While investigating the case of Sarah Willis, a missing teenager, Hawkman and his wife, Jennifer discovered secrets of a cheerleader, Brenda, who is evil and extremely jealous of her boyfriend. She went on a rampage and threatened her classmates with spells if any of them so much as looked at her guy. Not only was she feared by many of the females in her school, but they kept their anxieties to themselves until it almost cost the lives of a couple of their friends.

REVIEW

When 16-year-old Sarah Willis goes missing, her father turns to Tom Casey, aka Hawkman, to find her. Casey has a reputation for solving even the toughest cases that come through the door of his private investigation business. This could be his most important case so far.

Greg Willis and his wife have been estranged for some time, devastating young Sarah. She has expressed her unhappiness to her friends recently and now Hawkman thinks she may have run away of her own accord. As he delves deeper into the circumstances surrounding Sarah’s disappearance, he finds some things that don’t fit. Her friends, for instance. It’s true, their stories all match. In fact, they match too well. Hawkman can sense a cover-up among even the most professional of agents, so a group of naïve teenagers hardly has a chance of putting one over on him. But convincing them to spill the whole truth is another matter entirely. Sensing his frustration, his wife Jennifer comes to his aid. She has a little better handle on how young women think. With the two of them teamed up, Sarah is sure to be found. But it’s a race against the clock.

As it begins to look like Sarah left by choice, Sarah’s father redoubles his efforts to find his daughter. He will help Hawkman and Jennifer in any way he can. But the former Mrs. Willis can’t seem to look beyond her own pain. She is offended at Sarah’s voluntary departure, as though it’s a personal affront. She and the mothers of Sarah’s friends do little to help the search, even hinder it in small ways. They don’t understand that time is running out.

Full of the agonies of the high school years, with their growing pains and rampant hormones, LURE OF THE WITCH takes its readers on a wild ride. The kids of the small Southern Oregon town where Sarah grew up are mostly your typical students: Jocks and cheerleaders, wallflowers and the popular kids, nerds, brainiacs, and overachievers. But even that early in life, there are predators among them. Hawkman and Jennifer fear that Sarah has fallen prey to an especially sinister one. One with a score to settle. With a growing sense of urgency, they ratchet the pressure up while still trying to avoid a panic, because scared people are dangerous people.

Reviewed by: Reviewed by Kate Ayers

EXCERPT

CHAPTER ONE

Hawkman sat at the desk in his Medford office, poring over the ledger containing case expenses and bills to maintain his private investigator business. When he finally finished, he let out a sigh, put the checkbook away, stacked the bills in a pile and leaned back in the chair. He sure missed Jennifer’s help when the end of the month rolled around. But since she’d signed a contract for her mystery series, she had enough on her mind, and he didn’t feel right asking her to keep his books.

Just as he rose to get a cup of coffee, the phone rang. He reached across the desk and punched the speaker button. “Private Investigator, Tom Casey.”

“Hello, Mr. Casey, my name’s Greg Willis. I’d like to set up an appointment to meet with you as soon as possible.”

The name rang a bell in Hawkman’s mind, but he couldn’t place it. “May I ask what about?”

“My teenaged daughter, Sarah, has disappeared and I need your help in finding her.”

“Have you filed a runaway or missing person report?”

“Yes, but the police are dragging their feet and have come up with nothing, not even a single clue.” He let out an exasperated breathe. “I can’t stand not knowing whether she’s dead or alive.”

“Didn’t I read something about this case in the paper?”

“Probably.”

“If I remember right, the girl is sixteen years old and you’re divorced. Does this child come from that marriage?”

“Yes.”

“I’m assuming your ex-wife doesn’t know her whereabouts either?”

“No. Though she disappeared while staying with her.”

“And the police told you they have no leads?”

“Right.”

Hawkman checked his appointment calendar. “How about tomorrow at one?”

“I’ll be there.”