I really liked the sound of this book but did struggle to get into it at times. With the way CJ Cooke writes I felt at times i needed to take my time to read the words rather than skim through. An interesting story and a fab read for autumn/winter time.

https://lynns-books.com/2024/11/07/the-book-of-witching-by-cj-cooke/
4 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review: A Book that will Bewitch

I’m loving CJ Cooke’s work and the Book of Witching is no exception. A captivating novel told in two timelines with mystery, witching and history combined.

As with the other books I’ve read by this author she manages to capture atmosphere aplenty. Here we have two completely different timelines, one harking back to the late 1500s where a woman is taken into custody and tried for being a witch, the other set in the modern era where a woman has been informed that her daughter has been badly burned and is currently in hospital, one of her friends is dead and the other missing.

This is a pacy read and utterly compelling. I practically inhaled this in two sittings. I loved the mystery elements to the modern day setting. Clem’s daughter was travelling the remote islands of Scotland when the terrible tragedy occurred. Initially there’s a sense of horror about the shocking events but when Erin wakes in hospital and seems completely detached, refusing to answer to her name and coming across as less than sympathetic to what has happened to her friends, well, unsurprisingly the police start to take a closer look at her. Of course her mother Erin and her ex husband are determined to prove her innocence and travel to Orkney to try and uncover some of the mystery – in the process being a bit embroiled with an unusual group of people that initially come across as quite scary.

Meanwhile, flashing back to the events unfolding in the historical storyline, Alison Balfour has been taken into custody and is about to stand trial as a witch. A trial that is little more than a farce with Alison and her family being tortured until she confesses – after which she will be burned at the stake. This was a period of unrest, the local inhabitants are being pressed hard and are struggling to live, emotions are running high. Alison comes from a line of healers, known as hedge witches, people approach her for cures and other types of remedies and yet times are changing and these women that so many have relied on previously will start to be shunned, people afraid to name them friend for fear of the backlash.

I thought both stories were equally intriguing. I confess I’m a sucker for dual timelines where we jump back and forth and throw in the awful persecution of innocent women that took place during those heinous witch hunts and an equally puzzling mystery on the flip story and I was definitely hooked.

The writing is great, clearly, once again, Cooke has carried out her research and in fact Alison, although with a slightly altered name, is based on a real character who suffered this terrible fate.

It does take a little while, in fact the link between the two stories doesn’t become apparent until quite late in the tale but I didn’t have any issues with that.

In conclusion a deeply atmospheric read with a perfect combination of history and mystery, both stories clearly demonstrating the love that both these mothers share for their child and the determination to remain true. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke

On a small uninhabited island off Orkney, the body of a young man is found burned alongside a girl who is barely alive. She has suffered terrible burns to her arms and hands. When Clem receives the call that her daughter Erin is in the burns hospital in Glasgow, she races to her bedside and is horrified to find her in a coma with her damaged eyes stitched shut. Erin had been on a trip to Orkney with her boyfriend Arlo and a new friend Senna, leaving her daughter Freya with Clem. Arlo has been found dead, but Senna is missing. Erin desperately looks for clues as to how this has happened and is startled by a sudden vision of a strange book, with a bark cover and black pages that appear to be blank. Searching her daughter’s room she finds a note that reads ‘Arlo’s hands will need to be bound’. Could Erin have harmed her friends? We’re taken back to 16th Century Orkney as Alison Balfour wakes up and finds both of her children missing in the middle of the night. She tracks them to a clearing where masked and robed figures are holding a ceremony, initiating her children into the Triskele, just as she once was. Her own mother steps forward with the Book of Witching, inviting her grandchildren to ‘sign’ the book with a primal scream. Only a few weeks later she is approached by a nobleman when visiting her husband, who is working as a stone mason on the cathedral. He asks if Alison could create a powerful hex that would end the life of a powerful Earl. She refuses, so it’s a huge shock when she is arrested for practising witchcraft and thrown into a dungeon. Alison knows she has only ever used herbs and charms to help people with their ailments, particularly women. However, she knows what will follow; interrogation, violation and torture unless she confesses to something she didn’t do. Then she faces burning, with her only hope that she is strangled before the fire takes hold. Alison’s story is interwoven with Clem’s story, set in present day Glasgow where she lives with her daughter Erin. Clem is devastated when out of the blue she receives a call from the city’s burns unit. Erin has been admitted to the unit with serious burns and is in an induced coma. Clem is confused because Erin was on a trip to Orkney with her boyfriend Arlo and her friend Savannah. Now Arlo is dead, Savannah is missing and Erin has terrible burns to her arms and hands. She was found on the beach of Gunn, an uninhabited island off Orkney. Why were they in such a remote place and why is Clem had a vision of a blackened, bark covered book which opens to reveal a woman burning at the stake?

