Tag: Audiobook review

Published October 9th, 2025 by Harper Collins
Historical Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Thriller, Horror Fiction, Supernatural Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Will she be damned by flame… or cursed by magic?

Innsbruck 1485

Helena should be doing what every other wealthy young wife is doing: keeping her husband’s house, bearing his children. But when their footman is found dead, Helena is accused of killing him. Worse, she is accused of being a witch.

Imprisoned with six other women, Helena is plunged into a world of terror. When a cursed witch totem is smuggled into the prison, the prisoners attempt to use it to escape only to unleash a malevolent spirit which places all their lives in danger.

Does Helena risk her life and the lives of others by standing up to the terrifying witchfinder and risk death at the stake if found guilty? Or is the real threat the world beyond this one…?

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MY REVIEW:

“He calls us witches but he does not know what a witch is. He believes a witch is a woman and that women are inherently evil.”

Gorgeously gothic, haunting, harrowing and powerful, The Last Witch is a bewitching story about witch trials, sisterhood, female rage, courage, justice and misogyny.

Innsbruck, Austria, 1485. After the death of their footman, Helena finds herself on the radar of a witchfinder who has come to town. Whisked out of her comfortable life and into a world of terror, she is imprisoned in the dungeon with six other women. They are tortured to try and coerce their confessions, but stand firm in their innocence. The witchfinder and the town are determined to see them burn, but can they escape the stake?

Spooky season wouldn’t be the same without a new C. J. Cooke book and The Last Witch could be my favourite yet. It maintains Cooke’s reputation as the Queen of the Gothic Thriller and showcases why she counts the legendary Stephen King among her fans. Seamlessly blending folklore, fact and fiction, Cooke creates a spellbinding concoction of gothic, historical, mystery and the supernatural. The tension and horror are balanced with warmth and tenderness, creating a story that keeps you guessing, sends chills down your spine and touches your heart. It’s exquisitely written, pacy, evocative, and her meticulous research is evident in the minute details and the author’s note at the end of the book. I learned so much but what struck me most of all was how terrifyingly quickly friends and family turned on the accused and supported the witchfinder. A totally mesmerising and immersive tale, I lost myself in these pages and haven’t found my way out since. Not even after finishing the book.

Strong female characters who stand courageous in the face of adversity is a theme throughout Ms. Cooke’s books and the women in this book are some of the bravest I’ve read. While even the most minor characters are interesting, well written and compelling, her central characters really shine. They are richly drawn, fascinating and flawed women that felt as relevant and real today as in the fifteenth century. Finding out that Helena is based on a real woman just made me love this bold, brave, formidable and empathetic woman even more. And if you’re looking for a villain you can really hate, look no further than brutal witchfinder Father Kramer. Ruthless, vile and malevolent, he has a warped view of women and enjoys inflicting pain on them. This man is a prime example of the danger of power in the wrong hands and it seemed there was no escape once he had you on his radar. I was desperately rooting for his downfall and hoping justice would prevail for Helena and the others.

Eerily atmospheric, dark and menacing, this is the perfect witchy read to lose yourself in this autumn. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

Thank you Netgalley for my proof copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

CJ Cooke, also known as Carolyn Jess-Cooke, grew up on a council estate in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the height of the Troubles. She started writing at the age of 7 and pestered publishers for many years with manuscripts typed on her grandparents’ old typewriter and cover notes written on pages ripped from school jotters. 

Since then, she has published 16 books in 23 languages and won numerous awards, including an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors, a Tyrone Guthrie Prize, a K Blundell Award, and she has won a Northern Writer’s Award three times. Her sixth novel, The Lighthouse Witches, was published in October 2021, and was an Indigo Book of the Month, an international bestseller, a New York Public Library Book of the Year and nominated for both an Edgar Award by Mystery Writers of America and an ITW Thriller Award in 2022. It is soon to be a major TV series produced by StudioCanal and The Picture Company. A Haunting in the Arctic is her latest novel and is published in October 2023.

CJ holds a BA (Hons), MA, and PhD from Queen’s University, Belfast, and commenced her academic career in 2005 as a Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Sunderland. Shortly thereafter, she published four academic works in swift succession on Shakespearean Cinema and Film Sequels, before establishing her career as a poet, editor, and novelist.

Now Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, CJ convenes the prestigious MLitt Creative Writing and researches ways that creative writing can help with trauma and mental health. Throughout 2013-18 she directed the Writing Motherhood project, which explored the impact of motherhood on women’s writing. She is also the founder and director of the Stay-at-Home! Literary Festival, which is dedicated to providing people with accessible, inclusive, and eco-friendly ways to access literature.

CJ has four children and lives with her family in Glasgow, Scotland.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx