While the start of this book felt a bit slow, the payoff and reward to readers who stick with it is worth it. From the glimpse at the difficult conditions women in the police force experienced in the early days, to the harrowing experience Florence Lovelady has due to her role in investigating the disappearances of three local teenagers, this story was a perfectly moody, grim October read.

My favourite Sharon Bolton novel thus far! Unputdownable!

The Craftsman "is the story of women and witches, of the children we love and must protect and of the men that fear us".

30 years ago children were disappearing and being buried alive. WPC Florence Lovelady solved the case and the murderer was sentenced to life behind bars. She returns to attend the serial killer's funeral with her teenage son Ben who becomes a target of evil forces all these years later.
Is the past repeating itself?
Did they convict the wrong man?

A dark and chilling mystery with a taste of witchcraft and the supernatural.
Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review

Wow is all I can say. I think this was the perfect book to read right before Halloween, it had it all a serial killer, withes and secret cults. I am ashamed to say that when I started it, I wasn't really feeling it, and it took me longer to read than it really should have, considering I read the last 75% yesterday in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. I liked Lovelady from the beginning, even though I didn't like how she was treated considering it was back in the 60's I can see why she was, being one of the few female cops. I really liked Tom and felt that they had something, I was shocked at the end. I really liked the two witches that she moves in with, kinda reminded me of the aunts from Practical Magic lol. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book and cant wait for more from the author!

3.5 stars.

A suspenseful, chilling and ‘witchy’ story!

This novel follows Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady who, as a new police officer in 1969, helped put convicted murderer Larry Glassbrook in prison. Larry, the local funeral director, was found guilty of murdering three local teenagers by burying them alive in caskets he made himself. Florence’s determination and persistent drive to find answers and solve the murders lead her team to the shocking conviction of Larry.

There are two timelines – 1999 and 1969. In 1999, Florence is attending Larry’s funeral in the small town where she brought him to a murder conviction. Here she revisits her old stomping grounds and rehashes long buried memories and secrets. The second timeline in 1969 follows Florence through her introduction into the male dominated police force where she relentlessly works toward proving herself and solving her case. I enjoyed both timelines and felt they flowed and intertwined intriguingly.

I loved Florence’s character! She had an innocence about her but such a strong will and determination to get answers. I was rooting for her from page 1. The ‘witchy’ factor in this novel is quite strong which was perfect for a late October read, however, I found that it did get a little too ‘witchy’ for me in the second half of the book. Some details felt unrealistic and I couldn’t wrap my mind around them causing me to lose some of the connection I felt in the first half. Regardless of this, I still enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading more by this author (this was my first Sharon Bolton).

This was a Traveling Sister read. I was the outlier in the sense that I liked and didn’t love this one. There was much love and dancing in the coulee among the Traveling Sisters discussion for this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sharon Bolton for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Craftsman is available now!

Thanks to NetGalley and SMP/Minotaur for providing an electronic ARC of this title in exchange for an unbiased review.
Big Sharon Bolton fan here. I especially love the Lacey Flint series, but Ms. Bolton's first novels were not part of that series, and steeped in a more folkloric English tradition of spooky moors and supernatural goings-on. This title is a throwback to those.
Other reviewers have made much of what sole female office Florence "Flossie" Lovelady was put through in the boys' club atmosphere of the Sabden PD, which isn't untrue, but it's a minor bit of fluff that lends some context to Florence's experiences as the lone WPC. Better to focus on how she really is far cleverer than her male peers and finds ways to get things done in spite of the constraints put upon her: she personally digs up a grave to try to rescue a teenager who's been buried alive; she is the one who creates charts to see what links the missing teenagers; she is the one who discovers the link (when she's not being asked to make tea or struggling in her awkward uniform skirt). Still, this verisimilitude is Bolton's bread and butter. She inhabits her characters quite well. She also does a good job of toggling between 1969 (when Florence is a 22 year old greenhorn beat cop) and 1999 (when she is an Assistant Commissioner at the Met).
Does the book have flaws? Sure. Like most entertainments, there are times when the book's plot needs to fall just *so* in order to further the tale, and so disbelief must be suspended. The book has a slow start that required me to go back to it a few times to try to read enough so that I felt invested in the story. Once Bolton gets going, though, and the plot grabs you (for it surely will), she goes off on a tear and the book becomes un-put-downable. I finished last night after reading through the denouement very quickly, and then reading it again to make sure I understood what the eff happened. There is a twist, and then another. Things get weird(er). Things get (even more) supernatural. The ending, and its particular concepts, I think, are something that's going to stick with me for a good while. I read that Bolton switched to a new publisher for this story, and I can see that it's not a book that will appeal to everyone, but, I, for one, really enjoy when my police procedural is shot through with some cray-cray, Lovecraftian juju.

