The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder is the fifth book in the Lewis Barnavelt series. It is the second book begun by John Bellairs and completed by Brad Strickland. It is happening at the same time as The Ghost in the Mirror over in Pennsylvania.
Plot[]
Lewis and Jonathan Barnavelt are on a tour of Europe, which includes connecting with a distant cousin, Arthur Pelham "Pelly" Barnavelt, at his manor in West Sussex. At Pelly's manor, Lewis feels something is instinctively wrong about it but brushes off his foreboding. The housekeeper's son, Bertie, is close to Lewis's age and blinded from wartime rockets. They two become fast friends and bond over their love of Sherlock Holmes. They follow the trail of a secret map through the garden maze and accidentally release the malignant ghost of Pruitt, a vicious witch-finder who prosecuted innocents on trumped-up charges of witchcraft to gain power. While the boys think of a way to stop Pruitt's evil spirit and its demonic familiar, it seizes control of the manor and imprisons Uncle Jonathan. In the end, the boys discover two priceless treasures, one banishing the ghost and the other solving Pelly's financial woes and paying for an expensive operation to restore Bertie's eyesight - something giving Lewis more joy than any other Christmas present.
Cast[]
Protagonists[]
Main article: Lewis Barnavelt series characters
- Lewis Barnavelt
- Bertram "Bertie" Goodring
- Jonathan Barnavelt
- Rose Rita Pottinger
- Florence Zimmermann
Antagonists[]
- Matthew Prester
Setting[]
- Mid-1950s
- Dinsdale, England
- New Zebedee, Michigan
Background[]
This book gives a lot of detail about the Barnavelt family history. Jonathan explains to Lewis that they came to England with William the Conqueror, and many were knights to the kings of England. Tobias Barnavelt is Jonathan's third-great-grandather, the younger son of a knight. He emigrated to Boston in the late 18th century because his older brother had the family inheritance (that brother is Pelly's ancestor). Tobias' son moved to New Zebedee in the 1840's. We also learn that Lewis' grandmother was a van Olden Dutch when she married his grandfather. Later on we learn that Martin Christian Barnavelt fought a bitter battle against a foul Witch-Finder, and interred his unclean spirit on the grounds of Pelly's estate with the Amulet of Constantine.
"I guess one of your ancestors was a knight in shining iron britches who rode to Jerusalem and came back with [a fragment of the True Cross] it. Lucky for you he did, because a good magician who wields this [Amulet of Constantine] calls on a great power that can banish the most evil foes."--Mrs. Zimmerman
Barnavelts seem to have recurring battles against evil magic regardless of their competency in recognizing or defeating it; They would seem to be both magnets for magical events, and fighters for good. The witch-finder is an unusual foe for the series, as he is completely and utterly obsessed with wiping out all the Barnavelts in revenge for losing against Martin Barnavelt 200 years ago. Thankfully, his single-minded focus gives Lewis the chance to trick him into touching a Crusader's sacred relic, which disposes of the howling ghost in a very thorough manner.
Lewis' fear of abandonment is a deep one, and a motive for his not telling Jonathan about the threat in the beginning. Jonathan shows his compassion for his nephew in multiple ways, telling him stories about his deceased father and apologizing for being so afraid of relationships in his youth that he doesn't know how to completely reach out to a child when he is clearly troubled. When Lewis is unable to say, "I love you," to him, Jonathan tells him , "tell me whenever you're ready, Lewis, and I love you too."
In many ways the story is a fond tribute to Sherlock Holmes, (helpful policemen, strange events, solving puzzles, the debate between the supernatural and the natural), and the desire for countless children to emulate his good example by thinking logically and fighting injustice. The opening scene where Lewis and Jonathan are trying to find 221B Baker Street in London is pure delight, a fan-letter to Holmes in the best possible way, and the plot's similarities to one of Sherlock Holmes' best stories, THE MUSGRAVE RITUAL, is an undeniable treat.
Bertie may be blind but he is far from helpless. His mind is razor-sharp and his outstanding memory (not to mention his sense of adventure) is a priceless asset to Lewis. Lewis' empathy for his friend lets the reader appreciate Bertie's strengths and skillset.
Dedication[]
To Richard Curtis, advisor and friend.
External links[]
- Bellairsia
- The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder at Bellairsia blog
- The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder at Bellairsia Review