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Lawrence Hapham Mystery #1
The Fressingfield Witch: A gripping and sinister Victorian murder mystery with a twist
Scores of innocent women were executed during the 1645 Suffolk witch trials. Death and uncertainty stalked the land.
Fast forward to 1890 and two mysterious deaths in the village of Fressingfield stir up rumours of witchcraft again. Lawrence Harpham is dispatched from Bury St Edmunds to investigate, but Lawrence is still tormented by the loss of his family in a house fire. Can he overcome his own demons and discover who is behind the flurry of deaths?
The Fressingfield Witch is a fictional murder mystery based on true events. Two of Suffolk’s darkest cases of witchcraft are weaved together in one compelling story.
Fast forward to 1890 and two mysterious deaths in the village of Fressingfield stir up rumours of witchcraft again. Lawrence Harpham is dispatched from Bury St Edmunds to investigate, but Lawrence is still tormented by the loss of his family in a house fire. Can he overcome his own demons and discover who is behind the flurry of deaths?
The Fressingfield Witch is a fictional murder mystery based on true events. Two of Suffolk’s darkest cases of witchcraft are weaved together in one compelling story.
320 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2025
522 people are currently reading
1149 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Beard
42 books117 followersJacqueline lives in Gloucestershire with her husband, son & delinquent border terrier.
She spends her free time writing, researching her extensive East Anglian Family History and rambling through Gloucestershire’s beautiful countryside with border terrier in tow.
She spends her free time writing, researching her extensive East Anglian Family History and rambling through Gloucestershire’s beautiful countryside with border terrier in tow.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
December 29, 2017
I received a free copy of The Fressingfield Witch by Jacqueline Beard. The Fressingfield Witch is a fiction based book based on factual events from the 1890’s. This book was an entertaining and fantastic read. I loved the characters and the detailed facts that were put into this book. Written with great detail and a Victorian, old school-charm. A fascinating and wonderful read. I highly recommend this book.
May 21, 2019
I had hoped this would be much better than it was. Set locally in Fressingfield and refers to a witch trial. A detective investigated the case on behalf of the local rector, but he didn't appear very convincing.
May 11, 2019
After i got used to the rather stilted way of writing, i quite enjoyed this book. Another local (to Suffolk) book its fictional but loosely based on two witch trials held during the time of the 17th century witch trials. Not long and not brilliantly written but i liked it.
Read
April 14, 2021Listened to this as an audiobook while wiped out with a cold and not much energy to do anything else. Light listening, I thought the ‘twist’ a little obvious and the characters a bit stilted, but it was entertaining without being too taxing which was exactly what I needed.
March 12, 2021
Leaves you guessing until the end.
An excellent mystery, well written and based on news reports of the time. I will definitely be reading more by this author and in this series.
An excellent mystery, well written and based on news reports of the time. I will definitely be reading more by this author and in this series.
October 31, 2020
Boring boring boring
February 14, 2023
A new author for me and after getting used to how she writes, the story of how woman were treated during the witch trails is awful. Loosely based on the witch hunts of 1640 and also set in 1800s this short story introduces us to Lawrence and Violet.
July 8, 2021
Excellent mystery
Loves this story, it had me on the edge the whole time. I look forward for the next book in this series! It's books like this that I'm so grateful to come across. If you love murder mysterys this is it!
Loves this story, it had me on the edge the whole time. I look forward for the next book in this series! It's books like this that I'm so grateful to come across. If you love murder mysterys this is it!
February 13, 2019
So I received this book about a year ago as a Goodreads giveaway. It finally made it to the top of a pile, so I read it. Any book I DNF automatically gets a 1-star rating.
As I often do, I'll critique as I go.
My first comment is that this is a self-published book. I, like many, have some preconceived notions about self-published stuff, most of them bad. Unfortunately, this book does little to change this because it is falling squarely in multiple categories as to why this is self-published.
First, this thing is a proofer's nightmare. Punctuation is just horrendous, especially commas. And it features heavily one of my biggest punctuation pet peeves for fiction -- the semicolon. In my (not so) humble opinion, semicolons have no place in a work of fiction. They belong squarely in the domain of the text book. I would wager that 99.9% of the time they are used in fiction they could EASILY be replaced with a period. Then there's the comma. It is misused where they are much of the time, and absent far more often than they should be. I don't understand the difficulty people have with the comma, but it's something I am almost always commenting on in self-published stuff.
And since we're on the punctuation bandwagon, let's talk ellipses. Ellipses are ALWAYS 3 dots (thusly ...) never 4. In this book half the time they are used, they are 4 dots, and half the time they are 3. Consistency is something you'd get if you actually paid for a line edit (which I don't think was done for this book). On top of that, they should be used sparingly, and they are not in this book. And then there's the punctuation with quotation marks. Punctuation goes INSIDE the quotes... And then there is the ampersand. It is NEVER okay to use an ampersand in place of the word 'and' UNLESS it is part of a proper name. PERIOD. And if it IS part of a proper name, it is also not okay to change it 3 chapters later to the word 'and'.
This book also falls into another trap that many self-published books do, and that is in the ability (or lack thereof) of being able to weave in dialog with description. This book (and I am still not even 20 pages in) features long swathes of description, and then long swathes of dialog, and then long swathes of description. They are never married. It's clunky to read. It screams unpolished draft. It's a sign of an author that's not ready. And it also is telling that I only see it in self-published work.
Now my next beef is with historical accuracy. This book is just absolutely rife with things that are either just plain wrong, or at least dubious given the circumstances. Like a comment on a lower-class servant in 1890 having unpainted nails... Well duh, nail polish was only widely available to the aristocracy at the time. And don't even get me started on girls who are almost 20 and still going to school and not married with at least one child already.
I DNFed this book just before the 100 page mark. I just couldn't deal with the bad. And it was just everything. Bad characterization. Bad dialogue. Bad plotting. Bad pacing. Bad research. And horrific editing.
As I often do, I'll critique as I go.
My first comment is that this is a self-published book. I, like many, have some preconceived notions about self-published stuff, most of them bad. Unfortunately, this book does little to change this because it is falling squarely in multiple categories as to why this is self-published.
First, this thing is a proofer's nightmare. Punctuation is just horrendous, especially commas. And it features heavily one of my biggest punctuation pet peeves for fiction -- the semicolon. In my (not so) humble opinion, semicolons have no place in a work of fiction. They belong squarely in the domain of the text book. I would wager that 99.9% of the time they are used in fiction they could EASILY be replaced with a period. Then there's the comma. It is misused where they are much of the time, and absent far more often than they should be. I don't understand the difficulty people have with the comma, but it's something I am almost always commenting on in self-published stuff.
And since we're on the punctuation bandwagon, let's talk ellipses. Ellipses are ALWAYS 3 dots (thusly ...) never 4. In this book half the time they are used, they are 4 dots, and half the time they are 3. Consistency is something you'd get if you actually paid for a line edit (which I don't think was done for this book). On top of that, they should be used sparingly, and they are not in this book. And then there's the punctuation with quotation marks. Punctuation goes INSIDE the quotes... And then there is the ampersand. It is NEVER okay to use an ampersand in place of the word 'and' UNLESS it is part of a proper name. PERIOD. And if it IS part of a proper name, it is also not okay to change it 3 chapters later to the word 'and'.
This book also falls into another trap that many self-published books do, and that is in the ability (or lack thereof) of being able to weave in dialog with description. This book (and I am still not even 20 pages in) features long swathes of description, and then long swathes of dialog, and then long swathes of description. They are never married. It's clunky to read. It screams unpolished draft. It's a sign of an author that's not ready. And it also is telling that I only see it in self-published work.
