This was a timeslip mystery, so there was more than one narrative to follow. From the start, I was drawn in by the eerie tone of the writing, and I felt that something sinister had happened or was going to happen. The chapters were short, and moved from the perspective of one character to another, so that kept me in suspense, so it was difficult to stop reading, especially once I became interested in the characters and felt invested in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Thanks NetGalley and publishers for the arc. Completely different from what I normally read, but proves that I stepped correctly out of my comfort zone. Compelling and entertaining. Definitely recommend.

The atmosphere in this novel was absolutely haunting and cleverly written.
I definitely could have read more, it seemed a very short read and was over quite quickly. Great twist at the end!

It is the epitome of what a fantastic historical fiction book should be. The history is the most significant element, along with the setting, characters, and plot. The parts based on actual incidents that may shock you. When it comes to learning and education, Victoria's books are a true delight because of her meticulous research, but they also err on the side of horror when it comes to what people can do to one another.
One of her novels probably has a self-referential story or a profile of a person you wouldn't often read about. Victoria provides a genuinely authentic portrayal by drawing on her personal experiences with discrimination, health issues, and general struggles. This twist is arguably the best thus far, and it's really dark!

I describe this book as many stories within a story. It covers detailed accounts of the women within the Reid family- their lives, loves, secrets and tragedies.
I was hoping we would hear more of the witches that were burned on the hill by the Reid family home, but this was only lightly covered, instead detailing the lives of the Reid women that followed.
This is a well written book but I did find it confusing in places and a little unbelievable, but an enjoyable read overall.

It's an enchanting saga taking place on the North Sea shores, spanning over five generations of the Reids family. It's a story about complicated mother-daughter relationships, male violence, and women standing up against abusers.
I really enjoyed this book. It's quite slow paced, but I didn't mind it. I was drawn by this disturbing family history and strong female characters. The writing style is beautiful, creating a dark, haunting atmosphere. Some parts of the storyline were understated, but I felt it added charm and mystery to the narrative.

I really liked the writing and the setting in this book. The characters were well fleshed out and the author wrote the atmosphere very well
I got a little bored at about the halfway point and it struggled to keep my interest towards the end. Although I did like the story it often felt a bit long winded
I would give this author another shot as I did like some aspects of the book

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher

This book really had many great tense moments and suspense building. It kept me hooked throughout and I would definitely recommend it.

Victoria Hawthorne, aka Vikki Patis, is the absolute queen of atmospheric reads, suspense and gothic settings. And perhaps this one is her best yet… in fact… calling it now!

It has everything that you want in brilliant historical fiction novel. The setting, the characters, the storyline and most importantly… the history. The bits that will shock you and which are based upon real events. Vikki carefully researches what she writes about and her books are a real treat in terms of learning and education, but also on the edge of horror in respect of what humans do to other humans.

Vikki also brings representation in her fiction. You will likely see yourself in one of her books, or you’ll read about people that you don’t usually read about. Vikki uses her own experiences of health and discrimination and general struggle to give a truly authentic characterisation. This is probably the best so far - and so very dark - that twist!