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Blood Harvest
Sometimes I wish that she'd just leave me in peace . . .
Psychologist Evi is worried about one of her patients - a woman who is convinced her little girl is still alive. Two years after the fire that burnt their house down.
Meanwhile, the new vicar in town is feeling strangely unwelcome. Disturbing events seem designed to scare him away.
And a young boy keeps seeing a strange, solitary girl playing in the churchyard. Who is she and what is she trying to tell him?
Psychologist Evi is worried about one of her patients - a woman who is convinced her little girl is still alive. Two years after the fire that burnt their house down.
Meanwhile, the new vicar in town is feeling strangely unwelcome. Disturbing events seem designed to scare him away.
And a young boy keeps seeing a strange, solitary girl playing in the churchyard. Who is she and what is she trying to tell him?
576 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2010
175 people are currently reading
6847 people want to read
About the author
Sharon J. Bolton
44 books4,542 followersSharon's newest book The Split is now available in both hardback and paperback in the UK!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Split-grippi...
Sharon J Bolton was born and brought up in Lancashire, the eldest of three daughters. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an actress and a dancer, studying ballet, tap and jazz from a young age and reading drama at Loughborough University.
She spent her early career in marketing and PR before returning to full-time education to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Warwick University, where she met her husband, Andrew. They moved to London and Sharon held a number of PR posts in the City. She left the City to work freelance, to start a family and to write.
She and Andrew now live in a village in the Chiltern Hills, not far from Oxford, with their son and the latest addition to the family: Lupe, the lop-eared lurcher. Her daily life revolves around the school run, walking the dog and those ever-looming publishing deadlines.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Split-grippi...
Sharon J Bolton was born and brought up in Lancashire, the eldest of three daughters. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an actress and a dancer, studying ballet, tap and jazz from a young age and reading drama at Loughborough University.
She spent her early career in marketing and PR before returning to full-time education to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Warwick University, where she met her husband, Andrew. They moved to London and Sharon held a number of PR posts in the City. She left the City to work freelance, to start a family and to write.
She and Andrew now live in a village in the Chiltern Hills, not far from Oxford, with their son and the latest addition to the family: Lupe, the lop-eared lurcher. Her daily life revolves around the school run, walking the dog and those ever-looming publishing deadlines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 808 reviews
February 21, 2017
Five Shiny Stars and More if I Could
One of Sharon Bolton's Best! A Winner
This is easily one of my favorite books I've read this year. I just loved this book and went in blindly and didn't read the blurb. I suggest that you should do the same. I had a very hard time putting it down. I had no idea what was going on and right when I thought I had it all figured out the story turned differently and I was so wrong. It's got everything a good gothic horror story should have: creepy atmosphere, a strange ghostlike creature, an old church, someone in trouble, even English moors! Then also it turns out to be a mystery and thriller.
The Fletchers have moved into the tiny village of Heptonclough. It wasn't exactly easy, as the town's "ruling" family, the Renshaws, didn't want them moving in at all, let alone building a new house on the moors near the churches (one a medieval ruin, the other "new"--Victorian-era).
The Fletchers' two boys, Tom and Joe, take to playing in the church and the graveyard as it's been abandoned for quite some time. But not long after the Fletchers move in, a new vicar is installed in the church. He likes the boys and takes an interest in their welfare and that of their sister, Millie. Which is a good thing because he starts to hear that Heptonclough isn't a safe place for little girls.
Add to this a young woman who believes that her daughter who died in a fire a number of years ago is still alive and living on the moors (and the psychiatrist trying to help her), disembodied voices, strange medieval (or older) rituals that take place in the town, and a strange creature only seen by the Fletcher children, and you've got one creepy story.
Nothing is what it happens to be. Not for the faint of heart
and fans of Angela Marson's and Stacy Green would love this book. A dark mystery thriller!
This book is so intense! It is a winner and one of Sharon Bolton's best.
One of Sharon Bolton's Best! A Winner
This is easily one of my favorite books I've read this year. I just loved this book and went in blindly and didn't read the blurb. I suggest that you should do the same. I had a very hard time putting it down. I had no idea what was going on and right when I thought I had it all figured out the story turned differently and I was so wrong. It's got everything a good gothic horror story should have: creepy atmosphere, a strange ghostlike creature, an old church, someone in trouble, even English moors! Then also it turns out to be a mystery and thriller.
The Fletchers have moved into the tiny village of Heptonclough. It wasn't exactly easy, as the town's "ruling" family, the Renshaws, didn't want them moving in at all, let alone building a new house on the moors near the churches (one a medieval ruin, the other "new"--Victorian-era).
The Fletchers' two boys, Tom and Joe, take to playing in the church and the graveyard as it's been abandoned for quite some time. But not long after the Fletchers move in, a new vicar is installed in the church. He likes the boys and takes an interest in their welfare and that of their sister, Millie. Which is a good thing because he starts to hear that Heptonclough isn't a safe place for little girls.
Add to this a young woman who believes that her daughter who died in a fire a number of years ago is still alive and living on the moors (and the psychiatrist trying to help her), disembodied voices, strange medieval (or older) rituals that take place in the town, and a strange creature only seen by the Fletcher children, and you've got one creepy story.
Nothing is what it happens to be. Not for the faint of heart
and fans of Angela Marson's and Stacy Green would love this book. A dark mystery thriller!
This book is so intense! It is a winner and one of Sharon Bolton's best.
April 17, 2025
This was my first S.J Bolton novel but not my last! Absolutely fantastic read, gripped me from start to finish and every time I thought I'd worked out what was going on I was wrong, I love that.
The book had so much atmosphere, it was spooky, had me on edge a few times, moved with a strong pace and I felt like I was right there in many scenes.
I read it in 24 hours and didn't have a moment of boredom. It nicely combined being a gothic spooky book with a crime thriller with a touch of family anguish, all weaving together like spaghetti strands. I did not see the ending coming like it did, it blew me away.
I am a big S J Bolton fan now and I have gone on to many more since first writing this review.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I’d be delighted if you leave me a “like” and I love to read your comments. If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
You can also find me on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
The book had so much atmosphere, it was spooky, had me on edge a few times, moved with a strong pace and I felt like I was right there in many scenes.
I read it in 24 hours and didn't have a moment of boredom. It nicely combined being a gothic spooky book with a crime thriller with a touch of family anguish, all weaving together like spaghetti strands. I did not see the ending coming like it did, it blew me away.
I am a big S J Bolton fan now and I have gone on to many more since first writing this review.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I’d be delighted if you leave me a “like” and I love to read your comments. If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
You can also find me on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
January 21, 2021
A stand alone mystery with a major chill factor published 2010.
An excellent 5 star read.
Well this gave me a bad case of the heebie-jeebies.
SK might be the king of horror but after reading this Sharon Bolton is definitely the queen.
Seldom have I read a book that put chills up my spine the way Blood Harvest did.
From the minute that The Reverend Harry Laycock arrived in the quant village of Heptonclough as the new vicar he knew that there was something really wrong here.
Apart from the local head banger brigade there are some very traumatised residents in Heptonclough and Harry could see that he was going to have his work cut out for him.
Heptonclough has been here for centuries and the local inhabitants are steeped in traditions older than time its self.
Traditions like ‘the night of the dead’ where effigies of the long dead are burned in a bone fire, yes that’s right a bone fire. Then there’s ‘the blood harvest’ where there is a communal slaughtering of live stock and blood will run in the streets.
But strangest of all is the loss, over a few years, of several very young, blonde, pretty little girls. Some were never found and some were found dead.
The Fletchers, a new family to the village, have a little girl called Millie and her two bothers, both still young themselves, are convinced that Millie’s life is in danger. These two boys love their little sister and they will do what ever it takes to keep her safe.
This is a mystery, with enough gothic horror, to keep the most jaded readers up most of the night. And if that’s not enough just wait for the last chapter, wait stop right there, say no more of that here.
A vastly entertaining read and highly recommended.
An excellent 5 star read.
Well this gave me a bad case of the heebie-jeebies.
SK might be the king of horror but after reading this Sharon Bolton is definitely the queen.
Seldom have I read a book that put chills up my spine the way Blood Harvest did.
From the minute that The Reverend Harry Laycock arrived in the quant village of Heptonclough as the new vicar he knew that there was something really wrong here.
Apart from the local head banger brigade there are some very traumatised residents in Heptonclough and Harry could see that he was going to have his work cut out for him.
Heptonclough has been here for centuries and the local inhabitants are steeped in traditions older than time its self.
Traditions like ‘the night of the dead’ where effigies of the long dead are burned in a bone fire, yes that’s right a bone fire. Then there’s ‘the blood harvest’ where there is a communal slaughtering of live stock and blood will run in the streets.
But strangest of all is the loss, over a few years, of several very young, blonde, pretty little girls. Some were never found and some were found dead.
The Fletchers, a new family to the village, have a little girl called Millie and her two bothers, both still young themselves, are convinced that Millie’s life is in danger. These two boys love their little sister and they will do what ever it takes to keep her safe.
This is a mystery, with enough gothic horror, to keep the most jaded readers up most of the night. And if that’s not enough just wait for the last chapter, wait stop right there, say no more of that here.
A vastly entertaining read and highly recommended.
July 18, 2015
First the whispers were in a dream. And then they weren’t.
What do you get if you take a strange town in the moors, Halloween, eerie rituals, psychiatric problems, a history of tragedy, ghostly sightings, and, well, one or two other things, and dump it in the smelting pot?
”We call it the Blood Harvest.”
What you don’t necessarily get is a fast paced page turner. This is not a criticism. I happen to enjoy a slow burner that handles plot development well.
This is a finely written, but fairly slow, novel about obsession and the terrible things that people do. Or, to be more accurate, the first half of the novel is reasonably slow, but it redeems itself nicely in the second half. In fact, there is a fairly clear divide between the not-so-exciting portion and the quite-a-bit-exciting-what portion.
So this was what it was like then – the nighttime – soft and scented and strangely warm, a place where all the colours had gone, leaving black and silver and moonbeams in their place.
A book like this is always going to be eerie. What with kids playing around in an old crumbling graveyard, at night… and naked, painted men burning effigies every once in a while… and disembodied voices… and mass graves… et al
What in the name of God was going on here?
There are some twists and shocking reveals, of which at least one is a real humdinger insofar as creepy factor is concerned. If I had to describe Blood Harvest in one word, it would be shivery.
”She’s been watching us for a while now,” he said. “Sometimes it’s like she’s always there…”
In a nutshell then – it’s a suspense / mystery book with some dark elements. It doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the table, but it is nicely written and should appeal to most suspense-heads, particularly those who enjoy psychological thrillers.
3.5 stars.
[He] opened the door to the church crypt. The stale smell of things long since forgotten came stealing up towards him.
September 13, 2017
Blood Sacrifice is not an action-packed thriller but it doesn’t need to be, considering Bolton’s remarkable ability to create an unsettling atmosphere and keep the reader continually off balance. I was not disappointed.
I won’t lie, I was pretty creeped out the whole time. There’s a spooky old graveyard built over ancient church ruins. A scary-ass boogeyman who is everywhere and nowhere all at once, breathing down your neck, whispering chilling things in your ear. There are characters both child and adult, whom you get to know and love enough to worry about their fate.
The best thing about this story, however, is the building of the mystery and the heightening of the tension. I mean… who the f*** is doing these things?? I was so certain on multiple occasions that I had it all figured out, but did I really? Nope. And that final crescendo, where it all comes together, when you finally realize the truth… brilliantly done.
I won’t lie, I was pretty creeped out the whole time. There’s a spooky old graveyard built over ancient church ruins. A scary-ass boogeyman who is everywhere and nowhere all at once, breathing down your neck, whispering chilling things in your ear. There are characters both child and adult, whom you get to know and love enough to worry about their fate.
The best thing about this story, however, is the building of the mystery and the heightening of the tension. I mean… who the f*** is doing these things?? I was so certain on multiple occasions that I had it all figured out, but did I really? Nope. And that final crescendo, where it all comes together, when you finally realize the truth… brilliantly done.
April 13, 2019
Strange things are happening in the small town of Heptonclough. Harry Laycock, the new vicar, discovers church doors he has locked mysteriously unlocked, among other unexplained occurrences. The Fletcher family, who are also newcomers, find themselves right in the center of an eerie mystery in Sharon J. Bolton’s standalone mystery thriller, Blood Harvest .
The young Fletcher boys frequently play in the churchyard. Tom, the oldest of the three children, is spooked by a small female who appears out of nowhere and calls out to him. Younger brother Joe is in denial. Only toddler sister Millie seems to be fascinated with this obscure creature. Is she real, or is she a ghost?
Harry takes a shine to the boys and their parents. He also befriends a lovely psychiatrist, Evi, who is treating a local woman with issues of grief and depression stemming from the death of her young daughter. She claims that her daughter did not die in the fire but wandered away, and she simply cannot let her go.
As the story progresses, we learn of other tragedies, other deaths. What secrets is someone hiding? Things get downright creepy at times. With the crypt beneath the church, the moors, and the bone men that are displayed in the village as part of the Day of the Dead, my heart was racing and my palms were sweating right along with Tom and Harry’s!
Sharon Bolton! I loved the characters in this book. I liked the boys’ dedication to their little sister Millie. I liked Harry; he seemed like a real person, a guy who struggled with his faith, really cared about people, and had romantic feelings (shock!) I liked Evi, too, the therapist who went way beyond the call of duty for her patients (maybe too far?). I was intrigued by the mysterious shadow called “Ebba”. I had several theories about the killings, and one of them was actually right even though I didn’t have all the pieces figured out. This is a spellbinding tale that really revs up once all the introductions are made. Chapter after chapter, there is a pervading sense of danger, which makes Blood Harvest a difficult book to put down.
4.5 stars rounded to 5
June 8, 2019
A psychological thriller with horror elements, that eventually proves that demons are not necessarily supernatural. A bit slow in the first part and sometimes too far-fetched to be believable, but altogether a satisfying and thrilling read with a completely unexpected ending.
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Ich hatte mir von diesem Buch eine übernatürlich angehauchte Horrorstory versprochen und war daher in der ersten Hälfte ein wenig enttäuscht, weil sich die Geschichte so hinzog und eigentlich nur das Leben in einem engstirnigen, abgelegenen Dorf beschrieben wurde, wo Fremde (also jeder, der nicht schon seit Generationen dort ansässig ist) entweder gleich feindselig oder zumindest mit passiv-aggressiver Abwehrhaltung behandelt werden.
Im alteingesessenen Dorfkern tauchen in dieser Geschichte 3 Neuankömmlinge auf: Eine Familie mit 3 Kindern, die in ein Haus unmittelbar neben Kirche und Friedhof zieht, ein neuer Vikar, der die stillgelegte Kirche wieder in Betrieb nimmt und eine nach einem Unfall stark gehbehindere Psychiaterin, die eine junge Frau aus dem Dorf behandelt, die vor 2 Jahren ein Kind verloren hat.
In dem Dorf gab es seit vielen Jahren immer wieder Situationen, in denen kleine Mädchen entweder tödliche Unfälle hatten oder verschwunden sind. Mit der neuen Familie gibt es nun wiederum ein kleines Mädchen im Dorf, um das sich alles zu drehen scheint.
Es hätte mich nicht überrascht, wenn des Rätels Lösung eine uralte, üble Macht unter dem Friedhof gewesen wäre, aber so einfach macht es die Autorin sich und dem Leser nicht. Die Auflösung ist zwar in ihrer vollen Tragik und Bösartigkeit nicht sooo wahnsinnig glaubwürdig, bietet aber ein wirklich überaschendes und spannendes Ende.
Ich habe mich gut unterhalten gefühlt und vergebe nach oben aufgerundete 3,5 Sterne
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Ich hatte mir von diesem Buch eine übernatürlich angehauchte Horrorstory versprochen und war daher in der ersten Hälfte ein wenig enttäuscht, weil sich die Geschichte so hinzog und eigentlich nur das Leben in einem engstirnigen, abgelegenen Dorf beschrieben wurde, wo Fremde (also jeder, der nicht schon seit Generationen dort ansässig ist) entweder gleich feindselig oder zumindest mit passiv-aggressiver Abwehrhaltung behandelt werden.
Im alteingesessenen Dorfkern tauchen in dieser Geschichte 3 Neuankömmlinge auf: Eine Familie mit 3 Kindern, die in ein Haus unmittelbar neben Kirche und Friedhof zieht, ein neuer Vikar, der die stillgelegte Kirche wieder in Betrieb nimmt und eine nach einem Unfall stark gehbehindere Psychiaterin, die eine junge Frau aus dem Dorf behandelt, die vor 2 Jahren ein Kind verloren hat.
In dem Dorf gab es seit vielen Jahren immer wieder Situationen, in denen kleine Mädchen entweder tödliche Unfälle hatten oder verschwunden sind. Mit der neuen Familie gibt es nun wiederum ein kleines Mädchen im Dorf, um das sich alles zu drehen scheint.
Es hätte mich nicht überrascht, wenn des Rätels Lösung eine uralte, üble Macht unter dem Friedhof gewesen wäre, aber so einfach macht es die Autorin sich und dem Leser nicht. Die Auflösung ist zwar in ihrer vollen Tragik und Bösartigkeit nicht sooo wahnsinnig glaubwürdig, bietet aber ein wirklich überaschendes und spannendes Ende.
