THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES (2021) - Review

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
My rating 4 of 5 stars
On sale: September 21, 2021

FIRST SENTENCE: "They bind our feet and ankles, tear off our clothes, and douse us with alcohol."

THE STORY: Liv Stay, a widow, has impulsively accepted a commission to paint a mural on the interior of an old lighthouse called The Longing on an isolated island off the coast of Scotland. Dragging her three daughters with her she arrives earlier than expected and begins noticing the quirks of the island and it's residents.

The story jumps from what's going on with Liv and her daughters in 1998 to Luna in 2021, the only one to escape the disappearance.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Clear your schedule once your start reading because the tale is addictive and the reader just has to know what happened. The information on witchcraft and the cruel deaths of those accused is engrossing as is the fact that witches were hunted in Scotland. Actually witches were pursued all throughout Europe.

BOTTOM LINE: A perfect read for the Halloween season. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley /Berkley Publishing Group for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE VINES (2021)

The Vines by Shelley Nolden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The idea of a mystery set on abandoned North Brother Island in New York City's East River, immediately caught my imagination. At one time people were quarantined there for contagious diseases, but now nature has reclaimed the island and designated it as a bird sanctuary. It's the perfect setting for Shelley Nolden's elaborate debut, part historical, part medical, and part supernatural story about a family who discover a woman with extraordinary immunity living on the island and perform invasive experiments over decades to learn her secret.

FIRST LINE: "A thick keloid encircled the young woman's throat like a noose, ready to seize her last breath."

THE STORY: Finn has always been excluded from his family's involvement with Riverside Hospital on North Brother Island. Home from the Peace Corps, he decides to do a little urban exploration of the now abandoned hospital and discovers Cora, scarred and living alone amid the ruins. Their meeting is not a peaceful meeting and Finn begins to feel responsible for his family's past transgressions. Moving back and forth between 1902 and 2007 and years in between, the cruelty and horrors are slowly revealed.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Does the end justify the means? In "The Vines", every character lies and every character keeps secrets. The majority of characters are of questionable morality. Although the chapters were labelled to help the reader navigate, it took me a while to get comfortable with the Gettler genealogy. The author does a good job of describing the over-grown island and the tragic episode of the General Slocum, which burned off shore, brought that event alive.

Halfway through the story got bogged down. Sections focused on descriptions which didn't move the story forward. The ending didn't tie up loose ends no doubt because a sequel will be available soon.

In the meantime, Shelley Nolden's fantastic website has an extensive list of sources including photographs, websites, books, videos, and articles for those who are as fascinated as the author is with North Brother Island's history.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of "The Vines" was provided to me by Freiling Publishing/NetGalley for an honest review.

Publisher : Freiling Publishing (March 23, 2021)
Hardcover : 412 pages
ISBN-10 : 1950948404
ISBN-13 : 978-1950948406

THE AUTHOR: Shelley Nolden is an American author and entrepreneur, who was born in Wisconsin, where she now lives.  Her fascination with North Brother Island in New York, as well as her battle with Leukemia inspired her to write her debut novel, "The Vines".  

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THE LOST VILLAGE (2021)

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Every once in a while you read a book that creates such strong visual images that you feel you are watching a movie. Comparisons to "The Blair Witch Project" (1999) and "Midsommar" (2019) confirm the idea.

FIRST LINE: "August 19, 1959 - It was a stiflingly hot August afternoon, so much so that the breeze coming in through the open windows did almost nothing to lift the swelter inside the car."

THE STORY: Written in the first person (with flashbacks), we follow Alice Lindstedt and her four urban explorers as they set out to scout the location for a documentary they hope will discover why the residents of Silvertjärn, a small mining town, mysteriously disappeared in 1959. Growing up, Alice's grandmother had told her stories about the town where she was born and the family she lost.

Things start out well enough. The author sets up the story by laying out the project description complete with references to special benefits one would get for financially backing the documentary. Supplies are loaded into several vans and the group heads off on a preliminary exploration. There are some personality issues on the crew, but it isn't until unexplained events occur that things go from uncomfortable to nerve-wracking.

WHAT I THOUGHT: One reason the story works so well is because there is a disconnect between the decayed but once charming village and the ominous atmosphere achieved through careful choice of emphasis and description. The writing is colorful and the author creates a creepy atmosphere that keeps everything slightly off-kilter. Kudos to translator Alexandra Fleming for doing an outstanding job.

BOTTOM LINE: Keep the lights on while you're reading and beware of shadows. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of was provided to me by Minotaur Books/Net Galley for an honest review.

Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (March 23, 2021)
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 1250249252
ISBN-13: 978-1250249258

THE AUTHOR: Camilla Sen has been writing stories since she was a young girl and is famously one of the most important sounding boards for her crime-writing mother, Viveca Sten. Best known for her internationally bestselling novel "The Lost Village", which has sold to 19 countries, Camilla has written books ranging from YA fantasy to contemporary thrillers. She lives in Sweden with her American boyfriend and two fluffy, evil cats.

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