Witch Bottle
by Tom Fletcher
A Review
Daniel is an aspiring writer. Although, if you’re not feeling generous, you could describe him as a “failed” one, seeing that his long-planned novel never seems to get off the ground. Things are hardly any better for Daniel in the family sphere. Unable to cope with a fraught situation at home, he abandons his wife and baby daughter and settles down in a remote part of Cumbria. There he works as a milkman, driving around the rural lanes delivering groceries to villagers and local businesses. A budding relationship with Kathryn, who runs the La’al Tattie Shop, promises a fresh start. Kathryn is also a part-time witch and ward-maker. Lately, demand for her services seems to be thriving. In fact, something strange is clearly afoot. Daniel is being visited by a chilling nocturnal entity, a hooded figure who follows him and turns up at his house at the least unexpected moments. Moreover, the other villagers are also complaining of disturbed nights and ghostly visitations. These apparitions coincide with increased business for the sinister “Fallen Stock”, a company which collects and disposes of dead farm animals. Its vans are suddenly ubiquitous on the roads, driven by menacing employees who seem to know more than they are letting on. The novel follows Daniel as he tries to face and come to terms with his demons, which might well be related to the dread and unease which burdens the whole area.
The blurb compares Witch Bottle to Andrew Michael Hurley’s The Loney and Starve Acre. There are similarities for sure – the rural setting, the folk-horror vibes, the link between personal trauma and supernatural events and between the fears of the “individual” and those of the “community”. However, this comparison also does Tom Fletcher a disservice, because his is a distinctive and personal voice. Fletcher knows how to ratchet up the tension and his book is bleak and scary. But most of it is also a description of the life of a milkman, told from the protagonist’s perspective. I was also pleasantly surprised at the fact that for such a dark and atmospheric novel, it has its fair share of quick-fire dialogue and humour.
What I found less convincing about Witch
Bottle, was its ending. For much
of the novel, Fletcher manages a tricky balance between gritty realism and
supernatural stuff. In the final
chapters, however, there is a sudden shift towards the bizarre, what with
surreal dream sequences and a gory finale which skirts the “low fantasy” genre.
Despite my reservations, this is a novel which
I enjoyed reading and I will look out for future work by Tom Fletcher.
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