Ich habe mich gut unterhalten gefühlt und vergebe nach oben aufgerundete 3,5 Sterne
February 29, 2012
Wow. This book is creepy, chilling, shocking, disturbing, intense.
Voices in the graveyard, voices in the old church, the feeling of being watched, bizarre ancient rituals, missing little girls, eerie warnings, sinister secrets - this book made me shiver, made my heart pound. What a read. I loved it!
SJ Bolton really knows how to crank up the tension. This is my second book by her (my first being Sacrifice, which I rated 4.5 stars), and she’s quickly become one of my favourite authors. I can’t wait to read more.....if my nerves can stand it!
Voices in the graveyard, voices in the old church, the feeling of being watched, bizarre ancient rituals, missing little girls, eerie warnings, sinister secrets - this book made me shiver, made my heart pound. What a read. I loved it!
SJ Bolton really knows how to crank up the tension. This is my second book by her (my first being Sacrifice, which I rated 4.5 stars), and she’s quickly become one of my favourite authors. I can’t wait to read more.....if my nerves can stand it!
June 12, 2021
First Sentence: “She’s been watching us for a while now.”
Reverend Harry Laycock has come to his new parish which includes Heptoncough in the Yorkshire Pennines. Here there is an old church, a very old church a village which still carries out the old traditions and where young girls have disappeared or died. One of the girls died in a house fire, but her mother, Gillian, never accepted her death and constantly roams the moors at night. Psychiatrist Evi Oliver is trying to help her put her life back together. Tom Fletcher and family have moved to the village having bought the only new house built in many years. It was built on the old Church’s land, next to the graveyard. They all learn that events of the past are still part of the present.
Although I really liked Ms. Bolton’s first two books, this one knocked my socks off. Everything about it was so well done, it’s hard to know where to start.
Even from the page before the prologue, I was captivated. I am not a particular fan of prologues, but this one really worked. I was introduced to a number of the significant characters who immediately jumped off the page and made me want to know more about them.
I am also not usually a fan of ensemble casts. Again, this worked. Although Harry, the antithesis of a stuffy vicar and for whom I would have provided a different surname, and Evi, the physically impaired, intelligent and independent psychiatrist, are the pivotal characters, all characters were alive and their interactions realistic.
Dialogue is such an important element of a story. Ms. Bolton has a skill with dialogue that echoes in cadence the speech of the characters. As well as establishing a strong sense of place, she incorporates the history and traditions of the area.
Combined with all these ingredients, what caused me to read this 421 page book in eight straight hours was the authors voice and the plot. The first half of the book is an amazingly skillful balance of humor…”I haven’t had this much success with a woman since I got drunk at my cousin’s wedding and threw up over the main of honour.”… and underlying, delightfully creepy menace.
There is a real sense of “things that go bump in the night” which made me happy I was reading the book during the day. The second half of the book moved to police and forensic investigation, and a race-against-time fear. The climax was filled with an increasingly ratcheted tension and surprises right up to the very end.
One observation is that Ms. Bolton does have a penchant for her female protagonists to be somehow physically impaired. While the overcoming of the particular impairment shows the character’s strength and resolve, it can also become formulaic or even cliché over time. However, as this is a general observation and not a criticism of this particular book, it does not impact my rating at all. In this case, it greatly added to the suspense.
This really was an exceptional, “wow” book and one I shan’t soon forget. I cannot wait for Ms. Bolton's next book
BLOOD HARVEST (Susp-Rev. Harry Laycock/Dr. Evi Oliver/Ensemble-England-Cont) - Ex
Bolton, S.J. – Standalone – 3rd book
Bantam Press, ©2010, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 9780593064115
ADDENDUM: DO NOT read the prologue. Wait until you reach ~238 (Chapter 49 - 3 November), then read the prologue. Reading it first rather spoiled the later suspense for me.
Reverend Harry Laycock has come to his new parish which includes Heptoncough in the Yorkshire Pennines. Here there is an old church, a very old church a village which still carries out the old traditions and where young girls have disappeared or died. One of the girls died in a house fire, but her mother, Gillian, never accepted her death and constantly roams the moors at night. Psychiatrist Evi Oliver is trying to help her put her life back together. Tom Fletcher and family have moved to the village having bought the only new house built in many years. It was built on the old Church’s land, next to the graveyard. They all learn that events of the past are still part of the present.
Although I really liked Ms. Bolton’s first two books, this one knocked my socks off. Everything about it was so well done, it’s hard to know where to start.
Even from the page before the prologue, I was captivated. I am not a particular fan of prologues, but this one really worked. I was introduced to a number of the significant characters who immediately jumped off the page and made me want to know more about them.
I am also not usually a fan of ensemble casts. Again, this worked. Although Harry, the antithesis of a stuffy vicar and for whom I would have provided a different surname, and Evi, the physically impaired, intelligent and independent psychiatrist, are the pivotal characters, all characters were alive and their interactions realistic.
Dialogue is such an important element of a story. Ms. Bolton has a skill with dialogue that echoes in cadence the speech of the characters. As well as establishing a strong sense of place, she incorporates the history and traditions of the area.
Combined with all these ingredients, what caused me to read this 421 page book in eight straight hours was the authors voice and the plot. The first half of the book is an amazingly skillful balance of humor…”I haven’t had this much success with a woman since I got drunk at my cousin’s wedding and threw up over the main of honour.”… and underlying, delightfully creepy menace.
There is a real sense of “things that go bump in the night” which made me happy I was reading the book during the day. The second half of the book moved to police and forensic investigation, and a race-against-time fear. The climax was filled with an increasingly ratcheted tension and surprises right up to the very end.
One observation is that Ms. Bolton does have a penchant for her female protagonists to be somehow physically impaired. While the overcoming of the particular impairment shows the character’s strength and resolve, it can also become formulaic or even cliché over time. However, as this is a general observation and not a criticism of this particular book, it does not impact my rating at all. In this case, it greatly added to the suspense.
This really was an exceptional, “wow” book and one I shan’t soon forget. I cannot wait for Ms. Bolton's next book
BLOOD HARVEST (Susp-Rev. Harry Laycock/Dr. Evi Oliver/Ensemble-England-Cont) - Ex
Bolton, S.J. – Standalone – 3rd book
Bantam Press, ©2010, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 9780593064115
ADDENDUM: DO NOT read the prologue. Wait until you reach ~238 (Chapter 49 - 3 November), then read the prologue. Reading it first rather spoiled the later suspense for me.
October 27, 2016
SWEDISH REVIEW
Sharon Bolton har snabbt blivit en av mina favorit författare och Ond Skörd är definitivt en av de bästa böcker hon har skrivit. Från början är boken kuslig och mystisk och den behåller den tonen rakt igenom till det chockerade slutet. Men tursamt nog så har boken lite mer lättsamma ögonblick tack vare psykiatrikern Evi Oliver och kyrkoherden Harry Laycock. Det är definitivt attraktion mellan dem från första ögonblicket de träffas och sedan fortsätter det genom hela boken. Vad mer kan jag säga än att jag gillar verkligen mina mord mysterium med lite romantik. Men, allting går inte på räls, Evi har en patient som har ett gott öga på kyrkoherden.
Sedan har vi bokens själva berättelse, den mystiska flickan som Tom ser och den underliga kyrkan. För att inte glömma alla de döda flickorna. Sedan får vi givetvis inte glömma byns skumma ritualer, mellan varven trodde jag hela byn var ond som filmen The Wicker Man från 1973. Jag förväntade mig inte alls slutet, det tog mig verkligen på sängen att få reda på vem som låg bakom allting och varför.
Ond Skörd är definitivt en av de bästa böcker jag har läst detta år och jag rekommenderar den varmt!
Tack till Modernista för recensionsexemplaret!
ENGLISH REVIEW
Sharon Bolton has quickly become one of my favorite authors and Blood Harvest is definitely one of the best she has written. Right from the start is the book quite chilling and mysterious and it keeps being that for the entirely book all the way to the shocking ending. But, fortunately, there are lighter moments thanks to psychiatrist Evi Oliver and the Vicar Harry Laycock. They hit off from the first moments and after that every time they met the sparks fly. What can I say I love my murder mysteries with a bit of romance. However, not everything is going smoothly between them, she's having a patient that is quite sweet on the good Vicar.
Then we have the heart of the book, the mysterious girl that Tom sees and the strange church. And, what about the dead girls? Not to mention the village old strange rituals. I kid you not, there were times I thought that the whole village was evil, kind of like the movie The Wicker Man from 1973. I did not expect the ending, I was actually a bit blindsided to whom could be behind it all and the reason for everything was shocking!
Blood Harvest is one of the best books I've read this year and I recommend it warmly!
Thanks to Modernista for the review copy!
Sharon Bolton har snabbt blivit en av mina favorit författare och Ond Skörd är definitivt en av de bästa böcker hon har skrivit. Från början är boken kuslig och mystisk och den behåller den tonen rakt igenom till det chockerade slutet. Men tursamt nog så har boken lite mer lättsamma ögonblick tack vare psykiatrikern Evi Oliver och kyrkoherden Harry Laycock. Det är definitivt attraktion mellan dem från första ögonblicket de träffas och sedan fortsätter det genom hela boken. Vad mer kan jag säga än att jag gillar verkligen mina mord mysterium med lite romantik. Men, allting går inte på räls, Evi har en patient som har ett gott öga på kyrkoherden.
Sedan har vi bokens själva berättelse, den mystiska flickan som Tom ser och den underliga kyrkan. För att inte glömma alla de döda flickorna. Sedan får vi givetvis inte glömma byns skumma ritualer, mellan varven trodde jag hela byn var ond som filmen The Wicker Man från 1973. Jag förväntade mig inte alls slutet, det tog mig verkligen på sängen att få reda på vem som låg bakom allting och varför.
Ond Skörd är definitivt en av de bästa böcker jag har läst detta år och jag rekommenderar den varmt!
Tack till Modernista för recensionsexemplaret!
ENGLISH REVIEW
Sharon Bolton has quickly become one of my favorite authors and Blood Harvest is definitely one of the best she has written. Right from the start is the book quite chilling and mysterious and it keeps being that for the entirely book all the way to the shocking ending. But, fortunately, there are lighter moments thanks to psychiatrist Evi Oliver and the Vicar Harry Laycock. They hit off from the first moments and after that every time they met the sparks fly. What can I say I love my murder mysteries with a bit of romance. However, not everything is going smoothly between them, she's having a patient that is quite sweet on the good Vicar.
Then we have the heart of the book, the mysterious girl that Tom sees and the strange church. And, what about the dead girls? Not to mention the village old strange rituals. I kid you not, there were times I thought that the whole village was evil, kind of like the movie The Wicker Man from 1973. I did not expect the ending, I was actually a bit blindsided to whom could be behind it all and the reason for everything was shocking!
Blood Harvest is one of the best books I've read this year and I recommend it warmly!
Thanks to Modernista for the review copy!
May 26, 2017
The Fletchers' beautiful new house is everything they dreamed it would be. Built between two churches in Heptonclough, a small village on the moors that time forgot, it ought to be paradise for this young family of five, but they barely have a chance to settle in before they find that they're anything but welcome. Someone seems to be trying to drive them away--at first with silly pranks but then with threats that become increasingly dangerous, especially to the oldest child, ten-year-old Tom Fletcher, who begins to believe that someone is always watching him. Is he seeing shadows?
The adults in Tom's life are trying to help, including his parents; the vicar next door, younger and more dashing than you'd expect a vicar to be; and a therapist, Evi Oliver, who believes him more than she wants to. But there are other clues that something isn't quite right in Heptonclough, including the mysterious accidental deaths of three toddlers over the last ten years. It is not until Tom's siblings, two-year-old Milly and five-year-old Joe Fletcher, go missing in turn that the little village's evil secret turns the Fletchers' dreams into a nightmare.
This was my first Sharon Bolton book and it was time for a re-read. Deliciously creepy! You will seriously find yourself reading at night and will feel the need to look over your shoulder out the window to see if someone is watching you...an outstanding mystery! Bolton is a suspenseful treat!
The adults in Tom's life are trying to help, including his parents; the vicar next door, younger and more dashing than you'd expect a vicar to be; and a therapist, Evi Oliver, who believes him more than she wants to. But there are other clues that something isn't quite right in Heptonclough, including the mysterious accidental deaths of three toddlers over the last ten years. It is not until Tom's siblings, two-year-old Milly and five-year-old Joe Fletcher, go missing in turn that the little village's evil secret turns the Fletchers' dreams into a nightmare.
This was my first Sharon Bolton book and it was time for a re-read. Deliciously creepy! You will seriously find yourself reading at night and will feel the need to look over your shoulder out the window to see if someone is watching you...an outstanding mystery! Bolton is a suspenseful treat!
October 11, 2011
I started out enjoying this book - it was all gothic and creepy - and I was excited to get into the "blood harvest". But two things sort of threw me off. The first was the silly developing relationship between Dr Oliver and Rev Laycock (fantastically ironic last name, btw). I don't have a problem with a love story thrown into another plot, but I just felt that this one was a bit too much. Every time the story got moving, it slowed back down for the romance. And, in the end, a sort of vague conclusion to their budding relationship - I didn't need them to end up together, but I felt that I missed a relevant scene.
The second thing that frustrated me was the killer. Not the identity; I actually had suspicions about that one. But, the whole motivation and confession. Do killers really tell everything about their scheme, even if they think they'll get away with it? That, plus the fact that the final scenes seemed to drag, made me wish the book had stuck with the supernatural tendencies. By the end, it had turned into just another mystery.
I did like the Fletcher kids, though. And I wished that the author had done more with the blood harvest, the fake "guys" in the ruins, and the bonfire - those elements worked really well.
The second thing that frustrated me was the killer. Not the identity; I actually had suspicions about that one. But, the whole motivation and confession. Do killers really tell everything about their scheme, even if they think they'll get away with it? That, plus the fact that the final scenes seemed to drag, made me wish the book had stuck with the supernatural tendencies. By the end, it had turned into just another mystery.
I did like the Fletcher kids, though. And I wished that the author had done more with the blood harvest, the fake "guys" in the ruins, and the bonfire - those elements worked really well.
January 21, 2016
I've now read several of S.J. Bolton's novels, and while I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, none rated that 5th star until now.
Blood Harvest was a treat. Part mystery, part ghost story, and local folklore aplenty, the story has a strong sense of place with lots of atmosphere. It's what Bolton does best.
I also love her characters. Though told in multiple POVs, each voice is so strong and so distinct, you never feel lost or disoriented.
I particularly loved the character of Harry, a vicar who is all too human to be anything but authentic.
Interesting, believable characters, strong sense of place, twists and turns galore, and multiple plots skillfully intertwined. All good stuff. I did get a sense of who the murderer was early on, but Bolton managed enough doubt as to keep it interesting.
Blood Harvest was a treat. Part mystery, part ghost story, and local folklore aplenty, the story has a strong sense of place with lots of atmosphere. It's what Bolton does best.
I also love her characters. Though told in multiple POVs, each voice is so strong and so distinct, you never feel lost or disoriented.
I particularly loved the character of Harry, a vicar who is all too human to be anything but authentic.
Interesting, believable characters, strong sense of place, twists and turns galore, and multiple plots skillfully intertwined. All good stuff. I did get a sense of who the murderer was early on, but Bolton managed enough doubt as to keep it interesting.
May 23, 2013
Gareth and Alice Fletcher had just moved with their three children, ten year old Tom, six year old Joe and little Millie, just a toddler, into their new home at Heptonclough. Their house was bordered by the church and graveyard, an area which would prove to be a tempting playground for the two boys.
Harry was the new vicar to the church, which was just reopening, after being closed for ten years....why, Harry had yet to find out. He had a sense that something wasn’t quite right in the church, he’d felt uneasy from the very first time he had entered it. His first visit was also the time he met both Tom and Joe for the first time, when they ran into the church to escape Jake and his friends, the bullies from school. But Harry had seen Jake whack the ball through the church window, so even though it was Tom’s bat and ball, Jake was in big trouble. Which also meant more trouble for Tom.
Harry also met Evi that first day as well, as she was thrown from her horse after it was frightened by kids on bikes. Evi was wheelchair bound, after a serious accident some years earlier, and was in constant pain. When Harry rushed to her side, he couldn’t believe how lovely she was; her eyes captivated him. But though shaken and bruised, she was luckily alright.
Tom and Joe were playing in the churchyard when Tom spotted a little girl, hiding in the bushes, just watching them. But something didn’t seem quite right with her, and when he turned to get Joe, she vanished. As time went on, both Tom and Joe would see this little girl, always watching them, but they were never able to see her clearly. They didn’t tell their parents…why would they believe them?
Doctor Evi Oliver, a psychiatrist, was treating Gillian who had lost her daughter Hayley to a house fire four years previously, and always believed she survived the fire. She was haunted by images of Hayley and continually searched for her over the moors, to no avail and the consequence was that Gillian’s health was precarious.
When little Millie’s life was put in extreme danger, and the lives of Harry, the Fletcher’s, Evi and Gillian all collided, no-one knew what dangers lurked, and the horrors that were about to unfold. With the traditional “Blood Harvest” due to occur, a ritual which was ghastly to newcomers Harry and the Fletcher family, and the “burying of the dead”, with bone men burned on the massive bonfire, the strangeness of Heptonclough and the locals became more evident.
