I am delighted to be involved in the #blogtour for THE CRAFTSMAN by Sharon Bolton. Published by Trapeze and available to download and buy on 3rd May 2018.
About the Book: Catching him will make her career – and change her forever.
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?
My Review: 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.
What the Authors are Saying:
‘Engaging, compulsive reading.’ – Rachel Abbott
‘Sharon Bolton at her absolute finest. Beautifully dark and disturbing.’ – Jenny Blackhurst
‘Darkly gothic and brilliantly original, The Craftsman will have you spellbound.’ – JP Delaney
‘An absolutely terrific crime novel that takes your darkest fear and makes it reality.’ – Elly Griffiths
‘Grisly and comeplling.’ – Sarah Hilary
‘Utterly terrifying and gripping.’ – Sabine Durrant, author of TAKE ME IN
‘An original, dark, and twisted tale and the words just sparkle on the page.’ – Niki Mackay
‘I dare you to read it after dark. The Craftsman is a blood-chilling thriller that will cast a spell on you.’ – Mark Edwards,No.1 Kindle bestseller
‘Fabulous, utterly unique storyline, that will effortlessly stand out in the crowd of thrillers. It’ll give you the creeps.’ – Helen Fields
‘Pitch perfect creepiness, air punching female empowerment and sinister mysteries kept me hooked to the very last page.’ – Holly Seddon
‘The Craftsman goes to some very dark places, and will have readers looking nervously over their shoulders with every page they turn.’ – Mick Herron
‘A brilliant blend of rich crime thriller with a hint of the gothic. Dark, disturbing and with women who totally rock, with the Craftsman Sharon Bolton has proven herself to be a master Craftsman herself. Buy it. Read it. Tell your friends. Then sleep with the light on.’ – Sarah Pinborough
