I am a fan of this author. Thus I was excited to pick up this book and start reading it. After reading this book, I conclude that it was just "alright" for me.

The characters were fine and engaging but I struggled with finding my strong connection with them. Yet, Florence is a good lead character for what appears to be a new series. Getting to know her and see her in action does make me want to read the next book. There is still more to her to be discovered. Especially after the events in this book that will shape her and make her tougher.

While, I was not as engaged as I have been in the past reading books from this author, I still felt like this was a good read. It kept me intrigued enough to keep reading until the end.

Some books feel like they have a season attached to them, and this one has a spooky autumn night written throughout. Great atmosphere, and a nice twisty psychological read for a chilly night.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to be an early reader.

Sharon Bolton is just incredible! I couldn't put this title down & I'm a new Sharon Bolton fangirl. This is fast-paces, tense & so enjoyable! I can't wait to read more from Bolton!

Sharon Bolton is a master of macabre. This book is beyond creepy: children being buried alive, serial killers, witches - and I loved every last word. Bolton tells a sinister tale wrought with suspense and intrigue like no other.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books and Sharon Bolton for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Very enjoyable book. Good mystery and was a real page turner! Looking forward to reading more by this author!

This was interesting, and I liked the witchcraft angle. The characters didn't feel fully fleshed out though. I didn't realize this was the start of a series. I would like to see if Flossie can uncover the rest of the Craftsmen, but I can't figure out why she would possibly hang around that town anymore!

Creepy and disturbing and a whopping good read. Florence Lovelace returns for the burial of the monster, the monster whose discovery made her police career back in 1969. Solving the case of the missing teenagers in Lancanshire along with the personal loss she sustained, draw her back. The story alternates from 1999 to 1969, as Florence navigates the opposition to her being on the force against her first rate deductive mind. Bolton, always a master, has changed the game with this the first in a new series with touches of supernatural and the Pendle witches.

This book is a white-knuckle read to the point that even though it starts in the present, so you know how it ends, you are still freaking out during the entire novel, set in the past. It’s so good. It’s so creepy. And there’s witchcraft! Florence Lovelady was in her early twenties and was a constable when she helped catch a creepy af child killer in Lancashire, in the 1960s. She was the only woman officer at the time and she was treated exactly as you’d imagine. The novel starts with her and her teenage son, in the present, visiting to attend the serial killer’s funeral 30 years after his arrest, but a message is left for her, and of course the past is coming back! I love a thriller where you think you know everything and you really don’t know anything! I was so sucked in that I got so many chores done, which I’d been avoiding, because I needed an excuse to keep listening to the audiobook. But please be smarter than me and don’t start the book before bedtime–trust me!

I liked this book but didn't love it. The book was a bit slow and lagged in the thrills department. It was just okay.

The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton is a haunting crime novel with hints of the supernatural that is a slight departure from the norm for Bolton but she weaves a masterful tale of suspense and intrigue. A novel of the past and the present and the lines that run between the two.

"...Her name is Duxbury; she is the mother of Larry's first victim, Susan.
Standing on the edge of Larry's grave, she sucks in breath, leans forward and spits. It is possibly the first time in her life that she has done so. The spittle is thin, dribbling. If it makes a sound as it hits the wood, I don't hear it. The next to approach the grave is more practised. A huge, bull-necked, bald-headed man, probably younger than the creases in his skin suggest. He hawks and then phlegm, solid as congealing paint, smacks onto the coffin. One by one the others follow, until the coffin beneath them must be spattered with spittle flowers.
The last of them to approach the graveside is an elderly man, thin and dark-skinned, eyes like stones. He looks around.
'Nowt personal, lass,' he says to the woman in the black dress, as I try to imagine anything more personal than spitting on a grave. 'We never blamed you..."

It is August of 1999 and Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady attends the funeral of Larry Glassbrook, the convicted killer she had arrested thirty years before. Glassbrook had imprisoned his victims in caskets he had made himself and buried them while they were still alive. He left clay effigies buried with the bodies.

It was thirty years ago in June of 1969 that 13 year old Patsy Wood went missing. She was the third teenager to have gone missing in the last three months and the Lancashire Police have little to no clues. New hire and not accepted by the men on the force, WPC Lovelady follows up a report of children hearing a voice calling for help. A voice coming from a newly buried grave.

"....Sabden, CID, WPC Lovelady speaking.'
'That girl you found.'
Silence again.
'Who's calling, please?'
'Where is she? Where did you put her?'
'Which girl do you mean? Can I take your name, please?'
'The dead girl. The one you found in the grave. Where is she?'
'I can't give out that information, I'm afraid. Who is this?'
'She has to be cremated.'
'Well, that will be up to her parents. I can't discuss this anymore unless you tell-'
'You must not put her back in the ground. She will not rest..."

It didn't long for WPC Lovelady to realize that there was more going on than missing teenagers. Here there are rumors of a past and of dark places where reality and magic blend. Where the old ways of witchcraft and blood sacrifices may still hold power. Places that WPC Lovelady must work her way through if she is to find the killer.

Thirty years after she put Larry Glassbrook in prison for the killings, Florence Lovelady finds herself back in the shadow of Glassbrook's old home. As she looks over the premises, remembering the murder case that made her career and sent her on the fast track to promotion and notoriety, she stumbles across another clay effigy. Much like the ones that had been buried with the missing teenagers thirty years ago. An effigy that looks exactly like Florence Lovelady.

Sharon Bolton, often writing as S.J. Bolton, pens gruesome and thrilling crime novels. The Craftsman, though with supernatural undertones is just such a suspenseful and gritty crime novel. It blends the two genres with ease and with the surety that the worlds are one. If you are not a Bolton fan, The Craftsman will make you one.

Another great story from a master storyteller.

Minotaur Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Craftsman. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Florence Lovelady was a young cop whose career was made when she was able to tease a confession out of the local coffin-maker turned child killer Larry Grassbrook. Now close to retirement age, Florence has returned to the village where she got her start. When a missing child close to Florence points to a copycat, will the investigation lead the police to the conclusion that they got it horribly wrong decades ago?

I am a big fan of police procedural thrillers when the author allows the story to unfold naturally and gives the characters a chance to investigate and ponder the possibilities. Author Sharon Bolton was very successful in giving readers a main character with flaws, but also tenacity, characteristics which make Florence Lovelady very realistic. As she explores her past, through the eyes of her present self, the story unfolds seamlessly. Although I did puzzle out the conclusion long before the ending, I was not disappointed in how the story was presented. Readers who like police procedural thrillers will enjoy The Craftsman for its featured main character and thrilling pace.

Enjoyable read, just like the rest of her books. Had to suspend my disbelief a bit with the content on witches, but it was still quite enjoyable.

The Craftsman is a strong, creepy thriller out just in time for Halloween. Witchcraft plays a role in the plot making this a bit different than your average thriller. Bolton's writing is atmospheric and really draws readers in. There are unexpected twists and turns throughout. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy Sharon Bolton.

This is a story of magic, witches, power, evil & missing children.

In 1969 Florence Lovelady is a young police officer struggling to be accepted by her fellow officers in Lancashire. There are several missing children in Pendle Hill and Florence working the case, finds the body of 13 year old Patsy Wood buried alive. Local funeral director and master carpenter Larry Glassbrook is arrested and sentenced to prison for the heinous crimes.

30 years later, in 1999, Florence returns to Lancashire for Larry's funeral. Facing nightmarish memories and old demons Florence revisits the past crimes. She finds herself questioning the old case when she uncovers a recently placed effigy, complete with her missing finger in the grounds of Glassbrook's family home. Could they have gotten it all wrong thirty years ago?

Uncovering the truth becomes a life or death mission for Florence. One seeped in mystical mystery and treachery at the hands of powerful, sadistic villains who will stop at nothing to achieve their dark desires.

The Craftsman was a dark, chilling and atmospheric mystery. This was my first Sharon Bolton read but it definitely won't be my last.

This is my first Sharon Bolton book and I have to say that I’m not very impressed. This book is super slow and tedious. I just can’t get into this book or her writing style. In the month of October, I really look for books that are fitting to the season. The witchcraft element and the great reviews are what turned me onto requesting this book. That and my reading group really enjoyed reading it.. While others absolutely loved it, especially Sharon Bolton fans, it did not work for me. Perhaps I will try another one of her books in the future. I would recommend this to the appropriate reader.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sharon Bolton for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this arc.

I have very much enjoyed this author's Lacey Flint books (and others) and have never been disappointed with the pacing, characters, or twists in them. I assumed this one would be as well. Had I been reading a "real" book, I'd have destroyed it turning the pages so fast they would have ripped off from the binding. Since I was reading on a kindle however, I nearly banged my finger bloody swiping the pages to turn.

Others much more eloquent and analytical than myself have posted reviews already. All I can really add is that this book was worth the bloody finger.

This book sounds like it has too much going on to really be able to enjoy it, but it is amazing! I love how the author included witches in this, as that was a unique twist. The characters were well developed and the plot moved fast! Highly recommend! I cannot wait to read more from this author!

4.5 stars. A casket and a coffin are two different things as we discover in this spine-chilling tale. This is a very atmospheric, twisted story involving children being buried alive, witchcraft and a young female detective. Finely-tuned psychological thriller from Ms. Bolton with a satisfying jolt at the end.


**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

4.5, a casket and a coffin are DEFINITELY NOT the same thing stars!!!

