Alice Blanchard has flown under the radar for years, but her writing has always appealed to me as a fan of the mystery, thriller and horror genres.

THE WITCHING TREE is the third entry in her series starring Detective Natalie Lockhart, which is set in the upstate New York town of Burning Lake. It opens with what appears to be a brutal crime; the victim is the extremely popular Veronica Manes, who just so happened to be an openly practicing Wiccan priestess. Burning Lake not only turns a blind eye to witchcraft, they embrace it as their own legend has shown.

"THE WITCHING TREE is perfect for those who enjoy their mysteries with a flavor of the supernatural, and the snowy, claustrophobic upstate New York setting is ideal for a case like this one."

Blanchard’s writing and characters are deeper and more complex than you typically would find in a standard mystery, and her style is always cerebral. For example, at one point Natalie recounts, “My father once said that evil was an anagram for 'vile.' It’s also an anagram for ‘live’ and ‘veil.’ He said, 'Evil lives behind a vile veil of lies.'” That is very deep thinking!

THE WITCHING TREE is also steeped in occult history: “Don’t stare too long at the Witching Tree. Defile it not or cursed you will be.” Veronica was quite familiar with this saying. However, all her power could not save her from the person who wanted her dead. She found herself dressed up in a stereotypical witch’s outfit, chained to the railroad tracks. Unfortunately, she was unable to free herself when the train came her way, which also made for very messy work on the forensics side of the murder investigation.

Natalie might not be the right person for this case, but her boss, Detective Luke Pittman, feels differently. Beyond simple PTSD from her prior cases, she is completely broken and spends the length of the novel deciding whether or not to resign. She just wants to see this case through to the end as it’s personal for her and Burning Lake. We learn that the town’s history rivals that of Salem, Massachusetts, and has become a hot spot for tourists and fans of the supernatural, especially during the Halloween season. In 1712, three innocent women were executed as witches. Perhaps this is why the presence of practicing witches in the town is so intentionally ironic.

At one point, as Natalie is checking the woods near the railroad tracks, she comes upon a grisly scene: 13 bottles hung from the branches of a tree, each holding what turns out to be human urine, as well as other odd things such as dead animals. Of course, the Wiccan coven and all its members are questioned, but Natalie comes to believe that the killer hates them and is not one of them.

What follows is an outstanding, creepy mystery that will dig to the very core of Burning Lake and uncover some secrets that just cannot stay dead. THE WITCHING TREE is perfect for those who enjoy their mysteries with a flavor of the supernatural, and the snowy, claustrophobic upstate New York setting is ideal for a case like this one.