Let’s get one thing straight. It’s good to be bad. Nyx Noirstar might be Dewdrop Grove’s resident dark witch, but that doesn’t make her evil. Mostly. With her mischievous brand of magic, she helps to protect the town and its residents—even if that does mean getting into trouble from time to time. But when a dying woman utters Nyx’s name with her final breath, she soon finds herself the chief suspect in a murder case. At her side is Grimalkin, a temporary familiar who is working with Nyx on a probationary period. The scruffy gray cat is determined to stay on after her trial is done, but Nyx isn’t so sure. As a self-declared ‘lone wolf’, Nyx would rather the cat left her well alone. Who needs friends when you’re the best witch in town? Also working to clear the case is Nate Starling, Dewdrop Grove’s most eligible bachelor. Nyx can hardly stand the man, but she must admit he is rather good looking, and why does her stomach churn like that every time he looks her way? Before she realizes it, Nyx is running through haunted woods, being chased by evil smoke monsters, and uncovering dark ritual sites. With help from some new friends, they untangle the web of mysterious crimes plaguing their quaint village, but every step closer also brings danger. Can Nyx clear her name before she takes the fall? Is she about to be kicked out of her coven forever? Is her stomach churning because of food poisoning, or is it just a regular old crush? Smoke and Sorcery features a standalone mystery plot and can be read on its own. It’s fast, fun, and a clean read. It is book one in the Noirstar Witch Mysteries series.