provided with an ARC. All opinions are my own.
The main character Rosie is irritating. While I appreciate her narration is in keeping with her character, it was extremely difficult to read. From half a page on the contents of her suitcase to three pages on toenail varnish, there was an excessive amount of description. One sentence contained six ‘many’s which frankly is not needed. None of the lengthy soliloquies led to a major plot point, which is usually the reason for seemingly insignificant details being exaggerated.
Lurking beneath these adjectives was a vague, predictable plot line that could have been quite interesting - mystery amongst a witch museum - but wasn’t. The secondary plot of Rosie’s mother was told through diary entries from the 1980s... written in the style of the 1780s. It was confused, ridiculous and frustrating.
This book is apparently the sixth in a series, but prior knowledge wasn’t really required. Not that I’ll be reading these, or any subsequent books about the museum. Very disappointing.
I was provided with an ARC. All opinions are my own.
June 20, 2021
Strange Tricks was an interesting audiobook listen over the last couple of weeks. I have been meaning to start reading Syd Moore’s Essex Witch Museum series for a couple of years. The concept had sounded right up my street and then on my sole (brief) visit to the Harrogate book festival in 2019, the lovely Derek Farrell told me that I really must be reading these books. So when I was offered the chance to join the audiobook tour for Strange Tricks I decided this was not an opportunity I wanted to miss out on.
The verdict? I will absolutely be picking up the earlier books and I will be back to the Essex Witch Museum, there was a lot in here I loved. However, not having read the first five novels there was a lot of background character information I did not know and which left me slightly floundering as the story unfolded. No reflection on Strange Tricks – if you jump into a series at book 6 you are going to have missed things. Returning readers will get a lot more from this story and if I enjoyed it without initially appreciating lots of the nuances then the fans of Rosie and Sam will get a real kick from where this story goes.
Syd Moore (and the wonderful narrator, Julia Barrie) lulled me into a false perception of how the story may play out. Initially events felt light, whimiscal and the lead character, Rosie Strange, fluctuated between ditzy and horny. This was fun to listen to, particularly as Julia Barrie nailed tone of the inner dialogue within Rosie’s head – suppressed outrage, mentally slapping down her own coy flirting and second-guessing herself as she chatted to a dish called Dorcus. But the whimsy was left behind and by the end of the book I had a deeper respect for Rosie and I had mentally moved Strange Tricks from “light and entertaining” to “dark and intriguing.”
Although Rosie is our lead character I did feel her colleague, Sam, got his story moved into the spotlight. I will not be sharing plot spoilers but it felt we were getting some background on a formerly unknown part of Sam’s history. It changes the dynamic of the relationship between Rosie and Sam and Rosie seemed put out that her own family history (which is complex and extremely important for her to understand better) was getting pushed out of thought by Sam.
There are plot threads set up in Strange Tricks (or possibly continued through Strange Tricks) which were not addressed in full by the end of the story, more to come on that front. There also also opportunities for Rosie to read back about her late mother through the pages of a journal – those flash-back chapters give some background assistance tied to current events and I felt Rosie’s family background will continue to distract her for time to come too.
The characters seem wonderfully deep and complex. The Essex Witch Museum was not featured as much as I may have liked; Syd Moore made it sound a wonderfully eerie and unexpected building which was hiding more than its fair share of dark secrets. But Strange Tricks was a road trip up North so the museum will need further expoloration when I undertake my catch-up reading.
As mentioned above, narration is wonderfully handled by Julia Barrie. Rosie is an Essex Girl and has a strong Essex accent, some events in the book are set in Northern England so the conversations change and another regional accents dominates your listening. Growing up near Glasgow means I too have a *bit* of an accent so it is always refereshing to listen to an audiobook where regional representation is wonderfully delivered. If you want an old-school classic BBC annunciated accent then this is not the audiobook for you as Strange Tricks gives you locals, comfortable in their corners of England.
In brief: A top production from ISIS Audio, an unsettling story from Syd Moore and a great performance from Julia Barrie. If you know the series I highly recommend listening. If, like me, you are new to the stories there will be spoilers on earlier books and some conversations in Strange Tricks may not fully make sense initially – but by the end of the book you will be more than glad you stayed onboard for the ride. A new series for me to follow – that’s the best outcome.