Now my next beef is with historical accuracy. This book is just absolutely rife with things that are either just plain wrong, or at least dubious given the circumstances. Like a comment on a lower-class servant in 1890 having unpainted nails... Well duh, nail polish was only widely available to the aristocracy at the time. And don't even get me started on girls who are almost 20 and still going to school and not married with at least one child already.
I DNFed this book just before the 100 page mark. I just couldn't deal with the bad. And it was just everything. Bad characterization. Bad dialogue. Bad plotting. Bad pacing. Bad research. And horrific editing.
November 3, 2023
Lawrence Harpham is a private investigator asked by the vicar of a Suffolk village to investigate the death of a baby, which has sparked rumours of witchcraft. Set in the 1890s, talk of witchcraft seems old hat and superstitious claptrap, so Lawrence takes the case as a favour to a friend.
As it turns out, Lawrence is a terrible detective, walking past clues, not putting things together, and having to have the whole thing explained to him at the end of the story. I found it frustrating to read this and make connections while it all flew above the head of the self-proclaimed detective. I thought the culprit was fairly obvious, but even when other people suggested that person might not be as he perceived, Lawrence dismissed it.
The writings of Honor Mills, daughter of the so-called Fressingfield witch, were interesting, but the whole story would have been better with less tell and more show. The end of the book was disappointing with Lawrence merely relating what he'd learned to another character. Not sure I'd pick up the next book in this series.
As it turns out, Lawrence is a terrible detective, walking past clues, not putting things together, and having to have the whole thing explained to him at the end of the story. I found it frustrating to read this and make connections while it all flew above the head of the self-proclaimed detective. I thought the culprit was fairly obvious, but even when other people suggested that person might not be as he perceived, Lawrence dismissed it.
The writings of Honor Mills, daughter of the so-called Fressingfield witch, were interesting, but the whole story would have been better with less tell and more show. The end of the book was disappointing with Lawrence merely relating what he'd learned to another character. Not sure I'd pick up the next book in this series.
June 22, 2022
The story was interesting, but to be honest these people are terrible detectives. I wanted justice for the Mills, not torture of a baby. There was some stuff, mostly with Faith, that I did not care to read about. It wasn't graphic really. Just kind of too much for me. Lawrence could use some detective lessons. He literally didn't find out what happened until it was explained to him in the end. Not a terrible mystery though.
January 13, 2021
This book was quite good all told, but there were a few flaws, not the least of which was the main protagonist, Lawrence Harpham. He was not unlikeable at all - in fact, he was rather a nice man. However, he was also a rather weak and pathetic man, and an even worse private detective. He missed most of the clues and forgot information that was given to him during his investigating, to the extent that he missed finding the perpetrator until he was almost a victim himself! Also, seeing him allowing himself to be manipulated by a coquettish little temptress half his age was irritating in the extreme. You'd think he had spent life in a monastery not to have seen her for what she was, yet he was a widower approaching middle years - experienced enough to have seen her coming a mile off!
Another jarring note in the book was the anachronistic terminology, and the implausibly erudite vocabulary of a simple country merchant's daughter. It is doubtful whether many of the worlds used in the 'Nemesis' and 'Honour' epistolary sections were in common use at the time of the book's setting, let alone in use by someone of the narrator's age and social class.
Despite these small failings, I did enjoy the book and I will pick up Lawrence Harpham #2 with a will. However, now that he has acquired a female partner, I see future books featuring the tired old 'woman seeking respectful acceptance in a man's world' tropes, so me and Mr Harpham may well part company. We shall see.
Another jarring note in the book was the anachronistic terminology, and the implausibly erudite vocabulary of a simple country merchant's daughter. It is doubtful whether many of the worlds used in the 'Nemesis' and 'Honour' epistolary sections were in common use at the time of the book's setting, let alone in use by someone of the narrator's age and social class.
Despite these small failings, I did enjoy the book and I will pick up Lawrence Harpham #2 with a will. However, now that he has acquired a female partner, I see future books featuring the tired old 'woman seeking respectful acceptance in a man's world' tropes, so me and Mr Harpham may well part company. We shall see.
September 15, 2022
I discovered author Jacqueline Beard on TikTok, and although I myself have since chosen to leave this particular social media channel, I see its value in providing another means for readers to find new authors. I enjoyed Jacqueline Beard’s dual timeline detective story very much and was fascinated to see that she bases her fiction on true life events.
We are transported into the 1600s and the time of the English Civil War, with the sadistic Matthew Hopkins who claimed for himself the title of Witchfinder General and was responsible for the savage torture of women in East Anglia during the witch-hunts. We can only reflect on the horror of religious fanaticism after the Puritans gained control over English society.
The narrative captivated me, and I particularly admired the contrast between the rational, careful, Victorian-gentlemen correctness of Lawrence and Michael in the late 19th century, and the brutality and criminality of Hopkins and his witch-crazed minions two hundred and forty years earlier.
I also was particularly struck by the careful attention to genealogical research; the author shows well how powerful a tool it can be in the hands of patient investigators, enabling them to unravel centuries-old chains of cause and effect, and to become a source of enlightenment.
A very clever dual timeline detective novel which I found vivid and compelling.
We are transported into the 1600s and the time of the English Civil War, with the sadistic Matthew Hopkins who claimed for himself the title of Witchfinder General and was responsible for the savage torture of women in East Anglia during the witch-hunts. We can only reflect on the horror of religious fanaticism after the Puritans gained control over English society.
The narrative captivated me, and I particularly admired the contrast between the rational, careful, Victorian-gentlemen correctness of Lawrence and Michael in the late 19th century, and the brutality and criminality of Hopkins and his witch-crazed minions two hundred and forty years earlier.
I also was particularly struck by the careful attention to genealogical research; the author shows well how powerful a tool it can be in the hands of patient investigators, enabling them to unravel centuries-old chains of cause and effect, and to become a source of enlightenment.
A very clever dual timeline detective novel which I found vivid and compelling.
March 12, 2021
This is my second read of this book in order to re-acquaint myself with Lawrence and Violet's story.
Lawrence is definitely a character who is suffering from PTSD and depression regarding the demise of his family as well as his physical affliction to his left hand.
We also meet the vain and self-centred Loveday Graham, who flirts with Lawrence outrageously.
Despite the age-gap, he appears to be interested because she is beautiful and lively. Yet he glosses over her attitude and ability to feel empathy when a servant falls ill.
Violet seems to be aware of Lawrence's infatuation and Loveday's behaviour.
As a private investigator, he comes across as someone who gives up too easily and it's Violet who rouses him out of the doldrums.
The storylines are centred around factual cases such as witch trials, missing children and Jack the Ripper. Quite often, Violet and Lawrence will be investigating separate cases which end up dovetailing each other.
Lawrence is definitely a character who is suffering from PTSD and depression regarding the demise of his family as well as his physical affliction to his left hand.
We also meet the vain and self-centred Loveday Graham, who flirts with Lawrence outrageously.
Despite the age-gap, he appears to be interested because she is beautiful and lively. Yet he glosses over her attitude and ability to feel empathy when a servant falls ill.
Violet seems to be aware of Lawrence's infatuation and Loveday's behaviour.
As a private investigator, he comes across as someone who gives up too easily and it's Violet who rouses him out of the doldrums.
The storylines are centred around factual cases such as witch trials, missing children and Jack the Ripper. Quite often, Violet and Lawrence will be investigating separate cases which end up dovetailing each other.
August 21, 2025
1890s Suffolk, a detective is summoned to investigate witchcraft accusations but fins a link to the trials from the past...
The Fressingfield Witch is a dual timeline novel set in the 1640s and 1890s.
.Lawrence Harpham is called upon to investigate mysterious deaths and finds a link to witch accusations in from 200 years ago. and now mysterious deaths in the 1800s. Whilst looking for clues, he is unaware of the danger he faces.
