The Witches of Moonshyne Manor

Marais (Hum If You Don’t Know the Words) entwines feminism and magic in this occasionally goofy contemporary fantasy about a coven of octogenarian witches who are targeted by men who want to turn their manor house into a recreation center called “Men’s World.” Everything changed for the coven 33 years earlier, when a magical heist gone wrong left one of their number unable to leave the manor and landed another in prison. Now all are past their prime and barely scraping by. Due to missed payments, they’re on the brink of losing Moonshyne Manor, where they live and make magical booze that keeps the men of Critchley Hackle docile (and therefore less prone to witch hunts). When the townsmen arrive in an angry mob, it’s only the intervention of the mayor’s teenage daughter, Persephone, that prevents the early demolition of the manor. With the deadline for making up missed payments fast approaching—and another, darker consequence on the horizon—the witches must relocate the loot from that long-ago heist or lose everything. Nothing here is subtle, but Marais reins in the jokey exaggeration at just the right moments, punctuating the plot with genuine tenderness. With an abundance of sisterhood, witchcraft, and hijinks, this is sure to draw readers in. Agent: Cecilia Lyra, P.S. Literary. (Aug.)