The Craftsman by Sharon J. Bolton #bookreview #thriller

Title: The Craftsman

Author: Sharon J. Bolton

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: October 16, 2018

Page Count: 432

My rating: 3 1/2 stars

About the book:

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, readers will find a page-turner to confirm their deepest fears and the only protagonist who can face them.

The Craftsman by Sharon J. Bolton is a thriller that is told in two different timelines during the book. The story begins in 1999 with the funeral of a once convicted murderer but also flashes back to the past in 1969 when the murders had occurred that Larry Grassbrook had spent the last thirty years in prison for committing.

In 1969 Florence Lovelady was barely older than the teenage victims that had been disappearing but she had began to work with the police. Through the course of the investigation Florence played a huge part in bringing down the murderer which was a huge boost for her career.

Thirty years later however at the time they are burying the man Florence had gotten to confess events begin to happen that makes Florence wonder if she had been right all those years ago. As danger gets closer Florence finds herself looking into the past to find out just what is going on now and how it’s all connected.

Having read Sharon Bolton’s work before I was really excited to get around to reading The Craftsman and now I wonder if perhaps this is one of those too much anticipation moments when finished. I seem to be in the minority to not be completely swept away with this one but in my defense I think there’s several factors that lead to my 3.5 star rating.

One of those reasons was just being I read too much, this felt a bit familiar. Another that the story felt a bit slow in the middle to me. Then I also thought the blurb I had read gave a bit too much away for my ever guessing mind but regardless there’s plenty of others feeling this one was five stars so don’t let my 3.5 scare anyone away as it’s definitely a good book.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online: 

Goodreads  /   Amazon

About the author:

SHARON BOLTON is a Mary Higgins Clark Award winner and an ITW Thriller Award, CWA Gold Dagger and Barry Award nominee. She lives near London, England. Her books included the Lacey Flint novels: Now You See Me, Dead Scared, Lost, and A Dark and Twisted Tide. Sharon Bolton was previously published as S.J. Bolton.