The verdict? I will absolutely be picking up the earlier books and I will be back to the Essex Witch Museum, there was a lot in here I loved. However, not having read the first five novels there was a lot of background character information I did not know and which left me slightly floundering as the story unfolded. No reflection on Strange Tricks – if you jump into a series at book 6 you are going to have missed things. Returning readers will get a lot more from this story and if I enjoyed it without initially appreciating lots of the nuances then the fans of Rosie and Sam will get a real kick from where this story goes.
Syd Moore (and the wonderful narrator, Julia Barrie) lulled me into a false perception of how the story may play out. Initially events felt light, whimiscal and the lead character, Rosie Strange, fluctuated between ditzy and horny. This was fun to listen to, particularly as Julia Barrie nailed tone of the inner dialogue within Rosie’s head – suppressed outrage, mentally slapping down her own coy flirting and second-guessing herself as she chatted to a dish called Dorcus. But the whimsy was left behind and by the end of the book I had a deeper respect for Rosie and I had mentally moved Strange Tricks from “light and entertaining” to “dark and intriguing.”
Although Rosie is our lead character I did feel her colleague, Sam, got his story moved into the spotlight. I will not be sharing plot spoilers but it felt we were getting some background on a formerly unknown part of Sam’s history. It changes the dynamic of the relationship between Rosie and Sam and Rosie seemed put out that her own family history (which is complex and extremely important for her to understand better) was getting pushed out of thought by Sam.
There are plot threads set up in Strange Tricks (or possibly continued through Strange Tricks) which were not addressed in full by the end of the story, more to come on that front. There also also opportunities for Rosie to read back about her late mother through the pages of a journal – those flash-back chapters give some background assistance tied to current events and I felt Rosie’s family background will continue to distract her for time to come too.
The characters seem wonderfully deep and complex. The Essex Witch Museum was not featured as much as I may have liked; Syd Moore made it sound a wonderfully eerie and unexpected building which was hiding more than its fair share of dark secrets. But Strange Tricks was a road trip up North so the museum will need further expoloration when I undertake my catch-up reading.
As mentioned above, narration is wonderfully handled by Julia Barrie. Rosie is an Essex Girl and has a strong Essex accent, some events in the book are set in Northern England so the conversations change and another regional accents dominates your listening. Growing up near Glasgow means I too have a *bit* of an accent so it is always refereshing to listen to an audiobook where regional representation is wonderfully delivered. If you want an old-school classic BBC annunciated accent then this is not the audiobook for you as Strange Tricks gives you locals, comfortable in their corners of England.
In brief: A top production from ISIS Audio, an unsettling story from Syd Moore and a great performance from Julia Barrie. If you know the series I highly recommend listening. If, like me, you are new to the stories there will be spoilers on earlier books and some conversations in Strange Tricks may not fully make sense initially – but by the end of the book you will be more than glad you stayed onboard for the ride. A new series for me to follow – that’s the best outcome.
November 26, 2022
I somehow picked this up at the bookshop without realising it is Book 6 of a series, so there were definitely some elements that missed me entirely. I'd probably pick up another book from the series if I saw it, though I'm not running off to buy the whole set immediately.
December 10, 2021
I'm sorry but this book just did not engage me, as a result it took me three months to read. Life is too short for this book.
A potentially good plot is spoiled by a consistently too chatty monotone. What should have been a page turner, became hard to pick up.
Please remember this is just my opinion, and I hope other people find more in it.
A potentially good plot is spoiled by a consistently too chatty monotone. What should have been a page turner, became hard to pick up.
Please remember this is just my opinion, and I hope other people find more in it.
June 3, 2021
Meet Rosie Strange, owner of the Essex Witch Museum. Rosie may not seem you usual proprietor of such a tourist attraction, and she would probably have agreed with you before it came her way as a surprising bequest - bringing with it lots of details about her birth family that have been quite an eyeopener - but she is now proud to call it her home and has even come to terms with the fact that she may have hidden supernatural talents of her own as the result of her witchy bloodline.
Rosie and Sam, her curator, potential love interest and authority on the occult, not only run the museum, but also undertake investigations into spooky goings on at the behest of a shady government department. So, when they are asked by their contact to investigate a woman with 'near death syndrome', who may have information relating to missing boys, they set off on a new adventure. What Rosie and Sam do not know is that this woman has information that will take them down a dark and dangerous path - a path that could help Sam solve a family mystery of his own.
