Witches' Sabbath

by Paula Allardyce

Tamar Brown arrives in a tiny English village to research her latest book, about Abigail Parkes, who had been burned as a witch three centuries before. Tamar is a redhead, as was Abigail, and soon the superstitious villagers fear that the witch has come back from the grave to take revenge. Never mind that, though. By the most amazing coincidence, Tamar is reunited with William, the lover who left her six years ago. The suspicion of his involvement in his wife's death, the speculation that she is a reincarnation of Abigail all lead to further vengeful and nearly fatal deeds....

Genres: Gothic

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Ursula Torday
aka Paula Allardyce, Charity Blackstock, Lee Blackstock, Charlotte Keppel

Ursula Torday was born on 19 February 1912 (some sources say her birth was in 1888 or 1914) in London, England, UK, daughter of mixed parents, her mother was Scottish and her father was Hungarian. She studied at Kensington High School in London, before went to the Oxford University, where she obtained a BA in English at Lady Margaret Hall College, and later a Social Science Certificate at London School of Economics.

In 1930s, she published her first three novels with her real name, Ursula Torday. During the World War II she worked as a probation officer for the Citizen's Advice Bureau, and during the next seven years afterwards, she was also running a refugee scheme for Jewish children, inspiration for several of her future novels like, The Briar Patch (aka Young Lucifer) and The Children (aka Wednesday's Children) as Charity Blackstock. She worked as a typist at the National Central Library in London, inspiration for her future novel Dewey Death as Charity Blackstock. She also teaching English to adult students. She returned to publishing in early 1950s, using the pseudonyms of Paula Allardyce, Charity Blackstock (in some cases reedited as Lee Blackstock in the USA), to sign her gothic romance and mystery novels, later she also used the pseudonym of Charlotte Keppel. Her novel Miss Fenny (aka The Woman in the Woods) as Charity or Lee Blackstock was nominated for Edgar Award. In 1961, her novel Witches' Sabbath won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association. She passed away in 1997.
Her book "The Briar Patch" about the romance between a young woman and a survivor of concentration camps written under her pseudonym of Charity Blackstock was to have been made into a film in the 1960s directed by Irwin Kershner and starring George Chakiris and Tuesday Weld but it never came into production.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_T...

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 1 out of 5]

At one point I didn't think I was going to be able to make it through to the end of this one, but I finally managed to power through the last 50 pages or so. I think what bugged me more than anything about this story—aside from trying to make me believe that all it takes is a redhead moving into a modern-day English village to stir up a literal witch hunt—was how inconsistent it was. The writer wanted us to see her hero as a strong, powerful, reasonable man who had been caught up in a terrible situation with his first marriage. But the man she shows us is temperamental, violent (aside from the violence he offers to nearly every other character, I lost track of the number of times he slapped or choked the heroine) incompetent, and completely clueless (how long have you been living with your sister and yet you don't know you can't believe a word she says? oh and by the way, homicidal maniac? you didn't notice that either? OK, doctor) We're also supposed to believe the heroine is some sort of competent intellectual. Anyway, we're told she's written books and is in the village to research another one. But we don't really see her do anything remotely competent. Whenever she's faced with a challenging situation or even a difficult conversation, she only does one thing...she bursts into tears. Niobe had nothing on her. Really no redeeming quality to this one.

[Charlotte Woof · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title and cover art is somewhat misleading; I was expecting a thrilling Pagan mystery, potentially delving into past timelines and the age of suspicion and witchcraft. I was sadly disappointed. Though the theme of witchcraft is occasionally present in the novel, it is used more as a literary tool to ostracise the protagonist from the rest of the village, rather than as a key component in and of itself.

Ignoring the title, and my subsequent expectations, I instead opted to focus on the romantic element of the plot, as it seemed more central (I should perhaps have guessed this as the book was published as a 'Romance Book Club Edition' - whoops!). However even here it fell flat.

I tried to suspend some of my 'modern' moralities and try to see the book as a product of its time. However, the misogyny of Tamar's relationship was absolutely staggering; I couldn't fall in love with her choice of man as I was expected to, as I couldn't see him as anything more than an emotionally stunted brute.

I'm glad I saw the book through to the end, and despite this rather scathing review I can't say I absolutely loathed it - hence the two star rating. All I would say is that if you're looking for a taut Pagan mystery, look elsewhere.

[Natasha Cowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Tamar Brown is moving temporarily to the small town of Meadway Bois to research its most famous figure, Abigail Parkes, who was a witch persecuted and burnt at the stake 300 years ago. Upon arrival, it soon becomes clear that this town and its inhabitants haven't progressed far past this point in society and Tamar's experiences are compounded when she runs into her former lover.

I actually really enjoyed this novel. I didn't particularly like the characters; Tamar was a weepy, uncommunicative woman and William was an aggressive, temperamental asshole, but I still liked the story. I especially liked the tension created through the relationship between Tamar and Ruth and, by extension, Tamar and the villagers. The pace was moderate without dragging and I couldn't help but try to imagine how this could be reinvigorated for the 21st Century. A quick, easy read.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Successful author Tamar Brown chooses the rural English village of Medway Bois for her latest book. Three hundred years ago it was the site of the trial and burning of Abigail Perkins, a supposed witch who set the village on its ears. But perhaps some things are better left in the past, and Tamar may resemble the long-gone Abigail too much for comfort. Add in a long-lost love and the stage is set for an enjoyable contemporary gothic. As is the case with her novels written under another pen name, Charlotte Keppel, Alladyce creates flawed but substantial characters who are much more three-dimensional than those found in most genre novels. The story in "Witches Sabbath" is not complex: it turns on the things we do for love, for spite, and out of fear but it is a well-told one.

[Julie Eastlick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally could not feel for or like any of the characters making this a less than fun read for me. That being said, I remained curious as to the direction of the book and kept reading wanting to know if I was correct about certain things.