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Speaks the Nightbird

In 1699, a Carolinas widow is sentenced to burn for witchcraft. Convinced she's innocent, clerk Matthew Corbett investigates the tragedies blamed on her.

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The Carolinas, 1699: The citizens of Fount Royal believe a witch has cursed their town with inexplicable tragedies-and they demand that beautiful widow Rachel Howarth be tried and executed for witchcraft. Presiding over the trial is traveling magistrate Isaac Woodward, aided by his astute young clerk, Matthew Corbett. Believing in Rachel's innocence, Matthew will soon confront the true evil at work in Fount Royal....

After hearing damning testimony, magistrate Woodward sentences the accused witch to death by burning. Desperate to exonerate the woman he has come to love, Matthew begins his own investigation among the townspeople. Piecing together the truth, he has no choice but to vanquish a force more malevolent than witchcraft in order to save his beloved Rachel-and free Fount Royal from the menace claiming innocent lives.

Speaks the Nightbird is the first installment in bestselling author Robert McCammon's acclaimed series of historical thrillers featuring Matthew Corbett, a brave and resourceful "problem-solver." The series recently concluded after ten thrilling volumes, and this new edition of Speaks the Nightbird invites both new readers and long-time fans to discover the journey.

First published: 2002
Publisher: Lividian Publications
Pages: 864
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Book tags

Content warnings

Religious Abuse / Trauma

Missing warnings do not mean other content is absent.

Horror profile

Scary: Not rated
Creepy: Not rated
Gore: Not rated
Disturbing: Not rated
Weird: Not rated

How we calculate this

These are editorial estimates of intensity, informed by reading and review evidence, then checked before publication. They aren't star ratings, reader-vote averages or a measure of quality.

Each dimension runs from 1 (low) to 5 (exceptionally intense). A 5 is reserved for strongly consistent evidence. People experience horror differently.

Scary: Fear, tension and immediate threat.
Creepy: Unease, dread and an uncanny atmosphere.
Gore: Graphic injury, blood and bodily detail.
Disturbing: Upsetting ideas and lingering psychological impact.
Weird: Surreal, strange and reality-bending elements.

We draw a filled profile only when all five scores have been reviewed. Unrated does not mean mild. Missing scores are not estimated from genre tags or your saved taste. This profile isn't a complete content-warning guide.