WITCH BOTTLE

RELEASED OUT NOW! 314 pages | Paperback/ebook

Author Tom Fletcher

Publisher Jo Fletcher Books

Milkmen used to play a vital role in communities, which went beyond just delivering a couple of pints of gold top. Ignoring the bawdy ’70s clichés, they were often a source of news, gossip and other useful items, particularly for isolated people.

And so it goes with Daniel. He left his wife and young daughter behind to start a new life in Cumbria, but now he’s beset by nightmares and visions. He’s not the only one. There’s a rash of hauntings in the area and the locals are scared. Daniel’s new girlfriend, Kathryn, seems to have the answer. A practising witch, she creates magical wards to keep the phantoms away and he’s soon delivering them on his float. Then the threatening messages start…

“Low key” best sums up Tom Fletcher’s return to horror (and no, this is not the one who is in Mcfly). He immerses you in the minutiae of Daniel’s life, job and sometimes deeply irritating co-workers. In some ways it feels like a kitchen sink drama about the way guilt and grief can linger over a life, but the supernatural element is always there, building slowly to an unsettling climax.

There’s a real darkness at the heart of Witch Bottle, and Fletcher conjures an atmosphere of rural gloom so potent that you can practically feel the sea frets on your face. An elegant and effectively creepy slice of North West gothic. Will Salmon