I enjoyed the different layers to the plot, told through the two timelines. In particular, the heartbreaking experience of Faith Mills really resonated with me emotionally. She faces a struggle with poverty, as well as the battle between female power and male control.
The historical elements are well researched and depicted. The scenes of the trial and sleep deprivation are especially upsetting as is the desperation to save others.
The Fressingfield Witch is an enjoyable and richly detailed dual timeline historical novel.
The Fressingfield Witch is a dual timeline novel set in the 1640s and 1890s.
.Lawrence Harpham is called upon to investigate mysterious deaths and finds a link to witch accusations in from 200 years ago. and now mysterious deaths in the 1800s. Whilst looking for clues, he is unaware of the danger he faces.
I enjoyed the different layers to the plot, told through the two timelines. In particular, the heartbreaking experience of Faith Mills really resonated with me emotionally. She faces a struggle with poverty, as well as the battle between female power and male control.
The historical elements are well researched and depicted. The scenes of the trial and sleep deprivation are especially upsetting as is the desperation to save others.
The Fressingfield Witch is an enjoyable and richly detailed dual timeline historical novel.
October 30, 2020
I found this book to be ok. Set in Fressingfield, Suffolk it follows Lawerence Harpham a private investigator who is looking at some strange deaths in 1890. The deaths have caused villagers to become scared due to links with witch craft. The story reflects on Fressingfield’s history of witch trials in 1645 and this is a reason for the villagers current fears.
I enjoyed the historical letters written by Honor Mills, it was touching to se the love for her Mum and you really felt for her and what she experienced during the trials. The crime part of the story was a little slow and predictable. The main character Lawrence and Violet where a little one dimensional and I felt more could be made of their backstories.
I did enjoy the epilogue of the book and the two main characters are present in Beard’s next book so there could be more to come.
I enjoyed the historical letters written by Honor Mills, it was touching to se the love for her Mum and you really felt for her and what she experienced during the trials. The crime part of the story was a little slow and predictable. The main character Lawrence and Violet where a little one dimensional and I felt more could be made of their backstories.
I did enjoy the epilogue of the book and the two main characters are present in Beard’s next book so there could be more to come.
July 4, 2021
The backstory was grim and dark, but nothing new. In the end, it had very little to do with the contemporary mystery. The protagonist was naive and rather ignorant for a supposed private investigator. One minor character, whose sole purpose seemed to be to complicate the protagonist’s life, was quite annoying and could easily have been dispensed with. A great many names were mentioned, probably only to confuse the reader. I was able to pick out the culprit with almost no trouble fairly early on (which doesn't often happen), and it was frustrating to watch the protagonist stumble around in the dark.
Still, the book was reasonably well-written, and some of the characters (like Violet) were likable. I enjoyed this one enough to try another book in the series, though it might be number 3, which I got for free, instead of number 2.
Still, the book was reasonably well-written, and some of the characters (like Violet) were likable. I enjoyed this one enough to try another book in the series, though it might be number 3, which I got for free, instead of number 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2019
Not gory, but certainly creepy!!
Very gripping mystery with some very evil turns of events. I would not recommend reading this miserable tale at night! I found it interesting, especially the perspective given to witch trials held during that time period. It is truly a shame how people misconstrued biblical principles to exact wickedness on others, to the point of driving them to despair. It is equally troubling to see how deeply hatred can entrench in the soul over generations. What a lesson for us all! This a suspenseful, sombre read for historical mystery fans, though not one you may want to read again. For me, it's a one-time thought-provoking experience.
Very gripping mystery with some very evil turns of events. I would not recommend reading this miserable tale at night! I found it interesting, especially the perspective given to witch trials held during that time period. It is truly a shame how people misconstrued biblical principles to exact wickedness on others, to the point of driving them to despair. It is equally troubling to see how deeply hatred can entrench in the soul over generations. What a lesson for us all! This a suspenseful, sombre read for historical mystery fans, though not one you may want to read again. For me, it's a one-time thought-provoking experience.
March 10, 2020
Something a little different..
It's easy to understand the fear and anxiety driving people to declare that a witch was among them back in the 17th century. With little medical knowledge, plenty of women who had learned herbal remedies from their forebears would have been easy to point a finger at should something untoward happen. Likewise the accusing of one wise woman by another determined to ensure that she wasn't blamed.
I have downloaded the witchmaster generals book and did do some side research while reading, it's really quite fascinating and yet horrific stuff.
I found this well a researched, interesting and unusual story that I didn't want to put down.
It's easy to understand the fear and anxiety driving people to declare that a witch was among them back in the 17th century. With little medical knowledge, plenty of women who had learned herbal remedies from their forebears would have been easy to point a finger at should something untoward happen. Likewise the accusing of one wise woman by another determined to ensure that she wasn't blamed.
I have downloaded the witchmaster generals book and did do some side research while reading, it's really quite fascinating and yet horrific stuff.
I found this well a researched, interesting and unusual story that I didn't want to put down.
September 12, 2020
I need to make a complaint! Thanks to Jacqueline Beard I’m now hooked on another great series.
When I first started to read the Fressingfield Witch I found the narrative a bit stilted, but due to the story I quickly got used to it. It has all the elements I want in a book, a murder (or murders), a crime to be solved, set in past times (1800’s), witches. The best part for me I didn’t work out who the culprit was. I’m quite good at figuring this out but completely missed it here. I’ve downloaded the 2nd book and recommended it to my reading group. I recommend it to whoever is reading this review.
When I first started to read the Fressingfield Witch I found the narrative a bit stilted, but due to the story I quickly got used to it. It has all the elements I want in a book, a murder (or murders), a crime to be solved, set in past times (1800’s), witches. The best part for me I didn’t work out who the culprit was. I’m quite good at figuring this out but completely missed it here. I’ve downloaded the 2nd book and recommended it to my reading group. I recommend it to whoever is reading this review.
February 19, 2018
The sins of earlier generations come back to roost in this thoughtful, entertaining mystery. Jacqueline Beard has crafted a weighty plot that entertains while outlining the historical precedent behind the hysteria of witch-hunting. It's used to deadly effect in the murders that plague this small English village. Lawrence Harpham, our policeman in charge of the investigation, is doggedly thorough. His ferreting out the truth is accompanied by a backstory that provides a further layer of complexity. Readers should look forward to more books in the series.
May 28, 2021
Readily enjoyed
I am working in China. I have no one to speak English so I read. I enjoy historical fiction and through Book Bub found this work. I enjoyed it immensely. I was reading 3 books simultaneously but had to stop so I could finish this one. I have just purchased the second in the series. I’m happy that Violet has joined the team. For most of the book I thought I knew “who did it” you will have to read a most enjoyable book to find the truth.
Thank you for days of enjoyment
I am working in China. I have no one to speak English so I read. I enjoy historical fiction and through Book Bub found this work. I enjoyed it immensely. I was reading 3 books simultaneously but had to stop so I could finish this one. I have just purchased the second in the series. I’m happy that Violet has joined the team. For most of the book I thought I knew “who did it” you will have to read a most enjoyable book to find the truth.
Thank you for days of enjoyment
March 6, 2024
A historical mystery.
An unusual book, as most Victorian crime mysteries are set in London or another city. This book is set in the village of Fressingfield and has the feel of a place trapped in the past. I have read novels with differing time lines before that gradually converge to reveal important details, enjoying each one. One of the many reasons the Victorian era is my favourite for reading is their belief in spirits and the supernatural. This prompted me to buy this book and I was not to be disappointed.
