I opted to review this book based on the blurb, and quickly discovered all was not as it seemed. The Bitter End is a supernatural thriller about modern-day witchcraft/demonic possession and how it’s affected one man, who, as a child with an older, bullying sort of friend, harassed an aging witch. To be honest, if I had known, I may not have picked it up. But I did, and here we are ...

The Bitter End begins on a dark note - a woman surviving a Nazi gas chamber, Hitler and demonic possession. Throw in a couple of stupid kids who like to knock on the door of an old woman in the woods and you just know you’re in for some super creepy reading.

In the present, we’re soon introduced to our main protagonist, Paul. The hits just keep coming for this poor guy. His beloved wife, Helena, was killed in a tragic accident years before. As Paul moves on with his life and moves into an area that is all too familiar to him with his new partner Sally, strange things begin happening. Paul meets an old friend from his childhood who forces memories to the surface of what exactly happened to Paul when he was a ten-year-old boy and unexplained events and deaths begin happening in the village.

There is plenty of weirdness to go around here, with a mostly fleshed out cast of characters. The writing is very English. So English that even my member-of-the-Commonwealth brain had to go back and re-read some lines. It shouldn’t be too much of an issue for your average non-Englishman though, as the themes are pretty universal.

If I had one complaint about this book, it would be that the middle slowed down, almost losing my interest. I also felt the ending was rushed, requiring the suspension of some belief. It did set the scene for a sequel though, so that’s something, I guess.

If you’re okay with supernatural thrillers, The Bitter End is one you should consider. If like me, you’re generally not into supernatural thrillers, it’s still a quick, enjoyable read even with the weirdness I’ve mentioned.