"This thrilling and unsettling tale features two time frames, two resilient women, allegations of witchcraft, and a house in Massachusetts that carries secrets across the centuries."
Crossing multiple genres this novel captivates as a supernatural thriller, historical story of alleged witchcraft, family drama, and relationship tale. It’s oh-so readable and features two resilient women.
In the past Caroline steps onto a dangerous path when she tries to protest the innocence of a woman accused of being a witch, while in the present Julia returns to help care for her Grandmother and rediscovers the chilling presence that so frightened her as a child.
Set in 1692 and the present, the house of Pemberton in Massachusetts bridges the gap between the two time periods. Pemberton feels real, solid, very much in each moment, and as the constant link it more than maintains its sense of place and becomes a character within the story. Each time frame stands in its own right yet perfectly partners with the other.
I became engrossed, and as each story moved forward secrets began to form, dwell, and damage as they twisted ever tighter. While this is very much about the two women, the other characters more than hold their own.
Themes of greed, trust, survival, and fortitude span the pages. The supernatural element doesn’t overpower the story in the present, I was carried into the words and I believed. This is clever writing as it evoked my emotions, particularly during the allegations of witchcraft.
I loved the ending and it felt extremely satisfying as it was revealed. Compelling and unsettling, The Witch is a story of women, secrets, resilience, and survival.
| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
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A wonderfully atmospheric, twisty and hugely entertaining read
As well as being a psychological thriller, The Witch blends historical fiction with horror and a chilling ghost story, making it quite different from the kind of book we usually expect from Freida McFadden. She absolutely nailed it, though.
The story unfolds across two timelines. In the late seventeenth century, we follow Caroline, who begins her story by telling us that she always knew she would die young, but never imagined she would end up hanging from the gallows, condemned as a witch.
In the present day, Julia returns to the same creepy old mansion where Caroline once lived after her parents ask her to look after her elderly grandmother.... Read Full Review
I've read many of Freida McFaddens books and enjoyed them all but I really believe this is one of her best. I loved it.
Don't be fooled by the title of this book into thinking that it's just another ghost story. It's much more than that. It's a family story, a mystery story and yes a ghost story with a great twist at the end. The characters are all believable and fortunately not so many of them that you become lost. The shorter chapters help you keep track as it goes back and forth between the past and present. As for the past, it brings home the cruelties of the witch hunts. I finished this book in 2 days.... Read Full Review
Named one of the TIME100 Most Influential People of 2026 *** From #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes a sharp, unsettling thriller about two women, past and present, united by the grounds of an estate and one deadly question: is the danger that haunts them magic-or madness? Some secrets don't die-they wait.
The Witch features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Historical Fiction, Horror and Supernatural Fiction, Thriller and Suspense, Fiction, Witchcraft, Historical Fiction, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Horror and Supernatural Fiction, Psychological thriller
Paperback, Hardback. £19.80, down from the £22.00 cover price. In Stock.
The Witch was written by Freida McFadden and published by Poisoned Pen Press an imprint of Sourcebooks
The Witch has 320 pages
£19.80, reduced from £22.00. In Stock.
