Just after the construction is finished, Maddie walks in on an intruder who flees. Maddie chases him outside, just in time to see the old playhouse go up in smoke, the owner dead inside. While Maddie is chasing fire engines, the thief returns, though Maddie can’t figure out what he is looking for. Maddie has some psychic abilities, most notably the ability to touch old textiles and form scenes in her minds as to who was wearing them, when, and what were the surrounding events. 

As Maddie begins to worry that all the crime tape will become an impediment to her grand opening, her Aunt Fiona, a practicing witch, asks if she and her group can have their costume ball at Maddie’s store. This is a bonus for Maddie since several of Fiona’s friends need costumes and find Maddie’s clothing irresistible. While sorting through some donated clothing, Maddie begins to get visions of a woman named Isobel who she suspects is now at the bottom of a well and may have been for thirty years. 

Working hard to get her shop ready to open, trying to keep out the intruder and trying to figure out what that person was looking for in the first place is keeping Maddie more than busy. Add in hunky FBI agent Nick, Dolly who is quite willing to reunite with former love Dante who haunts Vintage Magic, and just dealing with her eccentric siblings and her best friend leaves Maddie more than a bit overwhelmed. Recalling her mother’s calmness and calling on her spirit to strengthen her, Maddie may just make it through the grand opening, solve a thirty year old mystery and figure out what she’s hiding in her new store.

Maddie is a wonderful mix of new and old, much like her store. She has some regrets about leaving her sometimes glamorous life in New York City behind, but knows she’s not that far away. She is very independent, but also has a strong sense of family to help her through the tough times, and she is very willing to help them as well. 

She and Nick, who was Maddie’s brother’s best friend growing up and is now his partner in the FBI, have a very torrid, if somewhat tenuous, relationship; though Maddie is not sure where it will lead, she is enjoying the trip. The interplay of the old and new mysteries make for a very interesting plot as does Maggie’s tentative exploration of her otherworldly talents that she inherited from her mother. The addition of the sweet romance between Dolly and Dante adds another layer of charm to this engaging story.                                                           

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry