Patrick Delaney might have delivered his best book yet! It has a lot of Blair Witchy type vibes but also add to it a darker fairy tale approach. If it sounds creative and genius, that's because it is! Full of good creeps and a witch that can make my skin crawl at times, this book is perfect for fans of Delaney's previous works or for someone reading him for the first time. I love the town vibes and how this entire story unfolds. A part of the ending confused me but it might just be me - but it still worked and I still enjoyed my entire time in Drybell!

Witch 13 is primarily set in a police station over one night where the characters are waiting for a storm to pass. A witch appearing at a police station is a striking image, and I thought uncanny moments like these were the best parts of the book. Her powers cause hallucinations and delusions, leading to some horrific situations. I really liked the gorgeous illustrations accompanying the story.

I found the characterisation and the dialogue to be the weakest. The main character comes across like a tantrum-throwing teenager than an adult whose job involves being responsible for others. While I can understand Sterling's unbalanced mental state in light of her trauma, her reactions were extreme and reckless. When she's not crying, she's sneering, judgmental, and mistrustful of everyone, even an innocent child. This leads to decision-making that was questionable and unbelievable at best. The book ends with a resolution that seems to come out of nowhere. There's a potential for an entirely different storyline that I wish was focused on instead of the police angle. For a character whose name appears in the title, the witch's story is sadly relegated to the side.

What the heck… this had so much potential! I will recommend for spooky season, but it won’t be a favorite. It wasn’t bad per say but it wasn’t as amazing as I was hoping. I will pick up and read any book about witches, and I’m glad I read this one because it was definitely different. It’s paranormal horror with some mystery thrown in. I didn’t get attached to any characters but would definitely watch this if it was a movie! The middle of the book is slow and I felt like I could skip 20 pages here and there and not miss anything (don’t worry I didn’t do that!!). Also I wish it hadn’t had quite as many POVs, it was a little difficult to keep track of occasionally.

<b>Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.</b>

Okay...so I went into this blind. I saw the cover and thought it looked amazing but didn't know this was a horror suspense thriller type of genre...not my genre. With that said this book is scary and creepy AF!

We follow the main character sheriff Sterling Marsh on her last night as sheriff before resigning. The writing is very atmospheric and the story plot is ok. The characters each have their own dark secrets and each go through their own horrors. I couldn't read this in bed without being right next to hubby and even in the living room alone I couldn't read it, it was too creepy. The ending of chapter 1 gave me Poltergeist vibes. Throughout the rest of the book gave me some Oculus vibes (with illusions & the scene with the bulbs, IFYKYK).

Even though this was not my genre, I appreciate it for what it did...scare the f***k out of me. I was attracted to the book since it is getting close to the season of Fall and Halloween. The story was solid but the ending seemed rushed.

I love the concept of the story. The witch was unique and freaky. The deaths were too quick towards the end. I feel there was too long on background descriptions especially on characters that was barely part of the story. Rosa specifically. Chase and Max were awesome and when Sterling finally stated Jennifer's death Chase was just possessed by the witch forcing to see Jennifer as alive. Mind blowing moment. Though the story was often slow.

It's an interesting horror book. I love the concept of it and it really has dark elements. It also has great illustrations. My only reason I DNFed this is that the lovestory between the protagonists are a little heavy and it's not what i'm looking for in a horror book.

It never took me so long to read a book. It took me forever as every time I started reading I fell asleep after a few lines. This book is terribly boring, has no back story about this "witch" just a couple of lines that are not enough to hold the narrative, also she feels monodimensional, without a clear goal. The book is a long description of a long night. It goes on and on about Sterling and Chase's one-night stand and Sterling's relationship with her parents which are completely useless to the plot and doesn't add to the 'Witch' story. Most of the text feel just as a big add-on to feel the pages.

Also, the book is classified as LGBTQIA, but has no trace of any LGBTQIA theme.

It was incredibly boring to read, the plot was basic and uninteresting with no real direction... confusing overall.

Reading witch stories and watching witch movies has always been a favorite of mine.
This book brought a different take to the stories of witches, I almost want a prequel and a sequel to this because of what was mentioned through the book, of the witches beginnings and from the ending that I did not see coming!

2.25 stars. This book was not for me - mostly because I was coming at this with the expectation that I would get scared by the titular witch and we'd get a queer character, but instead, I was mostly annoyed and our queer lead's queeriness felt like it was squashed soon after she mentioned it.

Sterling Marsh, our lead character is a strong lead in my opinion. She starts off the book having an affair with her work partner, basically in front of his wife, who is understandably angry with the both of them. I know she kind of breaks it off, but she knew the man was married and was friends with his wife and kid to boot. He didn't help things, but she still help make that situation so bad for that family. On top of that, she does fall into the trap of being 'the other woman' and a bi lady who has said that she can't settle down with one person, making her more of a stereotype. She, as a character, doesn't even get to do much beyond that, until she and her partner are caught making out by the wife, then the horror things happen.

I was so bothered by the fact that Sterling started the book in such a bad spot, that I didn't really care about the scares and creepiness that happened after. I didn't find Sterling or the town interesting enough to even really care when the spooky stuff spiraled that I just read to the end. I don't think that Sterling was given a chance to be really interesting, and I don't think she got to be anything beyond the slightly broken person who makes terrible decisions all the time.