The mystery of the little girl and events of long ago were threatening to collide, with long held secrets trying to be told. Would the Fletcher children be safe? Would anyone be safe?
This book was an absolute page turner, incredibly creepy and the events terrifying. The twists in the plot were brilliant, and I didn’t see the ending coming; when it did, it was an “OMG” moment!
I would highly recommend this book.
Harry was the new vicar to the church, which was just reopening, after being closed for ten years....why, Harry had yet to find out. He had a sense that something wasn’t quite right in the church, he’d felt uneasy from the very first time he had entered it. His first visit was also the time he met both Tom and Joe for the first time, when they ran into the church to escape Jake and his friends, the bullies from school. But Harry had seen Jake whack the ball through the church window, so even though it was Tom’s bat and ball, Jake was in big trouble. Which also meant more trouble for Tom.
Harry also met Evi that first day as well, as she was thrown from her horse after it was frightened by kids on bikes. Evi was wheelchair bound, after a serious accident some years earlier, and was in constant pain. When Harry rushed to her side, he couldn’t believe how lovely she was; her eyes captivated him. But though shaken and bruised, she was luckily alright.
Tom and Joe were playing in the churchyard when Tom spotted a little girl, hiding in the bushes, just watching them. But something didn’t seem quite right with her, and when he turned to get Joe, she vanished. As time went on, both Tom and Joe would see this little girl, always watching them, but they were never able to see her clearly. They didn’t tell their parents…why would they believe them?
Doctor Evi Oliver, a psychiatrist, was treating Gillian who had lost her daughter Hayley to a house fire four years previously, and always believed she survived the fire. She was haunted by images of Hayley and continually searched for her over the moors, to no avail and the consequence was that Gillian’s health was precarious.
When little Millie’s life was put in extreme danger, and the lives of Harry, the Fletcher’s, Evi and Gillian all collided, no-one knew what dangers lurked, and the horrors that were about to unfold. With the traditional “Blood Harvest” due to occur, a ritual which was ghastly to newcomers Harry and the Fletcher family, and the “burying of the dead”, with bone men burned on the massive bonfire, the strangeness of Heptonclough and the locals became more evident.
The mystery of the little girl and events of long ago were threatening to collide, with long held secrets trying to be told. Would the Fletcher children be safe? Would anyone be safe?
This book was an absolute page turner, incredibly creepy and the events terrifying. The twists in the plot were brilliant, and I didn’t see the ending coming; when it did, it was an “OMG” moment!
I would highly recommend this book.
July 9, 2018
4.5 stars.
This is the first and only Sharon J. Bolton novel I have read, but it won't be the last. Quite an unusual story, with many elements of Gothicism and even the hint of the supernatural. It is a dark tale, and there are many many moments of graphic horrors. Bolton cleverly captures details, descriptions as well as amazing characterizations
There are also many moments of breath taking twists and turns, and I must admit, I was unprepared for the ending, too.
I loved this book.
This is the first and only Sharon J. Bolton novel I have read, but it won't be the last. Quite an unusual story, with many elements of Gothicism and even the hint of the supernatural. It is a dark tale, and there are many many moments of graphic horrors. Bolton cleverly captures details, descriptions as well as amazing characterizations
There are also many moments of breath taking twists and turns, and I must admit, I was unprepared for the ending, too.
I loved this book.
February 19, 2017
Dear Reader,
To say that I was utterly enthralled by this dark,scary,moody and somewhat disturbing read is an understatement!
To say that I was impressed by the beautifully crafted sentences and the eerie, creepy atmosphere so lovingly and carefully constructed by Ms Bolton,one that enticed the reader in,called to them and refused to let go until story's end,serves to do an injustice to the overall hauntingly captivating framework into which this wonderful story is set.
From the first sentence an intricate web of intrigue is spun,where the Fletcher children Tom,Joe and Millie are privy to someone/something residing in the graveyard that borders their new home in Heptonclough,a small town set amid the dark and brooding moors.
Whispers are heard,fear inducing warnings issued that serve to change Tom from a happy go lucky ten year old to one requiring immediate psychiatric counselling from Dr Evie Oliver.
But who/what is this strange girlish figure that is only evident to the Fletcher children, does she pose a threat to two year old Millie, do her strange mutterings portend an ominous presence or there something more sinister and underhand at play?
Set against these strange sightings,we meet Gillian,a young mother still mourning the death of Hayley,her young toddler. Why does she determinedly persist in believing that her child did not die as the authorities claim she did?
Why is she unable to move on and what,if anything,will become of her attraction to Harry,the new vicar in this quaint and eerie little town?
What is the connection to Megan, another young toddler who mysteriously disappeared and what of the sad and accidental death of two year old Lucy Pickup?
Dear Reader,this was an utterly compelling story,one that I simply could not put down!!
Beautifully crafted,ingeniously plotted with a multitude of red herrings and misdirections that urged the reader to wonder not just 'who-dun-it', but what exactly was at the heart of the mysterious deaths of these children.
I loved every minute spent within the covers of this book and urge all prospective readers to go into hibernation mode while reading! I kid you not,for so bewitched will you be by the plot that you will forget to eat,drink and sleep!!!
Highly recommended!
I was extremely lucky to read this book with Mary,and relished exchanging thoughts on the events taking place while reading.
Thank you Mary,for the opportunity to do this! I really enjoyed it and hope it will be the first of many joint readings!
To say that I was utterly enthralled by this dark,scary,moody and somewhat disturbing read is an understatement!
To say that I was impressed by the beautifully crafted sentences and the eerie, creepy atmosphere so lovingly and carefully constructed by Ms Bolton,one that enticed the reader in,called to them and refused to let go until story's end,serves to do an injustice to the overall hauntingly captivating framework into which this wonderful story is set.
From the first sentence an intricate web of intrigue is spun,where the Fletcher children Tom,Joe and Millie are privy to someone/something residing in the graveyard that borders their new home in Heptonclough,a small town set amid the dark and brooding moors.
Whispers are heard,fear inducing warnings issued that serve to change Tom from a happy go lucky ten year old to one requiring immediate psychiatric counselling from Dr Evie Oliver.
But who/what is this strange girlish figure that is only evident to the Fletcher children, does she pose a threat to two year old Millie, do her strange mutterings portend an ominous presence or there something more sinister and underhand at play?
Set against these strange sightings,we meet Gillian,a young mother still mourning the death of Hayley,her young toddler. Why does she determinedly persist in believing that her child did not die as the authorities claim she did?
Why is she unable to move on and what,if anything,will become of her attraction to Harry,the new vicar in this quaint and eerie little town?
What is the connection to Megan, another young toddler who mysteriously disappeared and what of the sad and accidental death of two year old Lucy Pickup?
Dear Reader,this was an utterly compelling story,one that I simply could not put down!!
Beautifully crafted,ingeniously plotted with a multitude of red herrings and misdirections that urged the reader to wonder not just 'who-dun-it', but what exactly was at the heart of the mysterious deaths of these children.
I loved every minute spent within the covers of this book and urge all prospective readers to go into hibernation mode while reading! I kid you not,for so bewitched will you be by the plot that you will forget to eat,drink and sleep!!!
Highly recommended!
I was extremely lucky to read this book with Mary,and relished exchanging thoughts on the events taking place while reading.
Thank you Mary,for the opportunity to do this! I really enjoyed it and hope it will be the first of many joint readings!
November 30, 2017
From the very first sentence “She’s been watching us for a while now” the hairs were up on the back of my neck and i had a good idea that this was going to be one audiobook i would whizz through and i was right.
Heptonclough a small rural village is now the home to the Fletcher’s, Gareth, Alice and their three children Tom, Joe and little Millie. Setting up home in their newly built house which lies next to the old abandoned church and graveyard, this should be a happy time for them but it’s soon clear that not all is as it seems.
New Vicar Harry comes upon the Fletcher boys when he first arrives at the church and a friendship soon developes between himself and the Fletcher family. Harry feels an unease in the church and after being introduced to some of the villagers its apparent that they are hiding things and Harry may not be that welcome.
Many of the characters in this book had me thinking. Did they know more than they were letting on? Who is responsible? There wasn’t many that were very trustworthy and i love how the mystery and the tension builds.
I instantly felt a creepiness wash over me as soon as i started listening to Blood Harvest and that didn’t leave me until i was finished. The narrator Clare Corbett has done a fantastic job of setting the scene and drawing the listener straight in to the story.
This is only the second book i have read by Sharon Bolton but it certainly wont be the last. Blood Harvest is a very atmospheric book and it was very easy to feel like i was in the story, watching from the sidelines.
Usually when i listen to audio books i have to be busy or my concentration goes but with Blood Harvest i found myself snuggled up in bed listening and totally engrossed. I set the timer umpteen times and every time found myself making it longer so i could listen to more.
