I'm not often drawn to historical novels however The Familiars by Stacey Halls promises to be a very different read from most with it's tale of witchcraft. It seems unbelievable in the 21st century that a young girl of 17 would have been married for 4 years and carried, and lost, three children and is now expecting for the fourth time. She finds a doctor's letter to her husband advising against further attempts to have a child as it would endanger her life. She goes on to meet a young midwife who she hopes can save both her and her child however the midwife is accused of being a witch. This book has a very intriguing start and readers will want to read on to discover if Fleetwood's husband knew about the letter from the doctor, if Fleetwood and her baby survive and if the accusations against Alice, the midwife, are proved and I suspect the author has even more surprises in store for her readers.