The publishers describe The Witch in the Well as ‘a deliciously disturbing Gothic tale of a revenge reaching out across the years’. There are elements that match that description, notably the sections entitled ‘The Nicksby Documents’ which have a really fantastical, malevolent and creepy feel. Unfortunately I found the modern day storyline less diverting. It essentially depicts the increasingly fractious relationship between two women, Catherine and Elena, who were once childhood playmates but are now involved in a rivalry about who has the right to tell Ilsbeth Clark’s story.

Neither of the women are particularly likeable. Elena is a prolific poster on social media, a fan of hashtags and an advocate of listening to the voice of one’s SOUL (her capital letters, not mine). For her, the ancient well is not a place of menace but somewhere magical, hence it being her favourite place for her morning yoga workout. She believes she has formed a spiritual connection with Ilsbeth and is possessed by the idea that she can use this to prove the existence of ‘good magic’. Unfortunately, the situation is rather different, creepily different in fact.

On the other hand, Catherine sees Ilsbeth as a victim of prejudice, like so many other women through history, and is intent on bringing this injustice to light. Catherine can’t stop herself posting instalments from an open letter to the inhabitants of F- in response to their accusations against her. She feels she’s the victim of a modern day ‘witch hunt’. Unsurprisingly, comments such as ‘In my humble experience, none of you are geniuses’ don’t endear her to the local people. And her unfiltered posts which include conversations with her family and her lawyer, Louise don’t go down well either. Responding to Catherine’s protestation that she felt she had to write it all down, Louise says, ‘Then keep a journal, for God’s sake! You don’t have to paste it all over the internet!’. Quite.

A combination of folk tale, horror story and mystery, the book incorporates a number of narrative structures, including Elena’s journal, Catherine’s Facebook posts, emails, excerpts from Catherine’s novel about Ilsbeth Clark and the aforementioned ‘Nicksby Documents’ written by an unnamed author but whose identity it’s not too difficult to guess . The latter was probably the most successful bit of the book for me but overall the story felt rather disjointed and moved a bit too slowly.

Great read. Didn't want to put this down. Brilliantly written from beginning to end. I really enjoyed this and found myself absorbed in reading.

The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce was good but did not grip me - It was a good story however, I found it slow. But I did fall in love with the cover of this book.

When two former friends are reunite after decades apart, their are grudges, flawed ambitions, and shared obsession which swirl into an all too real echo of a terrible town legend.

However, centuries ago, a beautiful young Ilsbeth Clark was accused of witchcraft, after several children disappeared. Her acquittal did nothing to stop her fellow townsfolk from drowning her in the well where the missing children were last seen.

Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Cathy and Elena were childhood friends who quickly grew apart. But when Elena comes back to town and begins writing a book about the same woman as Cathy, old rivalry come to light as well as the towns less then clean history.

This is a brilliant story of obsession, from Cathy's stalker behaviour, and Elena's witchcraft wellbeing fixation. I really enjoyed how both these characters were so insular in their lives and the Well Witch.

I'd recommend this to any horror lover, and anyone who'd like a witch novel that doesn't feel like it's been done 100 times before!

I have been back and forth about what to rate this book and have settled on 3.5 stars. There are elements of this book that I loved and some, not so much.

This book is written from the first person perspective of multiple characters, each of whom presents as an unreliable narrator. I did enjoy this approach, however with much of the book written as diary entries from each person’s perspective, I found myself getting mixed up on a couple of occasions as to who’s perspective I was reading from.

The mystery of the story had me absolutely hooked at some points and for me the ending was excellent (no spoilers)! I regularly questioned the narrative and doubted wether what was happening was real or if it was ‘all in their head’. I don’t usually enjoy a mystery in a book as I typically find them predictable but this had just enough spookiness to keep me interested.

If you are looking for a short, creepy and mysterious horror with themes of witchcraft and demonology, this is worth a read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A witch in a well, a broken friendship, rivalry over the truth and lots of anger come together in this story. But just what is the true secrets of the well and those that find their way to it.

This was an interesting story but it was a bit disjointed at times and the ending wasn't as good as i'd hoped. The story is told from multiple povs which confuse the story a little more. I think I wanted a more dramatic ending, given the build up to it. None of the main characters are overly likeable. They're all pretty self obsessed and focused on their own issues to see the truth. The third pov was an interesting addition and added a different depth to the story.

So disappointed, I was really looking forward to this and it just wasn’t for me sadly , I didn’t find the characters likeable and it just wasn’t as dark as I thought it’d be

My previous Camilla Bruce read was of You Let Me In and I was surprised but not deterred by the this novel opening in the same manner; the main character announcing they've written an account to explain their side of a story.
From here it became very, very hard to follow.

The story is told in several ways:
Cathy in the past
Cathy in the present
Cathy writing as Ilsbeth
Elena in the past
Elena in the present
Elena writing as Ilsbeth
Ilsbeth in the past
Ilsbeth in the present
& newspaper articles.

Did you keep track of that? Writing it as a list was the only way I could think to convey it!

Elena is the worst! Claiming to be conversing with her SOUL voice, writing hashtags in her own journal #weareone and other sappy nonsense. I rolled my eyes hard and often reading her chapters and quickly found myself preferring Cathy, though her interest in the history of witch Ilsbeth did give a crazy-cat-lady intense vibe.

A minor irritant for me was the capitalisation of the words SOUL and MAGIC every time they were used in Elena's journal. I believe Bruce intended it to be an annoying part of Elena's persona but it disturbed the flow of the writing and yanked me out of the story. The same can be said of the place being named only 'F-' as if Bruce had left it there as a placeholder whilst deciding what to name the location but never gotten around to it.
..
...

Unfortunately this is where my review ends. At 50% I'm going to DNF. I just can't carry on.

I really loved You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce, but this latest book of hers didn't work quite as well for me. Maybe it's because I have read a lot of books about witches of late, but this one just seemed to be missing something. I enjoyed the author's earlier work so much and I am absolutely determined to give this book another try in the not too distant future. I would still recommend the book to other readers, and I would also strongly point them in the direction of the author's earlier books, if they haven't found them already. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read The Witch in the Well.

A dark novel about Ilsbeth, who ended up in a well a century ago and the childhood friends Catherine and Elena who both decide to write about her. Regrettably, while the plot is intriguing it blends past, present, folklore and horror, the execution is often confused. Bruce has chosen to tell her story through a variety of means including diaries,, hashtags, and so on. There are multiple voices and at times I lost track of where I was. Thanks to Netgalley with the ARC. I regret I was not more patient as I suspect it is a rewarding read for those who find the thread.

I loved Triflers Need Not Apply, by Camilla Bruce so had high hopes for this novel but unfortunately this wasn't for me. I had a hard time with the main characters being unlikeable and it wasn't as dark as I'd hoped. This just wasn't for me sorry!

I don't know why but I couldn't entirely engage with this one, it felt a little too disjointed and took a while to come together. Both Cathy and Elena were a little hysterical in a way that made neither of them particularly sympathetic and I'm not sure I would have laid it out quite as it was done. If Brian's email had come at the beginning - or some kind of context clue I think that would have been better. The storyline itself was interesting but there was just a bit too much jumping right into the middle of things, especially with the Nicksby Documents.

I found this an uneven read that often struggled to hold my attention, there were occasions when the storytelling felt incoherent, and the main characters did not really appeal to me. However, I think there will be readers who will love this far more than me.

I chose this one because I really liked Camilla Bruce's previous book. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much, but it was still wonderfully spooky and a fun read. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

Camilla Bruce's The Witch in the Well focuses on a rekindled rivalry between childhood friends Catherine and Elena after they both decide to write books about a figure that haunts the history of their town. That figure is Ilsbeth Clark, a woman accused of horrific crimes in the nineteenth century. It's constructed mostly from a series of documents: Catherine and Elena's own narratives, plus excerpts from Catherine's novel and sections from the historical records she's been researching in the archives. Another, undocumented voice intrudes occasionally, and refreshingly, but this is the bulk of the novel. And unfortunately, in striving to give Elena and Catherine distinctive voices, Bruce makes them both hopelessly irritating. Elena uses plentiful hashtags, CAPS LOCKS and exclamation marks; Catherine, despite her more formal prose, actually sounds quite similar; both come off as equally deluded. I'm a big fan of an unsympathetic narrator but they have to be interesting, and I had no interest in either of these women. The only bit that gave me any kind of frisson was the description of the 'witch in the well' game played in the school playground, stepping in and out of a circle of chalk; otherwise, this totally lacked atmosphere. 2.5 stars.

I really enjoyed Camilla Bruce's "You Let Me" In and "The Witch in the Well" was one of my most anticipated novels of the year. Unfortunately, it was rather disappointing. After reading the prologue I was ready for some creepy atmosphere and witchy vibes, but the beginning chapters fell short. I found it very difficult to connect to any of the characters which made it impossible to care about them in any kind of way. The novel is made up of different excerpts of different documents, thus the writing style differs between the documents and some documents were more difficult to read than others. I found Elena's diaries annoying and couldn't believe that someone would write a diary in this way. I felt similarly regarding Cathy's letters. The switch between the different documents didn't help the overall reading experience as it always took me out of the narrative.
I love folklore and witch narratives, but I don't think that the elements were used well here. Most of the time the novel reads like a childish conflict between two former best friends. All in all, I would give this novel 1.5 stars. I'm very disappointed but will probably try other novels by Camilla Bruce in the future.

Catherine Evans has been working on a book about the death of Ilsbeth Clark who drowned in a well in the same town a hundred years earlier. She has spent months and months researching, and as an outsider herself, she is determined to tell the real story of what happened, clearing Ilsbeth's name as the other residents all believed she was a witch.

However, an old friend of Catherine's returns to the town to sell her Uncle's home after his death. She also takes an interest in the story and uses her fame as a successful author to start building interest in the book she intends to write.

Catherine knows that Elena is pushing the 'witch' angle and is determined to put a stop to these lies coming out, but when creepy things start to happen, it seems like there may be more to the story than either of them realise - with serious consequences for both of the rivals.

The Witch in the Well is a fantastic combination of folk tales and crime fiction. The present day storyline presents a more typical crime thriller - a bitter rivalry, murder, suspicion and tension. Whereas the flashbacks have a completely different feel, looking at a the way a woman was treated if she was suspected of witchcraft and included spells, offerings, rituals and other folk elements which gave these sections a more gothic atmosphere.

By redacting the name of the town, an added layer of mystery is felt as you read the story. It almost feels like a true crime account where someone has had to keep certain elements back for legal reasons. As I am already a big fan of Camilla Bruce, I have read her two other books which are fictional accounts of real historical crime stories. This book definitely had that same feel about it and almost gave the impression that this was also based on an incident from real life.

Overall, the story didn't quite have the level of spookiness I was expecting, but what it did have was a more unexpected exploration of female friendships, jealousy and rivalries and I thought it was a very modern take on this genre.

The premise for this book sounded right up my street, however, I really struggled to get through it and found myself skimming whole sections.

Elena and Cathy were childhood friends, now estranged, when the meet up again by accident. They are linked by a shared interest in writing a book about Illsbeth who was known as the witch in the well.

This book was not the gothic, spooky novel it's supposed to be. I couldn't like either of the main characters and personally found this book dragged on while each of the protagonists tried to tell their side of the tale.

Possibly the right book for someone, but unfortunately not for me.

I recieved an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Penguin and I have been looking forward to reading it. I wanted to save it until I could allow myself to be fully absorbed by it and I finished it today.

The Witch in the Well is an interesting novel, rooted in both witchcraft and modern influencer culture. This juxtaposition of the old, seamlessly blended with the new, makes for a very fascinating concept. I enjoyed that the story has an on-going theme of female relational aggression running throughout, as the two protagonists have a difficult history together.

When we first meet Cathy and Elena, they are little girls. Cathy has been badly injured in a car accident, meaning that she feels isolated and alone, unable to run and play with the other children, due to her injured legs. Elena, on the other hand, is a summer visitor, whose family stay at the big house in the village, known as the castle. Elena is portrayed as 'the perfect girl' - happy, friendly and agile, with long golden hair and a pretty face. In short she is everything that Cathy wants to be, so naturally, Cathy is drawn to Elena and begins to idolize her. The two friends meet up every summer, which is something that Cathy looks forward to all year long. She copies Elena and tries to be just like her, even resorting to pinching Elena's things from time to time.

But then Elena stops coming for the summer holidays and Cathy feels very betrayed and resentful. This is when the female aggression really takes hold. Years later, when Elena returns to the castle, she is a popular Influencer and author. She plans to write a book about the local legend of the witch in the well and Cathy is horrified, as she has been writing a similar book for years. Elena however, isn't about to let Cathy's animosity stop her and so the competitive spirit flares between them.

And that is just the beginning of the book! As both women conduct their research, we learn more about the witch Ilsbeth, who was drowned in the well more than a hundred years ago. With both writers eager to have their say and get their own version of Ilsbeth's story out first, tempers flare, old grudges resurface and are posted online.

This is a novel filled with magic spells, poppets, wraiths, water kelpies and so on. There are twig dolls in the woods, reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project and old folklore woven into the plot. It is a slow burn in terms of pace, but the characters are well drawn, though not always likable. In some ways it reminded me of a book I read last spring called Idol, which also had a theme of female relational aggression. Female friendships can be so very difficult and complex, so its great that there are new novels coming out which address this issue of envy, jealousy and copying between girlfriends, as most of us have had some experience of it.

This is a complex novel, with multiple viewpoints and narrators, which can be confusing at times and can seem a bit clunky, but do bear with it as all the threads tie together in the end! However, if you find it difficult to keep up with multiple POV, you might struggle with this one. Likewise, if you are not a patient reader. I enjoyed it though.

The Witch in the Well is a fun witchy book to curl up with on a cold and frosty night. It's not scary enough to keep you awake at night, but it is interesting enough to make you think about the dynamics of female friendships, the injustice of the witch hunts and sisterhood in general. It will make you ponder on the question; when does sincere admiration for a friend become an unhealthy, jealousy fueled obsession?

Overall I liked this witchy story. It's not the best I've ever read, but it was quite unique and not like any other witchy book I've read before. I particularly liked that the author had incorporated Influencer culture into the plot as, from a marketing point of view, I think that will help to draw in a younger reading audience than most witchy novels attract.

And no, the author Camilla Bruce, is no relation of mine. We just happen to share the best Clan name in the world! Happy reading.

Bright Blessings

Marie x

AD: This book was sent to me by the publisher for the purposes of review. It will be released on 23rd February 2023, in both hardback and digital formats. It is available for Pre-order now.

3,5 stars rounded up.

When two former friends reunite after decades apart, their grudges, flawed ambitions, and shared obsession swirl into an all-too-real echo of a terrible town legend. Centuries ago, beautiful young Ilsbeth Clark was accused of witchcraft after several children disappeared. Her acquittal did nothing to stop her fellow townsfolk from drowning her in the well where the missing children were last seen. When author and social media influencer Elana returns to the summer paradise of her youth to get her family's Manor house ready to sell, the last thing she expected was connecting with - and feeling inspired to write Ilsbeth's infamous spirit. This story is told from multiple points of view, but there are also two primary perspectives from Cathy and Elena. The book is told in the past and present-day format. There are a few creepy parts to the story, but they are not scary. It's also quite a complex read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #CamillaBruce for my ARC of #TheWitchInTheWell in exchange for an honest review.