If you like creepy, chilling and utterly absorbing books then Blood Harvest is definitely for you. I’m so looking forward to reading or listening to more by this author. This is a definite recommend from It’s all about the books.
Heptonclough a small rural village is now the home to the Fletcher’s, Gareth, Alice and their three children Tom, Joe and little Millie. Setting up home in their newly built house which lies next to the old abandoned church and graveyard, this should be a happy time for them but it’s soon clear that not all is as it seems.
New Vicar Harry comes upon the Fletcher boys when he first arrives at the church and a friendship soon developes between himself and the Fletcher family. Harry feels an unease in the church and after being introduced to some of the villagers its apparent that they are hiding things and Harry may not be that welcome.
Many of the characters in this book had me thinking. Did they know more than they were letting on? Who is responsible? There wasn’t many that were very trustworthy and i love how the mystery and the tension builds.
I instantly felt a creepiness wash over me as soon as i started listening to Blood Harvest and that didn’t leave me until i was finished. The narrator Clare Corbett has done a fantastic job of setting the scene and drawing the listener straight in to the story.
This is only the second book i have read by Sharon Bolton but it certainly wont be the last. Blood Harvest is a very atmospheric book and it was very easy to feel like i was in the story, watching from the sidelines.
Usually when i listen to audio books i have to be busy or my concentration goes but with Blood Harvest i found myself snuggled up in bed listening and totally engrossed. I set the timer umpteen times and every time found myself making it longer so i could listen to more.
If you like creepy, chilling and utterly absorbing books then Blood Harvest is definitely for you. I’m so looking forward to reading or listening to more by this author. This is a definite recommend from It’s all about the books.
August 23, 2010
I almost gave this book 3 stars but when I went to write the review I realized that most of what I had to say was negative and that doesn't warrant a 3 star review. A gothic, psychological horror thriller is right up my alley which is what drew me to this book but almost from the beginning something didn't feel right with it. Interspersed among the thriller plot is the love story between the vicar and the psychiatrist and although I didn't have a problem with a love story being in there it was too detailed and too cutesy to belong in this book. It distracted from the atmosphere of the rest of the book. Proper editing could have fixed that problem. Proper editing could also have fixed the problem of me not being able to get a clear mental image of the setting of the book as well. Despite the descriptions of the house, churches, and town I never could form a setting in my head that the story took place in. Finally, had I known that the crux of the book would be pedophilia I never would have read it. That's just not the kind of thing I want to read about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2016
4.5 stars
This book is so beautifully crafted - everything comes together so brilliantly that I can't imagine what it takes to put this together without it feeling forced or contrived.
That is the skill of Bolton in ALL her books - excellent and quite complicated stories brought together through compelling characters - how does she do that so consistently?!? I'm so impressed.
She captures all the different voices in the story and I was so absorbed.
It's not perfect and the love story is very clumsy (deliberately I understand but it's a bit unsatisfying) and the children's voices are sometimes strange.
However, this book delivered a creepy & atmospheric murder mystery with a punch and for that I cannot fault it.
This book is so beautifully crafted - everything comes together so brilliantly that I can't imagine what it takes to put this together without it feeling forced or contrived.
That is the skill of Bolton in ALL her books - excellent and quite complicated stories brought together through compelling characters - how does she do that so consistently?!? I'm so impressed.
She captures all the different voices in the story and I was so absorbed.
It's not perfect and the love story is very clumsy (deliberately I understand but it's a bit unsatisfying) and the children's voices are sometimes strange.
However, this book delivered a creepy & atmospheric murder mystery with a punch and for that I cannot fault it.
August 1, 2025
The new vicar of Heptonclough is a rational man who doesn’t believe in ghosts. So how can he explain the voice that talks to him when he’s in the church? Next door to the church is a new house, owned by Alice and Gareth Fletcher, who have two young sons and a toddling daughter. Who is the mysterious and strange-looking girl the boys keep seeing in the graveyard, and why does she seems especially interested in their little sister Millie? Meantime, psychologist Evi Oliver has a new patient from Heptonclough – a young woman whose little daughter was burned to death in a house fire three years ago. But was she? Gillian, the patient, is convinced her little girl is still alive – or, at least, she’s convinced the little girl is still around...
This is one of Bolton’s earliest books and it shows both the skill she would continue to develop for writing dark and often spooky thrillers, combined with a weakness in pacing that is absent from her later novels.
The first few chapters are genuinely creepy, and it’s not at all clear for a long time whether there is a supernatural element to the story or whether there will eventually be a rational explanation for all the strange things that are happening in this village, which would have worked well as an alternative setting for The Wicker Man. (Do villagers ever get tired of being portrayed as inbred psychopaths?) It starts with a prologue when rain has washed away part of the graveyard wall, revealing a grave containing not just the body of the young girl whose name is on the tombstone, but the remains of two other nameless little girls too. We are then taken back in time by about nine weeks to see the events that led up to this moment, after which we follow the investigation into deaths of the girls.
The two young boys, Tom and Joe, are very well drawn, and mostly quite believable in their reactions to the spookiness in the graveyard next to their home. Tom is the older by a few years, around ten, I think, and he’s mature enough to be disturbed by the sightings of the strange girl and the disembodied voices he hears. Joe is younger, perhaps six or so, and he is still at an age where he accepts things at face value and doesn’t question whether the girl is human or ghoul. For him, she simply exists, and this is a reaction that seems to be shared by baby Millie. Their parents of course think the girl is a figment of Tom’s imagination, so at first he has no one who will take his worries seriously. The new vicar, Harry, though he also doesn’t believe the girl is a ghoul, is more inclined to believe that Tom’s worries are founded in fact, especially since Harry has been hearing ghostly voices too. As Tom’s behaviour becomes more erratic, he too ends up as a patient of Evi, putting her in a position to make connections about what may be going in the village.
So off to a great start! Which unfortunately then stalls for the best part of two hundred of the book’s five hundred pages, with endless repetition of the same spooky happenings until they have changed from being spine-tingling to being yawn-inducing. I nearly abandoned it, and would have if it hadn’t been from one of my favourite authors. There’s a reason the greatest horror stories are short – it’s extremely difficult to maintain a creepy atmosphere over long periods.
Finally, round about the halfway mark, the plot begins to move and it turns into a very dark thriller involving young children, and I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that we all know what contemporary crime novels about young children will have as their underlying theme. Too dark for my taste, and I found the solution to the mystery of the spooky girl quite distasteful, as well as quite incredible, though it would be too much of a spoiler to explain why. However, these issues don’t develop till very late on, by which time I was hooked enough to continue reading.
There’s a lighter strand that lifts the mood a little, as Evi and Harry find themselves falling in love. Of course in fiction the course of true love never runs smooth, so there will be obstacles along their path, allowing for some tension as we wait to see if they’ll manage to work things out.
To sum up, great start, far too long in the middle, and strong, if dark, ending. Not one of my favourite Boltons but, apart from that too long spooky section, I found it very readable, and I’m sure it will appeal more to people who enjoy the darker end of crime fiction. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
This is one of Bolton’s earliest books and it shows both the skill she would continue to develop for writing dark and often spooky thrillers, combined with a weakness in pacing that is absent from her later novels.
The first few chapters are genuinely creepy, and it’s not at all clear for a long time whether there is a supernatural element to the story or whether there will eventually be a rational explanation for all the strange things that are happening in this village, which would have worked well as an alternative setting for The Wicker Man. (Do villagers ever get tired of being portrayed as inbred psychopaths?) It starts with a prologue when rain has washed away part of the graveyard wall, revealing a grave containing not just the body of the young girl whose name is on the tombstone, but the remains of two other nameless little girls too. We are then taken back in time by about nine weeks to see the events that led up to this moment, after which we follow the investigation into deaths of the girls.
The two young boys, Tom and Joe, are very well drawn, and mostly quite believable in their reactions to the spookiness in the graveyard next to their home. Tom is the older by a few years, around ten, I think, and he’s mature enough to be disturbed by the sightings of the strange girl and the disembodied voices he hears. Joe is younger, perhaps six or so, and he is still at an age where he accepts things at face value and doesn’t question whether the girl is human or ghoul. For him, she simply exists, and this is a reaction that seems to be shared by baby Millie. Their parents of course think the girl is a figment of Tom’s imagination, so at first he has no one who will take his worries seriously. The new vicar, Harry, though he also doesn’t believe the girl is a ghoul, is more inclined to believe that Tom’s worries are founded in fact, especially since Harry has been hearing ghostly voices too. As Tom’s behaviour becomes more erratic, he too ends up as a patient of Evi, putting her in a position to make connections about what may be going in the village.
So off to a great start! Which unfortunately then stalls for the best part of two hundred of the book’s five hundred pages, with endless repetition of the same spooky happenings until they have changed from being spine-tingling to being yawn-inducing. I nearly abandoned it, and would have if it hadn’t been from one of my favourite authors. There’s a reason the greatest horror stories are short – it’s extremely difficult to maintain a creepy atmosphere over long periods.
