This was one intense novel, oh my! I'd seen this book float around my goodreads feed and knew I needed to give it a chance - and I'm glad I did! While I'm way too much of a scaredy cat for some parts of this novel, I was invested the entire time. The chapters are so short and amp up the pace quite a bit. Definitely a great gothic thriller if you're on the lookout for one!

I really enjoyed this book, it was creepy tale and intense in bits, it was well written had good characters and a good storyline that will keep you turning pages. I would recommend this book.

In the year 1998 Luna's entire family disappears whilst staying on the island of Lon Haven, Scotland. Her mother Liv, an artist who had uprooted them to paint a commission in an old lighthouse and her two sisters Sapphire and Clover all vanish within months of being there.
The stories that surround the island all talk of witches and curses that lead to children going missing but could this really have anything to do with what happened to her family?
22 years later Luna, now pregnant and in a struggling relationship is confronted with her past but in order to find out what happened all those years ago must travel back to Lon Haven.

This is the first book I have read by C.J Cooke and what drew me to it was undoubtedly the elements of history and magic. The idea that some parts of this story may have very well happened is surreal and so sad.
We read the book through 4 different perspectives and usually this can be confusing but for this particular story I found it super easy to follow. We flit between Luna in present day, her mum and sister as the events unfold in 1998 and also the events of the witch trials in the 1600's which just gave so many layers of context.

Overall the book was enthralling, I could not put it down! It has everything you need in a great gothic thriller and at times genuinely scared and saddened me. Cooke filled all the gaps and fully satisfied me at the end, something I find a lot of books can fall short on. After this I will 100% be looking at the rest of her work and was so glad I was able to receive the ARC, so thank you Harper Collins and NetGallery for making that possible!

1998: When Liv is commissioned to paint a mural inside an old lighthouse, she packs up her three daughters and drives to the remote Scottish Island to start work. But when they arrive, they discover that the lighthouse has a sinister history and that the locals believe the island was cursed by witches. At first Liv doesn’t pay attention to the superstitions, but when strange things begin to happen she realises that they are all in terrible danger.

In the present day, Luna has been searching for her mother and sisters for two decades when she gets a phone call that her sister has been found. But her sister is still the same age as when she went missing twenty-two years earlier.

It was the gorgeous cover design that drew me to this story but once I’d started, I couldn’t put down this dark and twisted magical thriller. The Scottish-island setting is wonderfully atmospheric and sinister, the plot is clever and satisfying, and the relationships between mother, daughters and sisters is wonderfully warm and moving. Definitely one of my books of the year!

In 1998 Liv takes her 3 children to an isolated island in Scotland. The village is small and the old lighthouse still overrides the scenary. Strange things start to happen almost as soon as they arrive. One of the children disappears but returns in 2021 at the same age she was when she went missing. What is going on is linked to a witches curse in the 1600’s when a whole group of women are convicted as witches and burned alive.
The curse has had ramifications throughout the years with disappearing children sometimes returning with no knowledge of where they have been. This is an amazing read and keeps you guessing right until the last page. The power of the curse in this story is so strong it affects time and logical reasoning. It is a scary read in parts and is excellently told.
Scottish village elders killed many women as witches without proof using religion as their reasoning. The true stories this book is based around are told at the end and make sad reading. The author is an exceptional story teller who keeps your attention all through the book.

What an intriguing book. A brilliant story line about witchcraft in the past and a mother and her three children trying to understand the island they are staying on in Scotland and the people. Had me hooked. Would thoroughly recommend.

This atmospheric gothic family drama set on a remote Scottish island had me under its beautiful spell from page 1. I have a soft spot for Gaelic myths and this dark and haunting tale of motherhood, sisterly love, trauma and witchcraft very much ticked all the boxes!

4.5/5 stars - a fast-paced Gothic thriller with a setting that truly comes alive.

I loved this novel by CJ Cooke which combines so many elements to get readers in the autumn spirit: dark atmospheres, haunted characters, witches and magic. Of course, not all is what it seems on Lon Haven, and I loved watching the story unfold through the eyes of Liv, Saffy, Luna, and Patrick Roberts's grimoire. Each chapter follows a different character in a different year - which is at the heart of the mystery for me - and the way the events unfold in the past, then return as memories or discoveries in the future, is so engaging.

I did wish that the characters had been a bit more developed, especially Saffy and her relationship with Liv, or Isla's motivations and role. As well, the last 1/4 of the book had some editing errors around names of characters and the tense of the story (present/past mix ups) which at times made the narrative a bit confusing, so that I had to go back to reread and figure out who was doing what when.

Other than that, though, this was a fast-paced highly satisfying read, perfect for readers wanting a contemporary magical Gothic thriller this fall.

This is the perfect book to get you in the mood for autumn and the witchy season. It's horror, sci-fi and mystery rolled into one with a bit of a twist ending. Thank you for the ARC.

Luna's time on remote Scottish island Lón Haven was shortlived, but 22 years later the events still haunt her. Not only that but centuries on, Lón Haven's bloody past continues to haunt its residents.

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book but it honestly blew me away, I devoured it so quickly.
It had me hooked right from the beginning. The mystery and suspense were expertly crafted and weaved throughout. Even in places I was sure I had things figured out, a further reveal would prove me wrong. The twists and turns were clearly so well thought out and beautifully executed.
Cooke's use of multiple POVs and timelines work to build suspense, create confusion and reveal crucial information at just the right moment.
The atmospheric elements of her writing were just phenomenal, as a reader you were never truly at ease in the characters' surroundings. Perfectly using the landscape and its history to heighten the tense and gothic elements of the narrative.

This book was eerie, tense, dark and thoroughly enjoyable. It kept me engrossed and guessing from start to finish-the perfect October read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for my e-arc of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up!

I loved this book. The Nordic folklore and myths, the witch trials, and that amazing plot twist at the end. I had a completely different idea in mind but this twist was a more interesting and excellent addition to the story.

The story is told in three different timelines, 1662, 1998, and 2021. You might think it's confusing but honestly, it was told well. The story comes together, with all the loopholes being explained as it progresses.

The plot of the story is pretty dark and engaging. Luna (2021) gets a call stating that they have found her sister who went missing 22 years ago. When she gets there she does find Clover but she looks exactly as how she was when she was missing, a 7-year-old girl. Of course, this takes us to what happened in 1998, told through the povs of the mother and the other sibling, Saffy. the mother had driven all the way to Scotland to fulfill a painting commission at the island of Lon Haven. She is blissfully unaware of the superstitious townspeople and the witchy history that the lighthouse is involved in. This was a well-written story and I love how it wove together the myths of witches and faes. Tbh, I did get the creeps when reading about the wildlings.

The characters are amazing. I thought they were all well written out, including the side characters. My favourite had to be Luna and Olivia, the mother. Sapphire got me screaming at her whenever she got herself in scary situations due to her stupid decisions.

My favourite of the book though is the themes about the women. How women have been suffering then till now due to misogyny. In the 1662 timeline, told through a grimoire, there is a story of a lady being r*ped (it is not mentioned explicitly) and then accused of being a witch because she apparently put a spell on the man. You can clearly see how unfair this is. Even though it is the man's fault, the woman was accused. This is how men make use of the witch trials. Not so surprisingly this can also be related to current times where women are accused of seducing the men due to what they wear, instead of it being the man's fault. Another theme this book spoke about was motherhood. We could see Olivia struggling to be a single mother to three children, with barely a job or a home. And Luna, who has grown older with the trauma of losing her family and trying to give birth to one of her own.

Cooke's story set on this hauntingly beautiful island, with a fearful and malevolent presence of the witch's curse, has made this a very compelling and oddly empowering story about women. Definitely recommend!

*4.5 stars*

Liv is a single mum of three girls, Sapphire, Luna and Clover, she’s finding it tough financially, so when she’s commissioned to paint a mural in a 100 year old decommissioned lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, she doesn’t hesitate.

The island is not the idyllic place one would imagine, there is talk of witches being burned in a cave beneath the lighthouse, and murmurings of wildlings (supernatural beings who mimic human children) and though sceptical, Liv has to admit that there is definitely an air of menace, a feeling that something bad is about to happen.

