The Lighthouse Witches

By: C. J. Cooke

Narrated by: Eva Feiler, Lesley Harcourt, Jess Nesling, Joshua Manning

Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

A Most Anticipated Novel by Pop Sugar * Book Riot * Betches * Bustle * and more!

"Utterly spellbinding.... Witchcraft meets thriller." (Pop Sugar)

Two sisters go missing on a remote Scottish island. Twenty years later, one is found - but she's still the same age as when she disappeared. The secrets of witches have reached across the centuries in this chilling Gothic thriller from the author of the acclaimed The Nesting.

When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it's an opportunity to start over with her three daughters - Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she's frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.

Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she's initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers - except she's still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she'll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn't realize just how much the truth will change her.

©2021 C.J. Cooke (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Right from the start, I was hooked on this eerie, cryptic novel. I don’t know how C. J. Cooke does it, but every time I pick up one of her books, I can’t stop reading until the last page.” (Samantha Downing, USA Today best-selling author of My Lovely Wife)

"Utterly spellbinding.... Witchcraft meets thriller." (Pop Sugar)

"Truly scary....a new horror novel set on a remote Scottish island." (Book Riot)

A surprise

I was pleasantly surprised that this book wasn’t corny at all. I love anything set on a small Scottish island. The sea, the forest are atmospheric and layer well with the folklore and witchcraft themes. Loved it! First book by this author and now I need more.

A bit juvenile

It’s a cool concept, but I found it to be a bit too juvenile. It kind of stretches out so that you don’t find out the big reveal too early. Still, it was quite fun and gripping. The audiobook narrators did a wonderful job in bringing this to life.

Not a Typical Story

Really interesting, well performed and kept me engaged with it all the way through.

Wonderfully written

Excellent read!! I felt like I was there, narrated perfectly. I’m going to read the Nesting next. I highly recommend this book.

Impressive from page one!

Wow. Wow. Fantastic ride. The storytelling is brilliantly navigated across decades and centuries. I’ll be standing in line for your next book.

Loved this book!

I liked this book so much that I’ve ordered it to have in my library at home. The narrator is incredibly talented! Although some voices at times like Liv’s and Clover’s were a bit jarring when switching, it was really not an issue. This is a fantastic book and weaves the varying times and storylines so well. I also appreciate how the author touched on so much including the Scottish witch trials, fear, prejudice, misogyny. time travel, magic, physics, family dynamics, love and healing. Also perfect for some Samhain reading!

A Great Story and Performance

I loved this ❤️. I even teared up in the end. It was a wild ride. There was lots of story there to tell. The ending tied it all up wonderfully. I like that, especially in this time when there seems to be a sequel to everything.

I'd give it a solid B+

I enjoyed the story and the performance. It took a while to get me really involved. once it did, I was very eager to see how they tied up loose ends. and I thought the ending was handled really well. 👍

Such fantastic writing!

I absolutely love the story line and the twist and turns the book takes. I read every day, so I go through hundreds of books each year. This one is definitely on my top ten for this year.

Good read with twist…

You may think you know but you don’t. This has many plot twist so I was very surprised at the ending.