Well, I'm not sure how to rate this book. At times it felt like it was moving towards the Scottish version of Salem Witch Trials, then about an older lady becoming more and more disturbed and finally like a very good detective story.
However a very clever book as the story progresses and you learn why Marjorie is as she is and the explanations of how and why things happened now and in the past are cleverly revealed. Very please there was a good non- Hollywood style ending although it was hard to imagine a 60+ year old woman getting involved in a fight to the death!
I enjoyed the read and hope other readers also do.

I was excited to be granted this book as I totally enjoyed the last book by this author. This is also a good read, though you sometimes want to shout at the main character. I also found the stories of the witch trials stopped the flow of the book as they were placed within the story. I feel it would have been better to have the stories at the beginning or the end of the book.

Marjorie is an interesting character living alone in a cottage at the end of a small village - Sounds like bliss !!

Keeping herself to herself soon had many rumours and tales about what she is circulating the village , from recluse to a Witch nobody knew but one thing for sure is that she was the village scapegoat !

Marjorie kept to a routine walking the same route twice daily sleeking to no one whilst she was out … was it simply that Majorie was a loner …!

When tragedy strikes it will be no suprise that everyone in the village pointed their fingers at Majorie , the little unknown old woman . Dismissing any information she disclosed with the village putting her as the prime and only suspect !

Great book , not your average thriller as it does touch on the ideology of which craft . I thoroughly enjoyed this thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Marjorie Crowe is an outsider in the small Scottish Village where she lives, seen as more than a little strange,not least as her daily walk takes her directly through the bar of the local pub. Aside from that she's barely a blip on the local radar, no-one knowing much about her or being particularly interested in her. That all changes when she discovers a young boy hanging in a local wood and when she finally reports it CCTV evidence disputes her timing putting her ,and her lifestyle,under a very unwelcome spotlight.
Under suspicion and under attack in many ways as the body-count rises Marjorie tries to solve the mystery alone,raising the doubts of locals and the police.

This is a great story, definitely "something different". Marjorie freely admits to being a witch,something that does her no favours,and a big part of the book involves the prejudice and misunderstanding over her beliefs,both now and in the past. For the average reader this is a fascinating insight into the reality of "witchcraft" and I suspect the first many will learn the real meaning of the "witches spell" from McBeth.
Marjorie can be a frustrating character, she's stubborn and her refusal at times to share information that might take the burden of suspicion from her is often baffling.

This is an outstanding book. Is Marjorie the caring follower of "ancient ways" as she claims,or are the villagers right and they have practitioner of the dark arts amongst them preying on their children?

This book is good. Really good. Just thought I'd get that bit out of the way. This author has a real knack for taking characters who are outliers, people whose lives are perhaps less conventional and mainstream and really bringing them to life. Grace McGill, his previous protagonist was great, really got under your skin. Marjorie Crowe, the protagonist and narrator for his latest novel, is absolutely marvellous.

Marjorie Crowe lives a solitary life, dominated by routine. She lives in a small village where everyone knows everyone else, and everyone knows to just let Marjorie do her thing. Everyday, at the very same times, she walks the very same route - no deviation - and people know better than to interrupt her, even when part of her route runs straight through the middle of the village pub. It is on one such walk that we meet Marjorie, are first made aware of the quirks of her character. It is also on this particular walk that Marjorie's routine is broken and her life takes a very dramatic and macabre turn. Marjorie finds the body of a young boy hanging in the woods, but her reaction, and what then comes to pass, leads the whole village to turn against her. Understandable, to a degree, given the circumstances. But Kilgoyne is no ordinary village and someone in town will do anything to keep their secrets hidden. And this is very, very good news for us readers.

I really liked Marjorie. She is a very unique character, but sympathetically written. It is easy to see why most of the village would shun her or turn against her - nobody likes people who don't conform to 'normal' behaviour after all. But there is something compelling about her, about her need for routine and her clear superstitions. She also has a certain talent, one which defies explanation, even sometimes by Marjorie herself. There is a certain supernatural element to this book, a sense of the otherworldly that defies what would be called rational explanation. Sometimes Marjorie just senses things, situations that defy logic, but convincing others, particularly the police, of her foresight, is not easy. People are quick to misread and label her connection to the land and the natural world as 'witchcraft', and are quick to condemn her for all the bad deeds happening in town.

