Now that the days are getting darker a lot earlier it is an excellent time of year to sit down to read creepy and spooky books. I like reading stories that can scare and delight, and I have previously enjoyed The Malan Witch and The Haunting of Henderson Close by Catherine Cavendish, where ghosts and witches come alive. Now she has released a new book, a chilling collection of seven short stories featuring witches, ghosts and pure evil that will give you the chills. Perfect for dark winter evenings.
The book starts with a creepy introduction from a narrator introducing the Crow Witch, aka Lilith (Adam’s first wife) – she is the embodiment of pure evil and is known by various names. The book features seven short stories:
- Sour Grapes
- The Oubliette Elie Loyd
- Euphemia Christie
- The Lost Prophecy of Ursula Sontheil
- Daft Old Bat
- Marzana’s Hut
- The Malan Witch
Sour Grapes is a tale of, well sour grapes, that goes back a long time. It involves a family curse, neighbours that dislike each other and a spot of gardening that won’t leave you chilled out and at ease.
The Oubliette of Elie Loyd is a tale of a relationship breakup with very grave consequences, Sir Francis Dashwood would be proud.
Euphemia Christie is a tale of an innocent visit to a cemetery, until Marie is drawn to a grave marker and becomes obsessed with its occupant. The more she digs, the more she becomes obsessed, but she is met with hostility and scandal.
The Prophecy of Ursula Sontheil is a tale of a long-held prophecy that is handed down from mother to daughter for generations.
Daft Old Bat is a tale of an old woman, a willow tree and revenge. Vengeance is sweet.
Marzana’s Hut is a tale of a creepy life-size painting that should have been left alone.
The Malan Witch is my favourite tale in the book (I have read this previously as a book in its own right – you can read my review here). Grieving the death of her husband, Robyn goes to stay in a 300-year-old stone-built cottage on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. But with strange smells, a crow that constantly watches her and stories of witches, a battle is about to commence.
Overall, this is an excellent collection of spooky and creepy stories featuring witches and ghosts that will leave you chilled. With the evenings now darker it is an excellent book to curl up with on the sofa and have your spine tingling with seven very different stories.
The author writes extremely well, capturing the spooky atmosphere of witches hell bent on revenge, a spooky castle with a murderous past and just as terrifying present and a painting that you really wouldn’t want in your home.
I loved all these tales, with The Malan Witch and Marzana’s Hut being my favourites. Whilst The Malan Witch is a longer story (it accounts for approx. half the book), the other six are short and sweet but deliver creepiness and terror very well. The stories are packed with tension and are really engaging reads.
If you love to relax on a cold and dark winter evening with a good spooky story, The Crow Witch and Other Conjurings by Catherine Cavendish has seven that will send shivers down your spine. And whilst they all feature witches and the supernatural in one guise or another they are all very different stories that make fascinating chilling reading.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £16.68 (Paperback) / £4.39 (Kindle)
For more information visit, www.catherinecavendish.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
