Wow this has been a million times better than I expected. I haven’t been able to put this one down.
Absolutely fantastic and amazing read.

A hugely atmospheric and mysterious novel. There's witchery tales going on in Oxfordshire and the little villages around the city. The author really creates a mysterious sense of foreboding and the lack of explanation and full exploration of characters at the start of the novel adds to this. AT first I wanted to know more about them but that comes later and you feel you are in as much of a fog as they are when it comes to the cloud of suspicion and intrigue.

It's an historical slow burn read and that's no bad thing. The themes of women against men and how women were suspected of all kinds is nicely explored. There's a character with visions..... and those secrets look set to explode and destabilize what is already a society of suspicion and secrets.

It did drag in places but on the whole this is a novel to immerse yourself in and be patient with.

3.5 stars

Spoilers

What this book lacked for me,was a bit more time at the beginning to get to know the characters.
How often did Melis have these premonitions? Did they only centre around death? It's said it was only true that one time,in which case,if it only happened once before,would you not take it more seriously?
Was Hopes life so very sheltered that she fell for everyone that so much as smiled at her?
I struggled with her gullibility.
Finally,George,how many kids does he have and why was it SO important to have his son now?
Apart from all that,it was an engaging read,with a lot of action and very much a sisters doing it for themselves vibe.
Hester particularly was clever,resourceful and a tad cunning. I liked her.
There were no surprises and the how and where of George's death for me,but it was nicely done,and the final pages left me hoping there might be another story,so we could see what Hester might do next if ever challenged.