The story is told primarily from Marjorie's point of view which means that forming a bond with her is quite easy as a reader. Far from making light of her differences, the author establishes the importance of routine to Marjorie, and also how delicate her mental health really is. She doesn't revel in her gift, more feels haunted by it and the burden it brings. That said, there is a certain understandable glee Marjorie shows in being able to run rings around the police given their reluctance to believe her and why not. It puts her at risk at times, but also brought a smile to my face at others. The author also highlights how quick others are to judge based on suspicion and not evidence, and the price people are forced to pay for being different. It is a kind of a modern Salem witch trial that also harnesses the 'power' of social media - an often destructive medium for conveying hate and prejudice. It all serves to add a layer of jeopardy to a story which is already teaming with tension from the start.

The remote village setting is perfect for this book and gives the whole thing a really atmospheric vibe. Scotland is known for its lore and legend, and there is just something about the setting that CS Robertson has created, something so vivid and authentic, that you can feel transported by the narrative. As Marjorie walks through the woods, that creeping, skin crawling feeling is almost tangible. There is a real sense of being watched, a slow building unease and feeling of apprehension that something bad is going to happen. This is elevated by scenes from an alternative point of view, ones which start to add meaning to things that have occurred and illustrate the real dark heart of this novel. There is also a really emotional element to this story, and the more we learn of it, the easier certain characters are to understand.

I really enjoyed this book. It had everything I love in a novel. Great mystery, wonderful characters and setting, a real feeling of tension and unease and a sense of something which goes beyond what the eye can see and most minds comprehend. I enjoyed seeing everything wrapped up, the way in which the author brought the story full circle, and how it is that sometimes different is a very good way to be. Highly recommended.

Marjorie Crowe is an unusual woman, probably in late middle age, single and living alone in a cottage on the edge of a small town in Scotland. Her strange habits, awkwardness, daily identical walks around the town (and through the pub), and knowledge of plants and herbs make her stand out as someone different and suspicious to local inhabitants. When she comes across the body of a local teenager hanging in a tree and more terrible things began to happen in the town, she becomes a target of anger and gossip for the residents (and Twitter).

The premise of this book really appealed to me. I'm very interested in the history of women being accused of witchcraft through the ages (especially 'difficult' women), particularly how the witch trials were so much more numerous in Scotland, and the idea of transferring this to a modern setting, with the angry mob stretched to include Twitter, was intriguing. I enjoyed the inclusion of some of these historic incidents to the plot, but unfortunately for me the book didn't quite meet my expectations. I found the character of Marjorie herself to be slightly irritating and her actions didn't make much sense, even when we knew her background. Most of the female characters were pretty weak in how they behaved around the men of the town and the plot of what had actually happened was not that hard to guess so it didn't quite work as a thriller. I found the pace to be quite slow and hard to get into, especially through the first half, and the whole atmosphere was just a little disjointed for me. It is in no way badly written, however, just not my cup of tea. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for anadvance copy in return for an honest review.
#TheTrialsofMarjorieCrowe #NetGalley

Wow. This was a great story. I loved the character of Marjorie Crowe and the background of the witch trials was really interesting. The book kept me gripped from the start and had me racing through it. The actions and prejudices of the villagers were thought provoking and the social media aspect just disturbing!

Reading this, I really felt as if I’d been dropped into a rural Scottish community. One filled with drama, suspicion and small mindedness. Marjorie is the central character. She’s the direct descendant in a line of witches and has herbal potions for many ailments. She’s an obsessive character ruled by routine and the subject of much ridicule for her behaviour and the way she dresses.

