Review: The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke

5 stars for The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke.

I have not had much luck with horror novels this year. Seriously, I lost count after the seventh or so book. It is not for lack of trying; I read at least one fifth or even a quarter of the books before throwing in the towel. Those horror stories are not scary at all. Mostly, they read like any other general fiction with one particular book more romance than horror. Gosh!

Most times, it doesn't take long for me to know if a story is written to my taste. Ofttimes, I can tell after a chapter or three if I will enjoy the book. It is usually affirmed at 20% of the story and for this reason, I always try to read at least one fifth of the book before making the final decision to stop or go on. This is the first horror novel after countless many Did Not Finish that I say "YES! This is my cup of coffee" (I don't drink tea).

This book checked all the right boxes for an excellent horror story. It is filled with mystery and suspense. It has supernatural elements as well as historical references which make the story convincing and scary. The author must have put in a lot of hard work researching on Scotland's history, the Scottish witch trials, one of the worst in Europe, to uncover the stories of Scotland's witch hunts.

As the book title dictates, The Lighthouse Witches is a story much related to witches (and women), curses, wildings and beliefs. It is a story as much related to the history of Scotland's witch hunts as it is about connections between past and present. It is scary to read on how the inhabitants of an island can be so affected by the island's violent and tragic history that leads to beliefts rooted deeply in fear and affecting the islanders's actions.

The story kicks off with a mother Olivia Stay (36) and her three daughters, Sapphire (15), Luna (9) and Clover (7) on an island in the dead of the night. The mother is an artist and is commissioned to paint a mural inside a decommissioned lighthouse with a bizarre name of 'The Longing'. The lighthouse was situated on an island, Lòn Haven, off the coast of Scotland. The owner wants to convert the inside of the lighthouse into a writing studio and hires Olivia to prettify it, making it into a writing studio. As the story progresses, readers get to see the world through the perspectives of the mother and two of her daughters.

Much depth is revealed in the portrayal of the characters. And I think, surely, it tells a great deal about the author's own life experiences too, as indicated in the conversation between the mother and her firstborn that span a page or two. In my opinion, it is almost impossible to write as such without drawing on actual events or situations. And yes, it is sad to read such heartbreaking lines because it can be real and it is so real.

Up until two days ago, I thought I will not be able to find and read a good horror novel. I am really happy to have found this book. It makes for a wonderful Halloween reading. Not only that, I am able to read it in time to post my review by tonight. It does not come as a surprise that I am able to finish reading this book over the weekend. Because it is that good a page turner. Once I start reading, it is hard to put the book down.


Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: 5 Oct 2021

*** Favourite Quote 1 ***

Throughout those early years of nappies, teething, tantrums and night terrors I’d consoled myself by imagining a time when my girls were old enough to be self-sufficient. Maybe then I wouldn’t be pulled in three different directions, always spinning plates. But Saffy’s defiance had grown into disrespect and contempt. I felt as though I needed an emotional suit of armour to protect myself from her spiteful comments. She resented every thought, cell, breath, and ounce of me.

*** Favourite Quote 2 ***

..truth and memory can be too complex, too tentacled, to boil down to a linear narrative. That sometimes, silence is a form of survival.

*** Favourite Quote 3 ***

We think that time moves forward, in a linear fashion. Yeah? But sometimes you get déjà vu, or there’s some mad coincidence that you can’t explain. I think time doesn’t move in a linear fashion, but in a spiral, and sometimes there’s echoes from the past. And a ghost is just an echo of someone.

*** Favourite Quote 4 ***

Forgiveness is a kind of time travel, only better, because it sutures the wounds of the past with the wisdom of the present in the same moment as it promises a better future.

~ The Lighthouse Witches
C. J. Cooke

@}--->>--->>-----

A deserted lighthouse

Upon the cliffs of a remote Scottish island stands a lighthouse. Strange and terrible events have happened here. It started with a witch hunt. Now, centuries later, islanders are vanishing.

A lost family

Liv Stay and her children don’t believe in witches or curses. But within months of arriving on the island, her daughter Luna is the only one of them left.

An impossible child

Twenty years later, Luna’s missing sister turns up out of the blue. She is exactly the girl Luna remembers. Same face. Same smile. Same age.

Faced with the impossible, it’s up to Luna to find out what really happened at the lighthouse all those years ago.

*Blurb from FantasticFiction*

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