Set in the grim north of England, this book follows the daily grind of Daniel, a man who's milk round is interuppted only by the occasional visit to a cage and its enticing owner.
The book opens with a scene of such visceral imagery I will admit it took me a day or two to process it and return to the book. And I am very glad I did. The plot is simple enough but beautifully told in exquisite language. Daniel begins to see a ghost haunt him and his dreams to the point where he can no longer sleep. Many of his milkround customers also begin to see visions of dead loved ones. Enter the cafe owner, Kathryn, a witch, who provides solutions in the form of the titular witch bottle. But not every one is happy with the bottles, and the very sinister Fallen Stock men soon begin to threathen everything.
Excellent secondary characters and descriptive passages litter the pages of this book which is, on the face of it, a ghost story
But as you read on, the levels to the writing subtly reveal a commentary on depression and anxiety. Throw in a failed marraige and a dead baby sibling, Daniel struggles with his mental health throughout. The ghosts, and human-flesh-eating giant that threatens to invade this world are well drawn allegories for the fears and worries of Daniel, but also for the world at large.
The book feels like a deeply personal story, and all credit to Tom Fletcher for writing it in such a way.
Terrifying yet moving, this is a truly great story.
Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk and Jo Fletcher Books for a free copy in exchange for this honest and fair review.