The Craftsman (The Craftsman #1) by Sharon J. Bolton #thecraftsman #sharonjbolton #stmartinspress #thriller #netgalley @absltmom

“Stalking old flames has become a whole lot easier with the dawn of the Internet”

 Frightening thought right? This book will surely give you just the right amount of fright and although it has that terrifying aspect for those of us who are claustrophobic, (which I do! ), the writing and the scenes depicted will send you on a chilling ride to an ever more horrifying ending. That being said, this book was a terrific read especially since the spooky season of Halloween is upon us. So, presenting:

Teenagers have gone missing in a small town. It is the stuff of nightmares for the parents and the people who knew them. Where are these children and while the police are investigating, we are introduced to Florence Lovelady, a novice policewoman in Lancasire, in a town called Sabden.  The story being told  to Florence’s son, reflects back thirty years prior to a case that shocked, terrified, and shook the community. That case made Florence’s career. It was a scary tale, wonderfully Gothic with many shades of witches, both the white and the black kind, and the missing children who are grisly murdered being found eventually having been buried alive. Absolutely horrifying! …and then there is The Craftsman!

Ms Bolton was quite adept in this novel, in weaving this story into something positively chilling, while shifting focus among the many possible suspects. The book invokes pure evil, crafted so well that you will have to check under you bed and in you closets while reading. Yes, it is that frightening! The action keeps coming at you and the pacing is quick perceptive and keen. Particularly interesting was that the author used an area in England that was pretty well known for its witch trials, the Pendle witches, where twelve people were accused by ten people of witchcraft back in the 1600s. Ten of these people were convicted and executed.

 

Two of the Pendle accused….

 

If you are looking for a fast paced book, told with a first person narrative that will have you right there next to Florence, this book might just be for you. I found myself flying through the pages and while I had my suspicions as to who the killer (s) was, this author kept me guessing up to the end. Definitely recommended as a dark, haunting tale that will make you feel a large sense of the eerie and macabre.

Thank you to Sharon J. Bolton, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this shocking novel!