Flight of a Witch (original 1964; edition 1991)

I liked it. Ellis Peters seemed to be fantasizing a bit about what it's like to have looks that have all the men falling in love with you. Annet doesn't fit any pretty girl stereotype. ( )

A mystery in modern day (1964) Wales by the author of the Brother Cadfael series, this story is part village mystery and part police procedural. An easy read, and a reasonably disguised villain. ( )

This is one of Ms. Peters' modern-day mysteries, involving the disappearance of the beautiful young Annet Beck on the mysterious Hallowmount (based, I suspect, on the Stiperstones). When she reappears after five days, she insists that she's only been gone for a couple of hours. Both George and Dominic Felse (at this stage still in the sixth form) feature, together with the impressionable young teacher Tom Kenyon. It transpires that Annet has accidentally become involved with a rather sordid murder, but she continues to refuse to speak. There's a rather implausibly melodramatic conclusion (back on the Hallowmount). Not one of her best, in my view, but still worth reading once. ( )

Best known for her "Brother Cadfael" series, which are among my favourite historical detective series, Ellis Peters (1913-1985) was also the author of thirteen novels featuring Inspector George Felse. Published in 1964, FLIGHT OF A WITCH is the fifth novel in that series.

Annet Beck is a small town girl with unexpected beauty - and when school teacher Tom Kenyon takes a room in her parents' home he hopes she will be drawn to his manly charms. To his dismay, Annet is not interested; to his shock, she suddenly disappears on a hill of ancient ill-repute named Hallowmount. And to every one's surprise, when she returns five days later, she claims to have been gone only a few hours. Is it witchcraft? Or has Annet fallen back on local legends in an effort to conceal her activities? Fortunately, Inspector Felse is on the scene to separate fact from fiction.

Peters often worked with contrived plots, and in her hands they are often quite amusing. The plot of FLIGHT OF A WITCH is in some ways typical of her work. However, those expecting a mystery will be disappointed, for the novel is less mysterious than merely so much pulp romance and, while there is a murder to be solved, it is less a matter of detection than in forcing the truth from the mysterious central character.

Although it has its moments, this is very much one of Peters' lesser works. The context is dated; the characters largely ill-defined or unbelievable; and the plot is trite. ( )