An unusual book, as most Victorian crime mysteries are set in London or another city. This book is set in the village of Fressingfield and has the feel of a place trapped in the past. I have read novels with differing time lines before that gradually converge to reveal important details, enjoying each one. One of the many reasons the Victorian era is my favourite for reading is their belief in spirits and the supernatural. This prompted me to buy this book and I was not to be disappointed.
March 11, 2019
This was a superb reading experience for me: it had history (1890s AND 1600s), suspense, a witchcraft plot, interesting, detailed characters, and good accuracy of time and place. I noticed a few typos, but nothing to distract me from the storyline. I enjoyed this author's previous mystery dealing with suffragettes, and I notice that that book and this one deal with multiple layers of history in similar ways. I'm pleased to see that this is the first of a planned series.
September 28, 2019
1890 and Lawrence Harpham is employed by the church and Rev. Francis Raven to investigate a death in the village of Fressingfield. His research leads him to suspect that there is a link to the 17th century and the persecution of females, believing them to be witches.
Unfortunately while staying at the village there are more deaths.
An enjoyable and interesting mystery story, a good solid start to the series.
Unfortunately while staying at the village there are more deaths.
An enjoyable and interesting mystery story, a good solid start to the series.
May 11, 2021
The Fressingfield Wiches
Book one is a good introduction to the Lawrence Barham mystery series, what a extremely sad period of time in history,. how people were convicted and mistreated for being a witch is an absurd violent darkness in the human condition. The novel was interesting as I do not know much about this sad period of time, At Time's confusing keeping the characters straight, the novel does have closer and well explained at the end. Good read
Book one is a good introduction to the Lawrence Barham mystery series, what a extremely sad period of time in history,. how people were convicted and mistreated for being a witch is an absurd violent darkness in the human condition. The novel was interesting as I do not know much about this sad period of time, At Time's confusing keeping the characters straight, the novel does have closer and well explained at the end. Good read
May 20, 2021
I love a good story
Mystery, murder, and “witchcraft” come together in this novel to create a fascinating read. I hesitated to read it, because I refrain from magic and wizardry; but this isn’t it at all. Here we have historical events coming together with unexpected death and superstitious people. The characters are completely believable, as is the storyline. It is well thought out and quite well-written. I highly recommend it.
Mystery, murder, and “witchcraft” come together in this novel to create a fascinating read. I hesitated to read it, because I refrain from magic and wizardry; but this isn’t it at all. Here we have historical events coming together with unexpected death and superstitious people. The characters are completely believable, as is the storyline. It is well thought out and quite well-written. I highly recommend it.
Read
May 28, 2021Dark tale
I have been enjoying comical witch novels in which strange but silly things occur. Light entertainment. This story is not at all that frivolous having been based on fact. It is educational to discover how quickly people could be manipulated into witch accusations and how awful the tortures could be to induce a confession. A very dark tale indeed, fortunately with a brighter ending. Well written and hard to put down.
I have been enjoying comical witch novels in which strange but silly things occur. Light entertainment. This story is not at all that frivolous having been based on fact. It is educational to discover how quickly people could be manipulated into witch accusations and how awful the tortures could be to induce a confession. A very dark tale indeed, fortunately with a brighter ending. Well written and hard to put down.
January 10, 2025
Reverting too and throw between 1645 and 1890 it is the first of the Lawrence Harpham Mysteries. Dealing with witchcraft, murder and madness it was and interesting read although not that exciting which is why it has taken me over four weeks to finish reading it. Once you put it down there is not much incentive to pick it back up. That said it is quite a memorable story. Even after a break from reading you can easily recall where you left off.
November 23, 2019
Good story, dull characters
If you like historical mysteries, this is a worthy read. Good plot, but the characters were lackluster in general, especially the main protagonist. He was not unlikable, just not terribly compelling. The ending was anticlimactic as much was told and not played out.
If you like historical mysteries, this is a worthy read. Good plot, but the characters were lackluster in general, especially the main protagonist. He was not unlikable, just not terribly compelling. The ending was anticlimactic as much was told and not played out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews