The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

A friend loaned me her copy of this novel (months ago, I shamefully admit) and I decided now was the time to read it. Jennifer McMahon has had me curious for quite some time. I know her novel The Winter People received great reviews, but of course I didn't get a chance to read it. 

I've been tussling over what to read for my book group this next week. I'm supposed to read something that scares me, and I've got to tell you, not much scares me in the reading world. It's a rare book that unnerves me. I was hoping The Invited would at least make me slightly uneasy at night, but it didn't. However, it was an excellent tale and I couldn't put it down. 

Helen and Nate are two school teachers that decide to leave their jobs and move to Vermont to pursue their wish to start over. Using Helen's inheritance money, they purchase some land outside the small Vermont town of Hartsboro. Forty acres of mostly woods and bog, and one perfect spot to build their dream house. The realtor laughingly says the land is haunted, and Helen's ears perk up. She's a historian, and she longs to create a place that has some history attached to it. A haunted piece of land will certainly help. 

Helen and Nate begin building their home-yes, by themselves. Helens' father built houses, and Helen often helped him. Saving their money, doing most of the labor themselves, Helen and Nate should stretch their money to build the house and live off the land. Living in a crappy trailer on the land while they build their home, things start to get tense pretty quickly. It's a lousy trailer, and neither sleeps well at night. Tools begin to go missing, and money, too. The bog is very tempting, but dangerous. Nate begins getting into watching the wildlife (he's a science teacher), and Helen becomes intrigued in the story of Hattie Breckenridge, who lived on the land they now own, and was hung by the townspeople for witchcraft in 1924. Yes, I said 1924. Hung by a mob, next to the bog. They then burned her home down. Hattie was known by all to have a gift--she could see the future, and while everyone was afraid of her, they also came to her for help, too. But a tragic fire at the schoolhouse kills three children, and Hattie had warned the town that something tragic would happen. They blamed it on her, and killed her for it. Now everyone believes Hattie haunts the bog. And they believe Helen and Nate have invited her back with their purchase of the land and building their home. 

Olive lives not far from Helen and Nate's land, and she's also really mad they are there. Olive, a young girl, and her mother Lori heard the tales of buried treasure on Hattie's land, and were convinced they were meant to find it. However, Lori disappears (everyone says she ran away) and Olive is not only traumatized by her mother disappearing, but the gossip in town, and her father's constant renovating their home. He thinks if he keeps fixing it up, Lori will come home. Olive keeps searching for the treasure, and making mischief for Helen and Nate. 

However, Olive isn't all to blame. There is some weird stuff happening, and the more Helen uncovers the dark past of Hattie's murder, the more she's convinced Hattie is there, leading Helen to solve a mystery. 

This was a really good blend of mystery, history, and paranormal. The story of the Breckenridge women was the best part of the novel-and the most tragic, too. Olive is a spitfire, and one smart young lady. Helen is teetering on the edge-the deeper she digs, the more fascinated she gets, and it's putting a strain on her relationship with Nate. It seems that Hattie wants her help, but someone else doesn't want her around at all. She feels an increasing sense of urgency to put all the pieces together, before someone else ends up hurt. 

This had just the right amount of spooky moments without going overboard. The land itself played a big part in creating the atmosphere. The brief chapters that go back to Hattie and her descendants, and show what happened to each of them from their viewpoint are key to putting things together, and provide a good break from the present day plot. 

I'd recommend this novel to anyone who wants a slightly haunting tale of righting wrongs, familial love, and tenacious women. The past always remains with us, and restless souls need closure. 

Rating: 4/6 for a solid novel about ghosts, a dark town secret, the thin line between science and the unknown, and the restless dead. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.

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The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown

If you're a long time follower of the Bookalicious Babe, well...you know I have a soft spot for witches.  As in I read a heck of a lot of fiction that features witches.  I believe the first actual "paper" I wrote for school in 8th grade was all about the Salem witch trials.  

Yes, I wrote a paper about the Salem witch trials and I attended a private Catholic school. And it was 1980. Oops. I don't even remember what I wrote about, but I'm pretty sure I played it safe and just regurgitated what my library books put down as history. I'm pretty sure my opinion today would have gotten me a trip to the principal's office and a grounding at home.  It's obvious my interest in witches has been around for a very long time, so when I saw this title on Goodreads I had to request it from the library.  

