The Book of Witching is the newest release from The Nesting author C J Cooke. The story follows a woman named Clem who receives a call telling her that her daughter Erin is in hospital. All Clem knew was that Erin was on a hiking trip in the Orkney Islands but she soon discovers Erin’s boyfriend is dead, her best friend is missing and Erin has burns all over her body. When Erin wakes she doesn’t recognize Clem, but says her name is Nyx. Clem must travel to Orkney to uncover what really happened to Erin, encountering an ancient cursed book and the story of a woman wrongly convicted of witchcraft.

This is my fifth book from C J Cooke and it might be my favourite one yet. I’ve given all of Cooke’s books four or five stars so I had pretty high expectations for this one. It was dark, captivating and I could not put it down. I love Cooke’s writing style and the ability she has to completely suck you into the story. The mysteries in this book kept me guessing right until the very end and there were more than a few twists I did not see coming.

The story is set in present day, as well as following Alison in 1594 as she is accused of attempted murder by witchcraft. I really enjoyed the story in both timelines and Cooke does a brilliant job of bringing the two story arcs together. The story felt incredibly well researched and all the small details that Cooke adds really brings Orkney in the 1500s to life. This book is so compelling and I was completely riveted by the complex and fascinating characters Cooke created in this story. This book has so many intriguing elements including witchcraft, a creepy book, cults, murder and mystery. Cooke is also masterful at building a strong sense of atmosphere and I ended up reading the last 100 pages in one sitting. The Book of Witching was a brilliant five star read and it will definitely be in my favourite books of 2024. If you’ve been curious about this one I would absolutely recommend checking it out and I am dying to find out what C J Cooke will write about next.

The Book of Witching is a duel time novel full of atmosphere and intrigue. In the present day, Clem is told her daughter Erin has been found seriously burned on a remote Scottish island and her boyfriend is dead. In 1954 in Orkney, Alison is accused of witchcraft and murder with the punishment to be burned alive.
I found this to be historically interesting but quite slow paced at time which made it difficult for me to remain invested in the characters. The storyline is original and the characters are varied and well thought out.

I have never read a book by this author and I have to say I know have a new favourite. This book has got to be my favourite read of the spooky season. I couldn’t put it down. I don’t want to give anything away but please go and read it you won’t be disappointed.

Based on an actual trial of a woman accused of being a witch on the Orkney islands in 1594, this is a haunting and gripping mix of horror, folklore and an evil conspiracy. Employing a dual time line, the author has woven a riveting historical tale with a current day tragedy that occurs on a small Orkney beach, involving three teenage friends who either end up dead, badly burned or missing.

While I’m not usually a big fan of dual timelines, mainly because one is usually stronger than the other, in this case it worked really well with elements of the historical tale woven into the contemporary one. Connecting both is the enigmatic Book of Witching.

The author’s afternote tells us that Alison (or Alyson/Alysoun) Balfour was accused of using witchcraft and tried for using witchcraft in a plot to kill the Earl of Orkney, a brother of the king, bent on unjustly robbing the islanders of their crops and land. Based on her research, the author’s reimagining of the persecution suffered by Alison and her family, just because she was a skilled in healing, makes for a chilling and haunting tale. The bleak landscape of the Orkneys and the horror of the cell that Alison would have been locked in for months really added atmospheric context to the time period.

The contemporary story is more of a mystery. Although, just as compelling in a different way as the reader tries to work out why three teenagers have travelled to a tiny Orkney beach to light a fire that killed one of them and gravely injured another. Woven together, the two threads combine to make a fine tale of the persecution of witches at the hand of greedy overlords that resonates down the centuries.

I didn’t know what to expect going in to this one but I loved it. There was magic and mystery, a young girl getting wrapped up in a cult, a mysterious book of magic , a murder and a missing girl, as well as a different perspective set in the past during the witch trials in Scotland and Orkney (which was incredibly well researched). Really enjoyed this dark and twisty book.

Fabulous story very similar to Barbara Erskine whom I love. This book grabbed me right from the first page and I was hooked. Such a sad story but, that's how people behaved way back in the 1500's. I loved the dual time-line and the creepy ending. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A compelling and frightening read that mixes historical fiction, fantasy and horror to create a truly scary story about a mother's love.

The Book of Witching is the story of every mother's nightmare. The narrative switches between modern day and roughly 500 years previously, during the height of the witch trials. In 2024, a group of friends are involved in a terrible fire that ends with one dead, one missing, and one with severe burns covering her whole body. In 1594, a mother is accused of witchcraft, shaved, beaten, starved and imprisoned. A mysterious book connects them all, and an ancient group called the Triskale.

This book was such an interesting read, I read it all in one sitting. The perfect book for the spooky season. It flowed well, it had an interesting cover, and it showed just how easy it is to get into very dangerous situations. Just enough truth in it to make the reader question themselves. I would have liked the death of the Father to have been described during an epilogue. Fantastic Halloween read

4.5 stars - fantasy horror.

Clem wakes up to call to say her 19 year old daughter, Erin, has suffered serious burns due to a fire on a deserted Scottish island that has left her boyfriend dead and her friend missing. When she wakes she claims she is called Nyx. Meanwhile in 1594, healer woman Alyson is on trial for witchcraft for a murder she did not help to commit. How are the two stories linked, what happened in the fire and who is Nyx?

I loved the dual POV in this one, I was invested highly in each story and struggled to put the book down as after each chapter I wanted to read the other POV. I was drawn straight into the story with Clem and Erin, having a daughter myself, I can't imagine waking to a call like that.

Based on true events, it was frustrating to read how the trials were conducted - of course someone is going to confess if you torture their family when they are innocent! I absolutely hated Father Colville as a character.

I knocked it down half a star as I felt the ending was rushed and I was hoping for a just ending for Alyson which she never received. I also felt as if Clems heart problem didn't really bring anything to the story, it was mentioned at the beginning and took up most of the epilogue. Overall though, a fantastic read! I would say the lighthouse witches is still my favourite of the authors, but this is a very close second.

As you’d expect with the premise, this covers some heavy/dark themes - so reader beware!

This one was so atmospheric and creepy - with proper horrific elements. I loved it! I was hooked right from the start. You follow multiple viewpoints across different timelines, all centring around a mysterious book. Mainly focusing on Alison in 1500s who is accused of witchcraft (based on elements of a true story) and Clem in 2024 whose teenage daughter is the sole survivor of a horrific accident that leaves the police with so many questions, but is somehow connected to that mysterious book (and with it witchcraft). But aside from that, there’s also complicated family dynamics to contend with.

This is my first book by Cooke, but it won’t be my last.

Thanks to the team at Harper Collins, Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.

4,5 stars
Wow! This author is truly exceptional.

Having just finished my second book by her, I’m now eagerly awaiting to dive into her backlist!

If you’re intrigued by witches, pagans, and cults, this book is a must-read. What I find particularly captivating about Cooke’s writing is her remarkable ability to transport us seamlessly from the present day to the 16th century, intertwining the two timelines with exquisite finesse.

The story centers on Clem and her daughter, Erin, who live in Glasgow. When Clem receives a frantic call from the hospital about Erin's severe burns, she quickly learns that her daughter, while on a hiking trip to the Orkney Islands with her boyfriend, Arlo, and her best friend, Senna, is now in a dire situation.
Tragically, Arlo has been killed—burned alive—while Senna has vanished without a trace. To Clem’s shock, when Erin finally awakens in the intensive care unit, she does not recognize her mother, insisting instead that her name is Nyx.

The narrative deftly shifts back to 1594 on the Isle of Gunn in Orkney, where Alison faces grave accusations of witchcraft after refusing the Master of Orkney's demand to conjure a charm for death.

Alison’s harrowing ordeal is at times difficult to read, tugging at my heartstrings. Yet, I found myself equally invested in Clem’s journey and the mysterious black book that ties their fates together.
All in all a very intriguing story which I had difficulty putting down.

I especially appreciated the author’s afterword, where I learned that Alison's story is rooted in reality. Remarkably, her final words during the trial were recorded by a notary—an extraordinary detail for a woman accused of witchcraft.

Thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk! Sorry for the late review due to family and health issues.

I loved this book SO much! I really recommend this book to anyone who thinks that they will like it and this is now an author that I will be reading more books from.

Two women, four hundred years apart, are bound by a dark and mysterious book: the book of witching in this unnerving gothic thriller.

