Demons, murder, magical candy canes make for mayhem

By: 
Jan Jones

I was ready for something silly this week, so I selected “Candy Cane Conspiracy” by Cate Lawley.

Trixie Looney’s back story is rather sparse. We do know that she grew up in Austin, Texas, in a family of witches. Apparently, all went well until she and her great Aunt Griselda updated Griselda’s book “All Things Magical and Bumpy Things in the Night.”

Trixie’s newly discovered gift of being a demon hunter caused major friction in her family. Trixie rejected the demon hunting part of her special gifts and take a job as a barista at Magic Beans Coffee House in Boise, Idaho. Sadly, the move didn’t solve the problem of what she referred to as “Furry Fairies.” The little creatures look a lot like cute, innocent squirrels with malicious behavior problems.

One morning in December, Trixie wakes to find the large tree in her front yard festooned with candy canes. This won’t help her maintain a low profile with her non-witch neighbors. Her boss, Bastian and most of the employees at Magic Beans are witches, so they empathize.

Trixie is stunned when the amazingly suave and handsome Sylvester walks in the door. They had met when he agreed to be interviewed for the book update. Even though she knows that he is a daimon (demon) who can move easily between worlds, Trixie can’t help the flutter of romantic attraction she feels. What was he doing here?

It turns out that Bastian has hired him to be part of the International Criminal Witch Police for the greater Boise area. That event has coincided with the murder of someone within the witch community. It is the ICWP’s job to solve the case without undue attention from the non-witch community. Impulsively, Trixie volunteers to assist Sylvester in the investigation.

To her surprise, he agrees to her offer. When they discover dozens of candy canes on Trixie’s car, Sylvester suggests that the furry fairies are trying to send her a message. This can’t be a coincidence.

The victim, Devon Simms, was stabbed in the chest with an enchanted candy cane. He managed marketing at Silver Stripe Candy Canes, a company owned by his father and uncle. The small company was doing amazingly well considering that they only sell candy canes. After a visit to the factory, Sylvester senses that someone has been using magic there.

When they return and find tiny bits of glitter, they are certain the furry fairies are involved. Using his experience with fairies, Sylvester sets a meeting with them. The fairies refuse to speak about some things, but Sylvester uses what they don’t say.

Somehow the fairies have been tricked into a pact with Silver Stripe. The amazingly fast creatures work the night shift in exchange for food and other things they can’t buy themselves. Their phantom labor speeds production and boosts profits, but the magic in the building makes them sick. They used the candy canes to get Trixie’s attention, but their blood oath prevents them from harming anyone.

Using this information, Sylvester and Trixie follow the clues to Tiffany Ann Baum, a witch with special affinity for fairies. She’d discovered how Silver Stripe had used them to save the business and wanted Devon to set them free. When he refused, she used her magic to create a killer candy cane and stabbed him with it.

Tiffany was turned over to the ICWP. They would decide how to free the furry fairies. Trixie decides to mend fences with her family and she Sylvester can try to navigate a witch/demon relationship while waiting for the next case to occur.

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