I knew this novel was going to be a bit heavy, so I kept putting off reading it.  I finally dived in this past week, not knowing quite what to expect.  It takes place in Essex, England in 1645.  Alice Hopkins is returning home to the small village of Manningtree after her husband dies in a shooting incident in London.  She is a few months pregnant, broke, and the only family left in England is her younger brother, Matthew Hopkins.  They haven't seen each other for five years; she married a servant's son, and Matthew was, to put in today's terms, pissed.  Meanwhile their mother (Alice's step-mother) has died, and Alice hasn't told Matthew her husband is dead, too.  She's had five miscarriages and doesn't want to even think about her current pregnancy for fear of losing it, too.  So she keeps mum about it, hoping to reveal it when she's farther along and closer to her due date.  

Matthew Hopkins has grown up and prospered since Alice left.  He owns an inn, where Alice comes to stay.  He's grown a beard to hid the awful scars on his face and neck that resulted from falling into a fire when he was a baby.  The exact how of that incident has never been explained; but a wet nurse was blamed and lost her job over it.  

Oh--did I mention that Matthew is a witchfinder?  

What starts out as a few people taking revenge on women in the village soon spreads across England, with people accusing pretty much anyone that looked different, lived alone, was poor, or involved in the healing arts.  It was not a time to have any enemies.  Matthew would travel to other villages by horse with a female servant, and spend hours questioning  and examining women under very cruel conditions until they broke and told him what he wanted to hear.  The women were then taken to the gaol, to await trial.  Usually, in times past, the women would be let off after a few months.  But this time, the atmosphere in England was different, and people were out for blood.  

Alice's mother-in-law Bridget had worked for the family when Alice and Matthew were younger.  Matthew doesn't like Bridget (for reasons you will find out as the story unfolds), and Alice is terrified Bridget will be on Matthew's list of potential witches.  She challenges Matthew on his path of destruction, but realizes he's got the bug, and is not one to be challenged.  Matthew is a man with a mission and plenty of zeal.  He's not a fan of women.  

The plot moves fairly slowly; not a whole lot happens over the course of the book.  But, that slowness of plot gives you ample time to feel the dread building as the witch hunts intensify and Matthew grows further apart from Alice.  Family secrets, the real story behind Matthew's childhood accident, and the political atmosphere of England at the time make for one unsettling book.  When you can't trust anyone around you, and you can't trust anything to be real...just what do you do to save yourself? Can Alice save anyone else?

I thought there would be more movement in the book, but I'm not unhappy with the story.  It was actually pretty good, and had a few twists.  You'll be saying "Girrrl....you go Alice!" as she starts to grow a spine and stand up to Matthew---at her own peril.  

If you're a fan of witchy fiction, you'll want to read this.  Matthew Hopkins was an actual witchfinder in England, but that's about all that is factual in this novel. Not a nice man!

Rating:  3/6 for a historical novel set in the midst of England's witch hysteria, with an unsettling atmosphere that will keep you reading even when you dread what's coming next. 

Available in hardcover and ebook. 

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The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown

The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry

I recently read Brunonia Barry's first novel, The Lace Reader, and I have to admit, it wasn't what I expected from all the reviews I'd read.  I can say, however, that The Fifth Petal was a very satisfying read and everything I hoped it would be--yay!

First of all, the cover is pretty amazing.  Just absolutely beautiful, and certainly echoes the feel of the story.  Even if I hadn't been aware of this novel, if I'd been in a bookstore I would have picked it up just because of the cover.  

So, on with the review.  This story picks up in late 2014 in Salem, MA.  There had been a previous unsolved crime that had happened on Halloween night in 1989 that left three young women dead, a respected scholar crazy, and the young daughter of one of the victims traumatized.  Rose, the respected scholar of Salem's witch trials, wanders the streets of Salem, talking to trees and muttering about the banshee that she contains within her to keep it from killing other townspeople.  Callie, the young girl, is now a woman who is a musical therapist with a gift for using singing bowls to help heal people.  She remembers a bit of that night, but thinks Rose is dead (that's what the nuns told her) and has tried to put the trauma out of her life.  

