It's April 1794. If Bill and his old dog, Kelly, could get away from Beverley, they would. Working at the tannery is hell; Bill's mam is a nightmare, and Beckside is full of rats, drunks, and thieves.Folk say you shouldn't go near the witch at the end of Cherry Tree Lane. She carries a musket hooked over her bony shoulder. There's a tumour on the back of her head, and ghosts use it to wriggle into her body. She's insane.Bill thought it might be safe to befriend her.He was wrong.When he, Kelly, and the witch are hunted across the wilds of the East Riding, it becomes clear: he might lose everything - even his life.And maybe hers too.