Witch Water

by Edward Lee

Welcome to Haver-Towne. The sedate colonial resort is the perfect place where Stew Fanshawe can get away from it all for a while. But instead of finding tranquility and self-reflection, Stew finds something much more unique: a town that was once steeped in a quagmire of witchcraft, satanic debauchery, and centuries-old occult science. Indeed, Haver-Towne has a most colorful history:

A warlock who sires children with his own daughter, children to be used for something far worse than sacrifice. A witch whose carnal abandon and sheer diabolism stagger even the most demented imaginations. And a 300-year-old mansion in whose walls are embalmed the infernal secret of…Witch-Water.

“What the hell is witch-water?” Fanshawe asks himself that first day he’d heard the macabre word, but when he finds out, he’ll wish he never had. His curiosity unlocks one morbid secret after another, and reveals a history of erotopathic witches, depraved covens, sick-in-the-head sexuality, and the most grotesque method of execution ever devised.

Join Edward Lee in his over-the-top modern-day tribute to classic horror scribe M.R. James, a novel of immemorial curses, demonic lust, and absolutely unmitigated evil

Word Count: 86,032

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Paranormal, Witchcraft

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.

Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.

He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.

Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.

Reviews

[MadameD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story 5/5
Narration 5/5

Witch Water by Edward Lee is a good witch story.
It’s well written, the characters are interesting and the plot is good. However this story is different than the others he has written. It’s depraved and gore, which is great. But in this story the humor is more sarcastic, in my opinion. Maybe it’s not the correct adjective, but I can’t think of a suitable one.
I enjoyed it and discovered the Barreling. This practice was so cruel!!
I recommend it!!!

[Warren Fournier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every time I read Ed Lee, I grow more convinced this guy who looks like an adult film director with a voice like Donald Trump is a talent without comparison. His writing is superb. I still think the man has got the Great American Novel in him somewhere, and may some day surprise us all and piss off horror fans with a non-genre sentimental opus before he finally retires or, the Muses forbid, passes away. He uses his incredible talents at prose to create some of the most outrageous extreme horror stories ever put to paper. So his books are a clash between haute literature and the most vile trash ever imagined by a disturbed mind, mixed with juvenile yet charming humor. So does "Witch-Water" stack up to Ed Lee's signature ouvre?

The premise concerns a famous New York finance billionaire by the name of Fanshawe, who goes on an extended therapeutic vacation at the recommendation of his psychiatrist. Like Stephen King's most famous characters, Fanshawe suffers from addiction, but in true Lee fashion, this particular addiction is not to drugs or alcohol but to a paraphilia. You see, he is a Peeping Tom, and he got into some trouble with the law and lost his marriage because of his compulsions. So he's off to the quaint New Hampshire village of Haver-Towne where he books a room at the Wraxall Inn, once the home of an infamous warlock executed in colonial times. Here he is free from tempting highrise apartments and office buildings full of prime window targets for his spying equipment. Or is he?

Misfortune follows within days of his arrival. The previous guest that stayed in his hotel room is found hideously murdered, and an old magical relic has gone missing from a display case. The relic is a "Witch-Water Looking Glass," a device perfect for peeping into bedrooms from a distance, and of course, it ends up in the pocket of Fanshawe's sport jacket, tempting him to relapse. Will Fanshawe be able to resist his impulses to be faithful to the woman he loves? Did he steal the looking glass or is someone trying to set him up? Who is the murdered guest and what happened to him? And what exactly is Witch-Water anyway?

The novel reads like a romantic Hitchcock mystery mixed with an episode of the Twilight Zone... with a breast fetish. Breasts were described 32 times, bosom 15, nipples 14, cleavage 5, and those are just the direct references. When not ogling countless bouncing boobies or enticing décolletage, it is only the occasional description of colonial methods of execution that keeps the reader from forgetting this was written by the master of splatter. Most of the first half is just exposition told over drinks at a bar or while visiting various museums. The plot is a little on the flimsy side, with coincidence driving much of the unfolding action. Then in the very last chapter, all hell breaks loose in true Ed Lee style.

So what does all this mean? Well, for those who may be attracted to this book looking for Ed Lee carnage candy, you may be overall disappointed. It's there, but it all feels shoehorned in at the last minute. And for those interested in just a good horror story, you also may come away not completely satisfied. A promising mystery and likeable character development all fall by the wayside. It felt like the story was going somewhere interesting, but then it stopped making sense. Everyone involved started doing things not in keeping with their character at all. To give specifics would go into major spoiler territory and I'm not prepared to go there.

Let me just say that I am aware that Lee was trying to say something cynical about addiction. You will always hear an addict say, "But that's not me. I'm not really that person. It's my addiction," in response to getting caught cheating again, or stealing from their parents, or after hitting their spouse. "Witch-Water" answers, "But it IS you!" We can deny the darkness inside ourselves all we want, even living our lives for the most part as selfless and kind people, but it's what we do when we think people are not looking that reveals what is in our hearts. That's a great theme for the horror genre. But the way Lee attempts to explore this theme comes across as a bit forced, leaving the reader with an uneven, unbalanced, and unfortunate final product.

That's not to say that this is a bad book at all. I enjoyed it thoroughly for the most part. But I can see why this is not one of Lee's more notorious works, earning it an overall mediocre score from me.

WORD OF THE DAY: scoptolagniac

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witch Water is Lee's homage to M.R. James and he mentions in the intro that it was inspired by a few of his stories. Unlike most of Lee's work, this is something of a slow burn and features Stewart Fanshawe ('call me Stew'), a Wall Street mogul worth over a billion. Stew, however, has an addiction that led to his recent divorce and he has been struggling to control it for about a year. The tale starts off with Stew driving his Audi to New Hampshire where he plans on spending some time relaxing on the advice of his therapist. His addiction? He is a peeping Tom.

Well, Stew arrives in the small town of Haver-Towne, the 'Salem of New Hampshire'; a quaint tourist town making bank today due to its rich witch history. Stew quickly learns that dozens, if not hundreds of 'witches' were killed here in the 17th and early 18th century, putting Salem Mass to shame in the body count. As the story unfolds, Stew learns more and more about the history of the town, especially Wraxall and his daughter, the most famous warlock there who build the house Stew is now staying in (it was converted to a hotel eons ago). Turns out there just might be some truth to the old legends surrounding Wraxall...

This started off reminding me more of Layton than anything else, with detailed depictions of breasts, nipples and such over and over. Stew's addiction propelled him to espy naked women and one day he 'borrowed' the witch water 'eye piece', an old hand telescope built by Wraxall and now stored in his hotel's 'curiosity' display in the lobby. Guiltily, Stew climbs some trails close to town and gets an eye full of babes staying at another hotel and all over town from his strategic vantage point...

Witch Water is made from boiling the bones of witches and has all kinds of arcane uses, but I will not go further on this to avoid spoilers. I have to admit this one threw me for a loop as I did not expect it to go where it did. By the second half you know you are reading a Lee novel as the action, grotesque as it is here, starts to heat up. My god can Lee dream up some nasty foo! Lee's trademark strange door knocker shows up here on the entrance to the local palm reader's house. I liked this and really liked the last part, but it was a bit of a slog wading through the Laymon-like boob and nipple depictions in the first half. 3.5 strange stars!

[Chris Berko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was getting a little worried towards the end there. It seemed like Witch Water was going to have a happy ending and it made me want to puke. But then there wasn't and all was right again. I don't read Ed Lee for sunshine and rainbows and unicorns. And while this was a lot tamer than most of the other stuff I have read of his this is still a really good book and was exactly what I was hungering for in terms of storyline and tone. Witch Water is more like the Flesh Gothic Ed Lee than the Bighead Ed Lee and sometimes you just gotta sit back and chuckle at some of the shit he comes up with. Sincerely, Ed Lee has to be the least inhibited author writing today. If people said out loud what he writes they would be locked up or committed. Fun story, good characters, and a nice conclusion, four solid stars from me.

[Joe Kovacs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have also published this book review on my blog, writeplaceblog.com. Please check it out and subscribe if you're interested in writing, or in literary and horror fiction.

Stewart Fenshawe thinks he has problems now. Well, he does. As Witch Water, Edward Lee‘s fictional tribute to 19th century horror master M.R. James opens, the reader follows billionaire Fenshawe as he drives out of New York City, away from the financial empire that has made him wealthy beyond dreams, and through the wooded landscapes of New England towards the little getaway town of Haver-Towne. This isn’t an innocent excursion unfortunately but is, following the advice of his therapist, a means of escaping the urban environment in which he has been arrested for voyeurism. He is a chronic peeping tom of the worst kind, and the public exposure has led to humiliation and divorce.

Vacation Getaway for Witches and Warlocks, Too

The town he has selected for his repose is rife, he soon finds out, with tales of witchcraft and deviltry dating well back into the 1600s. In fact, the inn in which he has decided to spend an indeterminate amount of time was once home to one Jacob Wraxall, dubiously known as the most unholy and sacrilegious warlock in town. Fanshawe, it finally so happens, is staying in a suite of rooms in which Wraxall lived hundreds of years ago.

The first quarter of Witch Water is something of a tedious trudge, laying groundwork through the introduction of Haver-Towne’s many denizens and their predilection for storytelling, and for Fanshawe’s ultimate encounter with Wraxall and his sorcery. Fanshawe’s first goal, upon arrival in town, is to leave his personal past behind. He struggles to overcome his proclivity (not always successfully) to peep on women through the windows of their homes and those of the local Travelodge. The possibility of redemption appears in the figure of Abby Baxter, an attractive young woman who is the innkeeper’s daughter and who takes as much a shine to “Stew” as he to her; Fanshawe wonders whether a new, healthy relationship will help him accomplish what his disdainful therapist clearly cannot.

Abby shares details about Wraxall’s obsession with the occult; he fathered numerous children with his own daughter Evanore, a ravenously promiscuous redhead, and sacrificed the newborns through unspeakable acts of devil worship. The extent to which Witch Water draws readers into the details of unspeakable acts and rituals is stunning and uncomfortable in its vileness–Lee’s intended effect. From a broth that includes the blood of those sacrificed, Wraxall develops a concoction of “witch water”, which, as Fanshawe eventually discovers, fills the ancient looking glass he has pilfered from the inn’s displays of witchcraft artifacts for his night-time peeping excursions.

Witch Water: How to Journey Through Time

He learns soon enough that the witch-water looking glass allows him to see, when spying on the town after midnight, Haver-Towne back in the days of Jacob and Evanore Wraxall. He witnesses their sexual and sacrificial rituals, distantly makes the acquaintance of Callister Rood, Wraxall’s malevolent right-hand man in the demonic arts, and considers the opposing figure of the local sheriff and townspeople who actively seek to weed out elements of witchcraft from the town. Public humiliation in the pillory and “barreling” are the town’s primary methods for fighting the dark arts. Lee does a fantastic job of calling up a time when the belief in and suspicion of witchcraft was potent throughout Puritan New England. Think Arthur Miller‘s The Crucible and Miller’s representation of nighttime rituals, the suspicions and the accusations surrounding the Salem Witch Trials.

The writing was sufficiently potent to encourage research on my part regarding the historical accuracy of such acts as barreling. As it occurs in Witch Water, a particularly sinful and devil-worshipping person was stuffed into a barrel with only their head emerging through a hole. A dog that had been starved for several days would then be set loose to grotesquely feast on the hapless victim. Several Google searches returned nothing on the subject, so my guess is that Lee has imaginatively created this act of torture. (For those readers who know otherwise, please comment below.)

