The Magpie Tree

Loved the atmosphere of this story. It created a dark and macabre atmosphere that any spooky mystery lover could appreciate. The woods are dark and mysterious and the sounding of a bell when danger arises could be that of the long dead St. Nectan...or simply the warning bell from the nearby slate quarry that blasting is about to take place. Beautiful descriptions throughout as we follow Anna and Shilly to a hidden valley where magic has spirited away a child. The story draws heavily on folk tales and your vivid imagination. The only thing I found a bit taxing was the use of Cornish phrases that were unfamiliar to me. This is the second book in the Cornish Mystery series and I am off to find the first book.

This second novel in the Cornish Mysteries series by Katherine Stansfield is a bewitching read that transported me straight to the tangled woods of Saint Nectans Glen. As in Stansfield's other novels, the landscape of Cornwall is the real protagonist and is embodied by Shilly, one half of the detective duo. Shilly is the one has all of the insights, revealed to her by a sympathy with folklore and human nature but is hampered (or, as she thinks, illuminated) by a dependence on alcohol which we hope by the end of the novel that she may overcome. Anna, on the other hand starts out the novel believing in common sense, a practical explanation for everything and scoffs at her partners revelations. I look forward to some character development show more for Anna in the future and to finding out what secrets make her so unbending and, frankly, unlikable. Whilst I did guess the culprit early on, there are startling revelations that no-one could have predicted. I'll say no more, you wouldn't believe me! show less