Flight of a Witch [Hardcover]

Ellis Peters (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1991

When beautiful Annet Beck disappears into the remote Welsh Country believed to be the domain of witches and returns five days later, claiming she was only gone for two hours, Detective Inspector George Felse steps in to investigate. Reprint. AB. K. PW.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This first American publication of a novel, written in 1964, in the series featuring modern police sleuth George Felse proves that Peters, best known for her Brother Cadfael mysteries set in medieval Shrewsbury, was as much a top-notch mystery writer almost 30 years ago as she is today. Only the heavy-handed description in the early pages, of the frustrated love that young schoolmaster Tom Kenyon harbors for the beautiful, remote Welsh teenager Annet Beck, betrays the author's lack of experience. But as soon the girl disappears while strolling on mysterious Hallowmount, a hill said to be the abode of witches over the centuries, and returns five days later unable to account for the time that has passed, Peters holds the reader in thrall. Annet's inscrutability is delicately contrasted with the love that every man in her village has felt for her at one time or another, and the Welsh landscape provides a shadowy atmosphere that informs the novel on every level. Felse, in a class with the best-portrayed British policemen in fiction today, is a fully-dimensioned character who plumbs the experiences of his personal life to understand his case. This is a deeply satisfying murder novel in which the central challenge lies in unraveling the mystery of a young woman's character.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile

Ann Beck disappears on the Hallowmount and reappears days later with many questions. Detective George Felse arrives on the scene to investigate a death that may tie into her mysterious wanderings. Peters is the bestselling author of the Brother Cadfael series of medieval whodunits. The lavish English accent of narrator Derek Hutchinson provides a vivid look at the countryside in England where this story takes place. The fiction is composed of copious descriptions related with precision. Character vocalizations are uniquely discernible and assist one in following the plot. As the mystery unfolds, the narration lures one along a trail of betrayal, robbery, and murder. B.J.L. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Press (May 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892964049
• ISBN-13: 978-0892964048
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,296,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Among Peters' Minor Works, June 25, 2005

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flight of a Witch (Mass Market Paperback)

Best known for her "Brother Cadfael" series, Ellis Peters (1913-1985) was also the author of thirteen novels featuring Inspector George Felse. Published in 1964, FLIGHT OF A WITCH is the fifth novel in that series.

Annet Beck is a small town girl with unexpected beauty--and when school teacher Tom Kenyon takes a room in her parents' home he hopes she will be drawn to his manly charms. To his dismay, Annet is not interested; to his shock, she suddenly disappears on a hill of ancient ill-repute named Hallowmount. And to every one's surprise, when she returns five days later, she claims to have been gone only a few hours. Is it witchcraft? Or has Annet fallen back on local legends in an effort to conceal her activities? Fortunately, Inspector Felse is on the scene to separate fact from fiction.

Peters often worked with contrived plots, and in her hands they are often quite amusing. The plot of FLIGHT OF A WITCH is in someways typical of her work--but those expecting a mystery will be disappointed, for the novel is less mysterious than merely so much pulp romance, and while there is a murder to be solved it is less a matter of detection than in forcing the truth from the mysterious central character. Although it has its moments, this is very much one of Peters' lesser works.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Story About a Femme Fatale!, December 5, 2004

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flight of a Witch (Mass Market Paperback)

This book about Anet Beck is more along the lines of a tragedy based on romance. It deals with a young femme fatale - Annet Beck who has all the neighbourhood boys after her. She keeps her own council, and does not open up to anyone, but when she is embroiled in a tragic death resulting from a jewellery store robbery, it is found out by George Felse that there are more than just the young boys and men that are after her, and it appears that she is returning the attention of one of her admirerers, and this admirer is one that is probably considerably older than her. A bit melodramatic perhaps, but written in the Ellis Peter style, so definitely a readable book - but not a mystery as we have come to expect from Ms. Peters.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Woman in Peril!, June 23, 2007

By 

Mama G (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flight of a Witch (Mass Market Paperback)

Adolescent Annet Beck, unintentional femme fatale, is very much the center of this novel, although she hardly speaks during the entire tale. The story is revealed through the eyes of the other characters, who all have their thoughts squarely centered on Annet. Their fears for her life drive the hunt for the identity of the murderer.

This book, the third in the Inspector Felse series, is my favorite of this series. However, none of them compare to Peters's more well known Brother Cadfael series.

Part of what gives this particular title its charm is the sense of ancient Welsh history and beliefs undergirding the lives of modern Welsh. A leaning toward fatalism and determinism appears to pervade the minds of Peters's native Welsh characters. Yet, all the events are proven to have logical, reasonable explanations. No witches or faeries. Just a good mystery.