Part of the Essex Witch Museum Mysteries, this is a story full of great characters, all voiced beautifully by Julia Barrie, that hooks you from the very start and takes you to some very unexpected places. At the outset, this seems like a very light-hearted story, and indeed it is full of humour, mostly resulting from Rosie's observations on life, the universe and everything, but at the heart of this story there is a hard-core case of a serial killer that is extremely gritty - and before then end of the tale, you will be in no doubt that Syd Moore has some decent crime writing credentials along with her ability to sprinkle more playful elements into the mix.
We see everything through the eyes of the delightful Rosie, my favourite character, with her feisty, feminist personality, sharp wit, fierce loyalty to her friends and family, and staunch defence of the much maligned females of Essex county. However, beneath that modern and forthright, tough exterior, she has vulnerabilities too and these really endeared her to me - I found myself wanting to give her a big hug and tell her that everything would be alright at many times during this story.
As to be expected, there are some threads here that run through the series as a whole, mostly around Rosie's search for the truth about her past and what happened to her mother, but Moore drops in enough details to keep you afloat of these underlying currents, while working considerable magic with the classy crime and spooky supernatural elements of the plot of this stand-alone mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book and was quite sad to reach the end, as Rosie and Sam had become firm friends. Many of the references to previous cases have me keen to go back and explore some of Rosie and Sam's previous adventures, and the nice little hook into the next book has me intrigued too!
Rosie and Sam, her curator, potential love interest and authority on the occult, not only run the museum, but also undertake investigations into spooky goings on at the behest of a shady government department. So, when they are asked by their contact to investigate a woman with 'near death syndrome', who may have information relating to missing boys, they set off on a new adventure. What Rosie and Sam do not know is that this woman has information that will take them down a dark and dangerous path - a path that could help Sam solve a family mystery of his own.
Part of the Essex Witch Museum Mysteries, this is a story full of great characters, all voiced beautifully by Julia Barrie, that hooks you from the very start and takes you to some very unexpected places. At the outset, this seems like a very light-hearted story, and indeed it is full of humour, mostly resulting from Rosie's observations on life, the universe and everything, but at the heart of this story there is a hard-core case of a serial killer that is extremely gritty - and before then end of the tale, you will be in no doubt that Syd Moore has some decent crime writing credentials along with her ability to sprinkle more playful elements into the mix.
We see everything through the eyes of the delightful Rosie, my favourite character, with her feisty, feminist personality, sharp wit, fierce loyalty to her friends and family, and staunch defence of the much maligned females of Essex county. However, beneath that modern and forthright, tough exterior, she has vulnerabilities too and these really endeared her to me - I found myself wanting to give her a big hug and tell her that everything would be alright at many times during this story.
As to be expected, there are some threads here that run through the series as a whole, mostly around Rosie's search for the truth about her past and what happened to her mother, but Moore drops in enough details to keep you afloat of these underlying currents, while working considerable magic with the classy crime and spooky supernatural elements of the plot of this stand-alone mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book and was quite sad to reach the end, as Rosie and Sam had become firm friends. Many of the references to previous cases have me keen to go back and explore some of Rosie and Sam's previous adventures, and the nice little hook into the next book has me intrigued too!
May 22, 2021
I'm grateful to Point Blank for an advance copy of Strange Tricks to consider for review. It was a real treat when I received it because I've developed a fondness for Rosie Strange (and for her creator, Syd Moore).
Rosie is the proprietor of the Essex Witch Museum, having inherited it form her uncle, Septimus. The Museum holds many mysteries, both about Essex and its supernatural - and not-so-supernatural - history, and about the Strange family itself - a rackety lineage with its own dark secrets.
While she'd like to focus on museum affairs - including those revolving around dreamy head curator (only curator), Sam, Rosie is frequently called away to investigate supernatural-tinged crime, often at the behest of Monty who works for MI-something-or -other.
It sounds as though it shouldn't work, but over four novels and several short stories, Moore has established an appealing setting and, in Rosie and Sam, a couple whose will-they, won't-they adventures - a frequent question which is generally usurped by episodes of mortal peril - keeps the reader guessing, and anticipating.
In Strange Tricks, Rosie faces a particularly dark investigation when she and Sam are asked to check out a medium. Sam - usually the Mulder to Rosie's Scully - is surprisingly hostile to her, and it turns out that her information may be hitting a little close to home for him - making enquiries particularly fraught and driving a wedge between him and Rosie. But what they're learning from Pearl suggests there may be a group of victims unknown to - or disregarded by - conventional law enforcement, and that lives may be in danger. Rosie and Sam have to cooperate to get to the bottom of this, which - even with the grim background - brought me as a reader unalloyed joy: they're never as much fun as when bickering.
