This book was off to a good start. I was hooked in to the mystery of solving the murder. But, then it seemed to drag and was a bit repetitive. I was still interested enough to keep reading, but was then again caught off guard by the abrupt, cliffhanger ending. I would say this book was good but not outstanding.

3 stars

Even though this was the third in a series I felt totally comfortable jumping in. The author does a fantastic job filling in any necessary details from previous books that the reader might need. And I enjoyed this story and the characters and would definitely want to give the first two a try.

The story was good, pacing a bit slow at times, but overall it was engaging and enjoyable. The characters seemed well fleshed out (as they should feel in book 3 of a series).

What I didn’t care for was the ending (no spoilers here don’t worry). I’m a firm believer that books in a series should be able to stand alone and this book felt like it just ended with zero resolution. Something needs to get resolved to make the book feel “complete” even if it’s a cliffhanger (which it didn’t feel that way, it just felt unfinished, like it needed another chapter or two to finish up). I get leaving things open for the next book but the ending frustrated me so much that I was annoyed for days after and why I felt I needed to rate it at 3 stars.

The Witching Tree is the third book in Alice Blanchard's atmospheric and cunning Natalie Lockhart series. I was fortunate enough to actually start this series from the beginning. That's rare for me, as I'm usually playing catch-up. I recommend starting this series from the beginning. This story stands alone, but references are made to previous cases. You will want to know of the dreadful experiences that shaped Natalie's life. I will warn you: This is a brutal book, and it ends on a cliffhanger. Yes, a cliffhanger. Nooooooooooo! Don't make me wait for an entire year to find out whodunit!

Detective Natalie Lockhart is burned out and considering quitting the police force. Her last two cases, sensational murders, involved members of her own family. Should she start anew with her rich boyfriend Hunter Rose, or continue to deal with the notoriety of her former cases? That decision must be put on hold when Veronica Manes, a much loved member of Burning Lake, New York and the Wiccan founder of the town's oldest coven, is murdered in a horrifyingly brutal manner. Natalie must work with Detective Luke Pittman, her boss and best childhood friend who she cannot admit she loves, to find the perpetrators. Just when you think things cannot possibly get any worse, they do.

This is quite an exciting mystery with many red herrings guaranteed to confuse you as to who murdered Veronica. If you figure it correctly, though, you won't know it because of the cliffhanger! Though I despise cliffhangers, I still loved this book. The characters are all well crafted, but my favorite is actually not a person, but the town of Burning Lake. This location is known for the burning of three witches in the early 1700's. It's witchy vibe has continued since that time. Many teenagers end up dabbling in the occult and form covens. Wiccans and Christians basically respect each other and are involved in community projects. Every October finds people all across the country traveling there to celebrate Halloween. Yet Burning Lake has an uneasy undertone; you can almost sense evil in hiding. Natalie Lockhart is a great heroine with a tragic family past. She's dealing with burnout, plus is torn between her boyfriend Hunter and best friend Luke. (Luke's my man. There's something about Hunter that feels off to me and makes me suspicious.) Natalie is dealing with so much that her depression is deep and makes me feel uncomfortable. The atmosphere in this book is done brilliantly. There are some great suspects here, though I have my own thought as to the identity of the villain. Then again, I'm usually wrong! This author writes excellent thrillers, and waiting for the next volume of this series to come out will feel like an eternity!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Natalie Lockhart is still reeling from after a couple of intense investigations in the last year, but she won't get a break yet. In this third installment, Natalie finds herself amid another tough investigation - this time the gruesome murder of a prominent witch in town. Though Natalie isn't the lead investigator, she finds herself following leads and facing danger as the story progresses in the small town of Burning Lake.

This is overall a fun murder mystery, but in the end - well there wasn't an ending. Natalie Lockhart is a well developed character (though reading the first two books would help), Burning Lake is a well set scene, the plot keeps you reading. I loved this book, right up until the last few pages. The ending is clearly a cliff hanger for a fourth book, but without any closure to the murder mystery or the romance it left me disappointed.

