It’s Hallowe’en! I wanted to step away from Miss Marple for one more week (we’ll be back next week with The Body in the Library!) to get in the spooky spirit. So I put together a Hallowe’en reading list with an investigative twist. Our theme today is mysteries that feature witches of one kind or another.

Exploring the space: our witchy novels

Today, we’re going to look at three novels, with very different types of witches and very different stories*. Our novels this week are The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, Magic for Liars, and The Pale Horse. For each one, I’ll give a quick overview of the plot and then dive a bit deeper on the witches. I’ll end each review with a rating of the “witchiness” – in broomsticks, of course – the mystery element, and an overall score.

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina starts when an Ecuadorian witch summons her family to witness her death. It focuses on three cousins – Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly – as they wrestle with the gifts they’ve been given. As a mysterious figure starts to kill off other members of the family, it’s a race to learn more about their grandmother’s past to understand this new threat. The story follows parallel timelines – the past and the present – which converge as the cousins finally understand their family history.

The main witch in the novel is the titular Orquídea, who was born into a poor family out of wedlock in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Her story is one of betrayal – by men, who think they own her, and by women, who serve those men. As she carves paths to her own independence, Orquídea must expand her horizons until she gains magical powers. The secret of her magic – its source, and the path she took to find it – create the main tension in the novel.

As the three cousins learn more about Orquídea’s past, they are better able to appreciate their own gifts. Doing so requires building their belief – in magic, in their skills, in the familial bond. It also requires understanding the roots of the secrecy that caused so much distance with their grandmother.

This was a beautiful book. The descriptions were gorgeous – I found myself wanting to visit Guayaquil and Four Rivers to see the lush foliage. (The house also reminded me a little teeny bit of the casita from Encanto – an enchanted house, in the middle of a verdant jungle, with magically sensitive animal friends? Come on.) The plot was a little predictable, but the atmosphere and character work more than made up for it, and I really enjoyed learning more about Guayaquil and the myths and legends of Ecuador. I wouldn’t call it spooky or “witchy”, but would recommend it if you’re in the mood for feminist magical realism. This is an insightgul modern fairy tale about diaspora, generational trauma, and families.

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

Magic for Liars follows a non-magical PI, Ivy Gamble, as she investigates the death of a teacher at a Bay Area magic school. Ivy has some prior knowledge of the magical world, as her estranged sister Tabitha is a formidable witch. Through Ivy’s eyes, we get to explore a modern, urban magical school – one full of both miraculous happenings and teenage mishaps. (Teenage boys, even with magical powers, will insist on making dick pics out of whatever they have available.) As Ivy investigates, she explores what could have been in her own relationship with Tabitha. Two suspicious half-siblings, Dylan and Alexandria, serve as a foil to the Gamble sisters’ teenage relationship, exhibiting similar power dynamics.

Via Tabitha and Ivy, the story focuses on the themes of power and family, and the interplay between the two. Ivy has always struggled with her lack of magical talent, and blames Ivy for tragedies in their past. Tabitha’s power, meanwhile, has driven her to isolation, and she has explored arcane and dangerous magical venues as a result. As Ivy learns more about magic, she better understands her obsession with Tabitha’s power, and comes to terms with their relationship. This understanding helps her guide Dylan and Alexandria in their relationship, breaking the cycle of sibling obsession.

As an avid mystery fan, and an urban fantasy fan, I love this book. It’s funny, and appropriately magical, and hopeful. I enjoy the world-building and the exploration of a more pragmatic approach to magic in todays world. There are some spine-chilling moments of magic, to go along with the sweet and funny ones. Magic for Liars is a great example of a truly magical mystery.

The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie

Our final book is The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie. This is a treat for Christie fans, as it brims with references to other Christie books. (The book features Ariadne Oliver, Colonel & Rhoda Despard, Rev. and Mrs. Dane Calthrop, and takes place in Much Deeping!) Rather than follow Poirot, or Miss Marple, or any other known Christie detectives, it follows a historian, Mark Easterbrook, as he investigates an apparently witchcraft-based assassination ring.

The three witches in question are Thyrza Grey (a practitioner of the Dark Arts), Sybil Stamfordis (a Scottish medium), and Bella Webb (the village witch). Early in the novel, Christie posits that the creepiest witches would be those who fit into normal life, treating horrible magic matter-of-factly. These three are her attempt to realize this vision, with Thyrza effectively commercializing witchcraft as a murder weapon. It’s rare that a witch delivers a “sales pitch” (except, I guess, Ursula from The Little Mermaid?).

