The most dangerous book at the Museum of Literature has gone missing, and the librarian looking for it has a problem. How do you follow a trail of clues when the stolen book can change what people believe they saw?
That’s the premise of Jenn McKinlay’s Witches of Questionable Intent, the second novel in her Books of Dubious Origin series. Ace has scheduled the U.S. release for November 10, 2026, in paperback, ebook, and downloadable audiobook. If you’re new to Zoe Ziakas and the museum’s secret collection, start with Witches of Dubious Origin.
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What is Witches of Questionable Intent about?
Zoe Ziakas is a librarian and a witch who helps guard the Museum of Literature’s collection of enchanted books. When her colleague Jasper Griffin tells her that the Book of Shadows has been stolen, Zoe and the rest of the team set out to recover it. The book can distort what people perceive and turn allies against each other, which means even a convincing lead could send them in the wrong direction. The search takes them through midnight markets and streets populated by demons, with an unpredictable hellhound puppy along for the trouble.
What makes this setup interesting is how neatly the book’s power cuts against Zoe’s training. A librarian might trace where an object came from, compare accounts of who handled it, or spot a detail someone filed in the wrong place. A book that can warp the evidence makes every one of those ordinary skills harder to use. I’d pick this up to see how Zoe decides which clues she can still trust when even a colleague’s memory could lead her astray.
How cozy is a fantasy about a book that can rewrite reality?
The cozy appeal starts with the workplace. The Museum of Literature is the kind of setting you can imagine returning to for another assignment, with a team whose job is to deal with books that have no business sitting on an open shelf. There’s also room for humor in the logistics. Somebody has to look after the hellhound puppy while everyone else is busy chasing a thief.
The synopsis also promises a pursuit with real consequences, plus a romantic thread between Zoe and Jasper. Readers drawn to enchanted collections and supernatural investigations have a clear reason to try it. If your ideal cozy fantasy is a quiet story about the daily life of a bookshop, expect more running around after dark here. For more options across that spectrum, see our cozy fantasy picks for readers who want adventure.
Do you need to read Witches of Dubious Origin first?
Start with Witches of Dubious Origin. In the first novel, a locked book arrives at Zoe’s New England library and sends her to the Museum of Literature for help. There she discovers a connection between the book and her family’s history of witchcraft. It’s also where she meets Jasper, the museum’s containment specialist. Reading in order lets you see why Zoe takes an interest in the collection before she’s responsible for protecting it. Read the publisher’s introduction to book one.
- Witches of Dubious Origin (October 28, 2025). Find the first book on Amazon to follow Zoe from her local library to the museum’s most closely guarded shelves.
- Witches of Questionable Intent (November 10, 2026). Preorder the sequel on Amazon if you’re ready for Zoe’s hunt for the Book of Shadows.
If what drew you in was the idea that a library might need a containment specialist, you’ll find more stories about dangerous collections in our guide to fantasy books about libraries, books, and the power of reading.
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