The Pineys: Book 9: The Witch Hunter Piney by Tony DiGerolamo

South Jersey Rebellion Productions, 2022

ISBN-13: 9798833186749

Available: Kindle, paperback

Buy:  Amazon.com 

The Pineys is a series, and I have to admit, I have not read the previous 8 volumes, so I am coming at this as a brand new reader. Frankly, starting where I did makes me want to go back and read the previous volumes, as well as keep up with the series in the future.

This story opens in 1730 New Jersey, with an amusing account of Benjamin Franklin witnessing a failed witch trial, where the women are set free, and a near-fight ensues between them and a mysterious woman hunting them. The tale then switches to present day in Abe’s Hat, NJ. Shy Lewis Galloway, a witch boy, is getting ready for a date, and the rest of the Galloway family plan to have a Trivia Night. Lewis is trying his best to avoid the family finding out about his evening plans, but ultimately fails when he gets some hollered advice from a few of his relatives.

The Galloways are not an ordinary family, with an ordinary hunting lodge. They hunt hellspawn, and manage well. Lewis meets his date, Nikki, who herself has a unique family, and they have a great evening. Lewis is in love and wants everything to be normal. Unfortunately, during a family get-together, loudmouth Hemingway lets some information out about valuable, old, and very rare books they have in the lodge. That piques Nikki’s interest. When she spots a first edition Malleus Malleficarum, she is sure she has found the solution to a big problem of hers. After all, she hails from a long line of witch hunters, and that book holds the key to a dangerous weapon. The local museum houses the weapon, but the place is surrounded by numerous covens. What is a witch hunter to do?

I found the pacing to be quick, and the action was well done. There is a scene of particular interest because of a fight scene in a tearoom. I thought the many covens would be hard to track because there are so many that DiGerolamo included, but thankfully I was wrong in that. He made them unique enough that it was easy to follow. Keep an eye out for the Coven of the Basic. They’re tricky.

Recommended, but don’t do what I did: read the previous volumes first.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker