The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton

Imagine waking up to a dark, cramped space. Feeling around in panic to discover you are in a casket. How could it get any worse? Then you realize you are not alone in the casket. Holy flipping crap! Like nothing I have ever read. Bring on the nightmares! A chilling, creepy, fantastic 5 star read!

1969 we are introduced to a small town called Sabden, a town with an extensive history linked to witchcraft. Everyone knows of the Pendle witches that have been hung for their practice. Except now the town is in the spotlight for missing children. It comes to light what their fate may have been when the first child Patsy is heard screaming for help while buried alive underground. Will she be rescued in time? Who put her there? Was she buried alive with the person that the casket was meant for? Or was the casket dug back up?

30 years later we join up with Florence Lovelady the police officer that cracked the case. She returns to the small town to attend a funeral of all things. The killer has been caught, so why does she still have so many unanswered questions?

I have read close to 70 books this year and this one is in my top 3! To think, I almost passed on reading this book because I was worried it would be too gruesome for me. I decided to brave it and I am so glad I did. It is a creepy, twisted, edge of your seat thriller. I could not put this one down! Now excuse me as I am off to order my next Sharon Bolton book, Daisy in Chains. I have some catching up to do as I have now added another favorite author to my list! I read this with a group of my Traveling Sisters and I know they are just as excited.

Thank you so much to Sharon Bolton, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this chilling fantastic ARC.