An enchanted bookshop. A town full of secrets. One cat who would much rather be sleeping.

Until the new owner of Lavender Lake’s magical bookshop arrives, Astrix has been left in charge. His duties are simple: watch over the shop, protect its secrets, and spend as much time as possible stretched out in a warm sunbeam.

For a while, all is quiet.

Then an intruder attempts to break into the shop and tear down the magical defenses protecting it.

Forced to abandon his favorite sleeping spot, Astrix sets out to discover who is targeting his bookshop and why. The intruder left few clues, but in a town like Lavender Lake, someone is always watching.

Unfortunately, most of the witnesses are the town’s familiars.

Now Astrix must interrogate Lavender Lake’s cats, birds, and other magical creatures to uncover what they have seen. The only problem, as he already knows, is that getting a cat to do something it does not want to do is almost impossible.

As Astrix ventures deeper into the relatively tame underbelly of the magical town, he uncovers hidden secrets, unexpected mysteries, and a plot so sinister that it leaves even him speechless.

Briefly.

Someone wants the bookshop’s defenses gone, and if Astrix cannot discover why, the shop may not be the only thing in danger.

Good thing he still has a few of those nine lives left.  He might just need them.

Titles in the Wicked Witches of Lavender Lake series include:  (Prequel) Sprites and Scoundrels ~ Potions and Commotions ~ Costumes and Curses ~

This is a no-spice paranormal cozy mystery.

Title:  Sprites and Scoundrels
Series:  Wicked Witches of Lavender Lake (prequel)
Author:  Mara Webb
Published:  September 26, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Sprites and Scoundrels is the prequel to the Wicked Witches of Lavender Lake series.  To lead us into this new magical small town, we meet Astrix.  One sarcastic, entitled, full-of-himself cat or familiar to the recently deceased bookshop owner/witch Zosia.  Astrix rules his kingdom (or so he believes) with his wit, his magic, and his absolute belief that only he can solve the mystery of the theft of a vital hearthstone whose loss could spell doom not only for him but for the coven and bookshop he valiantly protects.  The clues are scattered and hidden; the humans surrounding him are at best a slight help, at worst, an ongoing annoyance.  His sidekick is a spell-gone-wrong creature whose help is questionable 99% of the time… but that remaining 1% is priceless.  Together they’ll sniff out the culprit and set things right… or at least, that’s the plan; what actually happens is a delightful introduction to this new series.

I had so much fun reading Sprites and Scoundrels.  Astrix embodies every single cat I’ve ever owned (or maybe I should say, have been owned by).  As the narrator for this introduction to the Wicked Witches of Lavender Lake series, he is perfect.  Just enough wit and sarcasm to make us believe he is all-powerful, and just enough failure to prove he isn’t all he thinks he is.  This story is well-written (not a surprise with Mara Webb), engaging, full of red herrings, a few twists, and characters that offer a glimpse into a world I’ll want to know more about.  If you love a good, solid Paranormal Cozy Mystery, then pick up this prequel and get ready for a series you’ll want to follow.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available on Amazon (on/after September 26, 2026)