Category: witches
They Can’t Burn Us All by Cathryn Kemp
From the award-winning author of A Poisoner’s Tale comes a dark, feminist retelling of the most famous witch trial in 17th-century Iceland, perfect for fans of The Witches of Vardo and The Mercies Westfjords, Iceland. 1655 Þuríður Jónsdóttir has grown up praying to the old gods and watching her father and brother practise rune magic. But now, a witch-hunting craze is sweeping across the land of ice and fire, … Read More They Can’t Burn Us All by Cathryn Kemp
+ audio book, childhood, family, fiction, folklore, ghosts, gothic, gothic horror, mythology, review, superstition, witches
The Ghost Woods by CJ Cooke
In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall. This place is shrouded in folklore—old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was not quite a child. Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed. Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she … Read More The Ghost Woods by CJ Cooke
The Bone Garden by Tess Burnett
Nearly 500 years ago, a woman was burned… and this village never forgot. Lonely widow Susan Reid, scarred by a childhood accident, makes an impulsive decision to start again in a remote Cornish village. Polherron is picturesque, steeped in myths and ancient traditions – the perfect place to disappear into a quieter life. As Susan settles in, she becomes drawn to a local legend: … Read More The Bone Garden by Tess Burnett
+ fiction, review, siblings, superstition, twins, witchcraft, witches
The Howling by Michael J Malone (Annie Jackson Mysteries #3)
Scotland’s oldest legends are just waking up… Vowing once more to remove herself from society, Annie is living alone in her little cottage by the shores of a loch. But when an old enemy – now locked up in a high-security hospital – comes calling, begging her to find the son that she was forced to give up at the age of seventeen, Annie … Read More The Howling by Michael J Malone (Annie Jackson Mysteries #3)
+ audio book, audio drama, fiction, Historical fiction, marriage, motherhood, review, witchcraft, witches
The Familiars by Stacey Halls
Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies have borne fruit, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. Then Fleetwood discovers a hidden doctor’s letter that carries a dire prediction: she will not survive another birth. By chance she meets a midwife named Alice Grey, who promises to help her deliver a healthy baby. But Alice … Read More The Familiars by Stacey Halls
+ Edinburgh, fiction, folklore, gothic, gothic horror, Historical fiction, mythology, review, Scotland, superstition, witchcraft, witches
The Witch, The Seed and The Scalpel by Scott O’Neill
Edinburgh 1841. ‘Reaching out like a hungry white worm it twisted and spiralled, tasting the air. Then, evidently attracted by the flow of warm blood, it squirmed its way under the surface of my skin.‘ Every autumn without fail, a strange seed appears on the chestnut tree that marks the spot where the witch Margaret McKay was murdered. Legend states that anyone who catches … Read More The Witch, The Seed and The Scalpel by Scott O’Neill
+ fiction, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, obsession, review, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, superstition, thriller, twins, witchcraft, witches
The Torments by Michael J Malone (Annie Jackson Mysteries #2)
Hiding from the world in her little white cottage on the shores of a loch, Annie Jackson is fighting to come to terms with the world of the murmurs, a curse that has haunted female members of her family for centuries. While she is within the ancient, heavy stone of the old dwelling, the voices merely buzz, but the moment she steps outside the … Read More The Torments by Michael J Malone (Annie Jackson Mysteries #2)
+ fiction, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, review, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, superstition, thriller, twins, witchcraft, witches
The Murmurs by Michael J Malone (Annie Jackson Mysteries #1) revisited
Book two, The Torments, in the Annie Jackson Mysteries is out soon, so I’m reposting my original review. On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die. How she … Read More The Murmurs by Michael J Malone (Annie Jackson Mysteries #1) revisited
+ fiction, folklore, gothic, grief, poetry, review, Scotland, superstition, thriller, witchcraft, witches
Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley
When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed… Martha Strangeways is struggling to find purpose in her life, after giving up her career as an investigative reporter when her young twins died in a house fire. Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, her life changes when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager – a tragedy that turns even more sinister when … Read More Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley
+ childhood, crime fiction, kidnapping, List, mental health, murder, religion, spirituality, superstition, whimsical, witchcraft, witches
My Top 8 Books of 2023 – Part Three
Here are my favourite eight books of the third quarter of 2023. One or two of these might make it into my top four books of 2023. Still a way to go. Once again only a bit of ‘crime’, as a crime novel needs to be totally unique and exceptional to make it into my favourites. So here we go. Saving Grace by Cristina Slough Wow! This … Read More My Top 8 Books of 2023 – Part Three
+ fiction, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, review, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, superstition, thriller, twins, witchcraft, witches
The Murmurs (Annie Jackson Mysteries #1) by Michael J Malone
On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die. How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions … a rekindling of … Read More The Murmurs (Annie Jackson Mysteries #1) by Michael J Malone
+ alcoholism, childhood, crime fiction, family, fiction, friendship, grief, lies, loneliness, loss, mystery, review, Scottish Highlands, secrets, superstition, witches
Gallow Falls by Alex Nye
A remote Scottish estate. A missing teenager. When a young archaeologist discovers bones at the site of her Bronze Age broch on Gallows Hill, the community of Kilbroch hold their breath. Ex-detective Callum MacGarvey came to work on the estate in order to escape from his past, but when a friend asks for his help, he cannot refuse. Missing teenager Robbie MacBride’s grandmother wants … Read More Gallow Falls by Alex Nye
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