Narrator: Aubrey Parsons
Release date: 27-03-26
Language: English
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 10 hrs
Publisher: Howfen Press
Murder, witchcraft, and a race against time – welcome to Pendle Hill.
A young woman is found brutally murdered and mutilated at the foot of Pendle Hill and the local police are in no doubt who the killer is. Newly released from a psychiatric unit, Will Perkins has delusions that the victim is a witch. When DCI Liam Doyle and his team are brought in to investigate, the suspect is already in custody and the case apparently wrapped up. Except for one key detail – evidence.
Is it really possible the origins to this murder lie in Pendle’s infamous past?
Recently returned to work, DS Anna Morgan is battling her own demons. The physical wounds from her last case have healed, but the psychological trauma still haunts her. When another body turns up the investigation is blown wide open and Doyle has to face up to the horrifying possibility that he could have prevented this killing.
Can Doyle overcome his own doubts and track down the killer before they strike again? Will Morgan be able to conquer her fear before it destroys her?
Set in and around Lancashire’s legendary Pendle Hill, Witch Hunt is a gripping British crime thriller with dark humour and a nail-biting climax. This fast-paced novel, the second in the series featuring DCI Doyle and DS Morgan, will have readers on the edge of their seats.
Purchase Links
UK Links:
https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0GV51STB8
USA Links:
https://www.audible.com/pd/B0GV5659QN
My Review
Thanks to Rachel, of Rachel’s Random Resources for organising this tour and to the author for my Audible code. It’s been a while since I did a tour for Rachel and a while more since I did an audiobook tour.
This book tells the story of two murders, a mentally ill man falsely accused of the crime, multiple bent coppers, a drugs ring in Lancashire, and how the small but damaged Major Incident Team solve the case.
The mental illness of the falsely accused man is handled sensitively and the assumptions about him are refuted by the characters and the evidence. Several of the characters have a mental health condition, including EUPD, PTSD, or paranoid schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations. The main character’s son is autistic. The author has clearly done his research into these and has tried to accurately represent how mental illness and neurodivergence manifest in some people. Other than saying ‘neurodiversity’ when he means ‘neurodivergence’, he does a good job. And yes, some of us mad people do call ourselves mad – mad studies is a thing, lead by people who self identify as mad.
The prejudices of people who don’t understand are also presented, and used effectively in the plot. The willingness of people to believe that someone with a mental health condition might ‘just snap’ even if they’ve never been violent is far too common. I was once asked if I was dangerous, because I made a joke about being mentally ill – no, I’m anxious, have depression, and I was unidentified autistic at the time. Mentally ill people are more likely to be the victims of crime rather than the perpetrators, and as a few people I know also say, we’re more likely to hurt ourselves than anyone else.
DS Morgan’s PTSD and her journey through it is sensitively written about. We see her struggling with the symptoms of PTSD and slowly dealing with them through the events of the investigation. She is in a different place at the end from where she started.
The author is obviously using this novel to increase awareness around the mental health care system and the difficulties of getting timely care; decades of underfunding will do that. The author worked in the mental healthcare system for a decade, he’s talking from experience. Spargo also brings in the struggles of parents trying to get support for their children with additional educational needs – getting the right support and ECHPs in place is hard, because schools don’t get enough funding, and the dangers of bullying. I did enjoy the way Liam terrified that nasty little bully. As a kid who was different and was bullied, I wish someone had scared the crap out of my bullies.
To the crime: the murders are gruesome and the motives of the killer are realistic – possessiveness kills. The murderer appears early in the narrative but he’s such a background figure that the machinations of the people around him and the corrupt copper help to keep him out of sight. The uncovering of the crimes around the murders throws out red-herrings but it is well-handled.
The story was gripping listening. I’ve spent a Saturday afternoon/evening listening while crocheting, cooking, and generally pottering around and I could follow the story easily. It had a good rhythm and the characters were rounded and interesting.
Couple of issues – little bit of unnecessary fatphobia, and the narrator struggles with women’s voices. Also slightly too melodramatic in places. These don’t detract massively from the story, but it’s something to bare in mind if those things irritate you.
Author Bio –
Fast approaching fifty; without enough money for a sports car, BD Spargo decided to express his mid-life crises by turning to crime …
Thankfully for pretty much everyone this meant writing crime fiction rather than anything more nefarious. Originally from London, he spent his early career working in television and theatre including on the Ruth Rendall Mysteries broadcast on ITV.
A life changing accident necessitated retraining and a change of direction going on to work in mental health services. This culminated in ten years managing a groundbreaking forensic psychiatric service. He now lives in Lancashire with his family and is getting acclimatised to the rain.
Social Media Links –
Website: https://bdspargo.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557017745842
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BDSpargo
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bdspargo.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdspargo/
Everything Is Better With Dragons 