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elliemaiblogs's review against another edition
4.0
Why I Like This Book
āI thought one day I would grow out of my ugly duckling phase and turn into a swan.ā
I was hooked from the very beginning of this book. It is quite rare that I get stuck into a story from the first few pages, but I did with this one! As a lover of mysteries and thrillers, I knew this book would be for me, and it didnāt disappoint. The plot was amazing and well thought out. All the characters seemed to have some significance to the storyline. Finally, the background of the characters who were involved in the coven wasnāt overdone or unrealistic, but I definitely would have liked to see more of it.
The Story
āThere was blood, too. Just a little. And another sharp stick, piercing through his hand, his palm. Exactly like the one that skewered the rabbit.ā
We follow Alice on her journey after her release from Brookfields Mental Facility, where straight away she comes across a dead body, her friend Harry Rook. We have dropped into the mystery straight away and of course, it gets more complicated before it gets better.
All aspects of Aliceās life all seem to play a role in the active murder investigation in Cuckmere. Her mental breakdown after her grandmotherās death is very important to the story, everyone around her either treats her like a fragile flower or completely disregard her. And according to the Police, she has more than one motive to kill Harry Rook. But with Aliceās past being dug up about the Cuckmere Coven, a stalker, an absent mother, caseworkers and no control over her inheritance she has all the motivation she needs to find the real killer and clear her name.
Aliceās Witch status, the Cuckmere Coven and who is associates with it seems to be brushed over. It seemed to be a big part of the families life and we rarely got to see and explore this properly.
The Characters
āAnd to think I was worried about coming across as posh and privileged. I laughed.ā
I feel as all the characters played important roles throughout the book. Each taking it turn to have their story told and bring new information forward. The characters didnāt feel forced, they had relevance to the story and everything seemed to flow exceptionally well.
Alice has not had an easy life and sheās still paying for her family secrets. But as the strong female protagonist, she finds a way to cope with this unbelievably well, making her a likeable character even more. Even after Aliceās devastating disruption in her life.
Although we saw a lot of characters, it is nearly impossible to get to know every detail of a characters life. Daniel and his connection to the story felt a bit rushed towards the end and could do with more explanation. However, this could be entirely intentional of the author for setting up a sequel.
Overall Thoughts
āIt was like poking a tiger with a sharp stick. Or perhaps more like climbing into the big catsā enclosure at the zoo. Perhaps I was crazy, after all. ā
Overall, āThe Witch Houseā exceeds my expectations. If you are a lover of mystery, thriller and anything witchy, this is the perfect book for you. The well thought out plot and character always add something new to the story. It isnāt confusing or doesnāt feel forced. The reader is constantly trying to figure out the real killer throughout the book, hooking them from start to finish.
Rating: 4/5
āI thought one day I would grow out of my ugly duckling phase and turn into a swan.ā
I was hooked from the very beginning of this book. It is quite rare that I get stuck into a story from the first few pages, but I did with this one! As a lover of mysteries and thrillers, I knew this book would be for me, and it didnāt disappoint. The plot was amazing and well thought out. All the characters seemed to have some significance to the storyline. Finally, the background of the characters who were involved in the coven wasnāt overdone or unrealistic, but I definitely would have liked to see more of it.
The Story
āThere was blood, too. Just a little. And another sharp stick, piercing through his hand, his palm. Exactly like the one that skewered the rabbit.ā
We follow Alice on her journey after her release from Brookfields Mental Facility, where straight away she comes across a dead body, her friend Harry Rook. We have dropped into the mystery straight away and of course, it gets more complicated before it gets better.
All aspects of Aliceās life all seem to play a role in the active murder investigation in Cuckmere. Her mental breakdown after her grandmotherās death is very important to the story, everyone around her either treats her like a fragile flower or completely disregard her. And according to the Police, she has more than one motive to kill Harry Rook. But with Aliceās past being dug up about the Cuckmere Coven, a stalker, an absent mother, caseworkers and no control over her inheritance she has all the motivation she needs to find the real killer and clear her name.
Aliceās Witch status, the Cuckmere Coven and who is associates with it seems to be brushed over. It seemed to be a big part of the families life and we rarely got to see and explore this properly.
The Characters
āAnd to think I was worried about coming across as posh and privileged. I laughed.ā
I feel as all the characters played important roles throughout the book. Each taking it turn to have their story told and bring new information forward. The characters didnāt feel forced, they had relevance to the story and everything seemed to flow exceptionally well.
Alice has not had an easy life and sheās still paying for her family secrets. But as the strong female protagonist, she finds a way to cope with this unbelievably well, making her a likeable character even more. Even after Aliceās devastating disruption in her life.
Although we saw a lot of characters, it is nearly impossible to get to know every detail of a characters life. Daniel and his connection to the story felt a bit rushed towards the end and could do with more explanation. However, this could be entirely intentional of the author for setting up a sequel.
Overall Thoughts
āIt was like poking a tiger with a sharp stick. Or perhaps more like climbing into the big catsā enclosure at the zoo. Perhaps I was crazy, after all. ā
Overall, āThe Witch Houseā exceeds my expectations. If you are a lover of mystery, thriller and anything witchy, this is the perfect book for you. The well thought out plot and character always add something new to the story. It isnāt confusing or doesnāt feel forced. The reader is constantly trying to figure out the real killer throughout the book, hooking them from start to finish.
Rating: 4/5
bookoholic's review against another edition
5.0
The Witch House by Ann Rawson is a smart and enjoyable story!