Finally, round about the halfway mark, the plot begins to move and it turns into a very dark thriller involving young children, and I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that we all know what contemporary crime novels about young children will have as their underlying theme. Too dark for my taste, and I found the solution to the mystery of the spooky girl quite distasteful, as well as quite incredible, though it would be too much of a spoiler to explain why. However, these issues don’t develop till very late on, by which time I was hooked enough to continue reading.
There’s a lighter strand that lifts the mood a little, as Evi and Harry find themselves falling in love. Of course in fiction the course of true love never runs smooth, so there will be obstacles along their path, allowing for some tension as we wait to see if they’ll manage to work things out.
To sum up, great start, far too long in the middle, and strong, if dark, ending. Not one of my favourite Boltons but, apart from that too long spooky section, I found it very readable, and I’m sure it will appeal more to people who enjoy the darker end of crime fiction. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
September 20, 2013
I only just complained to a friend that I haven’t read a good ghost story for years – that was before picking up Blood Harvest from my local library. Being the last book currently out by S. J. Bolton which I hadn’t read, the feeling on finishing it was bittersweet (now I have to wait till she writes a new one), but like her other novels, it swept me up in nail-biting suspense and kept me up all hours of the night reading. Its creepy setting also managed to spook me so much that I was tempted to sleep with the lights on!
Harry Laycock has no idea what he has let himself in for when he accepts a posting as minister in the small village of Heptonclough in the Yorkshire Pennines. Surrounded by sweeping moorland, it sports two old churches with a somewhat shady history, and old pagan rituals which at times even manage to spook the pragmatic Harry. Being a newcomer, Harry soon forges a firm friendship with Alice and Gareth, another couple who have recently moved to the village and built their home on land which used to belong to the diocese, nestled in between the churches and surrounded by graveyards. He shares Alice’s concerns when their young sons Joe and Tom become fearful and disturbed, reporting that they have been followed by the ghostly presence of a very frightening looking “girl”, who is apparently trying to harm their two-year old sister Millie. According to the boys, this strange spectre may be responsible for abducting Millie out of the house one afternoon and abandoning her on a small ledge high up in the nave of the church, nearly resulting in a fatal fall. Although Harry suspects a prank by local youngsters to be responsible, he is dismayed to find out that a little girl has previously died in that very spot, also by falling from a considerable height onto the slate floor. Delving deeper into the village’s history, he realises that several young girls have fallen victim to fatal accidents in the recent past – and that Millie may indeed be in danger.
To say that I loved this book is an understatement – I was totally absorbed by its characters and setting from the very first sentence to the last word. To me, Blood Harvest contained everything that makes a brilliant novel – vivid characters, vibrant dialogue, a well-constructed murder-mystery and a dark spooky gothic setting. Bolton has a keen eye for detail and human behaviour, as well as a vivid sense of place, which allows the story to play out almost movie-like in front of the reader’s eyes. I love Bolton’s attention to detail, the small seemingly unimportant elements which later all come together in the final reveal.
Blood Harvest first introduces the character of Evi Oliver, a psychiatrist who features in S. J. Bolton’s second Lacey Flint novel Dead Scared. Like many of S. J. Bolton’s female characters, Evi is hampered by the legacy of her past, in her case a physical disability from a skiing accident, which means she has to deal with debilitating chronic pain on a daily basis. When Evi and Harry accidentally (in the true sense of the word) meet, it is not love at first sight – but they soon discover a kindred spirit in one another, and there is even the hint of romance at one stage. I often find romance a bit of a distraction in crime novels, but found Evi and Harry’s friendship touching, and for me it did not overshadow the main story in the slightest. Having protagonists which are not police gives the story an unusual perspective, one which I thoroughly enjoyed –Harry does make a wonderful amateur sleuth, whilst Evi’s profession allows insights into the darker elements of the human psyche.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read, whether you are an S. J. Bolton fan or not. Whilst not a typical ghost story, it contains enough things to go bump in the night to make you snuggle deeper under the doona, and as most of Bolton’s books, its murder-mystery component is also not for the faint hearted. Another five stars from me – it just reconfirms why Bolton is on top of my list of favourite crime novelists. I am now eagerly anticipating her next book.
Harry Laycock has no idea what he has let himself in for when he accepts a posting as minister in the small village of Heptonclough in the Yorkshire Pennines. Surrounded by sweeping moorland, it sports two old churches with a somewhat shady history, and old pagan rituals which at times even manage to spook the pragmatic Harry. Being a newcomer, Harry soon forges a firm friendship with Alice and Gareth, another couple who have recently moved to the village and built their home on land which used to belong to the diocese, nestled in between the churches and surrounded by graveyards. He shares Alice’s concerns when their young sons Joe and Tom become fearful and disturbed, reporting that they have been followed by the ghostly presence of a very frightening looking “girl”, who is apparently trying to harm their two-year old sister Millie. According to the boys, this strange spectre may be responsible for abducting Millie out of the house one afternoon and abandoning her on a small ledge high up in the nave of the church, nearly resulting in a fatal fall. Although Harry suspects a prank by local youngsters to be responsible, he is dismayed to find out that a little girl has previously died in that very spot, also by falling from a considerable height onto the slate floor. Delving deeper into the village’s history, he realises that several young girls have fallen victim to fatal accidents in the recent past – and that Millie may indeed be in danger.
To say that I loved this book is an understatement – I was totally absorbed by its characters and setting from the very first sentence to the last word. To me, Blood Harvest contained everything that makes a brilliant novel – vivid characters, vibrant dialogue, a well-constructed murder-mystery and a dark spooky gothic setting. Bolton has a keen eye for detail and human behaviour, as well as a vivid sense of place, which allows the story to play out almost movie-like in front of the reader’s eyes. I love Bolton’s attention to detail, the small seemingly unimportant elements which later all come together in the final reveal.
Blood Harvest first introduces the character of Evi Oliver, a psychiatrist who features in S. J. Bolton’s second Lacey Flint novel Dead Scared. Like many of S. J. Bolton’s female characters, Evi is hampered by the legacy of her past, in her case a physical disability from a skiing accident, which means she has to deal with debilitating chronic pain on a daily basis. When Evi and Harry accidentally (in the true sense of the word) meet, it is not love at first sight – but they soon discover a kindred spirit in one another, and there is even the hint of romance at one stage. I often find romance a bit of a distraction in crime novels, but found Evi and Harry’s friendship touching, and for me it did not overshadow the main story in the slightest. Having protagonists which are not police gives the story an unusual perspective, one which I thoroughly enjoyed –Harry does make a wonderful amateur sleuth, whilst Evi’s profession allows insights into the darker elements of the human psyche.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read, whether you are an S. J. Bolton fan or not. Whilst not a typical ghost story, it contains enough things to go bump in the night to make you snuggle deeper under the doona, and as most of Bolton’s books, its murder-mystery component is also not for the faint hearted. Another five stars from me – it just reconfirms why Bolton is on top of my list of favourite crime novelists. I am now eagerly anticipating her next book.
March 31, 2017
Really enjoyed reading this one - a scary story complete with graveyards & scary things that go bump in the night.
July 1, 2013
I had anticipated to read this book for the longest. Unfortunately,the plot was rushed and did not have any build up. It was almost like the characters did not know what role they had. Lazy writing,weak character development and exhausting. I felt that the author failed to contribute a good story because of all the loopholes that consisted. It was one of those novels that I hate that I believed the hype about the reviews, not worth the time or the effort.
Thrillers are my favorite genre of books,but this was pathetic.
Thrillers are my favorite genre of books,but this was pathetic.
May 31, 2015
Slow to start, but picked up very well. With the village traditions and new vicar, I had an idea, but it did not go in the direction I thought it would. I'm so glad it didn't.
December 4, 2013
ŞOK ŞOK ŞOK!
Kitaba 3 yıldız verecektim. Ama o son yok mu o son... Gel de ver şimdi 3 yıldızı! Vicdan azabından ölürüm!
Bu yazarın tarzı, belli kuralları var kitaplarında.
-Küçük bir kasaba
-Fiziksel veya zihinsel sorunlu baş karakter
-Doğaüstü süsü
-Derinlemesine bir araştırma
Ben kesinlikle çok yazarın tarzını çok seviyorum. Diğer kitaplarının çevrilmesi için de sabırsızlanıyorum ^^
Yazarın 3 kitabı yayınlandı şimdilik ve benim sıralamam;
1-Zehir
2-Kurban
3-Kan Hasadı
Kitaba 3 yıldız verecektim. Ama o son yok mu o son... Gel de ver şimdi 3 yıldızı! Vicdan azabından ölürüm!
