THE WITCHING TREE by Alice Blanchard is the third book in the Natalie Lockhart mystery series set in the historically witchy town of Burning Lake, NY.  This dark, gritty, and fast-paced mystery throws Detective Natalie Lockhart into another gruesome investigation when a local Wiccan is tied to the train tracks and left to die.  Natalie’s rethinking her career in police work, but her pull towards justice, and her family’s dark past, propels her to find the monster who committed such a crime.

Natalie is in the middle of a personal crisis.  After solving two high-profile cases, she is burnt out and unhappy with the spotlight.  She is living with local businessman, Hunter Rose, while still grappling with feelings for her childhood friend and boss, Luke Pittman.   She is deciding whether to give up police work, when a train hits a local Wiccan.  After investigating the scene, it is apparent this was not a suicide and someone dressed up Veronica Manes in a witch costume and tied her to the tracks.  Veronica was the head of the local Pendleton coven.  Could someone in the Carrington coven be to blame?  As Natalie delves deeper, she learns Veronica was working on a book about the town’s history.  Could she have uncovered something deadly? 

The investigation continues to twist and turn as evil pervades the town of Burning Lake and Natalie’s family’s past crimes come into play.  There is a darkness that encroaches every time Natalie uncovers another lie, and more evil is unleashed in the town.  Tensions are high and retribution is on the minds of some closest to Veronica, including a wrongly convicted felon.  There is also suspicion cast on the young couple practicing dark witchcraft in a cabin close to Veronica’s home.  With all the viable suspects, Natalie has to keep ahead of the game to catch a ruthless killer before she or someone she loves gets hurt again.

Alice Blanchard's latest is a great mystery series set in a town with a dark history.  THE WITCHING TREE touches on the past two books in the series but can be read as a standalone.  The heinous crime pulls you in from the start, and the story picks up speed and momentum as it progresses.  The writing is excellent with great moments and observations on life.  Natalie is an enjoyable protagonist who is grappling with her past and trying to see the best way forward in a land of darkness.  The atmosphere of the novel really lends to the reading experience.  You feel the dark desolate winter cold and loss in Burning Lake, but Natalie is like a light setting out to vindicate the wrongs done upon her town and bring back some good.   An overall solid mystery with excellent writing.  The only negative is the cliffhanger ending seemed a little abrupt and left me unsatisfied, but it does invest me in waiting for the next book in the series.