Eventually, Fanshawe’s ability to witness centuries-old Haver-Towne through the looking glass leads to an ability to actually enter that world. That is where his history as a peeping tom finds new opportunities for depravity as he meets Jacob Wraxall, is nearly strangled to death by Rood and is raped by Evanore. A well-meaning fortune-teller with the ability to read people’s auras had earlier told Fanshawe she believed his heart was black, and his ultimate descent into the dark arts would, it seems, be the logical conclusion.

Witch Water: An Uneven But Evocative Story

For all that, despite his efforts to escape his voyeuristic past, Fanshawe never strikes me as a harm-seeking man, only a financially fortunate individual struggling to overcome a disease. Throughout Witch Water, he is a likable enough character and his ultimate end struck me as uneven and unlikely. Witch Water does an entertaining job of restoring the dark arts to the consciousness of readers, developing abominable characters and building a small, innocuous-seeming New England town with a terrible past. However, the extent through which the main action of the story is shared with some distance through historical texts and accounts, and not through Fanshawe’s experience, slowed the pace. I would have liked him to have been transported to colonial New England much earlier on in the story, and the reputations of Witch Water‘s nefarious characters evolved through his eyes.

Judging by online commentary, Edward Lee would appear to have a decent fan base. And one can only give credit to authors whose stories acknowledge and give credit to previous writers in a particular genre. Witch Water fits nicely into that sub-genre of horror that interests readers in subjects such as witchcraft and devil worship. For those new to the genre, the pacing of Witch Water may appear slow and the ending sudden and clunky. Nevertheless, there is a decent amount of story to enjoy and that will quite possibly encourage readers to want to find out what else Lee has up his sleeve. Visit Mr. Lee’s website to find out.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward Lee's bio and intro for this book distinctly reads that he is after creating a M.R.James pastiche. Hence this book is not Lee's usual fare and, while I certainly appreciate his literary aspirations, personally I enjoy reading Lee writing as himself not emulating classics. Lee's got a unique style which works well for him, from inbred rapists and murderers of his earlier works to the very imaginative infernal series. Lately seems like he's been trying to write these pastiche style books or classically inspired ones, trying all these different things, which don't necessarily work. To thy own self...and all that would really be applicable here. For all that Witch Water was entertaining, but it's like it couldn't decide quite what it was, the writing style...was sort of like Michael Jackson doing Sinatra, both are talented, but in two completely different and jarring styles. I've recently read Black Train by Lee, book in a similar vein plot wise, but pastiche free, and it worked much better. But, for all that, Witch Water was a pretty fun read with all the typical Lee's idiosyncrasies. It was also my first inter library loan...what an awesome program, I got to borrow a book form FL for free and it took only about a week. Gotta love the libraries.

[Ms. Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 27% of this read should have been culled down. Nothing horrific happened, just background and build-up info of the main character that was really uninteresting. At the 50% point the story started to pick up and I noticed some grammar mistakes. We learned about the Wraxall's and what they did to gain power and how they were killed, how witchcraft was dealt with in Havers which was true Lee gross-ness. I was just getting engrossed in this tale of deviltry when it did an about face, wrapped things up/or not quickly and gave me a "one year later" ploy that I have to say busted my happy balloon. Disappointed. Great idea. Uneven execution~

[Иван Величков · Rating 3 out of 5]

