Title: The Craftsman

Author: Sharon Bolton

Genre: Mystery/Psychological Thriller

Published: 2018

Obtained: Amazon

Florence Lovelady was an up and coming female officer in the late sixties when she made her career by arresting Larry Glassbrook for the disappearances and grizzly murders of local teens. Thirty years later, as she attends Larry’s funeral, she stumbles across new evidence suggesting that the mystery is, in fact, unsolved after all these years. Unable to live with a potentially wrong conviction, Lovelady must begin to investigate the case again…this time, however, the investigation becomes much more personal.

I picked up this book while I was recovering from a laparoscopy procedure, and it definitely helped keep my mind occupied. This book is fantastic! Bolton has created another masterpiece. The storytelling, details, suspenseful plot, three dimensional characters and overall mystery weaves the threads of this novel together. I had a really hard time putting this book down and when I did, my mind was still wrapped up in the story.

Sharon Bolton definitely knows how to keep the reader on the edge of his/her seat. I read this book after Little Black Lies, and while they both consist of exemplary storytelling, The Craftsman was much creepier. I loved the actual set up of the novel — it’s told in three parts. The first part is in the year 1999, following Florence Lovelady who is returning to the place where she first was investigating and, as it becomes apparent, arrested a man named Larry Glassbrook for the murder of missing teens. The eerieness seeps in fast with the initial setup, as the reader learns that Larry was a casket maker at the local funeral home — an alarming and harrowing career, especially as Bolton reveals details surrounding the mystery and deaths of victims. The second part of the story goes back to the last 60’s to tell Lovelady’s story of the missing teens and investigation, to the sexist treatment from Lovelady’s male coworkers, to the involvement of witches and finally to the arrest of the Larry Glassbrook. The final segment of the novel is set again in 1999 where Lovelady and her teenage son happen upon new evidence that leads them down a suspenseful, dangerous road. Lovelady is torn between her own safety and the truth from all those years ago. Bolton, naturally, crafts the story in such a way that the reader is lost in this case and the dark, grimy world she has created.

Bolton’s characters are wonderfully portrayed. Bolton has a knack for writing characters both with depth and mystery; you think you have them figured out, but leave each chapter questioning how much you actually know about them and their motives. Lovelady was a spectacular protagonist. She was tough and yet vulnerable — encompassing qualities that are familiar and relatable. She faces the men and women who scoff at her presence in the police force straight on without an inkling of giving up on the whole ordeal. She is intelligent, determined, open-minded and resilient as all hell. I’m super excited that Bolton will be creating a series with Lovelady because she is, quite frankly, a badass.

Bolton has a way of easing you into her mystery in such a way that, as a reader, you hardly notice your descent into her words. One moment I was on my couch, heating pad and tea, and next moment I was digging up a freshly mounded grave, sweating and questioning right along with the characters. My friend that recommended Bolton made a comment that as an author, she has a habit of hiding clues and information in plain sight; I couldn’t agree more. As with her previous novel, every time I thought I had the mystery and plot untangled, there would be another twist or another truth-bomb exploding off the pages that made me question everything I thought I had solved. As someone who largely enjoys mystery and thriller fiction, this is exciting! There is nothing more disappointing than reading a mystery novel and not being remotely shocked or surprised by the ending. Bolton does not disappoint in this aspect (in any aspect really, if you want my whole truth); again, up until the end, I was trying to figure out what the protagonist had decoded that I had not…what clue was she given to solve the case that I had not discerned? And, as my dear friend pointed out, it was a clue that was planted in the open that I had simply overlooked.

If you can’t tell from the review thus far, I recommend this book one thousand percent. It had the right amount of creepy without crossing the line into horror. It was beautifully written both with the language and with the creation of the plot. The characters are multi-dimensional and incredibly crafted. Most importantly, The Craftsman is an intriguing mystery that unfolds in a suspenseful way and leaves the reader contemplating the twists and turns even after the book has been set down. I give this book a golden 5 out 5 stars; it was gripping and deliciously eerie. I recommend Saved Red Blend as the wine pairing for The Craftsman. This wine consists of a few various wines, including Malbec and Syrah (two of my favorites) and has a fig-gy, spiceful taste. The soft tannins and explosive flavor pair well with the thrilling storyline and the combination of strength and vulnerability in Florence Lovelady. As a bonus, this wine has an alcohol content of 15%, making it well-suited to the spine-tingling story. Once you pick up a Bolton novel, you’ll be hooked on her writing! Enjoy!

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Wine Pairing: Saved Red Blend 2014

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