She discovers the body of a teenager but fails to report it and her world is turned upside down. C S Robertson is really good at capturing characters and eccentricities. The author has has a good ear for dialogue and this tale draws the reader in to fall out from the death. I really enjoyed the way fact about witchcraft is woven into the tale. Most of it truly shocking. This is a multi layered story and I really enjoyed it b

Marjorie Crowe is an unusual character, someone who has managed to live in a small community for 25 years without really integrating into it, is an unknown quantity giving the locals little or no information about herself. When someone does that people naturally fill in the blanks themselves. Then a teenager is found hanging and Marjorie saw something that was proved to be impossible. The community is scared and wants someone to blame and Marjorie becomes a target. The way the threats and torments are handled by the author just shows what a powerful tool the internet can be, how things can be blown out of all proportion and how cruel society can be to people who are different. Makes you wonder why people want to pick a target and keep on til it nearly drives the victim mad.

The story line was complex and took a bit of getting to grips with, but it was worth the effort. I got frustrated with Marjorie at times, with some of the decisions she made, but enjoyed the hint of witchcraft, the belief she had in herself and her strength of character. The two police officers, Deacon and Sharma were good characters and realistic. I enjoyed the herbal remedies and also the historical details of the witch hunts centuries ago. I loved the first of this authors books that I read - The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill, which was excellent, and this is also a really good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This started off a litle on the slow side but developed fairly quickly. The story is full of such great descriptions of the Scottish countryside, the wild and wacky villagers and the complex herbal references added to the wonderful story. I loved Marjorie, felt sorry for her that after 20 years in the village she was still being considered an outsider and evryone did not try to understand her or her ways. The history of the witchcraft added to the interest. A really good story line that was so feasible.

A mystery set in a small Scottish village. The protagonist Marjorie Crowe, local eccentric, is ostracized after a teenage boy is found hanging. I enjoyed the story but it was a little slow but the descriptions of the surrounding landscape were well written Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

A well written and atmospheric book dealing with an isolated older woman, a suspicious village, witchcraft and missing boys.
The author sets the scene well and builds the suspense but unfortunately the subject matter turned out not to be my cup of tea. For others though this would be a great read

Another brilliant book from this author. Honestly they are the master of quirky and unique compelling characters. The story is the perfect mix of a crime thriller with superstition and paganism. The story cleverly brings home the nature of modern witch hunts and trial by social media. Majorie is different so she will be judged and therefore must be guilty. But is she? This book also thoughtfully references real people who were killed in the name of justice throughout the witch trials of history, Brilliantly written and addictive read.

As soon as I read the synopsis of this book I was intrigued and knew I wanted to read it. Marjorie Crowe lives by herself in the small Scottish village. To the other villages she’s between 55 and 70, she could be a librarian or a witch. They know nothing about her as she keeps to herself. Twice a day, she walks the same route around the village, you could set your watch by her until one day she sees something that stops her in her tracks. What unfolds is fear and paranoia, secret and lies as the village tries to determine the truth. I really enjoyed this novel and found Marjorie’s character to be intriguing and heartwarming. I can highly recommend this novel and would rate it 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for the chance to review.

What a clever piece of fiction this is and a completely engrossing, atmospheric read! I love Marjorie Crowe, such a fascinating character, determined and proud of her ancestry. This is a character driven, well crafted read, with a little bit of witchcraft and gothic theme, which I loved from the start. The author has written another brilliant, satisfying read which I highly recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

The Outsider fingered as the Scapegoat who solves the crime 3.5 rating, raised

I read Robertson’s first book, The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill, with fascination and delight. So I had high hopes of this, which were not completely met. In some ways, the territory is the same, a mystery thriller, a woman who is regarded as an outsider in her community, one ‘on the margins’ in some way who stumbles upon wrongdoing, and, with some danger to herself, solves, and helps the police to solve the crimes they initially partly suspected her of. The central eponymous characters in both books have pain and tragedy in their pasts, as skeletons in their cupboards. They are both, in similar ways, archetypes of ‘wounded healers’

This time, I was aware of writing being a little more formulaic, and of research and plot at times being driven a little too hard. Sometimes an author just wants to include all their research, and don’t realise that narrative drive goes a bit flabby, or doesn’t quite piece sensibly together with plot events and timing.