At the same time, Rosie is following up new discoveries about her dead mother, working her way through a journal which has come to light. There's a narrative about a mysterious stranger, something at odds with what Rosie previously believed but which seems to me to echo developments in Rosie's own life... illustrated by specially drawn Tarot cards, these episodes from Celeste's life sustain Rosie in difficult and dark moments - of which Strange Tricks has many.
The story comes to a genuinely spooky climax, one that tests her endurance to its limits. I wasn't surprised in the end at the strength Rosie shows here - if you took her interior monologue at face value you might think her a bit superficial and likely to fold at the first broken nail, but readers of this series will show that Rosie has depths (perhaps even largely hidden from herself) and she finds unlikely resources to draw on here.
Strange Tricks also shows how Moore is able in these books to pivot from the comic to the creepy, all while highlighting truly relevant themes highlighting the plight of people who fall through the gaps in society (the always relevant original Essex witches themselves, the trafficked women featured in Strange Sight, or the victims here). It also points to wider developments in the story of Rosie's family - and a potential threat to her happy hopes of some attention from Sam.
Moore is on excellent form here, with Strange Tricks keeping this series humming along and himmtionmg at future developments. I can't wait for more.
Finally - look at that cover! I loved the previous covers, but this neon themed design, suggesting sleazy alleys and danger (and the importance of those Tarot cards) is I think really attractive and will certainly make the books stand out.
Rosie is the proprietor of the Essex Witch Museum, having inherited it form her uncle, Septimus. The Museum holds many mysteries, both about Essex and its supernatural - and not-so-supernatural - history, and about the Strange family itself - a rackety lineage with its own dark secrets.
While she'd like to focus on museum affairs - including those revolving around dreamy head curator (only curator), Sam, Rosie is frequently called away to investigate supernatural-tinged crime, often at the behest of Monty who works for MI-something-or -other.
It sounds as though it shouldn't work, but over four novels and several short stories, Moore has established an appealing setting and, in Rosie and Sam, a couple whose will-they, won't-they adventures - a frequent question which is generally usurped by episodes of mortal peril - keeps the reader guessing, and anticipating.
In Strange Tricks, Rosie faces a particularly dark investigation when she and Sam are asked to check out a medium. Sam - usually the Mulder to Rosie's Scully - is surprisingly hostile to her, and it turns out that her information may be hitting a little close to home for him - making enquiries particularly fraught and driving a wedge between him and Rosie. But what they're learning from Pearl suggests there may be a group of victims unknown to - or disregarded by - conventional law enforcement, and that lives may be in danger. Rosie and Sam have to cooperate to get to the bottom of this, which - even with the grim background - brought me as a reader unalloyed joy: they're never as much fun as when bickering.
At the same time, Rosie is following up new discoveries about her dead mother, working her way through a journal which has come to light. There's a narrative about a mysterious stranger, something at odds with what Rosie previously believed but which seems to me to echo developments in Rosie's own life... illustrated by specially drawn Tarot cards, these episodes from Celeste's life sustain Rosie in difficult and dark moments - of which Strange Tricks has many.
The story comes to a genuinely spooky climax, one that tests her endurance to its limits. I wasn't surprised in the end at the strength Rosie shows here - if you took her interior monologue at face value you might think her a bit superficial and likely to fold at the first broken nail, but readers of this series will show that Rosie has depths (perhaps even largely hidden from herself) and she finds unlikely resources to draw on here.
Strange Tricks also shows how Moore is able in these books to pivot from the comic to the creepy, all while highlighting truly relevant themes highlighting the plight of people who fall through the gaps in society (the always relevant original Essex witches themselves, the trafficked women featured in Strange Sight, or the victims here). It also points to wider developments in the story of Rosie's family - and a potential threat to her happy hopes of some attention from Sam.
Moore is on excellent form here, with Strange Tricks keeping this series humming along and himmtionmg at future developments. I can't wait for more.
Finally - look at that cover! I loved the previous covers, but this neon themed design, suggesting sleazy alleys and danger (and the importance of those Tarot cards) is I think really attractive and will certainly make the books stand out.
June 1, 2021
Witty, entertaining, mysterious and slightly sinister, Strange Tricks is my favourite audiobook experience yet. From it’s eerie opening chapter until the final sentence, this had me hooked. The combination of the vivid imagery, brilliant writing and fabulous narration was spectacular, bringing the characters and story to life so powerfully that it felt like they were in the room with me.
