Book Review: The Lighthouse Witches

The Lighthouse Witches threw me through the wringer (or should I say the Longing). I am always very hesitant to pick up historical fiction books based around witchcraft, as many authors do not look at the events from a deepened historical perspective and the history becomes skewed, not paying homage to those impacted by the witch trials. It’s one of those things that I fixate on and it can really distract from the book. I’m so happy that this was not the case with C.J. Cooke.

Imagine an artistic, mother of three, moving to a remote Scottish island to complete a mural in the 100-year-old decommissioned lighthouse. Sounds like a book about self-discovery and growth, relationships and motherhood? I guess it is, but that only scratches the surface of this gothic thriller. The locals of Lon Haven retell panic-inducing stories of the Wildlings that roam the island in the form of lost loved ones. Sapphire, the eldest daughter, finds the tales enchanting and discovers hidden grimoires that she cannot put down. Unlike Saffee, Liv, the mother, believes it’s all just folklore; fictional stories passed through generations of island communities. That is until her daughters are missing.

As Cooke jumps between her array of characters from the seventeenth-century witch trials to Liv and her daughters – Sapphire, Luna and Clover – she creates a level of suspense and intrigue that will have you up in the middle of the night, flicking through the pages as quick as your brain can process the words on the page. What are these tales? Who are the Wildlings? What happened to Liv’s family? How does this relate to the trials that took place in Lon Haven?

I really REALLY enjoyed the chapters focused on the seventeenth-century witches and found it incredibly emotional to read. Her clever links between characters made through the Longing has inspired me to pick up more books from this author (and a hardback of this one). The Longing, without a doubt, added to the unsettling atmosphere with the characters being pulled back into the lighthouse, as if they were a ship lost at sea.

Her approach to witchcraft was different than most and I really appreciated that. I was almost sidelined by the story and how she flipped this perception of witchcraft on its head with the use of red herrings. Cooke’s ability to craft such a beautifully, cunning and intriguing story made this review incredibly easy to write.

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