The Craftsman by Sharon J. Bolton

November 8th, 2018 Kimberly Review 20 Comments

8th Nov
The Craftsman by Sharon J. Bolton
The Craftsman
by Sharon J. Bolton
Series: The Craftsman #1
Narrator: Nathalie Buscombe
Length: 11 hours and 55 minutes
Genres: Psychological Thriller
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Narration: 4.5 cups

Sharon Bolton returns with her creepiest standalone yet, following a young cop trying to trace the disappearances of a small town's teenagers.

Florence Lovelady's career was made when she convicted coffin-maker Larry Grassbrook of a series of child murders 30 years ago in a small village in Lancashire. Like something out of a nightmare, the victims were buried alive. Florence was able to solve the mystery and get a confession out of Larry before more children were murdered., and he spent the rest of his life in prison.

But now, decades later, he's dead, and events from the past start to repeat themselves. Is someone copying the original murders? Or did she get it wrong all those years ago? When her own son goes missing under similar circumstances, the case not only gets reopened... it gets personal.

In master of suspense Sharon Bolton's latest thriller, listeners will confirm their deepest fears and meet the only protagonist who can face them.

SUSPENSE mystery thriller Small-town

I was the mood for a creepy thriller and the synopsis of The Craftsman by Sharon J. Bolton intrigued me. Narrated by Nathalie Buscombe, Bolton offered a dark, gritty thriller with a serial killer who kidnaps and buries his victims alive. A twisted thriller with spells and dark magic await you.

Reasons to grab your earbuds and listen to The Craftsman

  • With alternating timelines between present day (1999) and thirty-years prior (1969) Bolton quickly pulled me into this macabre thriller. Our protagonist Florence Loveday and her son are attending the funeral of Larry Glassbrook. Glassbrook was the convicted serial killer responsible for heinous crimes in a case Loveday worked over thirty years ago. In 1969 as a young officer in Lancashire, she worked a missing persons case involving a thirteen-year-old girl. That cases lead to the discovery of horrible crimes that rocked the small town.
  • Both timelines were well-developed and held my attention. Bolton fleshed out the characters and period from Loveday following trusting her gut to the way her male counterparts treated her.
  • Glassbrook’s death brings back flashbacks and when Loveday discovers a small voodoo doll of herself things get interesting. Did they incarcerate the wrong man? Is someone snatching children again? Are the cases connected?
  • Set in Sabden, a town on the edge of Pendle Hill, Bolton wove the town’s history into her story. The elements of witchcraft, folklore and superstition created suspense, foreboding and authenticity to the story.
  • While the current thread built slowly, the payoff for reader and listeners alike came in the final thirty percent of the book. Gritty, gothic and unbelievably suspenseful I found myself completely enthralled. At one point I was gripping the sofa pillow so tightly my hand throbbed. I was so engrossed by the twists, danger and pulse-pounding moments I could barely breathe.
  • The story is dark and deeply disturbing. While this isn’t horror, there are moments and discoveries that will haunt you. Keep in mind young people were/are kidnapped and murdered. Their cause of death is disturbing and difficult for the mind to process. Even Loveday’s experiences in the past were terrifying. While Bolton didn’t go out of her way in detailing the deaths, she left little to the imagination and I often cringed at the revelations.
  • If you listen you are in for an extra dose of suspense. Nathalie Buscombe offered a wonderful narration. She captured the atmospheric tones and tension as the story progressed lending authenticity to the characters and their actions.
  • Do not skip the note from the author entitled Dear Reader.

The Craftsman was an engaging thriller I will not quickly forget. I am curious to see what horrors the second book, The Cunning Wife will bring. No details are available yet, but will release in 2019.

The Craftsman by Sharon J. Bolton delivered a chilling, heart-pounding thriller that had me holding my breath. #thriller #loveaudiobooks #suspense #folklore #witchcraft Share on X
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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20 Responses to “The Craftsman by Sharon J. Bolton”

  1. Olivia Roach

    I can see how the dual timelines would work here when one is the original case and the other is the crime method being repeated. But oh, what a horrible way to be murdered. I would hate to be buried alive…

    Olivia Roach recently posted: Top 10: Unpredictable Books!

  3. Adriana@BooksOnHerMind

    Odd that it has witchcraft in it. I have a few theories on who it could possibly be already. Maybe not the person’s name but if it is a copycat or not. I think not. The title itself is really interesting. I’m assuming it is something creepy he did with the kids or maybe voodoo or something. Interesting.

    Adriana@BooksOnHerMind recently posted: The 12 Days of Books Read-a-thon

  4. ShootingStarsMag

    I have this on my to-read list, so I need to get my hands on a copy somehow! LOL I’m glad to hear you really liked it – it sounds very engrossing. Love a good thriller/mystery.

    -Lauren

  7. Sophia Rose

    Oh yeah, it sounds like you got your money’s worth on that one. It sounds properly dark and chilling. If the narrator does a great job, I might just have enough courage to read it and not listen in. LOL

  14. Lily

    Oo I love dual timelines 😀 this sounds interesting. The dark atmosphere of this book sounds perfect for the fall.