When two of her daughters go missing, Liv can no longer ignore the folklore, and what follows is a tale that is creepy but utterly compelling. Featuring three different timelines - 1662, 1998, and 2021, this is an ambitious but wonderfully engaging novel. The characters were perfect in their parts, one could easily place themselves in their shoes, and the island and lighthouse added a dimension that transformed them into a very important and scary part of the storyline.

Witches, curses, superstitions, creepy unexplained events - need I say more? A terrific read!

I wasn't sure what to make of this at the beginning.. The novel flicks between timelines and perspectives and was a little difficult to get into. However, once I did, I was fully engaged.

When the Stay family move to the Black Isle in Scotland, it's supposed to be a new start. But there's a shadow hanging over the island. Centuries ago it was cursed by a woman burnt for witchcraft. Over the years children have gone missing, only to be replaced by mysterious "wildlings" who look identical to the children who disappeared but, according to local lore, have evil intent.

Tragically the Stays become entangled in the island's misfortunes.

Definitely worth reading if you enjoy gothic mysteries.

4.5 stars.

the lighthouse witches is an enchanting and thrilling tale, bristling with magic and inspired by Nordic folklore and gothic tales, weaving together a web of compelling characters going through harrowing events that will leave you aghast.

the story is told in multiple perspectives through 2 different timelines; it tells a story of a mother (olivia) and her 3 daughters (sapphire, luna and clover) so we follow liv and saffy in 1998 as well as luna in 2021. back in 1998, two of the daughters go missing, and years later in 2021, one of them is found frozen in time.

and i absolutely devoured it. this was such a spellbinding read, easily hooked me from the beginning and kept me entertained (and creeped out) through exceptional storytelling. few books satisfy me with the alternating timelines, let alone that plus multiple perspectives. this one hit just right! it was intriguing and i was never bored. the writing is really good and fits this story fantastically. it took me a little bit to get used to it, but the pacing quickly felt right and carried the story along.

an atmospheric gothic tale that was so much fun to read — highly recommend for halloween season for the creepy horror vibes and lovers of legends, myths, witches and curses!

content warning: physical, mental, and sexual abuse.

— thank you to harper collins + harper collins audio for providing me with an e-arc and audiobook through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

1998. Liv arrives on a remote Scottish Island at the Lighthouse, known as the Longing, that she's been commissioned to paint with her three daughters, desperate for a new start for her family. She's trying to escape the past and find a new home, some light in their lives. But all she finds is darkness, as just a short time later her daughter Luna is found abandoned, her family nowhere to be seen.

2021. Twenty long years later, Luna returns to the Island of Lon Haven, the island that took everything from her, in search of the truth. She's grown up alone, and despite having a life and a family of her own, strange and unusual occurrences draw her back to the Lighthouse again.

But Luna soon finds her family disappearing isn't the only mystery around the Longing. It was once the site of a brutal and bloody witch hunt, and even now a hundred years later people are disappearing into the night without a trace. Luna feels like the ghosts of her past aren't the only ones clinging to the stormy Island, there's something more.

But once she manages to shine a light on the dark past of the Lighthouse, she's never going to be able to see the world the same again.

"It's named for the people who lost loved ones. Sometimes they'd visit the site where the longing was built and ... pay their respects."

The Lighthouse Witches is an enchanting Gothic mystery full of witches, fae, curses and magic. Taking inspiration from Scottish superstition and folklore, this story weaves a completely unique web of wonder for the reader that will leave you spellbound.

Told from multiple times and perspectives, this story remained so easy to follow and each perspective was distinct and with a unique voice as we slowly piece together the history of the Longing. The setting was perfect - darkly atmospheric, so visceral that you could feel the isolation of the island, the chill of the sea, the crushing darkness of the night. Each small detail was crafted so delicately to create the most immersive setting, despite some interesting choice of similes.

Slow burning and intense like fire, this wasn't the type of book that makes you scream and fumble for the lights, but with a subtle horror that leaves you with a chill in your spine and an urge to check over your shoulder just one more time.

With fierce commentary about the relationship between the persecution of witches and misogyny, this story had me ready to cast my own curse.

The Lighthouse Witches is definitely one to keep you up all night reading... and then keep you up the rest of the night too.

Having read The Nesting by CJ Cooke, I was looking forward to reading her latest offering, and found myself enthralled by this riveting, imaginative and atmospheric gothic chiller and family drama, set on a remote Scottish island with its rundown lighthouse, The Longing. It begins in 1998 with single mum, Liv, finding it hard to make a living as an artist, arriving on the island with her three daughters, Saffy, Luna and Clover, having accepted a commission from Patrick Roberts to paint a lighthouse mural. All is not as well as hoped for, as the locals warn of the fae and wildings, supernatural beings that emulate humans, and a lighthouse that was built on a cave where in the 17th century women perceived as witches were imprisoned and burned. With the last gasp of their breath, the island residents were cursed terribly, a nightmare that resulted in missing children through time, the repercussions of which live on.

This is dismissed as ancient folklore, mythology and legend, except that every member of the family vanishes, only Luna is left behind. More than two decades later, a haunted and traumatised Luna is pregnant, still harbouring hopes that her family will return. Then she gets a call that informs her that her sister, Clover, has been found alive, but impossibly Clover is still 7 years old, how could that be? Moreover, Clover's strange behaviour has Luna wondering if she is a wilding, all of which has her returning to the island, to her memories, and in search of the truth of the mystery of what happened to her family all those years ago. The narrative is split between three timelines, from the 17th century from a grimoire of magic, spells and diary, from the family in 1998, and in the present with Luna.

Cooke expertly weaves the different strands of this eerie and unsettling story so that they connect beautifully by the end. The wonderfully evocative location and lighthouse prove to be characters in their own right as they come alive with the rich descriptions in the book. The author provides the reader with the timeless nature of human beings and how they react when overtaken by fear, misplaced beliefs, hysteria, and paranoia, which can so often have horrifying consequences that can result in pain, death, destruction and devastation. This is as true today in our contemporary world as it was in the past. This was a terrifically creepy, ominous and engaging read, dark, intense, and highly suspenseful, with great characters, holding my interest from start to finish. Perfect reading for Autumn and Winter. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Liv flees with her 3 daughters to the remote Scottish Island of Lòn Haven and discovers that that island is home to some terrifying history and myths.

20 years later, Liv's daughter, Luna, is drawn back to the place where she lost her entire family. Will history repeat itself and were the old myths and rumours about Lòn Haven more than just myths?

This book tells its story from different character points of view and from different points of time. It was a little confusing at first but once I got more familiar with the characters and the storyline started unravelling, it became easier to follow. The way things were set up were flawless. I actually got chills a few times!

The setting of the book is gorgeous. It's based off of a real place in Scotland and the next time I go home I may try and visit if I have time!

All of the characters are developed so well. We get the story from different points of view and I feel that this was the only way this story could have been written. It was such a good choice by the author.

The plot was really well developed and it had me guessing right up until the end! This book was full of twists and turns and the atmosphere was electric!

Brilliant What more could I ask for witches and magic on a Scottish Island. I loved the multiple timelines and POVs. My only criticism is it was a little slow to start and I almost DNF but I am so glad I didn't as I was so invested in these characters by the end.

Two books in now from this author = well the gothic variety = and this is a great one. Scottish island, witches, gothic overtones and a cover to die for!

Really loved the writing and scene setting. it draws you in and there's a wonderful thread of stories woven together.

Recommended!!

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have never read anything by CJ Cooke before but i will definitely be picking up all of her other works after reading this, I loved the characters, the plot, the setting. I listened to this on audio and having a full cast really added to the experience of this story.

Multi perspective stories mixed in with multi timelines normally get me confused as its always switching every chapter but what i love about this is each character gets a few chapters at a time which means we really got into each characters story.

I had many questions throughout this book and unlike some stories they all got answered and i loved the way everything wrapped up at the end.

Easily one of my favourite reads of the year and i cannot wait to get a physical copy. Highly recommend.