The house at Watch Hill A novel

In a new series by Moning, Zo Grey is a woman who has worked hard all her life to care for her dying mother. But after a fire leaves her with nothing but grief and the clothes on her back, Zo is surprised to be contacted by someone claiming she has inherited a fortune. With nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity, where she learns that certain special talents she's had all her life are actually proof she is a powerful witch, and many people start coming out of the woodwork to manipulate her. In this story told through multiple points of view, Zo as a character is a bit uneven and at times is difficult to relate to, though readers will share her frustration with the secrets surrounding her and root for her as she hunts for answers. While the world building is often confusing, fans of haunted houses, witch fiction, complicated lore, and the supernatural in general would find much to draw them to Divinity and the world Moning has created.

Witches and female empowerment are the focus of Moning's heavy-handed latest (after the Fever series). Zodeckymira "Zo" Grey has spent the last several years caring for her dying mother at the expense of both her personal and professional life. Zo is used to this kind of liminal existence, however. When she was growing up, they moved from town to town, with no answers from her mother as to why. After tragedy strikes during a job interview, Zo finds herself suddenly homeless--until she learns that a wealthy, unknown relative has left her a fortune. Whisked away to Divinity, La., Zo discovers a side of the family her mother was keeping from her and a legacy of magic she was never allowed to explore. The town is idyllic, but the house Zo has inherited is foreboding, and she has enemies who want her gone before her burgeoning magic can fully manifest. The lack of subtlety in Zo's coming-of-power narrative frustrates, with Moning holding the reader's hand every step of the way. Still, plentiful magic and eventual romance will please fans of urban fantasy who aren't looking for anything too challenging. (Oct.)