While this was a mostly comedic and lighthearted story, there were some darker, more sinister elements too. The author writes these as skillfully as the rest of the story, literally giving me chills as she describes the shocking, macabre and depraved sights that Rosie is confronted with. Let me say that I’m glad I was listening in daylight.
Rosie is one of the most fun, fabulous, bubbly, charismatic and feisty characters I’ve read. I loved her immediately and she is the sort of woman I’d love to be friends with. She had me in stitches with her overactive imagination and hilarious and saucy quips and is a fantastic protagonist who gripps and entertains the reader, making it impossible to stop reading or listening. The background characters were just as richly drawn, creating a great cast I enjoyed following. I liked the romantic tension between Rosie and Sam, and the added mystery surrounding the death of her mother, Celeste, when she was a baby. I liked that the author included flashbacks in the form of extracts from Celeste’s diary, allowing us to build an image of who she was and learn more about her at the same time Rosie did and I’m looking forward to seeing where this element of the story goes in future installments.
If you’re looking for a first-rate mystery that is full of humour, heart and will also give you the heebie-jeebies, Strange Tricks is the book for you. Charming, tense and addictive, I couldn’t get enough of Rosie and will be buying and listening to the other books as soon as possible.
While this was a mostly comedic and lighthearted story, there were some darker, more sinister elements too. The author writes these as skillfully as the rest of the story, literally giving me chills as she describes the shocking, macabre and depraved sights that Rosie is confronted with. Let me say that I’m glad I was listening in daylight.
Rosie is one of the most fun, fabulous, bubbly, charismatic and feisty characters I’ve read. I loved her immediately and she is the sort of woman I’d love to be friends with. She had me in stitches with her overactive imagination and hilarious and saucy quips and is a fantastic protagonist who gripps and entertains the reader, making it impossible to stop reading or listening. The background characters were just as richly drawn, creating a great cast I enjoyed following. I liked the romantic tension between Rosie and Sam, and the added mystery surrounding the death of her mother, Celeste, when she was a baby. I liked that the author included flashbacks in the form of extracts from Celeste’s diary, allowing us to build an image of who she was and learn more about her at the same time Rosie did and I’m looking forward to seeing where this element of the story goes in future installments.
If you’re looking for a first-rate mystery that is full of humour, heart and will also give you the heebie-jeebies, Strange Tricks is the book for you. Charming, tense and addictive, I couldn’t get enough of Rosie and will be buying and listening to the other books as soon as possible.
June 2, 2021
I love this series!! Just when you think you've seen it all, there's more weird goings on for Rosie and Sam to be drawn into, and in this book there's a lot going on! Both case wise and also in their own personal lives and this feels like a really well balanced story with plenty to intrigue, amuse and terrify you as a reader!!
The story starts with a very dark opening with a young boy being kept prisoner, and that really sets the tone for the rest of the book. There's alway that undercurrent of something very sinister and chilling having gone on, and that ties in with their own personal lives, especially Sam as we get to find out more about his past and the unresolved mystery in his life.
Rosie is also looking back, as she starts to read her mothers' journals and they give a great glimpse to her past as she shares her thoughts on the tarot cards drew at the time, and how they correlated with what was going on with her.
Rosie and Sam also get to meet Pearl who is one of the people who have 'near death experiences' that allows them to receive messages from the spirit world - and one of those messages is very close to Sam's heart.
This storyline causes trauma for both of them and it was fascinating to see how they both reacted - it's defnitely a much darker, personal book for Sam and Rosie but there's still those little glimpses of comedy that keeps making the Essex Witch Museum series such a hit for me! As the story builds, it sets up things so nicely for future adventures and I'm already eagerly awaiting the next installment!! I can't get enough of this series1!
The story starts with a very dark opening with a young boy being kept prisoner, and that really sets the tone for the rest of the book. There's alway that undercurrent of something very sinister and chilling having gone on, and that ties in with their own personal lives, especially Sam as we get to find out more about his past and the unresolved mystery in his life.
Rosie is also looking back, as she starts to read her mothers' journals and they give a great glimpse to her past as she shares her thoughts on the tarot cards drew at the time, and how they correlated with what was going on with her.
Rosie and Sam also get to meet Pearl who is one of the people who have 'near death experiences' that allows them to receive messages from the spirit world - and one of those messages is very close to Sam's heart.
This storyline causes trauma for both of them and it was fascinating to see how they both reacted - it's defnitely a much darker, personal book for Sam and Rosie but there's still those little glimpses of comedy that keeps making the Essex Witch Museum series such a hit for me! As the story builds, it sets up things so nicely for future adventures and I'm already eagerly awaiting the next installment!! I can't get enough of this series1!
June 1, 2021
Thank you to Danielle for my invitation to the tour for this ISIS audiobook and to ISIS for my copy of the audiobook.
Stange tricks is book 6 in the Essex Witch Museum Mystery series and although can be read as a standalone, I found myself wanting to know more about Rosie and her story. I really liked the setting of the Witch Museum and the author does a fantastic job of setting the scene and making it easy to visualise yourself there. Rosie and her curator Sam and strange and disturbing occurrences have been happening to the local cats.
Monty who leads the secret organisation that Rose also does assignments for as an agent arrives late one night at the museum. He asks Rosie to visit a woman called Pearl White who suffers from near death syndrome. Pearl has been having visions when she has these episodes and so they head off and when they visit her Sam gets a big surprise.
Sam has a secret that Rosie was not aware of and when his father Michael appears this secret is revealed. His brother disappeared mysteriously and Pearl may have some answers.
Rosie is a hilarious, quirky character and she is also investigating her birth mother Celeste and her family and reads her journal as a comfort and her link to Monty and Bronson.
This is a great audiobook I liked the narrator I thought she portrayed Rosie so well and I love it when I find a new author and series of books to read.
I will definitely be reading the other books in this series as I am hooked by this eccentric protagonist.
Sassy, funny and bold Rosie takes on this mystery which is tense and sinister too. I loved it !!
5 stars *****
Stange tricks is book 6 in the Essex Witch Museum Mystery series and although can be read as a standalone, I found myself wanting to know more about Rosie and her story. I really liked the setting of the Witch Museum and the author does a fantastic job of setting the scene and making it easy to visualise yourself there. Rosie and her curator Sam and strange and disturbing occurrences have been happening to the local cats.
Monty who leads the secret organisation that Rose also does assignments for as an agent arrives late one night at the museum. He asks Rosie to visit a woman called Pearl White who suffers from near death syndrome. Pearl has been having visions when she has these episodes and so they head off and when they visit her Sam gets a big surprise.
Sam has a secret that Rosie was not aware of and when his father Michael appears this secret is revealed. His brother disappeared mysteriously and Pearl may have some answers.
Rosie is a hilarious, quirky character and she is also investigating her birth mother Celeste and her family and reads her journal as a comfort and her link to Monty and Bronson.
This is a great audiobook I liked the narrator I thought she portrayed Rosie so well and I love it when I find a new author and series of books to read.
I will definitely be reading the other books in this series as I am hooked by this eccentric protagonist.
Sassy, funny and bold Rosie takes on this mystery which is tense and sinister too. I loved it !!
5 stars *****
June 14, 2021
A lot darker than the previous books in the series.
May 12, 2021
Genre: Mystery | Thriller | Fiction
Release Date: Expected 6th June 2021
(#5 in The Essex Witch Museum Series )
Rosie Strange has always lived up to her name - since taking over her families legacy at the Essex Witch Museum, her life has become a never ending series of oddities and mystery. And the Museum isn't the only legacy Rosie has come into - the strange apparitions and things that go bump in the night seem to be her normal as she struggles to understand a strange new gift that seems to growing.
And now, her Curator Sam Stone is slowly trying to peice together the mystery of what really happened to his missing brother and the other young boys who dissappeared seemingly without a trace. Never one to shy away from the dark, Rosie follows him on a journey into the unknown to try and find the truth.
Syd Moore has a magical, unique charm in everything she writes and the sixth installment of this series is no exception. You can definitely read this if you're not familiar with the other books - it's strong enough to stand up as a single story but I'd still recommend reading the entire thing to get a stronger picture of the whole Moore universe and get a better understanding of some of the mysteries that are being slowly peiced together as the stories weave together.
As an 'Essex Girl' myself, Rosie makes me look at my home in a totally new and interesting light and struck so many chords with me about the feminist nightmare that is the Essex stereotype.
Syd Moore has a way of always providing a classic mystery perfectly balanced with the supernatural and the spooky.
