Whittlewood - Suzanne Ruthven
This book is a real page-turner. I started reading it and had to finish it in one sitting; I just could not put it down. Whittlewood is a tale of murder and magical mystery, with some romance and a few touches of history, all of which combine to entice the reader to keep reading and reading - ever hungry for more. Whittlewood is the name given to a once great and ancient wood, that, due to urbanistion has been reduced to the small patch that now sits on Charlotte's land. Charlotte is an author of mystery books and a renowned expert on the occult. A reporter, Alex Martin, is sent to Ashmarsh to interview Charlotte. Charlotte believes Alex is there to uncover the truth surrounding the murder of two girls (whose bodies were found within the stone circle) ... little does Alex suspect how his life is about to change. More murders follow and the police turn to Charlotte ... Suzanne Ruthven has woven a story of magic, mystery and reality into a marvellous book. I hope she continues to write such engrossing tales. What's more her descriptive style is such that I could smell the incense and greenery in the Church; I was transported. There is only one slight quibble with the book and that is the occasional editing or printing error, but even so, I could not be wrenched from my reverie in Ashmarsh. This is one of the most original fictional works I have read in recent years. Read it!!!