A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox

 

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Hester Fox returns with a novel that combines history, museum work, magic, and tragedy. It's an interesting combination that all comes together and left me trying to decide if I sympathized with charming and mysterious Margaret Harlowe. 

There are two stories, with chapters either labeled Margaret or Augusta, so it is not difficult to switch between the two characters or time periods. Margaret is the only daughter of the wealthy Harlowe family in Tynemouth, Massachusetts in 1876. She's beautiful and restless. She also possesses magical abilities and on the side helps women in town who seek her assistance late at night in the woods. She's got her eye on the handsome Jack Pryce, a shopkeeper's son who can't take his eyes off Margaret. Is it love or lust between the two? 

Present day in Tynemouth, Augusta gets her dream job as curator for the Harlowe House Museum. She's got an eating disorder, is in a failed relationship, and feels strangely at home in Harlowe House. Augusta keeps hearing footsteps; books are left open on her desk showing important clues in her research, and she's quickly become obsessed with finding out more about Margaret. There's very little information about Margaret; it's as though she was swept under the family rug and quickly forgotten. 

Well. Margaret is still around, and she's got a plan. She wants to live, and Augusta is her key. 

This was a pretty good story; it kept my interest and I was fascinated by the story of Margaret and her tragic ending. She's at once a sympathetic character and one that is pretty selfish. She certainly has reason to be bitter. Augusta is a bit of a mess--she struggles to break free from a relationship that doesn't work but is comfortable; she is smart but troubled and just what Margaret needs to make her plan come to fruition. 

There are other characters who add to both storylines and are instrumental in determining the fate of both women. I loved the setting, the inside peek into museum curation (especially a small museum), and the magic and mystery of the woods, water, and beaches of Massachusetts. A theme running throughout this novel are the choices women make, both good and bad, and the lack of power they have within society and their own homes. 

Rating: 4/6 for an entertaining read that combines two of my favorite subjects: history and magic. It would make an interesting discussion for a book group. One of my favorite Hester Fox novels. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. 

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A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox

Halloween Read: The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper

This novel originally came out in March of 2013, and I've had an advance reader's copy on my shelves since probably 2012.  Just goes to show eventually I do get to books on my bookcases!  

I haven't read a really creepy book in quite some time and I'm glad I chose this for a Halloween read.  It did creep me out.  I actually went down to my basement last night to toss clothes in the dryer and felt a little uneasy looking into the dark corners.  Thank you Andrew Pyper for that.  

This novel is about a man, Professor David Ullman, and his unbreakable bond with his daughter Tess.  David is an expert on Milton's Paradise Lost, and has built his career out of his scholarly work, but secretly doesn't believe in God or the devil.  His marriage is in shambles, his wife is having an affair, and his daughter seems to inherited what he calls the "melancholy" he himself struggles to keep at bay.  A visit from a strange woman inviting him to Venice (all expenses paid) to witness a phenomenon sets David on a journey that will test his beliefs, his courage, and his unshakable belief that he can save his daughter. 

What?! David's daughter disappears in Venice (everyone says she commits suicide), but David knows what happened:  a demon has her.  And he's going to keep her unless David becomes his disciple and shows the world the proof he has locked up in a bank vault:  that demons exist, and God is not good.  Demonic possession caught on video.  Proof positive that "they" are coming.  This sends David on a cross-country odyssey to find the clues that will lead him to his final destination and showdown with the demon.  And he's under a time constraint:  He only has a few days until his daughter is lost to him forever.  

This is a short novel, but the uneasiness is pretty big.  There are a few scenes that quite frankly creeped me out!  Imagine being scared witless, and moving forward anyway.  That's pretty much what David does.  A father's love for his daughter is supremely powerful.  You don't need to have read Paradise Lost or even have an inkling about it, because you get enough of it in the story to follow along.  Lots of dead people, demonic possession, and horrible visions keep up the horror factor in this story.  I found myself racing towards the end, as David races towards his fate.  

I actually really enjoyed this novel.  The tension is high, the anticipation builds, and it will make you turn on all the lights.  Something completely different from my usual read!

Rating:  7/10 for a well-executed horror novel that makes your heart race and a main character who struggles with his demons--both literally and figuratively in order to save his daughter.  Can love conquer supreme evil?

Available in paperback, hardcover, audio, and e-book.  

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Halloween Read: The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper