A killer on the loose. A writer on the run. A town plagued by an ancient evil.On tour with his latest book, true crime writer Martin Savage discovers one of his most-dangerous subjects has escaped. The so-called “Witch Hunter,” a delusional murderer of women and their unborn children, holds a deadly grudge. He’ll stop at nothing to get his revenge, and destroy everything Martin cares about.With … destroy everything Martin cares about.
With nowhere to run, Martin and forensic psychologist Sheila Tanner flee to the town he left when he was a boy, after his mother was locked away in a psychiatric facility. A town hidden deep in his past, where no one would think to look for them.
But things are not what they seem in Barrows Bay. The idyllic island holds terrible secrets. An ancient evil lived here long before the first Irish settlers crashed upon its shores in a coffin ship. An evil wearing the innocent faces of elderly midwives who’ve delivered every child in the Bay for two hundred and fifty years.
Martin and Sheila think they’re safe in his childhood home. But Martin’s mother has plans for them. Plans that require sacrifice.
And sacrifice requires blood.
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Really enjoyed this! I like small town horror stories and this one fulfills that along with much more! Add in the small town being on an island accessible only by a ferry! The island holds an ancient evil that was there when the first settlers were shipwrecked along its shores. Fast forward to the present day and not only does the main character take on the evil living amongst the people of the town but an escaped serial killer is hunting him! I must stop or I’ll ruin it for future readers! Pick this one up, it’s a good one!
As dark as an original fairy tale; but with a modern twist. The characters are well-developed and the imagery is vivid. The author describes it perfectly as Rosemary’s Baby meets Midsommar. A very good read.
WOW! This book was a grabber from the first page and kept me in a state of suspenseful tension throughout the whole book!
Welcome to Barrow’s Bay. Strange and mysterious things abound in this town, so when Martin Savage who is a true crime author, finds out the murderer who is known as Witch Hunter escapes, Martin goes into high gear. Martin decides to go back to a place where he grew up along with Sheila Tanner a forensic psychologist to get as far away as possible from the Witch Hunter.
What Martin doesn’t know is that though he is running from a murderer he is heading straight into the depths of hell as the town he grew up in holds a terrible secret that will send him and Sheila spinning into terror.
Horror knows no bounds as the women known as the Midwives are evilly rooted into the town. What they want, what they will do and what they can do will bring Martin and Sheila to a point where they will wish that they had never come to the town. It would have been better to run straight into the arms of the Witch Hunter than to have run to the town of Barrow’s Bay.
What happens to Martin and Sheila once they get to the town? What are the Midwives exactly? Does Martin and Sheila make it out of the town alive? What happens with the Witch Hunter? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
Twisted with a heavy dose of gore mixed with horror is the name of the game in this book and as always the author, Duncan Ralston delivers the reader into the hands of a terror filled ride into bloody horror!
So strap in, keep your hands inside the ride at all times, and get ready for a roller coaster ride of terror as once you arrive in Barrow’s Bay, you might not be able to leave! Five stars for one hell of a ride!
This book is going on my favorites shelf and I highly recommend to all horror fans!
Duncan Ralston is a name many horror readers are familiar wife, and most have read a few of his releases by now. In 2019, Ralston up the game with promotional pushes for his stellar release ‘Ghostland.’ A follow up to that book, which landed on many “Best Of” lists and has already been announced that a sequel is in the works would be daunting on the best of days. But Ralston dove into it head first and eagerly shared the cover from esteemed artist Francois Vaillancourt.
Once that image hit the horror community the excitement level began to increase.
What I liked: The story follows one Marty Savage, true-crime writer extraordinaire. He had a string of hits, but his best know work was ‘Witch Hunter,’ which was an embellished version of serial killer Barclay. When Barclay escapes and begins killing his way towards Savage, wanting revenge, Savage and his friend Sheila, who was a psychiatrist on the case flee to the remote town of Barrows Bay – where Savage grew up.
