The Lightbody Bequest, the standalone sequel to The Lightbody Legacy, is a tense, pacy read.
A year on from the tragic events in Wickthorpe, not a lot has changed. Old hatreds and suspicions still run deep, with the nasty piece of work Enid Green manipulating those she can into wreaking vengeance on Deborah Ryecroft. Enid is certain Deborah is the latest incarnation of the Wickthorpe Witch and carries the curse spoken by Martha Lightbody 400 years ago as she prepared to be drowned as a witch.
When a book written by a descendant of Martha’s 200 years after her death surfaces, Deborah is fascinated to find out what purportedly happened. Did Martha survive the attempted drowning? And where did she escape to? Did she ever find peace, a life free from persecution?
But Deborah isn’t the only one with a copy of the book, and not all of them are sympathetic to Martha – or to Deborah.
Find the Lightbody Bequest here.
Another body found in Deep Water Lake is more than enough motivation to get Enid’s nasty little plots bubbling furiously. As she reels in her allies – some reluctant, others with their own motives -tensions mount. My heart was in my mouth wondering how – or even if – the author was going to get her heroine out of this one!
Following Martha’s story as written by her descendant also gave me a great deal of anxiety. Her enemies were resourceful and determined, and the author leaves us wondering until quite late in the day what did happen to her and her family. No spoilers!
In The Lightbody Bequest we have the same highly defined characters as in the first book, with my favourite, Honoraria, making a strong and entertaining appearance. Honoraria is also one of several characters who provide us with excellent subplots, which serve to give the reader some light relief between the harrowing episodes of the main story.
Detailed plotting, a brilliant sense of pacing, and the ability to cause the reader to hold their breath waiting … all make The Lightbody Bequest a thoroughly enjoyable read.
In October last year I reviewed The Lightbody Legacy, and you can read my review here. You don’t need to have read the first book to enjoy the second, as there are enough references to the backstory to make sense of it all without information overload. And do check out my interview with Carolyn Ruffles too.
Find more book reviews here & my monthly round up of books here.