C.J. Cooke combines these two stories into a narrative about Scottish heritage, the history of witchcraft and of women. She creates an eerie atmosphere where supernatural abilities abound, based within a breadth of research around the 17th Century moral panic about witches spearheaded by King James himself. These earlier sections are an unusual mix that ground us within the history of a place, but also creates a sense of unease. Alison renounced the Triskele years before and is angry with her mother for going behind her back, so when she’s arrested for witchcraft it’s a shock. The period where Alison is interrogated is incredibly accurate and hard to read in parts. She is entirely at the mercy of the powerful men who keep her in a filthy dungeon, restrict food and water, then use intimidation, violation and torture to elicit a confession. The historical background to the witch trials in Scotland has come up in a couple of novels this year and it might seem strange to the reader that such a belief in witchcraft existed. King James VI of Scotland had a marriage contract with a Danish princess, but her voyage to Scotland is threatened by fierce storms. Witch burnings had already swept across Germany and into Scandinavia and there are rumours that a witch had cursed the princess’s voyage. The North Berwick trials started a wave of panic over witches who might be accused of something as silly as causing a farmer’s cows to stop giving milk. King James voyaged across the North Sea to collect his bride, but does become obsessed with witchcraft using the Malleus Maleficarum as his witch finder’s bible. It includes the idea that witches will have a mark on their body where the devil has left his mark. One of the men interrogating Alison uses a pin to test marks on her naked body, looking for one that doesn’t produce pain when stabbed by the needle. He claims to have found the mark under Alison’s tongue, but also perceives the outline of a hare that turns into a shadowy figure. They are so sure of what they’ve seen that Alison almost thinks she’s seen it herself, but she’s starving, dehydrated, filthy and exhausted from being walked up and down all night to prevent her sleeping. Yet every time she denies their accusations, until they start hurting the people she loves.

Clem meanwhile is horrified by the state of her daughter who is on a ventilator to protect her airway. She’s so vulnerable that she’s even grateful for the presence of her ex-husband at Erin’s bedside. She’s devastated for Arlo’s parents and for those waiting to hear news of Savannah. They’d only become friends very recently and there had been no red flags. Now the police are sniffing around the ICU, waiting for Erin to wake up and give them her account of what happened. When Clem pops home she goes into Erin’s room to feel her daughter. As she looks around she finds a slip of paper and written in Erin’s hand is he instruction that ‘Arlo’s hands must be bound ‘. That is exactly how Arlo was found. Instinctively, Clem pockets the evidence before the police ask to search their home. She must protect her daughter. Yet when Erin wakes up she claims to be someone else. Someone called Nyx. Clem only has to hear her voice to know that this is not her daughter. For me Alison’s narrative is more compelling, possibly because we’re in the midst of the action and everything is so immediate as we experience it through her eyes. By contrast we come into Clem’s story after the terrible event has happened. She’s in the dark, desperately trying to work out what has happened to her daughter. This only gets more complex as Erin wakes up different and she isn’t sure whether it is a case of ICU psychosis as her nurse suggests. This is a psychiatric response to the strange environment where sleep deprivation, being dependent on others and the sensory overload from the various machines and lights being on constantly. It’s also disorientating to wake up and find part of your life is missing. Yet there’s clearly a paralysing fear that something much worse is wrong. Erin has been through something so traumatic she’ll never recover or never be Erin again. The more Clem uncovers the more she feels something paranormal is at play.

I was so impressed with the historical detail put into this novel and how real it made Alison’s experience. The punishments she and her family go through are more horrific than any of the paranormal stuff. We might fear the unexplained and the unknown but the things humans do to each other are far worse. I’ve loved this writer since her first novel and this one had me utterly gripped because she captures the fear of being labelled, noticed as different and blamed for things you haven’t done. Many witches served a purpose in their community, particularly for fellow women and I think she captured the complexity of that position. What’s the difference between giving a herbal remedy, a harmless charm or a spell and who makes that decision? Certainly not women and not those who are powerless or living in poverty. Even the most altruistic intention can be misconstrued or twisted by someone malicious. This was a dangerous time to be a wise woman. I also loved how the author based her story in a magic that was so powerful it could still wreak havoc today. This is another solid read from an anything who is rapidly becoming a favourite of mine.

Thank you so much Harper Collins and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
This is my second book by this author and definitely my favourite.
I was hooked from the start and loved the dual timeline as they flowed together.
The storyline kept me hooked and was heartbreaking but creepy and haunting with some great twists you don't see coming.
I need more by this author please.
I recommend this so highly I will be buying it for my mum for Christmas.

This was the second book I read (finished reading) by this author, and now I'm sure that Cooke's books are not for me.
I love horror, especially supernatural, and I do like witches, but this book failed to hold my attention. I couldn't connect, or even care really, with the protagonist, or any characters at all, and the plot didn't entertain me, either. The synopsis sounded fun, but the execution didn't please me. I now realise I do not like this writer's writing style.
I will not judge this book as a bad book. It simpley is not for me.
If you like supernatural horror with fantasy and gothic elements, and if you have ever read any book by this author before and enjoyed, consider giving this book a go.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, for providing me with a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.75 ⭐️

Dual timeline
Witch trials
Mystery
Scottish lore
Somber vibes

Wow.

This is my second C.J Cooke book and I absolutely love her writing.

This book had me gripped from the start.
I usually don’t go for historical fiction but I adored this.

I love how in one chapter we are in 1594 milking a cow and in the next we are in 2024 discussing Tiktok. It was so masterfully done, blending two eras.
The addition of other POVs were included at the right time and really powerful.

I didn’t see the twist coming at all!

This book broke my heart, and the authors note broke it some more.

Deducted a tiny bit as I was left wanting a little more of the lore to explain some parts (trying to avoid spoilers here) especially towards the end.

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!