Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross

By Lisa Tuttle

When a hysterical man tumbles through the door of Jasper Jessperson’s home, pointing a finger at Miss Lane and proclaiming, “witch,” it would have been fuel enough to set them to investigate.  However, after discovering the identity of the fallen man as Charles Manning and locating the brother of the poor man, they are hired to find out who, in fact, poisoned him.  Was it really a witch or just the normal darkness that often surfaces when men come to face over a woman?

Tuttle’s Jessperson and Lane series is rather unique as she enjoys putting a paranormal or fantasy touch into her stories.  Though the hook here is witchcraft it is not what you would expect and she weaves in the natural practices of the wiccan within the plot.  The real surprise comes at the end and leaves you with a wistful wondering of folklore and fairytales of old.  At the heart of this sophomore offering is a good, old-fashioned mystery.  Many of the characters are dark and brooding.  Just what you would expect in a good Victorian mystery.  Tuttle’s descriptions of landscape and surroundings will have you curling up with a warm wrap and a hot cup of tea.  The following ISBN reference is for the ebook.  It seems they will not be offering it in print. I hope I’m wrong about this as I feel it would find a bigger audience in print. 

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for approving the Advanced Reader’s Copy for my honest review.

Pub:  Random House/Hydra

Pub Date:  November 28, 2017

ISBN:  9780399182204 - ebook

Genre:  Victorian Mystery/Fantasy