Alice Hunter has a history of mental health issues, including a stay in the hospital. She lost her grandmother who raised her, she still has a mother who seems to hate her and her neighbour has just been killed.
Unlucky for her, she found the body and now sheās the main suspect.
I loved this story, especially that many of us have mental health problems nowadays. I can imagine that itād be easy to not believe us even if we were innocent! The struggle was real and Alice with her limited funds and places where she was allowed to go was determined to prove that sheās not guilty.
A complexity of the story, a part with the witches, and the well-researched history of Romans on the British lands made this book perfect.
Iād love to see more of Alice in the future. How she deals with life and what new adventures lie ahead of her.
I highly recommend this book!
Alice Hunter has a history of mental health issues, including a stay in the hospital. She lost her grandmother who raised her, she still has a mother who seems to hate her and her neighbour has just been killed.
Unlucky for her, she found the body and now sheās the main suspect.
I loved this story, especially that many of us have mental health problems nowadays. I can imagine that itād be easy to not believe us even if we were innocent! The struggle was real and Alice with her limited funds and places where she was allowed to go was determined to prove that sheās not guilty.
A complexity of the story, a part with the witches, and the well-researched history of Romans on the British lands made this book perfect.
Iād love to see more of Alice in the future. How she deals with life and what new adventures lie ahead of her.
I highly recommend this book!
armedwithabook's review against another edition
3.0
I havenāt read a psychological thriller in a while so when the opportunity to read one presented itself, I had to take it! The promise of some witch craft helped make that decision for me too and that lovely cover! Here are four things I liked about the story which might encourage you to pick it up too! Check out my review on Armed with A Book for details.
Reading Experience:
# 1 Relationships - I liked this deep dive into family values and structures, the things that mothers do to support their daughters and how circumstances and a personās nature can act as a hindrance.
# 2 The Archeology - Frances, the grandmother, during her lifetime, collected a number of items that are museum worthy. Some are replicas that she herself commissioned to be made. How Frances came across so many of these items is a mystery. This added an additional mystery to the story, while at the same time, giving me, the reader, a glimpse into who Frances was and what her interests were.
# 3 - Coven and witches in a small town setting - Nowadays, so many stories are set in small towns as they are ripe for their own legends to play out in reality. I gravitate towards these kind of stories because of the setting and how integrated the people of the town and their perceptions are in the storyline. With a history of witches and covens, the murder mystery leads one down memory lane, presenting facts and information about rituals. Alice herself believes in these practices and uses them to feel safer.
# 4 - On Self Doubt - This story is Aliceās journey to grasp who she is. After being accused of Harryās murder and the evidence pointing towards her, she starts reflecting on her history of mental health issues and if she is forgetting her own actions. Is her grief manifesting in dangerous ways? I liked this narrative around self-doubt, intermingled with the desire to persevere and start a new life, no matter what people say.
Overall, The Witch House was an interesting read. All the elements above kept me engaged in it. I had a lot going on while I was reading and I suspect that is why my immersion wasnāt as high (see below) but looking at the reviews I read, most people found it quite immersive which is great!
Many thanks to Red Dog Press for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reading Experience:
# 1 Relationships - I liked this deep dive into family values and structures, the things that mothers do to support their daughters and how circumstances and a personās nature can act as a hindrance.
# 2 The Archeology - Frances, the grandmother, during her lifetime, collected a number of items that are museum worthy. Some are replicas that she herself commissioned to be made. How Frances came across so many of these items is a mystery. This added an additional mystery to the story, while at the same time, giving me, the reader, a glimpse into who Frances was and what her interests were.
# 3 - Coven and witches in a small town setting - Nowadays, so many stories are set in small towns as they are ripe for their own legends to play out in reality. I gravitate towards these kind of stories because of the setting and how integrated the people of the town and their perceptions are in the storyline. With a history of witches and covens, the murder mystery leads one down memory lane, presenting facts and information about rituals. Alice herself believes in these practices and uses them to feel safer.
# 4 - On Self Doubt - This story is Aliceās journey to grasp who she is. After being accused of Harryās murder and the evidence pointing towards her, she starts reflecting on her history of mental health issues and if she is forgetting her own actions. Is her grief manifesting in dangerous ways? I liked this narrative around self-doubt, intermingled with the desire to persevere and start a new life, no matter what people say.
Overall, The Witch House was an interesting read. All the elements above kept me engaged in it. I had a lot going on while I was reading and I suspect that is why my immersion wasnāt as high (see below) but looking at the reviews I read, most people found it quite immersive which is great!
Many thanks to Red Dog Press for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
bookbeforeuleap's review
3.0
This was a brilliant suspense thriller/murder mystery with a setting. It was full of characters who you didnāt fully trust, we quickly find out that the narrator has recently been released from a psychiatric hospital and from there you constantly question everyone that meet.ā£
ā£
I really enjoyed the dry, sarcastic humour of Alices character and the way that she brought a little bit of lightness to a rather creepy mystery. ā£
ā£
This is perfect for anyone who loves a bit of gothic fiction and I will be keeping an eye out for more of Annās work!ā£
ā£
Thank you to @red_dog_press for my #gifted copy in exchange for review.ā£
ā£
ā£
I really enjoyed the dry, sarcastic humour of Alices character and the way that she brought a little bit of lightness to a rather creepy mystery. ā£
ā£
This is perfect for anyone who loves a bit of gothic fiction and I will be keeping an eye out for more of Annās work!ā£
ā£
Thank you to @red_dog_press for my #gifted copy in exchange for review.ā£
ā£
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