Creepy. Sinister. Haunting. These are the words that come to mind when I think about reading The Crafstman by Sharon Bolton. A true master of her craft, Bolton has woven a truly shocking, original and surprising thriller perfect for the witching season.

We're gonna party like it's 1999. JUST KIDDING - we're going to dredge up old crimes as Florence Lovelady attends the funeral of prolific serial killer (who, just FYI, killed his teenage victims by - I shit you not - burying them alive). I don't know about any of you, but for me, this is a true nightmare realized. Attending this funeral opens old wounds and we flashback to WPI Lovelady's past and her hunt for Larry Glassbrook. In the present, Florence "Flossie" Lovelady finds a clay effigy of herself - bound and tortured. With this, we set off on a multilayered and twisted tale of an incredibly sadistic villain.

I wonder what words his headstone might carry: Loving husband, devoted father, merciless killer.

In traditional mystery/thriller fashion we're given alternating timelines. The present taking place in 1999 and the past taking place in 1969 where Florence is the first female police officer in Sabden. Not only is Lovelady highly educated - seen as pompous and snooty - but she has to fight the inherent sexism involved in becoming the first female on the force. Unlike many other female protagonists in these types of stories Florence is not battling personal demons and hangups. She is a genuinely likable and competent MC and it among many other aspects of this read were incredibly refreshing.

In 1969 three teenage children have all gone missing without a trace. The police force, the town and all of its citizens are in a tizzy to uncover what has happened. Following a hunch, Lovelady discovers the body of Patsy (the most recent missing child) has been buried alive in a recent grave. Only after exhuming the body do they discover the clay effigy made of Patsy - depicting her torture. The exact same type of effigy Florence finds in the dilapidated previous home of the killer in 1999.

The words 'coffin' and 'casket' are used interchangeably, but the two are quite different. A coffin is a six or eight-sided box that follows the contours of the body: narrow at the head, widening at the shoulders, tapering in again towards the feet. Think Dracula rising. A casket is bigger, rectangular, usually with a large curved lid.

The crafting of this story shows Bolton's immense skill. It's nearly impossible to not be drawn into the web woven here almost immediately. The sinister undertones taking place throughout this story are truly magnificent. It's an incredibly fast paced and truly surprising story from start to finish. Frivolous red-herrings this story does not have - what it deals out in spades is pure and utter suspicion for anyone you encounter along the way.

While both timelines are set in the past, this story is incredibly relevant to today's societal climate. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again: I love a strong, kick-ass, female lead and The Crafstman absolutely delivers that with Florence Lovelady. Her character is multi-faceted and definitely not one-dimensional. However, as I mentioned previously her dimension doesn't rely on the typical "unreliable, damaged female" lead and while I don't always mind this and sometimes I quite enjoy it, it's always nice to break from the typical.

"Except, according to gran, it wasn't only about upsetting people... She said the witches needed body parts to make their spells work."

Not only is this a great police procedural, but what you might not be able to tell from the synopsis is that there is a supernatural aspect to this as well. While some write off fantasy / supernatural reads because it's not their own genre, or harder to fall into I can assure you that all lovers of mystery / thrillers would enjoy this. It isn't over done or misplaced - I was not only surprised by the inclusion of the Pendle Witch Trials did not detract from the overlying story line it only added to it. The historical information added in created a rich and exciting atmosphere that was difficult to draw myself away from.

All in all, I was incredibly impressed not only with the writing of this story but the development of the characters, the setting and the history. If you have any interest in police procedural, historical fiction or some light supernatural vibes I couldn't suggest this one enough! I'm not going to call this one fun because it's incredibly dark but I enjoyed myself and was rapt the entire time I read this!

Sharon Bolton is a favorite author for me and I was really excited to add The Craftsman to the Traveling Sisters group reads. Seven Traveling Sisters joined in on this sister read and a couple sisters have now added Sharon Bolton to there list of favorite authors.

The Craftsman has all the elements here with the atmospheric setting and buried secrets, disturbing and claustrophobic crime, a brew of witches and the supernatural lurching to make this story an entertaining, and deliciously creepy yet disturbing at times story.

The story starts off with an intriguing and creepy scene that sets the story up perfectly. We are then taken back to the past and are drawn into a gruesome and disturbing crime that would have anyone feeling claustrophobic. We start to get to know our main character Florence and loved how different she is from other female characters in a police procedural. She is fierce, strong and independent at a time when women were treated like they shouldn’t be. She faces challenges here with strength and determination. She is driven not by her own personal demons but by her independence and need to prove herself.

We all loved the setting here with the small town and its mysterious characters and the buried secrets they hold. The setting comes alive with its spine-chilling danger and we could feel the terror the characters felt in this story. We loved the real danger and the magical and supernatural danger to the story.

We highly recommend this one to thrillers lovers looking for a little something different. You will be sure to read something different here with this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Sharon Bolton for a copy to read and review.