The Craftsman: A Novel

This book is brimming with potential but never quite delivers. It is an entertaining read but it suffers from inconsistent characters, plot holes, and sometimes forced-sounding dialogue. It also relies on certain horror cliches like people making unbelievably stupid decisions. At times it reminded me of that Austin Powers joke about leaving the hero unguarded in an easily escapable situation instead of killing him right away.Here's an example of forced dialogue that jarred me out of immersion because it doesn't actually sound like a real conversation between a mother and son:> 'You've been reading my letters? Snooping in my bag?'> Ben's face flushes crimson. 'Hell no. You emptied your bag on the kitchen table last night. I saw the envelope when I got up for a drink. I haven't read it.'Ben's face flushes crimson? Really? Don't do that. I can't give examples for the other criticisms I mentioned without spoilers, but trust me: you will know them when you read them.Bolton does a good job of describing the town and setting scenes up. And I loved the element of witchcraft and ultra-strong women who get stuff done. There's a lot to like here. It just wasn't quite perfect and I had to suspend my disbelief far too often. It reads like a good idea from a good author who was somehow rushed into shipping a poorly edited book. This is my first introduction to Bolton and I will for sure read her other books.

ALL THE STARS!Sharon Bolton's latest release, The Craftsman is her best yet. I am so ready for you all to get hooked by her newest tale—witchcraft, serial killers, children being buried alive—WHAT?! The story starts off in 1999, where serial killer Larry Glassbrook is being laid to rest. After spending 30 years in prison for the murder of three local teenagers back in 1969, Larry's notoriety has not weathered since his arrest. The small town Sabden has never been the same since Larry's havoc with the townsfolk began, but after Larry is buried, the town is put through turmoil once again. Florence Lovelady, the police investigator who was responsible for Larry's arrest, has returned to the town and has been noticing a copycat criminal appearing out of nowhere. This new culprit is repeating the steps that Larry took with his victims, but has now aimed the direction at Florence. Florence is in danger, but who's the person wanting her gone?I can't stress enough how fully developed the story is in The Craftsman . Bolton's use of witchcraft is masterfully portrayed in the story, without turning to the side of ridiculousness—it's authentic, real, and emotionally driven. The story alternates between 1999 and 1969, so the mystery appears to have subsided because we think we know what happens, but there's a larger force at play here and it'll leave you stunned. While the story does develop into a witchcraft-induced mystery, the bigger theme of family and guardianship will ultimately immerse you into a world you may not know anything about.The Craftsman is one of my favorite reads that I've read this year, and definitely Bolton's best. If you have ever enjoyed anything that Sharon Bolton's written in the past, you would be a fool to not pick up this story. Thank you Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The novel begins in 1999 when Florence and her fifteen year old son attend the funeral of Larry Grassbrook, the man she helped catch as the murderer of three teens 30 years ago. After his funeral, Florence finds something that makes her suspect something might not be right about the original investigation.She then begins looking into the old case while wondering if the right man was convicted of those crimes 30 years ago even if he did confess. Could the killer still be at large after all these years? If so, has she put herself and her family in danger by coming back to Sabden?The story then goes back 30 years ago and tells the story from that perspective. Three teens were missing, Florence finds the most recent missing teen - and she had been buried alive in a casket. Who did it? ... this becomes the focus of this part of the story - the middle 2/3 of the book. There are witches involved... and a little bit of mystical spellsThen, at the end, we return to 1999 and the visit to the funeral... was the wrong person convicted? You will have to read the book to find out. An interesting ending :)

There are so many creative and top-notch reviews already I vote for them all, and especially Ms. Bolton's book which is responsible for them all. Amazing, astounding, gasping, jaw-dropping all apply to this story, which for me, is her best book. I will admit I'm drawn to stories with bits and pieces of supernatural. Something that pushes me to keep reading and even makes my gasp as my jaw drops at the end. This has required me to re-read the short, last chapter at least 3 times. I did finish the story 10 days ago, and have thought about the story many times not knowing what to say. And I can't say more that it's excellent in all manner of ways. Strong people, twisty secrets, deep sighs, and long awwww's. Super strong story. Glad to see the fan base is growing!

Not her best work.