If you're looking for a gripping mysery with a spellbinding supernatural twist, fiery female leads and tonnes of charm - here's your next read.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Syd Moore, Oneworld Publications and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.
Release Date: Expected 6th June 2021
(#5 in The Essex Witch Museum Series )
Rosie Strange has always lived up to her name - since taking over her families legacy at the Essex Witch Museum, her life has become a never ending series of oddities and mystery. And the Museum isn't the only legacy Rosie has come into - the strange apparitions and things that go bump in the night seem to be her normal as she struggles to understand a strange new gift that seems to growing.
And now, her Curator Sam Stone is slowly trying to peice together the mystery of what really happened to his missing brother and the other young boys who dissappeared seemingly without a trace. Never one to shy away from the dark, Rosie follows him on a journey into the unknown to try and find the truth.
Syd Moore has a magical, unique charm in everything she writes and the sixth installment of this series is no exception. You can definitely read this if you're not familiar with the other books - it's strong enough to stand up as a single story but I'd still recommend reading the entire thing to get a stronger picture of the whole Moore universe and get a better understanding of some of the mysteries that are being slowly peiced together as the stories weave together.
As an 'Essex Girl' myself, Rosie makes me look at my home in a totally new and interesting light and struck so many chords with me about the feminist nightmare that is the Essex stereotype.
Syd Moore has a way of always providing a classic mystery perfectly balanced with the supernatural and the spooky.
If you're looking for a gripping mysery with a spellbinding supernatural twist, fiery female leads and tonnes of charm - here's your next read.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Syd Moore, Oneworld Publications and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.
November 13, 2021
This was fine, in the same vein as the rest of the series. The story seemed to be more stumbling around than actually working out clues, and kept bringing up Rosie's mother even though her mystery wasn't furthered at all in this book. This book was much more about Rosie, and it's almost a solo story for her, Sam is hardly featured. The Sam and Rosie 'will-they-won't-they' is massively tedious though; by this point in the series, it really should have some clear indication either way, instead it just keeps hinting at something that never develops, although after this particular book I'm more in the 'they won't' - or shouldn't - camp. Sam isn't in the book much, but when he is he's mostly a complete prick this time around - insensitive, rude and dismissive, and sympathy for the predicament with his brother only excuses so much. The book was fine, but I'm not sure it kept my interest going enough to see me into the next book.
June 3, 2021
Having read "Strange Magic", I was keen to read Syd Moore's "Strange Tricks" (in fact I have other books in the series at home and was planning to try and read them all before but will have to come back to the series). There are references to the first book (and others I presume) but that doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the story. Centering around .the day to day running of her Essex Witchcraft museum, these stories each have a supernatural crime or crimes to investigate. Starting with Pearl White and her visions, Rose and her entourage end up in the north of England and solve the crime of several missing boys. Looking forward to reading the next instalment (and will hopefully have caught up with the books in between by then).
April 29, 2021
We’re back at the Essex Witch Museum where Rosie Strange and Sam Stone and debunking, demystifying and generally rationalising for all that they are worth. This time they are looking into a woman who claims to have visions when she experiences near death episodes and talks to “Spirit Boys”. Sam’s dad turns up and it all gets a bit personal.
Strange Tricks goes to some pretty dark places and it’s Rosie’s ebullient optimism that gets us though. What a trooper. Although why the hell did she go in the house?!! Rookie mistake!
All things considered, aside from inheriting a museum, she’s had a pretty shit year but she remains a glass half full type of person.
Her “tantalising” relationship with Sam moves onwards/parallel at a glacial pace and quite frankly Sam remains a bit shit. At this point his nice hair and hot bod aren’t enough he’s not nearly good enough for Rosie so I’m glad Dorcas turned up either to give Sam a kick up the arse or show Rosie a good time. She deserves a bit of fun so I hope he doesn’t turn out to a rotter...
There is also a development of the mystery into Celeste's death and identity of Rosie’s father. Who he? What he do? Where he go? And we’ve still got an attempted murder trial to attend to.
Strange Tricks goes to some pretty dark places and it’s Rosie’s ebullient optimism that gets us though. What a trooper. Although why the hell did she go in the house?!! Rookie mistake!
All things considered, aside from inheriting a museum, she’s had a pretty shit year but she remains a glass half full type of person.
Her “tantalising” relationship with Sam moves onwards/parallel at a glacial pace and quite frankly Sam remains a bit shit. At this point his nice hair and hot bod aren’t enough he’s not nearly good enough for Rosie so I’m glad Dorcas turned up either to give Sam a kick up the arse or show Rosie a good time. She deserves a bit of fun so I hope he doesn’t turn out to a rotter...