The story is told in dual timelines, moving between Glasgow in the present day and Orkney in 1594. In the present, Clem’s daughter, Erin, is hospitalised with catastrophic burns after being found on a beach in Fynhallow Bay. At first she’s unconscious, but when Erin comes around, she doesn’t remember her parents or who she is and insists that her name is Nyx. 1594, Alison is accused of witchcraft and awaiting trial. If convicted, she will be burnt alive. Can she prove her innocence to people who only want to hear she’s guilty?

In the last few years C. J. Cooke has solidified herself as one of the Queens of the Gothic Thriller, even counting Stephen King among her fans. Her books have become a Halloween staple for me so I was determined to squeeze in her latest offering, The Book of Witching, before October was over. Eerily atmospheric, witchy, malevolent and haunting, I inhaled this in a day, completely transfixed by this spellbinding tale. Spectacularly written, perfectly plotted, intricately interwoven and with vivid imagery, she held me in her thrall, my heart in my throat the entire time I was reading. And that ending! Omg. I still have chills.

Cooke’s meticulous research is evident throughout and she doesn’t shy away from the grisly torture that those accused of witchcraft was subjected to. The lengths these powerful men went to as they tried to force Alison to confess were horrific and even included the torture and murder of people they knew were innocent to try and reach their goal. I could understand why women falsely confessed during the witch trials when they were subjected to such awful torture and it made me angry to think of everything they went through.

Dark, mystical, sinister and addictive, I highly recommend this magnificent bewitching tale.

I’d heard some good things about this author and when I read this book description it was something that sounded right up my street.

This book involves two stories, one in the present day and one in the late 16th century. I really enjoyed the story set in the past, following Alison as she is tried for witchcraft. I highly recommend reading the authors note afterwards!

I really enjoyed this book, and I’ll be reading the others by this author now.

This book was simply addictive! I loved everything: the double timelines, the plot twists, the historical facts mentioned. I had such a great time reading it, i will definitely check this author’s other titles!

In May 2024 Erin is seriously ill in a Glasgow hospital. She's been very badly burned in a camping accident on Orkney in which her boyfriend died. After being brought out of a medically induced coma she claims her name is Nyx. On Orkney in 1594 Alison Balfour awaits trial, accused of witchcraft. If found guilty she'll be burned alive. With over 400 years separating them, how are Erin and Alison linked?

Set during dual timelines, The Book of Witching is a compelling read. The historical aspect is fascinating and although incredibly cruel and brutal, it's hugely interesting and educational. I found myself glued to the pages and totally immersed — a testament to the author's research and knowledge. The fact that the book is inspired by real events adds extra depth and brings home how despicably the accused were treated. A great read.

This was a gothic-infused mystery with some horror/supernatural elements, told in dual timelines. The historic witch persecution element of this story for me provided more horror than the slight supernatural element provided by the Book of Witching itself, on the occasions when it featured. That, and the body horror of visiting your horrifically burned daughter in hospital. There are a lot of descriptions of torture and injuries, not gratuitous but necessary for the story. I've read a few stories about witch trials and they tend to be quite a difficult read for a number of reasons. I thought this was a good story overall.

This is another wonderful story from the brilliant C.J Cooke. A historical fiction story set in Scotland (Glasgow and Orkney mostly), over two timelines. I really enjoyed this story, anything about witch trials wherever they may be is always of great interest to me. The settings in both the time lines are atmospheric and totally believable. A great read for autumnal evenings.

This isn't my usual genre but given we're in October I thought I'd give it a whirl. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the twin timelines and from about halfway through I was really engrossed. I would definitely read another by C J Cooke.

I enjoyed this book, initially i thought the pacing was a little off but it came together well and I was completely hooked from around the 60% mark.

The story follows a number of POVs by the end but we spend most of the book with Alison in 1594 and Clem in 2024 and learn how their stories are linked by the Book of Witching.

This was an easy read, slightly creepy at all the right times and had a few good twists and turns I didn't see coming. Overall a great read for the spooky season.

An exceptional book of historical fiction.
This is from a genre which I generally don't read but this one has turned out to be the exception.
The story is set between two timelines, one in the modern day and the other in the 1500's. This method of storytelling was delivered with perfection by Cooke. The storytelling was exceptional and kept making me want to read on and on.

Witch fiction made to perfection!