Halloween, 2014 finds Rose near her beloved oak trees, listening to them speak.  Yes, she can hear the trees talking to her, and they are trying to tell her a story.  She is bullied by a group of teenagers, and one ends up dead.  Rose is taken to the local hospital, and it's all over the news.  Callie, who lives nearby, sees the news report and realizes the woman she considered her Aunt is actually alive.  She travels to Salem to visit Rose and try to get answers about that long ago night.  Was there really a banshee?  Did it kill her mother and her friends?  What were they doing out in the woods that night?

Brunonia Barry immerses you in the world of Salem.  She blends the historic and tourist aspects of Salem into a place that is a home to generations of families; a mysterious, spooky place that still hasn't forgiven itself for the past, and a place some only see as a gimmick and a tourist trap.  It is a complex city steeped in history.  Salem is just as much a character in this novel as Callie and Rose.  Rafferty and Towner are part of the story; Rafferty is investigating the 1989 cold case, and Towner's friendship with Rose makes things complicated for everyone.  Townsfolk begin again to start a witch hunt against Rose, and when they find out who Callie is, they start to whisper about her, too. 

There is a lot going on in this novel:  mythology, Salem history, family dynamics, and of course a good old murder mystery.  Toss in a bit of the paranormal and you've got a multi-layered story that keeps you guessing until the last few chapters.  I will say I did feel like I was missing something in the relationship between Towner and Rafferty; it seemed like I was the only one not in on the full story.  I think this may have been my inattention and unhappiness with The Lace Reader coming back to haunt me.  In any case, it didn't keep me from enjoying the obvious bond between the two.  After the hijinks of The Lace Reader I was happy to see them settled and in a good place. 

The Fifth Petal will certainly appeal to anyone who likes a bit of mystery, "witchiness", and mythology.  Reading about music therapy and singing bowls has peaked my interest, and I may delve into this subject on my own.  I'm all for alternative therapies that help heal the physically sick and those who have wounded souls.  Fans of Deborah Harkness and Paula Brackston should pick this novel up--you're sure to enjoy it.  

Rating:  4/6 for a fascinating look at Salem's history well blended into a modern day tale of murder and deep family issues.  Characters that are flawed and damaged, but not hopeless.  

Available in hardcover, audio, and e-book.

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The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry

Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper

Here's a teen read that is based on an actual historical event.  Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper is about  Anne Green, a young servant living in the household of Sir Thomas Reade in 1650 England.  


Anne is a scullery maid, and has begun to spend time with the local blacksmith apprentice, John Taylor.  Anne's perfectly normal life takes a turn for the worst when Sir Thomas' grandson comes to stay on school breaks.  Anne catches his eye, and through persistence on his part, and ignorance on Anne's part, he soon begins an intimate relationship with her, promising Anne he will marry her and make her the mistress of the house.  


Anne doesn't feel too great about this situation, and is very uneasy.  She's had to break it off with John, and realizes he's the man she should have married.  Now, she finds herself pregnant, and too frightened to tell anyone but her mother.  After an unsuccessful attempt at taking some medicine to rid herself of the baby, she discovers that Master Geoffrey (the grandson) is engaged to marry a very wealthy young lady.  She tells him she's pregnant, in which he immediately denies it is his child and calls her a slut.  


With no where to go, and no one to turn to, Anne stays at her job, hiding her pregnancy.  She goes into labor months too early, and delivers her child in a privy by herself.  The baby is born dead.  Anne, in shock, hides the baby, intending to bury it later. 


Anne goes back to the house, is discovered, and the story comes out.  She's immediately accused of infanticide, and taken to jail.  After a trial, she's found guilty and sentenced to hang.  But what happens after she's hung is what this story is about.  Anne doesn't die.  She's in a coma, and awaits dissection from a team of doctors who have gathered to perform it mere hours after her hanging.


But wait--is that her eyelid twitching?  Will she awaken in time?  What happens?  This is a great historical fiction read that is aimed at teens.  It reads very quickly, and the fact that it's based on a true event is fascinating.   The author includes her notes on how she came to write the novel, and has a copy of the actual pamphlet about Anne Green from 1650 in the back of the book, so you can read what everyone read way back when.  

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Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper