Book Review: The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh

As I was meandering through the shelves, trying to discover a book that would captivate my attention as well as feed my need for mystery, I stumbled upon The Crowfield Curse. I thought the cover was...intriguing, white background with blue and black artwork of a boy running through a wooded area towards a castle.  Are those scary creatures stalking him?  I rather enjoy stealthy ominus creatures, so I took a gander.  "If I do not like it, I can certainly put it back," I thought as I picked up the novel and proceeded to my chair of honor at the circulation desk.  And I began to read...
This is a tale of a young man, Will, who lives with and serves monks at Crowfield Abbey.  Will is an orphan, his family dying in a mysterious fire in which Will escapes unscathed.  Will is taken in by the monks out of a mixture of pity and need.  They feel for the boy who has been shunned in his own community, even if they are a bit wary of him; and they also need the help.  As the years have passed, the abbey has gone into disrepair, and the number of Brothers has dwindled.
Will has the Sight.  I.e., he can see magical creatures when others cannot.  Because of this, he rescues a hobgoblin who has been ensnared by a hunter's trap.  The hob informs Will of a terrible secret:  there is an Angel buried behind the abbey.  How can an angel die?  What does the angel have to do with the abbey?  With Will?  When two strangers come to the abbey asking questions about the history of the abbey, Will is drawn into a dangerous and deadly contest between good and evil.  Only he can discover the mystery surrounding the abbey and its curse.
I felt this book far exceeded my expectations.  The story line was good, the characters were believable, and Will was a great protagonist.  The book barely touched on Will's mysterious past, but I have a feeling it will come up again (I have already ordered the sequel to this book, The Crowfield Demon). Walsh's descriptions were excellent - I could feel the cold chill of the winter weather.  I could see the detail of the grey stone pillars throughout the abbey.  I was immersed in the imagery and detail, but it was not overbearing.  It added so much to the story.  Many times I have read books that have bogged themselves down with the details to the point where the reader is distracted, but there was a great balance in this book.  The characters were likable - even the warrior fay Shadlok, who tries very hard to be unlikable and cantankerous!  I have recommended this book to my better readers who are looking for a good fantasy-mystery.  My Ranger's Apprentice fans particularly enjoyed it!