I have been eagerly anticipating Sharon Bolton’s new book “The Craftsman” and when I had the opportunity to read it, that anticipation was richly rewarded. Bolton’s opening note provides a stunning and very enticing prelude.

“I am a woman of Pendle. The women who were hanged for witchcraft in 1612 could have been my great-great-aunts or my ancestral grandmothers. And from my earliest days I’ve known that, had I been born in such a time of misogyny and superstition, I might well have been marked out a witch. Because I have always been different –the slightly weird girl at the back of the class, who didn’t fly with the wind, or follow the beaten path…”

“... there is one book that I have always wanted to write. The book about me, and women like me. Women of the north who stand out from the crowd and who are punished by that same crowd for daring to be different. I have always wanted to write a book about witches. Specifically, how women become witches. Do they make that choice themselves, or is it made for them?”

From that beginning, I knew I was in for something special. Admittedly, the first few chapters were gruesome to read but they set up the almost unbearable tension of the novel. The unique story line was utterly compelling and absorbing. While I am somewhat hesitant about reading thrillers which include aspects of the supernatural, here it was an integral and important component of the story. I strongly encourage readers who have that same hesitancy about supernatural elements read “The Craftsman” to see how appropriate and perfectly Bolton makes that an essential element. For all other readers - those who haven’t yet been exposed to Sharon Bolton’s previous books (all of which are superb), lovers of literary and thrilling crime fiction, and virtually anyone else who appreciates outstanding writing, brilliant character development, a rich, immersive atmosphere, and a compelling plot - put “The Craftsman” at the top of your reading list!

My review was posted on Goodreads on 10/28/18.

My review has been posted directly to goodreads. Please refer to the link below to see my review of this book on goodreads.com.

FIVE SHINY STARS
Deserves a lot more stars!!

The book is set right at the year of August 1999 and earlier in June of 1969. The book is set in Northern New England where witchcraft is practiced.

In August of the year of 1999, Florence Lovelady goes to the funeral of Larry Glassbrook's. She arrested him thirty years earlier. He was a funeral director and also a master carpenter. He made his own caskets and his victims were buried alive in them.

In the year of 1969 in June, Florence found a body of a thirteen year old girl who was buried alive, then later finds two other missing teenagers. She is new to the Lancashire police force and is struggling to fit in. She is sent to investigate an unlikely report from school children saying that they heard voices calling for help. A voice from deep within a recent grave.

Now it's thirty years later and Larry Glassbrook is dead and events from the past seems to repeat itself. Is someone copying the original murders? Or did she get it wrong all those years ago? Florence is drawn back to the Glassbrook's old house in the shadow of Pendle Hill where she once lived there with the family. She is chilled by the discovery of another effigy that resembles herself. Is Florence in terrible danger of could it be worse than her darkest imaginings?

This book is my favorite book on 2018. I loved this one so much. This was the perfect Fall/Halloween read. It had everything I wanted in a thriller. I loved the witchcraft and the covens. I was immediately drawn into the story. This book really creepy and scared me and I do not scare easily. Any book that has to do with being buried alive really creeps me out. Shockingly I didn't have nightmares last night. I think this book will stick with me for a very long time.

I thought I had this book all figured out and thought I knew what was going to happen next. I kept guessing and guessing and I was wrong every single time. This book is so intense, with so much action that never stops.

Sharon Bolton is my all time favorite author and I always want more after I read her books. She has one brilliant imagination.

All her characters are well developed. I loved Florence and there are a lot of unlikable characters too, especially the men.

I love her writing style. This one has some twists and turns with jaw dropping moments. I am so happy this is a series. I am so excited to read the next book. I am on a five star high! I loved this thrill ride.

This was a Traveling Sister Read and we were all creeped out by it but all of us enjoyed it.

I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Being buried alive has to be one the most terrible ways to die and Bolton does a great job in describing this. This book has a slew of characters that are connected through witchcraft, Masonic lodges , hocus pocus , funerals and deceit. A small town police force with a new female recruit is called upon to deal with three missing children. What unravels is complex and sometimes a little far fetched . The beginning pulls you in , the middle gets tedious at times and the ending is complicated. An okay read for me .