There is also a development of the mystery into Celeste's death and identity of Rosie’s father. Who he? What he do? Where he go? And we’ve still got an attempted murder trial to attend to.
June 1, 2021
I love the series
4 stars as selfishly i wished the books were longer there is a lot going on in the background and although the main case is resolved the other stuff is still unresolved so I wished we found out more about her mum, stuff in her diary and who Dorcus is
4 stars as selfishly i wished the books were longer there is a lot going on in the background and although the main case is resolved the other stuff is still unresolved so I wished we found out more about her mum, stuff in her diary and who Dorcus is
April 28, 2021
I found this story engrossing and entertaining.
It's well plotted and I was happy to catch up with the characters and follow them in this investigation.
The last part is quite fast paced and I was surprised.
I think it can be read as a stand alone as there's some backstory but I think you need to have read the rest of the series if you really want to enjoy it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's well plotted and I was happy to catch up with the characters and follow them in this investigation.
The last part is quite fast paced and I was surprised.
I think it can be read as a stand alone as there's some backstory but I think you need to have read the rest of the series if you really want to enjoy it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
August 3, 2021
It's been a while since I read the previous books in the series, so I found the regular references to earlier events made the story difficult to follow at times. Part of the fun is definitely in trying to relate fictional locations to real places in Essex.
September 9, 2022
Didn’t quite capture my interest as thoroughly as previous (very good) books in the series. Felt like a not quite finished draft with some typos and “pencilled in” plot points near the climax that I expect would normally have been reworked with more nuance.
August 9, 2025
This is a new author to me, I received the book as part of the goody bag at CrimeFest Bristol 2025. Certainly not my usual genre either but nothing ventured, nothing gained. The supernatural, ghosts & sixth sense mystery stuff - I was unsure of how enjoyable I would find reading it. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
Rosie Strange owns a witch museum. Nothing wrong with that, but, together with the museum curator, Sam Stone, she finds herself involved in investigating unusual happenings/crimes. The story skips along at a steady pace keeping your attention, partly because Rosie is such a great character. She immediately appeals to the reader & pulls on their empathy.
A lovely read which I enjoyed despite the paranormal feel. Although part of a series, this is easily read as a standalone, as I did. A recommended read.
Rosie Strange owns a witch museum. Nothing wrong with that, but, together with the museum curator, Sam Stone, she finds herself involved in investigating unusual happenings/crimes. The story skips along at a steady pace keeping your attention, partly because Rosie is such a great character. She immediately appeals to the reader & pulls on their empathy.
A lovely read which I enjoyed despite the paranormal feel. Although part of a series, this is easily read as a standalone, as I did. A recommended read.
January 2, 2022
This is a series of books I like a lot, & the latest instalment does not disappoint. No spoilers, but it's a lot- more brutal (I think) than the previous books, and also touches on some interesting supernatural stuff.
If you like mystery/ thriller novels with more than a splash of the supernatural about them, then I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this.
If you like mystery/ thriller novels with more than a splash of the supernatural about them, then I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this.
July 15, 2021
Intense! difficult to live through some of this with my fave witch expert and classy Essex girl. What a hero she is. . . through thick and thin, she sticks with the problem to solve and she always does what is the right thing to do. But whew! I was worrying about her a bit through this tale.
March 20, 2022
Moore is by far the least recognised but most underrated authors I am reading at the moment.
Every book gets better and more nuanced. Just such a great series and an utter comfort read for me.
Also I am still mad at Sam after this one.
Every book gets better and more nuanced. Just such a great series and an utter comfort read for me.
Also I am still mad at Sam after this one.
August 9, 2021
These books are kind of predictable but they're generally pretty good fun. Super easy to read and definitely keep me interested. My guilty pleasure.
August 11, 2021
Another adventure for the protagonists of the Essex Witch Museum. Fun, enough mystery and drama to keep you happy and an easy enjoyable read.
August 14, 2021
Really enjoyed 😊
September 1, 2021
Another good read in the series
I love Rosie. She is a great character. This book got very tense towards the end. I was right there with her!
I love Rosie. She is a great character. This book got very tense towards the end. I was right there with her!
January 2, 2022
Had to stop reading when I came to the part about skinned cats. Not for me.
February 15, 2022
My least favourite in the series so far.
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