Един от по-новите романи на Едуард Лий, в които започва да експериментира извън рамките на екстремния хорър. Този е пастиш (в положителната светлина на термина) към Монтегрю Джеймс и е вдъхновен от два негови разказа, които не съм чел (защото на български го издават със скорост разказ на петилетка). Любопитното е, че Лий показва ерудиция достатъчна, за да застъпи стила на М. Р. Джеймс, но запазва и част от своите уникални похвати. Не е лошо, но определено създава конфликт в читателя. Да добавя, че романът не е типичен за автора и ако някой почне с него в последствие може да се надене изненадващо лошо на хипербруталната проза на Лий.
Един милиардер с психични проблеми решава да си почине в малко американско градче. Там вместо да успее да се излекува от воайорството си, достигнало до психическо заболяване и провалящо живота и кариерата му, той го замества с нездрав интерес към историята на градчето. А тя е свързана с вещици, некроманти, инквизиция и брутално насилие.
Въпреки загатнатите и явни подсказки, Лий прави всичко възможно да направи главните герои симпатични и деградацията в края на романа удря читателя лошо. Предполагам пунтирането стила на автор от преди два века, засилва ефекта. Докато нещата вървят бавно и спокойно, а мистерията придобива форма на ужас... изведнъж прас/тряс воаля, мадам, ле жур дьо Спас.
Не че не харесвам романи за деградация и незахаросани финали, но докато в същинската проза на Едуард Лий те са само още един инструмент за шокиране на читателя, тук направо щях да хвърля книгата.
Все пак авторът доказва, че може да пише и хорър без повръщащи докато се чукат и режат с бутилки клошари, което си беше любопитен експеримент.

[Cea | CharmedByChapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was mysterious, satanic, and witchy! The book dripped with that eerie, cursed-town energy I love. It’s full of colonial secrets, occult artifacts, and a past that refuses to stay buried. In the second half we get more madness, witchcraft, and some wild, super taboo erotica.

Throughout the book, I just felt uneasy. I was suspicious of everyone... like, why do y’all still live in this creepy-ass town? I know it’s a tourist spot, but still... it was sketch. 😂 Then I started to get worried for Fanshawe… Crazy stuff started happening to him and he wasn’t even freaking out like I was!! 😆 The epilogue was a little sad but in the end, I learned why his aura was the color it was.

I haven’t read many Edward Lee books yet, but every one I’ve picked up has hit for me. His writing keeps me glued and each story is crazy!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Edward Lee best when he's not trying to write like Edward Lee. Which is why I didn't mind WITCH WATER's slow pacing or the fact that it's less shocking than what you'd expect from the king of splatterspunk (though still PLENTY graphic, believe me).
I liked the first two-thirds of this novel a lot. The book has a very atmospheric quality, and Lee somehow made me understand, relate to, and care about a protagonist who just so happens to be a compulsive peeping Tom. Lee is also able to present the old-fashioned concept of witches in a way that is truly frightening--a feat very few horror writers have pulled off lately.
Ultimately, though, I felt that Lee sabotaged his own story by taking very likeable characters and making you come to despise them. Which wouldn't be so bad...except that these sudden shifts in character development feel forced and difficult to accept. By the end, I stopped thinking of the characters as actual people, but rather as pawns to be exploited for the sake of a few surprise plot twists.
There are other things to quibble about. I would say that some of the sex and gore is over-the-top, but, when it comes to an Edward Lee novel, that's like complaining that cheese is too dairy. I mean, duh. In Lee's version of American history, people were either Satanic witches or religious zealots who spent their time raping women in the stockades or devising methods of torture to rival the Inquisition.
Another thing that's over-the-top is Lee's attempt to recreate the old-timey language of three-hundred years ago, resulting in some pretty awkward dialog with people from the past.
Oh, did I mention that the time travel stuff makes virtually no sense?
On the whole, if you're a hardened horror vet who doesn't mind slow pacing, WITCH WATER has a lot of offer. Unfortunately, Lee's tendency to rely on shock value wins out in the end and brings the novel down a couple pegs.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of supernatural horror that involves small towns, myths and legends, Satanism, witchcraft, covens, and bloody rituals, pick up a copy of "Witch Water" by Edward Lee, one of my favourite horror writers.

This is the kind of book you relish with glee after discovering a tattered and worn paperback at a book or garage sale, a hidden gem.

But a word of caution would be horror fans shouldn't go into this expecting "The Infernal Angel" or "Flesh Gothic" or even "Brides of the Impaler"--Lee is, of course, well known for his more Extreme Horror offerings, but it's important for horror authors to vary their repertoire so they don't become "typecast" or known only for one type of book.