Our central character here is a rather wonderful older woman, who comes from a long line of outcast wise women – healers, herbalists, ‘witches’ when in some way they offend others in their society, or the healing they are asked to help with, is outside possibility of cure.

This is set in the present day, in a very small Scottish community, where Marjorie retreated to some 20 years ago, after her own skeleton tragedy and heartbreak. So she has always been an outsider, marked as much by grief as by her wise woman gifts and strangeness

She comes into a community which has its own dark past, consciously chosen by some, and a history of disappearing teenagers. When other teens go missing, and there are mysterious deaths, Marjorie becomes the suspect the mob turn on. And, in modern times, the mob use social media, drawing in trolls from far and wide.

Interspersed with Marjorie’s investigations, and the collaboration she forms with the local polices, are her researches into the real history of women strangled and burned as witches.

As mentioned earlier , sometimes the drive of the plot gets held up a little by Robertson’s desire to put in all the research into herbal potion making. Including one such account of a common potion for the relief of anxiety which allegedly takes 6 months to make yet inexplicably happens to somehow be a potion to be made which can avert a rather violent event and there being no more for Marjorie to use for her own needs.

There are a few little plot blips like this, and they meant I couldn’t quite dispel my disbelief, or prevent my mind from analysing ‘faults’

Nonetheless, enjoyable.

Having read and loved the authors previous book, The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill, I was excited to read this new book.

This one had ingredients that I enjoy in a book: quirky characters and some witchcraft but I found it was too slow for me and I felt myself getting frustrated with Marjorie.

I think this one just wasn’t for me. Going by other reviews I am in the minority so I am sure the book will do well.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #Hodder&Stoughton for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

So after witnessing Charlie McKee hanging from a tree a string of events takes Marjorie on a massive personal journey for want of a better word in Kilgoyne, Scotland.

The folk have made their minds up and strange is one of the nicer words they use, and events just make it worse, but what do the police think and what is the truth. As this thriller grabs your attention it did mine you discover there is a lot to learn about Marjorie and one is she has fire in her belly and she's not what she seems. To find out more this has to be read or it would be a spolier and I'd hate to do that. What I do want to say is this is a great read full of surprises which is obviously a central part of any thriller so you won't be disappointed on that scale. Infact I wasn't disappointed on any scale. Apart from it had to finish.

There is a lot to like in this read and I hope you enjoy it as well as I did I'm given it 5 stars as its definitely worthy I kind of feel you will agree. Mind we are all different so I will say I loved it hope you do to.

Marjorie Crowe has lived in her village for many years and is quite happy in her cottage but she is a loner, not married and a slightly strange lady who the village whispers that perhaps she is a witch due to her odd comments. She is used to people talking behind her back and has learned to live with this. Being lonely she walks twice a day at the same time on the same route but one day on her route she sees something which changes her world. A local teenager is found hanging in the local woods. The shock sends her senses haywire and she does not report what she has seen to the police. The village finds out that she had seen the teenager and they decide that she must be responsible and hound her. The story goes through some stories from the past about witches which is quite interesting. Marjorie is determined to find out what is happening and eventually she succeeds but with heartache along the way. I enjoyed the characters and rather took to Marjorie. The story does progress with many twists and turns and I really enjoyed the book.

Thank you to the author, publishers Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.

The village oddity, Marjorie Crowe is tolerated for her twice a day, you can set your clock by her, walks that take her in one door of the pub and straight out through the other. But, one morning she meets the devil in the woods and tolerance is exchanged for harassment and hate.

This is such a strong story. Marjorie is a modern witch, in that she practices natural remedies she learned from her grandmother and believes in a power and another sense which guides her. The author skilfully handles these moments so it’s never 100% clear whether there’s something supernatural going on or whether it’s all a very clear understanding of natural occurrences.

As Marjorie’s quirks make her the centre of harassment in a village worried about dead and missing teens, the literal witch hunt message is clear. And yet the point never feels laboured.

Marjorie herself is a sympathetic and strong character and serves as a strong centre point to the story. Her empathy for even those who are cruel to her is admirable without seeming false.

And above all the plotting is compelling and believable and kept me hooked all the way through.