Witches Protection Program by Michael Phillip Cash - book review

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed here are my own.

While a  fan of the supernatural, I've always been more of a monster kind of gal - not so much into the witchy- thing... until recently. Last spring I finally got around to watching Season 1 of Salem while playing with a few enchantress canvases and went off on a full blown sorceress-binge. Several books and movies later I came across Michael Phillip Cash's short novel, Witches Protection Program. I loved the silly title with its Mike Hammer meets Men In Black kind of vibe. The promo summary had a fun feel too:

"Wes Rockville, a disgraced law enforcement agent, is given one last chance to prove himself and save his career when he's reassigned to a 232 year old secret government organization. The Witches Protection Program. His first assignment: uncover a billion-dollar Cosmetics company’s diabolical plan of using witchcraft for global domination, while protecting its heiress Morgan Pendragon from her aunt’s evil deeds. Reluctantly paired with veteran witch protector, Alastair Verne, Wes must learn to believe in both witches and himself. Filled with adventure, suspense and a rousing good time, Michael Phillip Cash creates a tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern day New York City."

And the youtube trailer has cheesy-beach-read all over it, just right for a sleepy sunburned(out) brain:

I really wanted to like this book but just couldn't get into it, even with tongue firmly placed in cheek. While a quick read, it never quite grabbed me. I'd pick up a few pages, only to set it aside with every little distraction. The author's writing style, dialog and characters remind me of the hard boiled detective stories and pulp magazines I enjoyed as a kid. However the cliche's, at first amusing, became tiresome and I lost interest half way though. I think this book is good for a certain type of reader, maybe just not me. 

My copy of WPP came with some fun witchy swag, immediately claimed by the kiddo.

Witches Protection Program seems well suited for a quick interlude, say a plane ride or bout of insomnia.  My husband took it on a trip before I finished, so I purchased the audiobook version of WPP on Audible.com to finish. Dan McGowan's stilted narration is well suited to the pulpy prose style and I found the story made excellent background entertainment. It didn't have enough to hold my full attention, but was amusing enough to entertain me while doing chores. While I will not be seeking out any of the author's other books, I 'd still give Witches Protection Program 3 stars (out of 5) as it seems a good example of its genre.