4.5 stars

Anytime I see a new read from Bolton I go and grab it immediately, not even caring what the subject matter is. She could write a engineer's manual and I think I would find it entertaining!

She doesn't disappoint with this new venture, adding supernatural elements to a story line already rich in dark suspense and atmospheric vibes that just gave me goosebumps.

Here's a sampling of what you will find in the chapters of this dark and chilling creep fest:

-children buried alive
-voodoo dolls (clay effigies)
-a missing finger
-full moons and covens
-Florence Lovelady (she is by far the shining star)

Looking at this list I have to admit it all reads a bit silly, but I promise you, this is an expertly written story that should not be missed.

ARC provided by NetGalley

4.5 / 5 rounded up

The Craftsman by Sharon J. Bolton wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I really really liked it!

What it's about: WPC Florence Lovelady, known to almost everyone as "Flossie" due to her red hair, gets her career made in the town of Sabden in Lancashire by putting away a child killer who likes to bury children alive. But when strange events start happening again after his death, it makes Florence wonder if she actually did get the correct person sentenced to life in prison.

The book starts in the present then skips back to the past and catches up with the present again. The past was interesting to read about since it was all about Lovelady's career in Sabden and how she handled the case of the missing children. It was set in 1969 and there was so much discrimination against Lovelady and shoddy police work that it had me rolling my eyes almost non-stop. Just think lots of douchy male cops that were complete idiots when it came to finding the missing kids and their murderer.

I loved Florence and she was such a smart character. I also loved all the spooky witchy vibes. Towards the end of the book I was thoroughly freaked out to the point that certain noises were making me jumpy. The Craftsman is on the longer side but it reads incredibly fast. I was hooked right from the beginning and had a hard time putting it down.

I thought the ending did leave a few unanswered questions, but being this is the first of a trilogy I expect those questions will be answered in the upcoming books. It doesn't end in a cliffhanger though, I am just curious about certain things.

Final Thought: Besides The Craftsman I have only read one other book by Bolton so far - Dead Woman Walking - and I absolutely loved it. I love Bolton's quick wit that she inserts into her novels, and there are so many moments that I laugh out loud while reading.. I am also a huge of how she writes and the flow of her books. She is already one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read her backlog ASAP! Highly recommend The Craftsman although some may think it starts out on the slow side.

This was a perfect book to read right before Halloween. You've got missing children, coffins, witchcraft, murder. This was a dark, creepy and chilling read.

I was really excited to read this book. I loved Bolton's book "Dead Woman Walking". However, the Craftsman was a slow-burner for me. By the second half of the book though, I was so engrossed I couldn't put the book down. This book was well-written and the author did an amazing job with the story-telling and the character development. This was a great psychological thriller that had me guessing throughout the whole book. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of Sharon J. Bolton's "The Craftsman" in exchange of an honest review.

I enjoy every book Sharon Bolton writes, and this was no exception.

In her books, the environment often becomes almost a character, and the bitter north of England is an enemy here. The book revolves around a few time periods as a former detective returns to the funeral of a convicted murder and the time of the murders.

While the mystery was very engrossing, I found Florence's struggles as a female detective in the 1960s the most interesting part of the story. Her struggles against and with her fellow policemen were realistic and interesting.

Like many of her books, this book is both a psychological thriller and offers a touch of the supernatural. I think readers of Tana French and Steven King will find a new favorite here.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Pendle Hill in Lancashire is the site of one of the most famous witch trials in 1612. Women get baptized twice, once in church, once in the lake as a witch. Bolton gives us a creepy read, just in time for Halloween. I really wanted to love this book, I had read such great reviews, but I only liked it. Don't get me wrong, it was a good story and many people will love it, but is was just a good story for me. There are witches, ghosts, voices from a grave, and some people called Craftsmen. Sharon Bolton writes the reader a letter to open this story explaining her connection to Pendle and why she wrote this book. It sets up this story for the reader.

The book begins with a funeral of a convicted child murderer, hated by everyone in the town, and then takes the reader back to the late 1960's, where the lone female police woman, Florence Lovelady, becomes embroiled in a case concerning the three missing children. Florence puts up with a lot of prejudicial behaviour while trying to break into this male dominated field. She is even kept in a cell overnight at one point, for her protection during the investigation. She does not back down and is extremely persistent. Even when she has been told to back off, she manages to piece things together and see patterns that the men cannot. At one point, she is taken under the wing of a coven of witches and they come to her aid at one point. We then come back to the present where Florence is not sure if the correct person was arrested all those years earlier and she begins a clandestine investigation of her own, thus putting herself and her son in danger.

