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.

How a small thing like chatting with a lonely person can brighten up someone's day. When you give them the chance to talk about their problems, you might even help them by becoming the middleman between the ward maker and the one visited by unwanted nocturnal guests. In that sense, milkman Daniel does a far better job than those who turn a blind eye to all the terrible things happening in the world. 

The opening scene had me hooked: what am I reading? Where can I open a window to watch that giant? It is the perfect teaser for what's to come later in the book. There’s also a more symbolic role for the giant (monster) in the story. Past experiences can linger with you for a long time, eating you from within, until they bring the worst out in you and those around you. So, who is the actual monster, the giant or the human?

With every chapter you learn about another part of Daniel’s life, be it a story from the past, the introduction of an acquaintance, or a continuation of the present. The now is the most interesting as this is where the giant and the witch live. All these memories from the past serve a purpose but make for a slow first half of the book. Then out of nowhere, the witch bottle makes its entrance. Something is happening in Cumbria, and by page 100 you know it and they know it.

Every chapter ends with an anticlimactic sentence to end the scene, killing the action and any further thoughts, almost as if the Witch Bottle is a theater piece. Because of this, the book feels more like a collection of anecdotes and encounters held together by what’s going on in the area. Witch Bottle by Tom Fletcher is an interesting book to read, though not as suspenseful as the synopsis suggests. It is, as advertised, a “deeply atmospheric literary horror novel”.

I’m still not sure whether I like the ending. To me, it felt like the stories and troubles of the farmers - my favorite part of the book - were left behind in favor of finishing the bigger story. The supporting cast felt more like real people, while Bean, Ryan, and Graham were not as interesting. Kathryn's story seems unfinished as well, even more because some of the chapters were written from her perspective. I would have thought she would be more on top of things. On the other hand, Daniel stayed true to his personality until the end.

Daniel has left his wife and daughter and has moved to a remote rural area where he works as a milkman. His new start doesnt go quite as planned as he has started to have nightmares, and has been seeing a hooded figure watching him from outside his window. He is helped by a local witch, who makes "witch bottles" to protect from hauntings. Daniel soon discovers that these hauntings are happening all over the local area and he soon starts to run deliveries of the witch bottles on his rounds. What is happening to all of the "villagers" and who is sending the threatening messages to stop the witch bottle deliveries? Something is not quite right.
The Witch Bottle leaves you feeling uneasy . You can feel the deep sense of loneliness in Daniel as he comes to terms with his ghosts. This story leaves you thinking about it, long after the last page is read. I'm thinking I may need a Witch Bottle of my own.

Family life has never really worked out for Daniel, so now he lives a solitary life as a milkman in a remote corner of England with only the occasional grumpy customer to give him grief. But then Daniel begins to see things, things so horrible they can’t possibly be real, can they? Daniel confides in a local woman who professes to be a witch. She offers protection in the form of a witch bottle, which she will give him if he agrees to deliver her products on his route. It sounds like Daniel may have found a way out of his torment, but when people find out he’s been meddling with a witch bottle, he realizes his nightmare is just beginning