Bu yazarın tarzı, belli kuralları var kitaplarında.
-Küçük bir kasaba
-Fiziksel veya zihinsel sorunlu baş karakter
-Doğaüstü süsü
-Derinlemesine bir araştırma
Ben kesinlikle çok yazarın tarzını çok seviyorum. Diğer kitaplarının çevrilmesi için de sabırsızlanıyorum ^^
Yazarın 3 kitabı yayınlandı şimdilik ve benim sıralamam;
1-Zehir
2-Kurban
3-Kan Hasadı
February 8, 2018
An excellent read. Really enjoyed this one. Kept me hooked from beginning to end. Fuller review to follow.
August 26, 2017
Sinceramente, dalla trama e dalle recensioni di questo thriller di Sharon Bolton, scoperto su Anobii, mi aspettavo qualcosa in più.
La storia è quella dei coniugi Alice e Gareth Fletcher, i quali si trasferiscono coi tre figli in un oscuro villaggio dello Yorkshire, in una casa adiacente il cimitero...è proprio nel cimitero che Tom, il figlio maggiore, comincia ad avere visioni inquietanti, mentre nel villaggio accadono fatti inspiegabili e minacciosi, che sembrano collegarsi alla scomparsa di tre bambine nel corso degli ultimi anni.
Insomma, il classico romanzo da misteri su misteri e oscure presenze. Peccato che l'effetto non sia proprio quello desiderato. L'atmosfera, gotica e sinistra, favorita dall'ambientazione nella solitaria campagna inglese, non manca. Ma la la suspense, che qui dovrebbe essere sempre al massimo, è piuttosto debole, la caratterizzazione dei personaggi superficiale (compresa quella del vicario del paese, che, fra le pagine, ha più spazio di tutti gli altri), la trama non così facile da seguire e il finale dubbioso e incomprensibile. L'interesse nella lettura è andato decrescendo, sino alle ultime pagine, che in un thiller si dovrebbero divorare, e invece qui sono state leggiucchiate per il desiderio di terminare e iniziare qualcos'altro.
Risultato appena sufficente per un thriller d'ottima atmosfera, ma trascurabile per tutto il resto.
La storia è quella dei coniugi Alice e Gareth Fletcher, i quali si trasferiscono coi tre figli in un oscuro villaggio dello Yorkshire, in una casa adiacente il cimitero...è proprio nel cimitero che Tom, il figlio maggiore, comincia ad avere visioni inquietanti, mentre nel villaggio accadono fatti inspiegabili e minacciosi, che sembrano collegarsi alla scomparsa di tre bambine nel corso degli ultimi anni.
Insomma, il classico romanzo da misteri su misteri e oscure presenze. Peccato che l'effetto non sia proprio quello desiderato. L'atmosfera, gotica e sinistra, favorita dall'ambientazione nella solitaria campagna inglese, non manca. Ma la la suspense, che qui dovrebbe essere sempre al massimo, è piuttosto debole, la caratterizzazione dei personaggi superficiale (compresa quella del vicario del paese, che, fra le pagine, ha più spazio di tutti gli altri), la trama non così facile da seguire e il finale dubbioso e incomprensibile. L'interesse nella lettura è andato decrescendo, sino alle ultime pagine, che in un thiller si dovrebbero divorare, e invece qui sono state leggiucchiate per il desiderio di terminare e iniziare qualcos'altro.
Risultato appena sufficente per un thriller d'ottima atmosfera, ma trascurabile per tutto il resto.
July 28, 2019
4.5…….I’d been craving a scary thriller because I felt like it’d been a while and this one definitely hit the spot. This had all the makings of a scary story with a small town, an old church, whispering voices and dead little girls. A new family with three children moves into a restored house next to an old church in this fictional English town. It doesn’t take long before weird things start to happen and a mysterious girl appears just to the children. The parents don’t know if this girl is real or made up but soon after, the town’s history of disappearing girls reaches their family and their young daughter. The creepiness starts from the get-go.
This wasn’t a fast-paced story by any means, but Sharon Bolton writes in enough frightening tidbits that it keeps you engrossed and freaked out at the same time. She also adds little 3-4 word sentences within the body of the narrative that make you say, “whoa…..wait, what was that?” I really like that style of writing and because of that I think I’ll look up another one of her books. This book satisfied my need for a scary thriller and has enticed me to pick up another one.
This wasn’t a fast-paced story by any means, but Sharon Bolton writes in enough frightening tidbits that it keeps you engrossed and freaked out at the same time. She also adds little 3-4 word sentences within the body of the narrative that make you say, “whoa…..wait, what was that?” I really like that style of writing and because of that I think I’ll look up another one of her books. This book satisfied my need for a scary thriller and has enticed me to pick up another one.
August 2, 2015
3.5 stars
The author conveys a strong sense of place with a creepy, foreboding atmosphere. Found the first half of the book slow moving, but later the book became fast paced and tension filled. The setting is a small village on the Yorkshire moors. A new family, the Fletcher's, have moved into this tightly knit community, and have built the first new home in years. It has been built on unstable ground next to the village cemetery where their children like to play. Not a wise idea! The home overlooks an old church and even a more ancient one. A new vicar, Harry, has also moved into the community. He was not as expected, being young, handsome, athletic, with some doubts about his faith.
Harry meets 10 year old Tom Fletcher while he is running away from some bullies from his new school. He also meets Evi, the local psychologist when she is knocked down by the same bullies on their bikes. Evi is crippled, often in pain, and uses a cane with difficulty or a wheelchair. She is beautiful, but reserved, and has been treating Gillian.
Gillian lost a young daughter in a house fire a couple years previously, and has been wandering the moors calling her name ever since. We learn that a number of young girls have vanished or died in recent years. Harry's church has been closed for the last ten years after a village girl died in a fall in that building.
Harry feels uneasy in the church and feels there is something creepy about the village. He hears whispers inside the church, and is repelled by some of the ancient rituals. There is the blood harvest where animals are slaughtered and their bones along with household rubbish are put inside human effigies and thrown into a huge bonfire by painted and naked men from the village. Meanwhile Tom and his younger brother are glimpsing a strange looking young girl in the darkness. She seems to be watching and whispering to them, but quickly vanishes. Someone is threatening their baby sister, and an intruder may be entering the Fletcher home unseen. Then the youngest Fletcher boy goes missing.
I did not know if I was reading a supernatural story filled with ghosts and evil spirits, or if everything had a wicked but rational explanation. A budding romance between Harry and Evi detracted from the plot as it did not go anywhere, and ended without a reason. There were some unexpected and unpleasant twists at the end which were surprising. A good, suspenseful read for those who like spooky stories where it is difficult to figure out what is going on.
I have only read a couple of S. Bolton's books so far and do wish that all her strong leading women were not physically or psychologically damaged or both.
The author conveys a strong sense of place with a creepy, foreboding atmosphere. Found the first half of the book slow moving, but later the book became fast paced and tension filled. The setting is a small village on the Yorkshire moors. A new family, the Fletcher's, have moved into this tightly knit community, and have built the first new home in years. It has been built on unstable ground next to the village cemetery where their children like to play. Not a wise idea! The home overlooks an old church and even a more ancient one. A new vicar, Harry, has also moved into the community. He was not as expected, being young, handsome, athletic, with some doubts about his faith.
Harry meets 10 year old Tom Fletcher while he is running away from some bullies from his new school. He also meets Evi, the local psychologist when she is knocked down by the same bullies on their bikes. Evi is crippled, often in pain, and uses a cane with difficulty or a wheelchair. She is beautiful, but reserved, and has been treating Gillian.
Gillian lost a young daughter in a house fire a couple years previously, and has been wandering the moors calling her name ever since. We learn that a number of young girls have vanished or died in recent years. Harry's church has been closed for the last ten years after a village girl died in a fall in that building.
Harry feels uneasy in the church and feels there is something creepy about the village. He hears whispers inside the church, and is repelled by some of the ancient rituals. There is the blood harvest where animals are slaughtered and their bones along with household rubbish are put inside human effigies and thrown into a huge bonfire by painted and naked men from the village. Meanwhile Tom and his younger brother are glimpsing a strange looking young girl in the darkness. She seems to be watching and whispering to them, but quickly vanishes. Someone is threatening their baby sister, and an intruder may be entering the Fletcher home unseen. Then the youngest Fletcher boy goes missing.
I did not know if I was reading a supernatural story filled with ghosts and evil spirits, or if everything had a wicked but rational explanation. A budding romance between Harry and Evi detracted from the plot as it did not go anywhere, and ended without a reason. There were some unexpected and unpleasant twists at the end which were surprising. A good, suspenseful read for those who like spooky stories where it is difficult to figure out what is going on.
I have only read a couple of S. Bolton's books so far and do wish that all her strong leading women were not physically or psychologically damaged or both.
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