Duncan did a fantastic job of diving into the deep end immediately. We get to see that Savage is a bit of a scumbag, preying on easy female targets at book signings and living a bachelor life of debauchery. We get to see his character go through a transformation story arc throughout and it was satisfying to watch that happen. Sheila is a strong female character, many times the reality grounder to Marty’s sarcastic laissez-faire attitude.
The midwives of Barrows Bay made for a great group to create the necessary “good versus evil” set up that a folk thriller like this needed and I loved the back story that Ralston sprinkled throughout.
The ending was done really well and there were several things left a bit open for the possibility of a sequel. I would love to read more, especially seeing how we never really get any conclusion with a discovery on the beach or with the main detective.
Lastly, Barrows Bay itself worked as a very engaging character. While technically the setting, a place such as this has its own pulse, its own rhythm and Duncan made sure to amplify that when needed and make it undulate to shift the story as warranted.
What I didn’t like: A story like this, with a larger ensemble cast of secondary characters can sometimes create issues with remembering who is who. Ralston didn’t have that issue, instead making sure each moving piece had a purpose for being there. Saying that, the main reason for Savage and Sheila for going to Barrows Bay, Barclay, at one point almost became an afterthought and I found it was a long stretch before he re-entered the fray. I would’ve love just a touch more of his own journey to track down the duo, but I do understand the necessary space filled with Barrows Bay happenings.
Why you should buy it: Ralston is not only one of the best writers in the horror genre, creating lush landscapes layered with depth and gore, but he’s also one of the nicest guys in the field and one of the most supportive. ‘The Midwives’ is a horrific book and if you are wanting a dark read where things get revealed over time while you still are dealing with what just happened, then look no further.
As I mentioned at the beginning – a follow up to a book like ‘Ghostland’ can be tough, but Duncan stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park.
THE MIDWIVES, by Duncan Ralston, is a novel that had just about everything you could want in a horror book, and then some. This one honestly had me jumping at the sound of scissors snapping together, at times!
We start with Martin Savage, a true crime writer, who is promoting his latest book when news of an escaped prisoner reaches him. James Barclay–the man whom Martin based his best-selling book “THE WITCH HUNTER” on– is out, and his last words were a direct threat on Martin’s life. Martin’s ex-girlfriend, Shelia, is also involved, as she was the psychologist to the mass murderer.
“. . . The true monsters of this world were flesh and blood–men and women who struggled against the darkness in their own hearts and all too often gave into temptation . . . ”
In an effort to stay low until Barclay is recaptured, Martin and Shelia journey to his small island hometown–a place that Martin has tried to forget ever since he left with his “Aunt” at a young age.
The mysteries of the island, and the Midwives who deliver all the residents’ children, are deep and multi-leveled. Ruby, Martin’s Mother, is the “head” Midwife, as it turns out.
“. . . A piece of you was always here on the island. Sooner or later, it pulls you back.”
Ralston drags you right into this story, where you have to wonder if anything is what it seems, and effortlessly draws you along for the ride. Nothing feels rushed or hurried; rather, everything unfolds at a slow yet steady pace, giving the reader pieces to the puzzle bit by bit. Every character felt essential to this story, and every scene contained some kind of hidden meaning.
“It’s not paranoia if someone is literally out to get me.”
Everything in the town, from its old-fashioned values, to the closeness of the neighbors, shows you that something is most definitely different here . . . whispering to you with a sinister vibe. So much of what impressed me here wasn’t in what was shown, but in how it was.
This novel is one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year. I simply can’t give it higher praise than that. If you love your horror with intense characters, emotions, mystery, and gore, then you need to pick up a copy of this book.
Highly recommended.
I read very little fiction and am always hesitant to use that time trying out an author I haven’t read before, but I am so glad I did with Duncan Ralston. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was kept on my toes the entire time, surprised by the twists and grossed out by the violence (in a good way). The story and characters were original and the writing a sweet blend of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
It was also great to see the overwhelming positive response to the book from the other members of our group that read it. We definitely found a new author to enjoy.