Unfortunately, the bad start and poor characterization of Sterling just could not be over come by the creepy atmosphere and sense of isolation that only a small town in a winter setting can impart. I didn't enjoy this from almost the word go, no matter how much I hoped for better.

*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Requested this at the suggestion of another user and was not disappointed. Tops the charts as one of my top five reads of 2022 so far. It was a little out there and other but I loved it.

Witch 13 is a relentless, exhausting and ultimately unsatisfactory read. There isn’t enough backstory on how the big, bad witch came to be and the opening is a jumble of telling not showing.

Delaney puts the pedal to the metal and almost never lets up. There are probably people out there who enjoy the kind of book that makes them feel like they’ve been on a roller coaster during a monsoon, but there are almost certainly more people who will be wrung out by the unrelenting, frequently confusing action.

And yet, in the rare moments when the little boy in the book, Max, gets a point of view, and the action slows down for his perspective, I could see that the writer can write straightforward, clear prose that succeeds as entertainment.

Ultimately, though, the book had a flaw I couldn’t get past as a reader. Here it is, and it’s a huge spoiler:

Sterling, the protagonist, sees the big scary witch entity kill the wife of a fellow officer, Chase, with whom she had a one-night-stand. But Sterling rationalizes not telling Chase that his wife is dead because she needs his help at the police station. Now, granted, things are very, very bad in their town at this time, but it’s just not acceptable to do that. It is a lie so enormous that I couldn’t get past it and enjoy the book.

Delaney has some great ideas here—even a potential series—and I’d like to read something from him that is clearer, crisper and less extreme.

What a fantastic read. I was looking for the perfect spooky book to ignore the fact that it’s so hot outside and I’m craving that cool weather, the crisp crunchy leaves under my feet. And y’all this hit the spot. This book! The ending, the twist, it just all in all felt like that moment when you’ve been waiting in a restaurant for your food and finally you get a whiff of it and you just devour it. That’s what this story was for me. Just perfect exactly what I was hoping for. I am going to reread this and recommend it in a spooky book club I’m in. Fantastic writing, such a great plot, characters were great. What more could you need. I need to order the physical book.

Witch 13 offered an interesting description which got me at the beginning. Unfortunately the story failed to meet my earlier expectations. The characters isn't hook me and I cant feel any connection with them. When I saw a novel with paranormal character in cover I expected it will get big portion in the plot.
I found my self busy beat the bushes to find more background story about "the witch" it self, more than followed jumbling action of our MC.
For the writing style part, I think less uneccesarily description is better.
I’m sure there are others who will love this more than me and but this kind story just not my cup of tea.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Oblivion Publishing. I am grateful and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Witch 13 is released 7 June 2022

The book follows the story of Sterling Marsh on her last night as Sheriff of Drybell, Connecticut, with her resignation imminent. What starts as a fun evening with a party for Christmas and Sterling leaving, quickly descends into terror with the appearance of The Witch.

I’ve always loved horror and I really liked the creepiness of this writing. There were eerie moments throughout, whilst you’re also discovering more about the queer protagonist, Sterling.

I also really loved the illustrations scattered throughout the book, which complemented the story.

i received this book as a digital ARC from NetGalley.
i liked the premise of this book and i really wanted to love it, but it just didn’t meet expectations. a lot of it was really over the top and i can get behind that when it’s done in a way that fits the narrative, but this book also takes itself way too seriously for what actually goes on. had it been written in a way that felt more self-aware or even sort of satirical, i feel like that could have carried a more satisfying tone throughout the book.

4 stars from me as I quite liked this book! Patrick Delaney is a new-to-me author, and with books like Witch 13, I will continue to read him! Witch 13 sucked me in from the get-go. Creepy and stunning and creepily stunning, I regretted ever needing breaks from reading.

*DNF at 30%*

I thought this book was fantasy, not a horror. Which is my own fault, I should have done more research.

The writing in this book is excellent, and I definitely recommend this to all horror lovers!

I've given a 3 star rating because my choice to DNF has nothing to do with the quality of the book. I'm just a scaredy cat. I have nothing negative to say about the book.

Ok. My first mistake was not realizing that this isn’t a fantasy book it’s a horror book. My second mistake? Thinking I could handle reading this til 2 am in a dark quiet house while everyone was sleeping. I wouldn’t describe this book as scary exactly but the creepy factor is there, and it’s turned to 11. I think the thing that kept shocking me was the amount of gore. Like Saw/ Devils Rejects/ Hostel level gore. As unappealing as that may sound don’t let it deter you because this book is solid c4 to the brain. In the absolute best sense. I really liked the MC Sheriff Marsh in all her unapologetically damaged glory. The secondary characters were unique and well done. I quite enjoyed the massive level of twists and turns. And a few times thought I had it figured out only to realize I know nothing. Some of my all time favorite reads are the ones you have to think about in the end, have to put a few more pieces together yourself to see the big picture. This was one of those endings. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

One of the very few books that I've read in one sitting! I absolutely loved the writing style and it was the main reason why I couldn't put the book down. Everything was so vivid which only meant that the author did a really amazing job in building the world in the reader's head and setting up the scenes. I'm so grateful for Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read the ARC of this book.