Ten years. That’s how long dark witch Charlotte Arnette has been banished from her magical home of Ivy Grove. Across the Veil, she makes do in a small apartment with her best friend, Rosemary. She pulls lattes at the Chocolate Bean during the day and at night she studies with her guardian and mentor, the sassy magical cat Luna, in order to return to the path of light magic. And she’s always, always watched. But that’s okay, because with one year left on her sentence and a glowing recommendation from Luna, it looks like she’s finally going to make it back home. Then the murders begin. Worse, the dead in Reeds start walking out of their graves. As resident (former) necromancer, Charlotte is the prime suspect. In order to clear her name, she’s thrown into the investigation with local cop and magical council spy, Seth Landry, who looks ready to lock her up if she so much as sneezes wrong. Can she clear her name with nothing but her wits and fragile light magic? Or will she have to turn back to the dark in order to save her adopted home—and herself?

Charlotte Arnette, witch and barista, has been given a second chance, and she’s determined not to waste it. Banished from Ivy Grove to fix coffees for the residents of Reeds, New Jersey, she’s content to make oat milk lattes and no-whip frappes with extra sprinkles. And she’s definitely not even a little tempted to turn her angriest customers into wart covered toads. But now there’s witches teaching humans about magic. Not only that, but there’s someone killing those witches. And in the midst of all of this magic and murder, she thinks she might be falling for Seth Landry, the seeker and magical council spy sent to keep her in check. Even worse? Sometimes, she thinks she might not want to go home at all. Confused and conflicted, Charlotte does her best to help her adopted town and help Seth solve the potentially magical crime. But there’s a darkness lurking in the nearby Pine Barrens, a darkness that’s creeping inexorably close to her adopted home. To Charlotte herself. Can she keep Reeds safe from the darkness? Or is Charlotte herself the biggest threat in town?

The pies in Reeds are to die for—literally. When a pie festival goes awry, dark-witch-gone-mostly-good Charlotte Arnette is forced to hang up her apron and pick up her metaphorical magnifying glass. Not only that, but she might be carrying out the investigation alone.