- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Doubleday Canada (Aug 17 1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385258569
- ISBN-13: 978-0385258562
- Shipping Weight: 789 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
As he did so well in his first thriller, The Poison Tree, British writer Tony Strong again takes us into a closed-off world and exposes its most private secrets in his second novel, The Death Pit. Even though the Scottish town of Inverness seems a long way from the rarified literary circles of Oxford (where the first story takes place), both are small-town environments that engender gossip and illicit goings-on.
A flourishing modern coven of witches seems a natural feature of the Scottish landscape--especially since nearby Babcock Castle once was the scene of a notorious 17th-century trial and the burning at the stake of Catherine McCulloch, a woman accused of witchcraft. But when the body of one of the coven members is found dismembered in a foul pit where diseased pigs are discarded, some of the residents blame the witches and take violent action against them.
Terry Williams, a Ph.D. candidate, has come to Babcock Castle to study McCullogh's papers and finds herself caught up in the mystery when she discovers a link between the past and the present. Strong is a sly writer who knows how to create sympathetic, believable characters and place them in a tightly-controlled atmosphere in which the air is charged with sex and danger. --Dick Adler
From Publishers Weekly
Discerning and quick-witted, English scholar Terry Williams travels to Inverness, Scotland, in Strong's second novel (after The Poison Tree). In order to research her thesis on Catherine McCulloch, who was sentenced to death in a 17th-century witch trial, the London University student reluctantly takes a train to Babcock Castle, where Catherine's descendent, Magnus McCulloch, accepts her into his residence. While investigating whether Catherine was burned at the stake for witchery or lesbianism, Terry becomes distracted by the death of Donna Fairhead, a member of a local Wiccan coven whose corpse is retrieved from a local farmer's pit. In search of clues in the Wiccan Book of Shadows, stubborn Terry weaves her way into the Wiccan community. Strong offers rich scene-setting descriptions and sharp dialogue, and submerses readers in the fates of numerous distinct characters related to Terry's investigation. When the body count increases and the Wiccans are terrorized by Inverness locals, Terry begins to find links between Donna, Catherine and herself. Strong emphasizes these connections too insistently. Her plot is innovative, however, charged with erotic energy and rife with tight forensic detail. And it cleverly incorporates the vast Scottish countryside all the way to its harrowing conclusion. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I wish he'd written more...,
By RachelWalker "RachelW" (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Death Pit (Mass Market Paperback)
I wish Tony Strong had written more books!I loved the last one, and this second is equally as good, if not better! He has an unquestionable grasp of the english language. I found his prose style refreshing and compelling. The characters are all well drawn and interesting. The plot is an absolute cracker. He mixes the two strands with effortless ease, and they run on parrallel brilliantly. He juggled them excellent, and each one adds flavour to the story. The conclusion is excellent, just as exciting as that of his previous novel. I sped through this book in two days, and i loved every page. the visit to the orphanage is incredibly harrowing, and i felt very moved by it. I also adore the way these two books are both, essentially, classic mystery novels, but they have a brilliantly dark contemporary twist. Excellent, yet again Tony. I cannot wait to read "The Decoy"!
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Fine Mess,
By Cathy S Bruce (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Death Pit (Mass Market Paperback)
I found this book at the library. Seeing that it was the second in a series, I took both this book and "The Poison Tree" home. I read "Poison Tree" first and was introduced to Terry Williams, the bi-sexual, divorced academic, trying to pull her life back together and finish her doctorate at Oxford. I found the first book interesting and fun. Mr. Strong has a way of painting an image that sticks with you. He also peopled the first book with interesting characters with conflicting motives. The ending was needlessly violent and somewhat sadistic, but made sense and was consistent with the tone of the story before it.I dug into "The Death Pit" with relish, but the story and characters fell apart. Terry is still pursuing her doctorate, but now she is a broken woman who suffers panic attacks and has trouble sleeping. Mr. Strong never mentions what causes Terry's breakdown. I guess he assumes that you've read the first book. It doesn't matter. Terry miraculously recovers and is back to her old, albeit shriller, self. I won't bother recounting the plot, it meanders all over the place. Half of it could've been edited away and not affected the story. As for the huge cast of characters, most of them are stereotypes or deadends. I've never been to Scotland, but Mr. Strong portrayal of the townspeople is downright medieval. The Wiccans fare little better and the police completely disappear about halfway through the book. Most unforgiveably, the ending was very similar to the ending of the first book. I suppose the blurb writers would call it "shocking" or "riveting", but I would call it "ludicrous" and "insulting". Read "The Poison Tree", it's not a perfect book, but it's a fun book. Don't waste your time with this one.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Many Turns of the Death Pit,
By Rafik "RafikNY" (New York, New York United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Death Pit (Mass Market Paperback)
The Death Pit by Tony Strong starts out well, but gets a little winded midway. The twist at the end serves an excellent remedy to the short cumings to the plot and is quite inspiring. The scope of the book was good enough to hold interest. I.e., the many historical references to forensic science, witchcraft, religion and gender politics (past and present). Thankfully the author did a lot of research. Our heroine indeed was a little "unpredictable" but that made the story somewhat interesting, and yes titalating. There are one or two loose ends you would have to figure out on your own. Over all, the book is a good diversion. My Mom read it and loved it! Perhaps a sequel or a better screen play would be in order. Winona Ryder where are you?
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