Bolton does a great job with the character of Florence and the other characters. Even though you don't get to know them all well, they are developed enough to feel comfortable with. The characters we are meant to dislike (the other detectives) we dislike and the ones we are meant to like are likable. I really liked Dwane, the dwarf gravedigger. He was not who he seemed at first glance. As the timeline goes back and forth, I had not problem following the story. It was not confusing, and with enough hints and twists to keep the reader turning the pages. One complaint was the pacing, I felt that the story got a bit slow in parts, which caused me to take longer to read this book than I normally would. The other thing I had a bit of a problem with, was the ending. There was way too much paranormal situations thrown together at the end, that we did not have warning about during the story. On the whole though, this was a good thriller, and Bolton fans will enjoy this one. The publisher, Minotaur Books, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

It's not that often that I rate a suspense/thriller/horror story five stars, but this one deserves it. It is so exciting and well-written that I was actually biting my nails waiting to see what would happen next!

The Craftsman is a police procedural set in Northern England, an area where witchcraft has supposedly long been practiced. As the story opens, Detective Florence Lovelady returns to Sabden in Lancashire in August of 1999, to witness the burial of its most infamous former resident, a murderer she helped send to prison for the murder of three teenagers thirty years ago.

The story then goes back in time to 1969 where we follow the police investigation of the disappearances of these poor children as it unfolds. Being the only woman on the police force, Flossie is disrespected even though she is often quite intuitive and good at what she does.

When the author returns the story to 1999, we learn that our Flossie is facing new dangers. Is someone determined to make sure the truth does not come out?

Plenty of twists and turns kept this reader on the edge of my chair to the very end! Nice touch of the supernatural. If you are looking for something perfect to read for the Halloween season, this is IT!

I received an arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review. Sharon Bolton never disappoints--highly recommend.

I received an copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you to the Author, the Publisher and to Netgalley. This is the first book by Sharon Bolton that I have read, and it was really good. I wish there was an option to give 4.5 stars to a book, although this book is excellent, it is not quite a 5 star book. I found this book quick paced and suspenseful. Although they tell you who the murderer is very early on, there are a number of twists and turns in the book to keep you wondering what will happen next. I would definitely recommend this book.

A new detective and the first female on the force, a town haunted by a merciless killer, children going missing only to be found in the most horrifying manner, and a mysterious darkness around the town that can only be described as not of this mortal world…

The Craftsman had me convinced that Sharon Bolton somehow new my most secret fears and brought them into this story. This book is positively chilling and expertly crafted. Written primarily in flashback to 1969, the story of the small town of Lancashire, England involves the mysterious disappearances and horrifying murders of teenagers in the town. This is my first novel by Sharon Bolton and I can’t believe that I haven’t read anything by her yet. If you haven’t either, make The Craftsman your first because it is truly mind-blowing!

About the Book

August, 1999
On the hottest day of the year, Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady attends the funeral of Larry Glassbrook, the convicted murderer she arrested thirty years earlier. A master carpenter and funeral director, Larry imprisoned his victims, alive, in the caskets he made himself. Clay effigies found entombed with their bodies suggested a motive beyond the worst human depravity.

June, 1969
13-year- old Patsy Wood has been missing for two days, the third teenager to disappear in as many months. New to the Lancashire police force and struggling to fit in, WPC Lovelady is sent to investigate an unlikely report from school children claiming to have heard a voice calling for help. A voice from deep within a recent grave.

August, 1999
As she tries to lay her ghosts to rest, Florence is drawn back to the Glassbrooks' old house, in the shadow of Pendle Hill, where she once lodged with the family. She is chilled by the discovery of another effigy - one bearing a remarkable resemblance to herself. Is the killer still at large? Is Florence once again in terrible danger? Or, this time, could the fate in store be worse than even her darkest imaginings?

Reflection

Not unlike the clay model of the town that is featured so prominently in the solving of this mystery, I felt like I was able to acutely envision the settings in the small town in this book. Bolton is an incredible writer, and she writes a story that is atmospheric, haunting, and rich with well-developed characters. I felt like this book could have been 200 pages longer without drawing out the story at all—there was just so many interesting twists to the story.

Readers of my blog may know by now that I love a little hint of supernatural to my mysteries when it is done well. I like the mysteries that are grounded in reality, but have a tinge of other-worldly darkness creeping in. In The Craftsman Sharon Bolton absolutely nailed it! She opens with a letter to the reader—that since she grew up she’s always wanted to explore the notion of witchcraft.

This book uses the element of witchcraft perfectly. Just as there is a difference between a haunting and being haunted, there is a difference between witchcraft and witches. The Craftsman showcases how with a turn of the story, a person can find themselves to be the witch—the one being hunted. And then of course we have the magnificent coven in this book. The lurk on the periphery of the story, using their combined force to draw out the truth. I absolutely loved this element, and it made it a perfect October read!

The structure is really something else as well. The book begins in 1999 with the funeral of the town’s most hated resident. Larry was finally captured and sentenced to life in prison. Thirty years later he passed away and Florence returns. And yet, something has been unleashed on the town in the wake of his passing. It feels as though Florence was lured there, though she came of her own volition.

Then the majority of the story takes place in 1969, where teenagers in that phase between childhood and adults are going missing. And when they are discovered it is in the most horrible way—locked inside of intricately-crafted, ornate coffins with another body inside and buried 6 feet beneath the ground, the satin lining torn to shreds as they try to claw their way out.

Did you get chills from that description? That is only the beginning of their horrifying deaths. Of course, you’ll have to read yourself to find out what I mean! Let me say this—there is physical horror and psychological horror, and Bolton shows you that just when you think nothing could be worse than the physical horror, you learn the true depths of the monster that did this.

Florence herself is a completely fascinating character. She is tough and by-the-book, whip-smart, and dogged in her pursuit of the truth. And just when you think that she’s invincible, you see the young woman that she truly is—wanting to fit in, connecting with other women who find themselves on the outs in the town, and getting schoolyard crushes. Florence is truly perfect in her contrasts.

This is a book I encourage all psychological thriller fans to try. The ending made me positively gasp with delight, shock, and awe. The last two lines keep replaying through my mind! Every time I think of them, I fall in love with this book all over again. And we are in luck, because I read on Bolton’s website that this is part of a trilogy!!! I cannot wait to read what comes next from her.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and St. Martin’s Press for my copy to review.

3.5 Pendle Hill in Lancashire, the site of witches, and one of the most famous witch trials in 1612. Bolton gives us a creepy read, just in time for Halloween. Witches, ghosties, voices from a grave, and things that go bump in the night. Opens with a personal letter from Bolton, explaining why she wrote this, her connection to Pendle. In the present, it begins with a funeral, and then takes the reader back to the late 1960's, where the lone female police woman, Florence Lovelady, becomes embroiled in a case concerning three missing children.

Bolton does a great job with the character of Florence, and her non acceptance by her fellow male officers. Women trying to break into these male dominated careers, had a extremely hard time, but Lovelsdy is no shrinking violet. She is persistent, even when told to step down, and manages to piece together and see patterns that the men cannot. She finds much more than the bargained for, becomes involved in a group that is involved in outwordly matters. The story goes back and forth, and this is handled extremely well, was never confusing. Some very interesting characters who are not who they appear to be. The pace is quick, the reveals timely.

The only thing I had a bit of a problem with, was the ending. Too much, imo, was thrown into the mix and didn't think it was effective. On the whole though, this was a very good thriller, and Bolton fans will find much to like.

ARC from Netgalley.

I really wanted to like this book and actually read it all the way through. I wish I had given up on it early and not wasted my time reading this one. Although it has gotten a lot of great reviews, it just wasn't the book for me. It was very slow and had too many supernatural / witch references for me. I had a difficult time following the story and characters since I sadly wasn't engaged with it.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. On one hand, I feel like the synopsis is very misleading. In a vague sense, things happen like promised, but I only remember one person actually being found buried alive (as far as I know the other two were never found). Added to that, after he died, the only event to repeat was the disappearance of her son. I feel like it was hyped up to be something that in the end, it was not. And that was very disappointing.

But on the other hand, what we were given was such a complex, and interesting read that it was enjoyable. I still don't quite understand why certain people acted the way they did when nothing came of it, but there were definitely some surprising twists that I did not see coming! I enjoyed how the book spent time focusing on the events of the past, allowing the reader not only to experience the crimes, but also the dynamics of the team and all of the players. I felt that it was because we had lived that with them that it made what happened in the present more edge-of-your seat.

There are some paranormal elements in this that may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I felt for this particular story they worked. I would read more from this author, and I did notice that this book is part one. I am just curious enough I would read more in this series to see what else the author can do with it.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.