Gah. Can you think of anything worse than the idea of being buried alive? The whole misery of the darkness surrounding you, the hopelessness that comes with every futile attempt to break free. The feeling of despair which turns to panic, using up all that precious air that you so desperately need ... At which point do you give up hope - before or after fear turns to pain? It's no wonder that it is such a common fear. And it is exactly this which Sharon Bolton taps into, magnifies and amplifies by building a sense of foreboding, adding a dash of the supernatural and a topping off with a whole dollop of intrigue and tension creating an absolute cracker of a book.

Told in three parts and two different moments in time, the story follows Florence Lovelady who finds herself drawn into the investigation into a missing teenage girl. Starting in the present when the convicted murderer is interred and taking us back to the fateful events of 1969 when the full horror of his actions are uncovered, the story is full of darkness, a creeping and chilling mystique, urban legens involving witchcraft and ... more misogynists than you could shake a stick at. Well - it was the sixties. Like it or not, it's authentic, so don't expect feminist sensibilities to be catered for in any great way here.

Don't get me wrong - Florence is a fantastic character, holding her own in a team of male police officers who see her as an overeducated tealady. And hold her own she does, running rings around her colleagues, even her superiors, with her tenacity and determination. When she is given a task, no matter how trivial it may seem, she sees it through and, sometiems unwittingly, manages to uncover vital clues as a result. Not that her actions go wholly unnoticed, our heroine finding herself in harms way on more than one occasion. Doesn't stop her though. She's a feisty one and she will get her man, even if it kills her.

I really liked Florence, enjoyed getting to know her character. Sharon Bolton has done a brilliant job of bringing out both her anxieties and fears but also her inner strength. From her doubt over the original case that we see in the ifrst and final parts of the text, to the lengths she is willing to go to protect those she loves, there is little you cannot help but like about Florence. She is open minded where others around her are closed off and she cannot be bought, which in a community dominated by Lodges, Freemasons and the like, is no mean feat, especially in a patricarchal 1960's community at the foot of the Pendle Hills.

If you are looking for a straightforward police procedural then in some respects this book may not be for you. There is an element of the otherwordly about this story. tapping into local urban legend and the idead of witchcraft which I have to admit was right up my street. If you can retain an open mind about how much the 'witches' really had to play in the events which unfold and how much is just down to belief in their power, then you will see that threaded through the story, from start to finish, is a dark and twisted mystery, one of murder and long buried secrets, of trust and betrayal and, at the end of it all, a bloody good yarn.

The skill which Sharon Bolton has for creating tension is undeniable, and you can feel the oppression of the darkness surrounding the village, the unnerving sensation of being watched. It's the kind of book you may not wish to read in the dark. For me not outright horror, which I loive, but dark and gripping enough to get the heart pumping at a good rate of knots. The kind of reading which registers quite nicely on your Fitbit pulse tracker (other health monitoring brands are available).

This book ticked all the boxes for me and is highly recommended. A dark mystery with a taste of the supernatural, all wrapped up in a read which is as compelling as it is chilling. Tidy stuff and hats off to Ms Bolton for another cracking read.

First Sharon Bolton book I've read, and won't be the last. Wow - what a story. Well written, perfectly plotted, with just the right sprinkling of supernatural undertones as a backdrop for a terrible series of crimes. We're told right up front who the guilty party is, but nobody knows why he did what he did. It's one of those books that's so good, it stays with you for a while afterwards. I've already recommended it to half a dozen people and there'll probably be plenty more where the came from.

Wow. Thanks for couple of disturbed nights, Ms Bolton!

This is a seriously creepy and immersive, thrilling book. It opens with the funeral in 1999 of Larry Glassbrook, a convicted child killer who buried his victims alive back in the 1969. Florence Lovely, now a senior police officer down South, returns to the Lancashire town where she was lodger in the Glassbrook house at the time of the disappearing children.

The second section of the book flashes back in time to 1969, as Bolton weaves a storytelling spell around the claustrophobic nature of life in a small town at the foot of the Pendle Hill, notorious for its association with witches. The disappearance of three children, the suspicion, the investigation, the distrust of Florence, a university educated Southern woman who talks posh and uses long words - the story intrigues.

I have to admit to being seriously disturbed by even the thoughts of being buried alive, and the way Bolton writes, I was terrified out of my skin by the scenes. I was desperate to know what was going to happen though, so had to keep reading.

And then the third section, back to 1999 - ooh boy, the tension.

Great book.

A bewitching blend of light & dark.

