The Witchfinder's Mark
Ratings2
Average rating2.5
15
Ratings2
Average rating2.5
A devilishly dark folk horror novel set during the English Civil War. Samuel Hawke is a charlatan. His lucrative career as a witchfinder is built on fabricated evidence and forced confessions. His guilt grows with each innocent person he condemns and his only remaining motive is the financial rewards his profession offers him. In Beckborn, Lancashire, two girls are accused of witchcraft. Samuel travels to the isolated village for an investigation which may pay enough to be his last. He finds a community torn apart by fear and paranoia. His hopes of a simple examination are dashed when the mystery of the two girls unravels in a deadly way. Rescued by another, actual, witch-finder, Samuel is plunged into a world of the supernatural and the occult. Strange people with immense power lurk on the fringes of society, hiding behind the veil of superstition and belief, causing chaos in war-torn England. Samuel must find the sister witches, before he is hunted down and destroyed, whilst navigating through the violence and suspicion of a country ravaged by war.
Reviews with the most likes.
OK, I am biased. A friend wrote this book and just before it was released died suddenly and far too young.
It's mostly well written with decent pacing (not too long) and shows real promise. Definitely worth a try if you can cope with the strong horror elements and war related violence. To increase the chaotic nature of the book it is set during the English Civil war and posits that real witches (of both sexes) existed and were evil.
The book moves along well and the protagonist is well rounded. My main criticisms are that the villains motivations are very sketchy and that some scenes did not ring true using maggots to heal wounds and some of the weapons).
I enjoyed reading about places in Lancaster set where I lived (back when Lancaster was the major north western trading port in England where initial trade with the North American colonies occurred. I have walked through Aldcliffe many timed over the years as well as Sunderland point.
It is a shame we will not have a chance to see Paul improve his writing and have the chance to develop.
In memory of Paul and Jen.