Although some reviewers have expressed disappointment at "Witch Water," I thought it was refreshing to see a different kind of book by Lee, as I tend to like a wide spectrum of works across the horror and dark fantasy landscapes. Still, "Witch Water" is definitely Rated R and contains many disturbing visuals, and it goes into a fascinating history about witchcraft in America in a town where witch trials and executions were de rigeur before the famous Salem ones. It's a great read with fascinating characters, interesting history, and some very cool elements. If you can't get enough of witches and warlocks, dark legends, and the disturbing history that towns try to cover up or deny, "Witch Water" is for you.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first Edward Lee book. And while I can't compare to his other books, I wasn't blown away by it. In fact, the whole ending was messy and the rest of it was just boring. I did like his style and I will attempt to read some of his other books. But this one was not for me.

For a more in depth official review please visit Shivers of Horror

[Juxian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww. It's so good I can't even. Of all books by my favorite horror author Edward Lee this one is probably going to be my most favorite. I can't believe some people called it boring. It is amazing, totally unpredictable, a wildest ride from the beginning to the last word. Fascinating mix of modern and historical. A very likable main character you can't help rooting for. Clever, ironic and intellectually stimulating.

[Steven jb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A troubled man seeks solace in a quiet New England town, but is confronted by the lure of a warlock's secrets. This is one of Edward Lee's best horror novels. The story's pace is perfect, slowly building to its evil denouement.

[Ken B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stylistically this Edward Lee book is more in line with his City Infernal series than some of his more over-the-top sex and gorefests.

Lee borrows elements from M.R. James short stories as a tribute to the master and weaves an engaging story of the occult and witchcraft.

4 STARS

[Chris Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, its my favorite book! I even went out and bought a signed copy of this book.
Edward Lee is my favorite author and all his books are wonderful! I higly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read!!

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anything Edward Lee. This book did not fail my expectations!

[Martin Milhomme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Now that is a witch story. This is first class gross out and terror. What an original. So refreshing to have witches and warlocks be scary again.

[William Tea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward Lee is a writer who doesn’t get enough credit for his versatility. Though notorious for conjuring up a loathsome library’s worth of controversy-courting hardcore horror tales that twist heaping piles of gore and sex into the most nausea-inducing, scatological perversions you never dared imagine, Lee is also able to scale back the splatter considerably for more mainstream-friendly novels like his gritty, goth-rockin’ Infernal series, and he’s proven himself equally adept at evoking the voices of classic writers who’ve influenced him, such as H.P. Lovecraft, who he paid tribute to with a series of outrageous novellas from Deadite Press that fused the gentleman from Providence’s mythos with Lee’s own special brand of dementia.

With Witch Water, Lee tries to do something similar with another weird fiction icon: the master of the English ghost story, M.R. James. Here, a disgraced New York City mogul retreats to a secluded tourist town in the middle of nowhere to escape the public eye, only to find himself surprisingly fascinated by the place’s history as a hotbed for colonial witch-hunts. One day, in the hills where the town’s ancestors once executed the condemned in a rather unique and utterly dreadful manner, he discovers the mangled corpse of a professor of occult history. What killed him, and why was he here, what was he looking for? These questions dog our protagonist just like the unseen hound whose growls seems to follow him at every step. The answers eventually come in the form of an antique spyglass through which glimpses of another time can be seen, a time when a devil-worshiping warlock and his lusty daughter terrorized the village from under cover of shadow. But this window into the past works both ways, and soon the warlock’s influence will be felt in our time, in more ways than one.

It’s a great set-up, one that Lee deserves recognition for attacking differently than his reputation would lead some to expect. It’s very much a slow burn, heavy on suspense, and more interested in gradually unraveling the mystery of the village as well as exploring our main character’s mental state than in action or brutality. Indeed, Witch Water is decidedly light on gore, with only one such scene popping up, if my memory is correct. Most of the book’s grisliest ideas are merely suggested rather than depicted, to terrible effect. Likewise, while there are more than a few mentions of nudity sprinkled throughout and definitely an overall atmosphere of erotic charge, Witch Water in general has only a handful of moments of graphic sexuality.

That said, as much as I laud Lee for doing something different from what is expected of him, I have to admit this is not his best work. His Infernal and Lovecraftian books, which I mentioned earlier, are both much better. This is not because of the stylistic experimentation that Witch Water represents, though. Nor is it any failing in the story itself. The main problem with Witch Water is that it simply feels rough. It needed maybe one more coat of polish before heading out the door, I’d say. Lee does a great job of capturing the mood and themes of M.R. James, but not so much the language, as he was able to with Lovecraft. The writing itself is a bit too straightforward at times, even bland, and the dialogue is sometimes distractingly clunky. The biggest problem for me, however, was the finale. Lee’s slow build works great throughout Witch Water, then at the very end things start moving at a rocket pace; it feels like it comes right out of left field, and it throws off the whole rhythm, the whole balance of the book. It almost feels like Lee got impatient in the final moments and rushed through to the end. Witch Water could’ve benefited greatly from being just a little bit longer, and taking its climax a little more slowly.

Imperfections aside, Lee fans who aren’t in it just for the guts ‘n’ grue will find a lot to like here. I know I did. If nothing else, it makes me pine for Lee to take another stab at the M.R. James style. With a bit more elbow grease, I think his another one could be something truly special.

[Danny Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edward Lee is by far one of the smartest and most demented authors in the splatterpunk genre and thankfully for us all, he's still working up to this very day writing classic after classic of the most violent and fascinating horror stories ever written. He's no stranger to doing pastiches however and whilst I wasn't a fan of Trolley No 1852, I've really enjoyed tales such as The Haunter of The Threshold and The Doll House. He's more known for his fondness when it comes to Lovecraft's work, but he's also a huge fan of M.R James, and Witch-Water along with The Doll House is his pastiche to the man's work.

Fanshawe is a pervert, a voyeur who has a bizarre addiction to watching women unknowingly whilst they have sex or just naked in general. After losing everything, even his marriage he wants to turn his life around and try his best to become a better person. After a year of therapy, he takes a trip to Haver-Towne, a town with a dark history of witchcraft and the occult. Here he falls in love with a barmaid by the name of Abbie. But by the time he leaves will he come out a better person or something far worse?

Witch-Water took me by surprise in a sense as to how toned down it was when compared to a lot of Lee's other works that aren't written for a wider market. It very much reminded me of a novel he could have published under Leisure, but this isn't a bad thing. I love it when Lee goes overly violent and gruesome, yes, but I also like it when he restrains himself somewhat as well.

This novel is honestly fantastic, the town and history Lee manages to come up with here are brilliant, a place that definitely sells its history to tourists with a wax-works, a fortune teller, and the house of a deceased warlock whose residence has now been turned into an inn. It's a grim, atmospheric story with some very complex characters. It's a story that deals with addiction and how hard it can be to get over drugs or other such undesirable lifestyles, whilst also telling a very vivid and disturbing story to do with witchcraft.

I like how whilst the witches in this story are definitely evil, Lee does balance that out with the evil of those who falsely follow god and punish those who don't fit into their personal beliefs. I feel if you are to do a story dealing with the evil side of witchcraft, you have to show the negative sides of religion as well. Because obviously innocent men and women had their lives taken by people throughout history, who believed to be serving god. They hung and drowned those without remorse simply because they believed them to be witches or warlocks in a state of disturbing and willful ignorance.

Overall: It's an amazing novel with an ending that really took me by the throat, not letting me go until I was well and truly horrified. A brilliant read and whilst it isn't as grim as some of his other stuff, this isn't for the faint of heart. 10/10

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witch Water by Edward Lee comes off like a book not written by Edward Lee.


That being said, there is a reason for that. Its not a bad book by any means, its just not something you'd expect from Ed Lee. Its pretty well written and character driven. But where it seems too deviate from the typical Lee story, is the explicitness tht usually permeates thru most of his stories.

Witch Water is about a Billionaire, Stew Fanshawe, who is the past ran afoul of the law for a certain lewedness that ruined his marriage and almost ruined his whole life. After recieving profesional help for his little problem, he is able to bo back out into the world. He decides to take a break from his business ventures and go on an extended vacation.

He ends up in Haver-Towne, New Hampshire, a town that has its reputaion embedded in the Witch trials of the past. Fanshawe slowly begins to learn more and more about the towns past thru his meetings with some of the towns locals.
And the more he learns, the more He wants to learn.

What makes this Novel so different from other Edward Lee books is how the horror that is so typical to his story writing in most cases, is quite muted here. In all actuality, Edward Lee writes this novel more like a well researched mainstream novel. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but when you usually expected an over the top horror or extreme gross-out story, its like a real slap in the face to fiind that Mr. Lee is fairly well reigned in on this one.

Ed Lee usually always does a great deal of reasearching what his stories require from him. Such as his world building the realm of Hell as he sees it. And for any one out there that has not read City Infernal or the other Infernal books in that series, you would do good to check them out. I can assure you that you will never read another visual interpretation of Hell like the one Lee has created. It will assure you that you never do anything wrong to be sent to that infamous place.

To his credit, Lee has done an incredible amount of research in creating the fictional history of Haver-Towne. And that is what makes this book so different from his other extreme novels. I assure you, this is a good book. Its well written focusing on character development as well as events.

Edward Lee has written a book that not only enters the horror field but can also be into other catagories as well, such as thriller or even drama. If your looking to read something of a gorefest, look to one of his other fine novels that you havent read yet. This is a different kind of novel.

I gave it 3 stars only for the fact that its not one of his more horrific themed books. But, if I could have 2 ratings it would be - 3 stars for horror- 4 stars for story.
It is worth the read if your an avid Edward Lee fan.

[DJMikeG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another excellent hardcore horror novel by Edward Lee! This one is quite different, and you may find yourself wondering where it is going at times, but stick with it. The final 100 pages are relentless. I read them in one sitting, at a gallop, up way past my bedtime. Lee's writing is so good, I find it inspiring. He really takes it to the next level, not only in terms of extreme horror gore and violence but in the quality of his writing.
One could say that things wrap up rather quickly, but I found this to be a testament to Lee's skill as an author. He pulls off some incredible stuff in very few pages toward the end! Highest recommendation for horror fans with cast iron stomachs who also enjoy excellent writing.

[Caffrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an ok book. I am not a fan of any of the characters, but I am not sure if I am supposed to be. I put together some predictions that turned out to be accurate from early in the book. I also made several grotesque predictions that kind of disappointed me when they did not occur.

I have heard a lot about this author, and this book didn't go to those dark places I thought this author might take me. But, this isn't saying that I will give up on this author. I definitely liked the way he writes. This story is more King-esq then not. So I would be interested if I still feel that way after I read more.

[Ksenia · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘Witch water’ is not exactly boring, since I found the pacing to be alright, but the protagonist is. Apart from his exceptional obsession with ‘bosoms’ and general unpleasantness of character, there is nothing worth mentioning or caring about. The book itself has some interesting moments and occasional good writing, but as far as stories about the heinous witches and devilish cults go - this one is pretty toothless.

[Γιώργος Μπελαούρης · Rating 4 out of 5]

a more mature lee
till the middle it waz just ok, then it exploded
the mystery, the atmosphere, the characters, the gore... everything waz just on point
i felt like the ending waz a little rushed, but it waz an unexpected surprise from his other works

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it's no City Infernal, Witch Water holds true to Edward Lee's unique brand of graphic, gory horror in which the protagonists are only slightly less reprehensible than the monsters. Well done once again sir.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is unreal. Every word of it.

[Dean Lombardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thriller and mystery novel blood-coated in supernatural horror. Unsettling... yet thought-provoking.

[Rabia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the writing. I got scared by this book. Really nice 👍

[Chris Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a weird read,
Well let me restate that always some seriously fucked up shit to read,
This one less than most but a great story nevertheless and I never once felt the need to puke.