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The Witch at the End of the Lane: Four ghosts, a kidnap, and a murder
It’s April 1794.
If Bill and his old dog, Kelly, could get away from Beverley, they would. Working at the tannery is hell; Bill's mam is a nightmare, and Beckside is full of rats, drunks, and thieves.
Folk say you shouldn't go near the witch at the end of Cherry Tree Lane. She carries a musket hooked over her bony shoulder. There's a tumour on the back of her head, and ghosts use it to wriggle into her body. She's insane.
Bill thought it might be safe to befriend her.
He was wrong.
When he, Kelly, and the witch are hunted across the wilds of the East Riding, it becomes he might lose everything — even his life.
And maybe hers too.
If Bill and his old dog, Kelly, could get away from Beverley, they would. Working at the tannery is hell; Bill's mam is a nightmare, and Beckside is full of rats, drunks, and thieves.
Folk say you shouldn't go near the witch at the end of Cherry Tree Lane. She carries a musket hooked over her bony shoulder. There's a tumour on the back of her head, and ghosts use it to wriggle into her body. She's insane.
Bill thought it might be safe to befriend her.
He was wrong.
When he, Kelly, and the witch are hunted across the wilds of the East Riding, it becomes he might lose everything — even his life.
And maybe hers too.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2025
3 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Chris Speck
26 books70 followersChris Speck is a writer and musician from East Yorkshire, UK.
He writes crime thrillers set in Hull, historical novels set in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and seafaring tales set out in the North Sea.
His latest book, Queen of Queens, is a murder mystery set in the legendary Hull pub, The Queens. Young Billie Jackson must find a killer before they find her.
The Witch at the End of the Lane is a historical thriller set in Beverley, 1794. Expect ghosts (four of them), a kidnap, and at least one murder.
Chris spent his twenties travelling the world — first as a guitar teacher, then teaching English in countries as diverse as Hungary, Spain, and Papua New Guinea — before returning to the flatlands of East Yorkshire.
He also plays washboard in the legendary skiffle group, Black Kes.
He writes crime thrillers set in Hull, historical novels set in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and seafaring tales set out in the North Sea.
His latest book, Queen of Queens, is a murder mystery set in the legendary Hull pub, The Queens. Young Billie Jackson must find a killer before they find her.
The Witch at the End of the Lane is a historical thriller set in Beverley, 1794. Expect ghosts (four of them), a kidnap, and at least one murder.
Chris spent his twenties travelling the world — first as a guitar teacher, then teaching English in countries as diverse as Hungary, Spain, and Papua New Guinea — before returning to the flatlands of East Yorkshire.
He also plays washboard in the legendary skiffle group, Black Kes.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 21, 2025
The North Burton Trilogy is one of my all-time favourite series. The vivid and relatable characters brought me back again and again, so I couldn’t wait to read The Witch at the End of the Lane. Like those in the trilogy, this book takes you on a rollercoaster of action, intrigue, and emotions as we follow Bill as his humdrum life is turned upside down and his identity as a “nobody” is turned on its head. To get the full impact of this back, I strongly recommend reading the North Burton Trilogy first. I’ll definitely be reading the other series by this author. A highly recommended 5* read.
August 13, 2025
Another absolute cracker by Chris Speck.
I was lucky enough to meet Chris at a Q&A session at a UK Crime Book Club event - I’m guessing it was two years ago, but it could have been three. He was on a panel with a friend of mine talking about Historical Crime Fiction. His historical Yorkshire trilogy (“The Great Frost” / “Richie Lad” / “Nik The Swift”) broadly fall into this category, so I bought “The Great Frost” from him (I may be wrong, but at that point I don’t think all three books in the series were yet available).
I really enjoyed them. They are beautifully written and in a way that quickly makes you empathise with the lead characters, as well as despising others. “Nik The Swift” was the final book in that run, but now it seems that he has revisited that world and indeed some of those characters.
“The Witch At The End Of The Lane” is definitely a sequel to “Nik The Swift” but also reads perfectly well as a story in it’s own right. Bill, a young Tanner’s lad is sold into slaverly by his rather unpleasant mother, but is rescued by a woman who lives on Cherry Tree Lane that the locals think is a witch. She in fact has some kind of brain tumour, and at certain times (usually inconvenient ones!) different “ghosts” inhabit her body. People who have read the previous books will find some amusing easter eggs in these ghost characters, but again it is not essential for you to have read the preceding trilogy to appreciate them.
The Witch rescues Bill and pays him to keep an eye on her when she is having “ghost” episodes. Of course the story takes off from this point when the witch is ordered to go and deal with a situation in some local woods. Of course it’s a trap, and things go from bad to worse very quickly.
You are immediately on board with the main two characters, and their fate becomes the primary reason you engage with the story. I won’t say too much, but the situations are written superbly, and Chris does not shy away from showing the unpleasant grit of the era.
The end is satisfying (and engages other emotions as well but I cannot say what they are without giving things away.)
This is the 4th book I have read by Chris, and I have genuinely thoroughly enjoyed all of them so far. I have read all of his historical fiction works now, well, certainly the ones set in this era. He has another series of 4 books which start with a tale called “Avenue Cars” which is what I will read next, although I have a big pile to get through so it may take a while.
A great read.
I was lucky enough to meet Chris at a Q&A session at a UK Crime Book Club event - I’m guessing it was two years ago, but it could have been three. He was on a panel with a friend of mine talking about Historical Crime Fiction. His historical Yorkshire trilogy (“The Great Frost” / “Richie Lad” / “Nik The Swift”) broadly fall into this category, so I bought “The Great Frost” from him (I may be wrong, but at that point I don’t think all three books in the series were yet available).
I really enjoyed them. They are beautifully written and in a way that quickly makes you empathise with the lead characters, as well as despising others. “Nik The Swift” was the final book in that run, but now it seems that he has revisited that world and indeed some of those characters.
“The Witch At The End Of The Lane” is definitely a sequel to “Nik The Swift” but also reads perfectly well as a story in it’s own right. Bill, a young Tanner’s lad is sold into slaverly by his rather unpleasant mother, but is rescued by a woman who lives on Cherry Tree Lane that the locals think is a witch. She in fact has some kind of brain tumour, and at certain times (usually inconvenient ones!) different “ghosts” inhabit her body. People who have read the previous books will find some amusing easter eggs in these ghost characters, but again it is not essential for you to have read the preceding trilogy to appreciate them.
The Witch rescues Bill and pays him to keep an eye on her when she is having “ghost” episodes. Of course the story takes off from this point when the witch is ordered to go and deal with a situation in some local woods. Of course it’s a trap, and things go from bad to worse very quickly.
You are immediately on board with the main two characters, and their fate becomes the primary reason you engage with the story. I won’t say too much, but the situations are written superbly, and Chris does not shy away from showing the unpleasant grit of the era.
The end is satisfying (and engages other emotions as well but I cannot say what they are without giving things away.)
This is the 4th book I have read by Chris, and I have genuinely thoroughly enjoyed all of them so far. I have read all of his historical fiction works now, well, certainly the ones set in this era. He has another series of 4 books which start with a tale called “Avenue Cars” which is what I will read next, although I have a big pile to get through so it may take a while.
A great read.
November 17, 2025
Another cracking historical read from Chris, I like the weaving together of characters from his north burton trilogy and you may be better reading those before this book although it can read as a standalone, it also leaves a nice hint for an upcoming novel from him. Chris is one of my favourite crime authors and this is another exceptional read from him 5* from me
July 10, 2025
What is Beverley coming to?
Another good East Yorkshire yarn from Chris Speck. This historical fiction focuses on the intersecting lives of the “Cherry Tree Lane Witch” (Nik) and a young boy (Bill) over the span of a week or so in 1794. Nik and Bill are different, yet the same, and over the week they rescue and teach each other about life and survival. The story starts in Beverley and encompasses visits to Burton Constable, Kingston-upon-Hull, and York. For Chris Speck’s fans this “Witch” story cleverly links several key characters from earlier exploits from the excellent North Burton Trilogy. For those who like to read about Beverley and the East Riding this read offers good historical escapism.
Another good East Yorkshire yarn from Chris Speck. This historical fiction focuses on the intersecting lives of the “Cherry Tree Lane Witch” (Nik) and a young boy (Bill) over the span of a week or so in 1794. Nik and Bill are different, yet the same, and over the week they rescue and teach each other about life and survival. The story starts in Beverley and encompasses visits to Burton Constable, Kingston-upon-Hull, and York. For Chris Speck’s fans this “Witch” story cleverly links several key characters from earlier exploits from the excellent North Burton Trilogy. For those who like to read about Beverley and the East Riding this read offers good historical escapism.
October 15, 2025
Absolutely loved this! Spotted it by chance in the library when I was looking for something else and the ending suggests there's a sequel for one of the characters, which I cannot wait for.
Set in our local area so I could picture the scenes so clearly, even though it's set in the 18th century. The plot has twists that I didn't see coming and the two main characters are a joy.
It's the second book I've read by this author, the first being Avenue Cars, a modern day crime novel, so this is a complete change.
A solid 5 stars!
Set in our local area so I could picture the scenes so clearly, even though it's set in the 18th century. The plot has twists that I didn't see coming and the two main characters are a joy.
It's the second book I've read by this author, the first being Avenue Cars, a modern day crime novel, so this is a complete change.
A solid 5 stars!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews