SIX STUNNING SIRENS

Shenanigans at a beauty pageant in a community of magicians and mortals lead the organizer to investigate despite everything else she has going on.

As fall approaches Magic Springs, Idaho, change is in the air. Mia Malone, who’s preparing to host the Miss Magic Springs Harvest Pageant, feels the frustrating pressure of her dual lives. In her day job, she’s catering director of the Lodge, working under the increasingly difficult Frank Hines. She also runs Mia’s Morsels, a fledgling concern that relies on her income from the Lodge until it can support her full time. These dueling priorities echo other stressors. Mia’s everyday life and her responsibilities as a magic practitioner often butt heads as she strains to navigate the pressures of her local coven, the Magic Springs Society for Magical Realism. But then, no one promised life as a witch would be easy. There’s a bee in Frank’s bonnet because Mia’s Morsels beat out the Lodge to organize the pageant, in part because of its ability to detect spells and offer other upgraded magical services. How could a mortal company compete? As the pageant gets underway, it seems as if the magical upgrades might have been worth it, since magic may well have played a role in bringing down some of the contestants and their stage moms, and Mia has to figure out who’s sabotaging the road to the next Magic Springs Harvest Queen. Once again, though, she’s got to find the balance as she deals with her past love Isaac Adams’ lingering interest and the social pressures to marry current boyfriend Trent Major. An untrained Hellhound named Cerby adds some spice.

The heroine’s conflicting priorities lead to a densely plotted series entry that’s not for newbies.