The Craftsman is without doubt a slice of Bolton at her best. Every single sentence is constructed in such a manner as to enhance that sense of ominous foreboding that makes all of her work deliciously scary. The story is woven with intricate elements of the supernatural creating a bewitching blend of light and dark.

The time shift to 1969 whilst breathing life into the chilling presence that seems to ooze off the page also provides a real insight into the persecution of women throughout the ages.

Rarely has a book made me so aware of my surroundings, of the moon as it rose, of the trees as they brushed against the window and of the fear that skittered over my skin as I read.

Thank you so much to the Publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC. The Craftsman is an utter triumph.

Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady has had a successful career ever since she was pivotal in catching Larry Glassbrook, a coldblooded killer who abducted and murdered three teenagers in 1969. We meet Florence and her son, Ben, in 1999, when she returns to the scene of the murders for Larry's funeral. The book narrative then takes the reader back in time to 1969 when Florence was a young WPC, before returning to 1999 for the final chapters.

For the majority of the book, the theme is mostly about the crimes and building the case, and it is really only in the final third of the book that anything suggesting a more supernatural aspect is introduced. Florence was an OK main character, she was fairly engaging but a bit of a Mary Sue. The actual plot was very well done and it had plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting and the reader guessing. The final chapter felt a bit dismissive of the other female characters which I didn't like, especially as the crux of the book was about the historic and modern scapegoating of women who upset the status quo. Overall it was an enjoyable read but I'm not sure I would be in a rush to read it again. (As we cannot rate in halves, I've given the book 4 stars as I thought it deserved more than 3 but my rating would be 3.5).

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers, Orion Publishing Group/Trapeze, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Oh my! What a brilliant read! This has to be one of the scariest books I’ve read in a long while and yet there a few graphic scenes, what the author does is get into your mind and play with it.
Brilliantly the opening to this book is an author’s message to her readers – a lovely touch, which ends with these words:

The Craftsman is the story of women, and witches. Of the children we love and must protect. And of the men who fear us.

The Craftsman is mainly set right in 1969 when our protagonist WPC Florence Lovelady is visiting the mother of a missing girl of fifteen in the town of Sabden which lies in the shadow of Pendle Hill in the North-West of England. Florence is a strong, educated woman in what was back then, very much a man’s world. At the time we meet her as a young officer she is tagging along with the higher ranking Detective Constable Tom Devine as the superintendent thought a woman officer was a nice touch.

Now every good witch knows and consequently fears, Pendle in Lancashire which was where a number of witches were tried for witchcraft back in 1612. All admittedly a long time ago, but the history just adds to the superstitious small town community of Sabden which is coping with young people going missing gives legs to rumours and supposition. What this brilliant novel illustrates is how the charge of being a witch could all too easily be levelled against a woman, especially when a whole community feels as though nothing is going right, and what is going wrong is almost inconceivable.

I’m not revealing anything the synopsis doesn’t to say that teens were being buried alive in caskets, and nor I imagine do I have then have to explain quite how terrifying this book is. The setting of 1969, an age of comparative innocence, a fresh-faced, if far more intelligent than her superiors are prepared to admit, WPC it seems even more horrific that the murders are not only unusual, but particularly horrific.

Anyway good old Florence is determined to catch the perpetrator and thirty years later we meet her at the graveside of Larry Glassbrook a coffin maker. A man who has been imprisoned for the last thirty years. A man who Florence has visited over the years whilst she was climbing the slippery pole towards the glass ceiling. But, the case from the past is far from over and Florence is drawn back to the beginning of her career.
This novel is cleverly plotted with the parallels between the witches of the past and the present day happenings inevitably drawn, so subtlety and yet so powerful. I loved Florence and was rooting through her both in 1969 and 1999 her character clearly having developed in the intervening thirty years but her drive undiminished. Once again Sharon Bolton has created memorable and lifelike characters to populate one of the creepiest reads of the year. I strongly predict this book making it easily into the top ten reads of the year! Yes – I’m telling you all, you need to read this one, if you dare…

Sharon Bolton is so talented and as much as I loved her Lacey Flint series I have to confess I’ve loved her stand-alone novels even more, if that’s at all possible– you can take your pick from these as they are all shocking, gripping and oh so inventive.

I’d like to say a big thank you to the publishers Trapeze who allowed me to read an advance review copy of The Craftsman and to Sharon Bolton for keeping me up all night and caused my dreams in the nights since I read it to be filled with coffins and witches! This unbiased review is my thanks to them.

First Published UK: 3 May 2018
Publisher:Trapeze
No of Pages: 432
Genre: Crime Fiction
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Other Fantastic Fiction by Sharon Bolton
Standalone Novels
Sacrifice (2008)
Awakening (2009)
Blood Harvest (2010)
Little Black Lies (2015)
Daisy In Chains (2016)
Dead Woman Walking (2017)
Lacey Flint Series
Now You See Me (2011)
If Snow Hadn’t Fallen (2012) Novella
Dead Scared (2012)
Like This Forever (2013)
A Dark and Twisted Tide (2014)
Here Be Dragons (2016) Novella

The story begins with Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady attending Larry Glasswoods funeral, a man that she helped to convict 30 years ago for the murders of 3 children that he buried alive inside the caskets he made as a funeral director.  Except nothing is ever as it seems and Florence is determined to get to the bottom of it while she's back in her home town of Pendle.

Even though I have five other books by this author on my tbr list, this is the first I've read and what a book to start with!  It is a compellingly haunting read, expertly crafted (pardon the pun) by the author and I loved the way it's told over two timelines, the late 60's when sexism towards female police officers was rife and they were only considered useful for making a cup of tea, and the 90's when equality had considerably moved on.  It is a dark and seriously creepy book right from the outset, involving witchcraft and black magic and I was drawn in from page one and absorbed the story chapter after chapter, I  couldn't wait for Florence to uncover the real truth, which, when she finally did, hit me squarely between the eyes like a massive right hook, totally unexpected!

I look forward to reading more by this author and will be moving her other books up my tbr list.  I would like to thank Orion for approving me to read this on Netgalley and will post my review on Goodreads and on Amazon on publication day.

When I read the book description for The Craftsman my interest was. Immediately piqued, a coffin maker who buries his victims alive that alone was enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Written by one of my favourite “must read” Crime authors I had a feeling I was in for a real treat. The Craftsman is creepy, disturbing and so different to the authors previous books. It’s a nail biting crime thriller story interwoven with supernatural and horror elements. From the opening chapter the overwhelming sense of malevolence put me on edge, as the reader you know bad things are going to happen, as to the what and the when the author intricately reveals a plot fuelled by murder, witchcraft, black magic and secrecy. The Craftsman is dark and atmospheric, that feels gothic in its telling.
Full review to be published on my blog

The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton is set in 1960’s Sabden, Lancashire at a time of great fear for the local community with the memory of the Moors Murders fresh in their mind and three local teenagers missing.

“It’ll be a long time before folk round here get over what those two did,” Tom said. “Maybe they never will. Something like that happens it taints a place. People feel responsible when they can’t keep their kids safe, even if it’s a neighbour’s kid or kids from the other side of town. Kids die, it’s everyone’s fault and people round here can’t cope with it again. Not this soon.”

WPC Lovelady is about to get the biggest break of her career when she arrests local casket maker Larry Glassbrook for burying the three teenagers alive.

30 years later she returns to the Lancashire Village for Larry’s funeral and begins to suspect that maybe she got it wrong and someone else was responsible after all, someone powerful and with a knowledge of the occult.

The Craftsman made it onto our list of New Books to Look out for in May 2018 because from everything I had read and heard about it I could see it was getting a lot of hype for good reasons and once I started reading it I could tell my initial judgement was right.

Sharon Bolton’s letter to the reader at the beginning of The Craftsman only served to peak my interest as I have always liked learning about the history of witchcraft in this country.

“There is one book I 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? I used to think the latter, that it is societies that create witches. Now, after several years of research, I’m not so sure. I no longer dismiss the idea of witchcraft. Now, I think we all have powers within us. And some of us have learned to use them.

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

I do hope you enjoy it.”

The book begins in August 1999 with the community of Sabden and some members of the press gathered for the funeral of Larry Glassbrook. Among those at the funeral is Florence who was last in the village 30 years ago. She isn’t certain why she has come back for the funeral of the man she helped capture so many years ago.

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

As he is buried she and the others contemplate that this is what Larry did to his victims except they were alive at the time.

Florence lodged with the Glassbrook family for five months during 1969. Florence used to visit Larry in prison, but she couldn’t explain why even to herself. She never spoke to him about the case on these visits because she didn’t want to give him any power over her by letting him know there were things the police still had questions about.

On one of her last visits to him Larry asks her why she never asks him about the case and she in turn asks if he has anything to tell her, but he says he told it to the bees. Remembering this she decides to check out the old bee hive at the house they lived in 30 years previously. She is shocked to find a clay picture of herself in the hive. The house was searched after Larry’s arrest so how did it get there?

Glassbrook’s victims had all been found with clay pictures, a kind of voodoo doll well known locally because they were supposedly used by the witches killed during the Pendle witch trials which took place near to the town.

On the way out of the Glassbrook house in the present day, Florence bumps into her 15-year-old son Ben. He questions her about what happened in the 60’s and how she came to be missing a finger.

As much as I enjoyed the book I found that I liked the parts of the book set in the 60’s much more. I don’t know if it was because I liked Florence’s character better in the past or because I felt like the themes of discrimination and witchcraft were much more central during these parts.

During her time in Sabden during the 60’s she was very much an outsider in the community. A Southern woman in a Northern town. An intelligent woman with a talent for finding leads in an investigation dominated by her male colleagues. Half of her workmates think she should be protected from the gory truths of the case and the other half are of the opinion that she is far to clever for her own good and knows it, also that she the police force is no place for a woman.

The descriptions of the state in which the victims were found was very graphic, particularly Patsy, and I feel they added to the sense of foreboding I felt as a reader during the book.

My favourite thing about the book was the frequent elements of the occult that cropped up throughout, I thought they made It a much more interesting read.

The Craftsman

Sharon Bolton

4/5

In 1969 WPC Florence Lovelady's career was made when she convicted coffin-maker Larry Glassbrook of a series of child murders. 30 years later she returns to bury him.
Larry confessed to the crimes; it was an open and shut case. But now he's dead, and events from the past start to repeat themselves.
Did she get it wrong all those years ago?
Or is there something much darker at play?
This is my first novel by the well followed and prolific author, Sharon Bolton. Crime thrillers are not normally my thing but the premise seemed quite dark with a taste of the supernatural so I thought I’d give it a pop. I’m glad I did.
The novel is set in Sabden, Lancashire not far from the infamous Pendle Hills famed for witchcraft and England’s most notorious witch trials of the 17th century. It’s against this backdrop that the story plays out and it’s influence seeps onto every page.
The tale is gripping, a little twisted with a brooding dark feel to it. This is achieved, in part, by the author’s description of the bleak northern landscape and the attitude and mindset of its residents.
It’s a tale about cloistered, close knit communities, small town attitudes, prejudice and the sexism that existed in the 60’s as we see WPC Lovelady attempting to break into a mans world and the difficulties and obstacles faced. The attitude of the male and female characters and their demeanour showcase this perfectly and make the reader ill at ease and uncomfortable.
There’s a real feel of suffocation and claustrophobia in more ways than one. (Slight spoiler)
The plot is tightly woven with the now normal two timeline storylines which works fairly well as the jump between the timelines are infrequent. In fact I preferred the story set in the 60’s where there was a lot more going on, more intrigue and where the prejudice was highlighted and examined so well. The character of Florence Lovelady is excellent. A true bastion of female empowerment and a true signifier of the struggle for a women in a male dominated profession and world. The supporting characters are mostly unpleasant and menacing and this helps to keep the level of menace and tension high. Chuck in some witchcraft, murky Freemasons and some malevolent children and you have a creepy, sometimes chilling read.
It’s fast paced,entertaining and easy to read, the twist and ending is probably a little predictable but an enjoyable read none the less.
Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC, in return for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley, Publisher ad the Author. What a great read, I have never read any books by this author but shall certainly change that. Highly recommend

This was an intriguing premise and I enjoyed the witchcraft element that ran through the book. I liked the fact that a female police officer was the central character and unfortunately her experiences of prejudice felt authentic for the time period. I also found the story of the missing children very engaging and was taken by surprise with some of the plot twists. Another strength was the setting, as I got a real sense of the town and the people who lived there, as well as the local mythology. This was the first book I've read by Sharon Bolton and I would like to read more in future.

What a smashing read! Deliciously dark and seriously terrifying. I absolutely loved that the story starts by setting the scene in the present, but then whisks you back to the late 1960's. Fantastic characters that brought the book to life.

Firstly I would like to thank the publishers for my Advanced Proof Copy sent last November.  Secondly I would like to send the same publishers a bill for my hoover repair as the book was delivered in a creepy looking box full of stinky wood chippings which went EVERYWHERE and I swear I can still smell them 5 months later.