This works surprisingly well, with the two matter-of-fact witches – who seem perfectly fine murdering people – coming off as pretty darn creepy. At one point, Mark attends a murder séance, where his own dread and concern for the potential victim create an atmosphere of dread that permeates the narration. Thyrza and her coven rely on atmospherics to keep up the reputation of their murder enterprise – and its financial success.

I love Agatha Christie, and this is a pretty fun mystery story. There are plenty of spooky elements and tense moments, and it’s fun to watch a total amateur solve the mystery. That said, while it’s fun mystery, it is not particularly witchy book. (Full disclosure – this was my third attempt at finding a reasonably Hallowe’en appropriate Christie novel, after The Last Séance and Hallowe’en Party failed to live up to spooky expectations.) Christie shines when she’s setting up just enough mystery to tear it all apart in a big reveal moment. She does that here, and the result is a fun investigation, without true spooky vibes.

Conclusion: so what is a witch, really?

Our picks today are pretty varied: One features an Ecuadorian family coming to terms with their past. The second is about a non-magical investigator looking into a murder at her sister’s school. The third focuses on a historian who runs into a group of witchy sisters who seem to enable “remote murder.” And yet, there were a few threads that seemed to pop up everywhere:

• Family: Witches and family are incredibly linked thematically. Some are related by blood, with mothers passing on their learning to their daughters. Perhaps more often, we see found or created families, with witches adopting each other as sisters. These families can both support and isolate, creating a close-knit community that can’t share secrets except with each other. This can create tons of space for interpersonal drama, as family members jostle for power and attention.
• Belief and instinct: A story about magic – especially a mystery about magic – often involves non-magical people learning that magic is real. Accepting the reality of magic requires believing in the impossible. However, most magic systems have their own rules – there may be more things on heaven and earth than they’ve dreamt of before, but there are still limits. Also, magic users, no matter how powerful, are still people – who have feelings , who lie and cheat and kill. So magical mysteries are an exercise in the reader’s instincts. Where does a character’s story align with their world, and where does it instead align with means/motive/opportunity?
• Truth and secrecy: A related theme is that of truth and its importance. While this is a common thread across all mystery novels, it’s especially emphasized in magical novels. Fictional magical communities typically have some reason to stay hidden from the “normal” world – a legal code, curious / aggressive neighbors, or a dark past will all do equally well. This atmosphere of secrecy typically enshrouds the witch community, making investigation even more difficult.
• Power: Magical mysteries require both 1) a party or parties with superhuman power and 2) at least one of those parties misbehaving in some way. There are many potential questions to explores here, including: Who should have power, and how can you ensure it’s in the right hands? What does it mean for someone to be the “wrong” hands? What kind of training or guidance does a power-user need to avoid coming to a sticky end? How does one enforce justice in the context of a major physical power differential?

Based on this reading list, I’d say that witchy stories are feminist stories – explorations of what happens when spiky, independent women get access to power. Many of the witches in these stories have some form of healing powers, which can solve all number of ailments. Yet they choose to keep them in reserve, sharing them with those they love, or who show them the proper respect.

It’s notable that even the most powerful witches feel the need to hide in this way. While, to some degree, this reflects historical attitudes and portrayals, it’s a little sad that even an empowered female archetype must hide herself away for control. There’s an implicit assumption that when witches come out into society, society will demand too much, without understanding the consequences of their requests. Whether the demands in question are physical or metaphysical, there is a sense that open female power will be exploited, not celebrated.

Witches, then, are a specific exploration of what it means to be an independent woman in a man’s world. The sacrifices you must make – isolation, secrecy – and the rewards you may earn – power, discernment. Witchy mysteries explore these ostensibly empowering tradeoffs – but there’s something sad about the fact that even the most powerful witches feel the need to hide from the world. After all, in an equitable society, witches would feel comfortable openly turning down requests for support (which typically physically drain them). One day, maybe, I’ll come across a witchy story which involves no hiding – just empowerment. I look forward to that read – and I’ll keep reading my openly nosy Miss Marple stories in the meantime.

Until then – stay cozy, stay curious, and Happy Hallowe’en!

*Some notes on the selection process:

• I wanted books that had some actual mystery – something the characters had to dig up as a source of tension. I wanted these books to be about a battle of the wits, not a battle of power. No mega-fantasy-epics here.
• I also wanted to avoid cozy mysteries. I already feel like I’m copping out a bit by not reading horror books or thrillers for this post… Cozies, even if they were from a series entirely about witches, felt like a step in the wrong direction.