Anyway, back to the book.  This is a very creepy and exceptionally atmospheric story, which I found fascinating.  The story opens in 1999 with Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady attending the funeral of a child serial killer she helped to catch 30 years previously.  Seamlessly switching back to 1969, the story then starts at the beginning with a young and inexperienced WPC Florence Lovelady being assigned to help with the missing children case in Lancaster.

It was so easy to be immersed into the story, taken back to the late 60's when women were treated so differently in what was considered "men's work".  Reading about her trying to fit in, be part of the team, taken seriously and accepted amongst her peers was so believable and realistic.  Her determination to solve the case, find the missing children and catch the killer despite being treated badly by her colleagues was impressive and commendable.

This isn't your ordinary serial killer/whodunnit thriller - this is a brilliant book with fascinating characters, an eerie and atmospheric setting, some absolutely fabulous twists and OMG moments and a book that will haunt you long after you've finished it.

Hands down one of the most interesting and chilling stories I’ve read in a while. I’m interested in the Pendle Witches and have read plenty of historical fiction about them, but never a crime thriller set over two time periods! Sharon Bolton has conjured up a very clever read this time. The theme of children being buried alive is as dark as you get, and there’s a lot of detail about how a person would feel, act and think during the most horrific of times, knowing they were going to die. This novel had me shocked and scared from page one but knowing I was in the hands of a masterful storyteller, I knew it was going to be good.

There are few words to really explain how brilliantly evil this novel is and brilliantly good in its execution. sharp writing and a strong desire to show how women in a man’s world are still fighting to get their voices heard. The historical background of the witches, their roles in society at the time, the fear of them in the recent present…there is SOMUCH to this novel – read it slow and preferably not on a dark night.

Oh and the title – the Craftsman – oh dear – if you have a bed with a space underneath…we all remember those terrifying tales of the bogeyman who would come to get you..this is that times 1 billion.

Creepy and compelling is not a good enough descriptions. Bolton brilliance is what I call it!

I haven't read a Sharon Bolton Book in a while I'm sorry to say but I'm so glad i got to read this and I shall definitely read the books I've missed. Ms Bolton has a wonderful way of weaving a story around so you really don't want to stop reading and all the characters are believable and intriguing. The story starts at a funeral of a convicted child killer Larry Glassbrook, This arrest was the one which launched which Florence Lovelady's policing career 30 years before. Going back was always going to be difficult but the more Florence looks into the crimes the more she thinks she might of convicted an innocent man all those years ago.

Sharon Bolton is a great author who builds suspense and keeps you guessing. The craftsman is just another example of this

This was a fascinating story of witches , both male ad female, covens, murder and lies. The police police are totally out of their comfort zone. The truth doesn't come out until right at the end and is completely unexpected. Really great read.

Sorry could not read as it hd been archived when I tried to download. Sorry

Would it be suffice for a one word review for the latest novel from one of my favourite authors? OMFG! There, one word, the one word uttered when I turned the very last page and read that very last line. That very last line which is probably the best last line of a book EVER!

This read has been a long time coming for me but it was well worth the wait! Sharon Bolton has nailed it (yes, I know it is an awful pun) with this sinister, atmospheric and dark tale of missing children and misogynistic attitudes in the 1960s.

The blurb gives you all the information you need to know about the plot, it gives you a large dose of witchcraft in the past and present, black magic and secrecy all wrapped up in the everyday sexism that existed in the 1960s. It is so difficult to think that this was only 40 odd years ago. It explores social attitudes towards women, especially women who dare to break out the mould dictated to them by the culture of the day.

Starting off in 1999 before taking you back 30 years to the time of the disappearance of the children, The Craftsman, marries the two time periods in a perfect union. The plot was so tightly woven that you couldn't get a needle through it. I was on tenterhooks all the way through with so many twists and turns it was impossible to know who, or what to believe. Fabulous pacing and realistic with reference to the Pendle Witches and that whole notion of women who don't conform being labelled as witches had me completely engrossed in the novel.

Florence Lovelady was a well-rounded and believable character, I got a real sense of who she was, her conflict with her own personal beliefs versus social norms and expectations of the time and her determination not to allow others to let her gender stand in her way. She was a strong, believable and likeable character who engaged me from the beginning.

The Craftsman reminded me of just how talented an author Sharon Bolton is, she has the ability to take the reader on a dark journey injected with a subtle darkness from the outset and drag them hurtling into a full-blown horror without making it over explicit and exaggerated. I really do get lost in her books when I read them. This one will have the cold fingers of fear crawling up your spine.
Review will be on my blog closer to publication date (https://chapterinmylife.wordpress.com)