I'd still recommend this book if you're ready to invest in a series, but know you'll have to wait for a fourth book as well given this latest installment.

The Witching Tree by Alice Blanchard is an excellent atmospheric police procedural with some romance, and it’s the third book in the Natalie Lockhart series. Natalie is a detective in the Burning Lake, New York police department. This is a town that makes the most of its history with witchcraft and has a large tourist trade around it that culminates with the Halloween celebration. It’s March, so the town is quieter until a modern-day witch is murdered.

Natalie is a protagonist that solved two high profile murder cases as a rookie and is questioning her career and her love life. She is strong when she is pursuing leads and has insights that others miss, but she is also burned out. However when the leader of the town’s oldest coven is killed, Natalie pursues justice for her. Her character felt real with clear goals for solving the case and believable motivations for why she is questioning her lifestyle. The secondary characters were well-rounded and enhanced the story.

A dramatic and heartbreaking opening is memorable and immediately hooks readers. The stakes were high throughout the novel and kept me turning the pages. A fast-paced story line kept me turning the pages. The world-building enhanced the setting and gave me a clear sense of place. I felt transported to Burning Lake as though living through the events with Natalie. There were plenty of red herrings, twists and turns along with the action that kept me guessing who was responsible for the murder. A suspenseful, but sometimes disturbing, narrative from beginning to end kept this reader fully engaged. Themes include violent death, grief, family relationships, friendship, drugs, secrets, romance, Wicca, and much more. My biggest criticism with the book is the major cliff-hanger ending. I don’t mind a few threads being open to explore in the next novel, but this was more significant. Despite this, the novel captivated me from the beginning to its shocking finish. Wow!

Overall, the plot was complex, absorbing and well-paced. Complex characters, the town’s cultural history and traditions, a twisty story line, and fantastic writing keep me coming back to this series for more. While this can be read as a standalone novel, to get the most enjoyment from it, the first two books in the series should be read before starting this one. That will give readers a better understanding of Natalie’s situation. I can’t wait to read book four.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Alice Blanchard for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently scheduled for December 07, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

First, I’ll start with…

Ohmahgawd the author is killing me with Luke & Natalie. Now that I said that. I need the next book. You can’t just leave me hanging like this. There’s so much I want to say but don’t want to spoil.

I NEED more. What. A. Ride.

The Witching Tree is a crime novel that exposes the underbelly of living in a town with a haunted past. Natalie Lockhart is struggling internally on many levels, having been stretched to her limits over the years in both her professional and personal lives. She is seriously considering walking away from her career as a police detective when she is presented with a horrific crime scene from a suspected murder disguised suicide. Something tells Natalie that she can't walk away from this one. This case is a bit of a challenge. The victim, who has a good standing in the community, is killed in such a manner that speaks to the town of Burning Lake, NY's witchcraft history. As Natalie digs deeper, she uncovers close ties to her unsavory past. Will this distract her from solving the murder and preventing other close to her from being put in danger? This is the third book in the Natalie Lockhart series. I had not read the previous two before reading this one and didn't find myself too lost as the author presented a reasonable enough amount of backstory. Readers should be advised that it does leave you on a major cliffhanger. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good small town crime novel.

The WitChing Tree seemed to drop me in to the middle of a small town story. I’m a sucker for that. Usually. Here, the town is centered on its witchy past. Full stop. It is a tourist attraction. Even that can work for me.

Then we get to the story. There are so many obvious avenues to follow that this star detective misses until the last 20% of the book. And then it doesn’t come to a. Conclusion AT ALL. I can get past the previous books, The author did well with that. But having no ending? Unforgivable. Then there are the repetitions and inconsistencies. So many things are just wrong and ridiculous. I finished just to see if the ending could save it and it absolutely did not.

Another DARK installment in this series. The writing is haunting and the town is incredibly chilling. The characters are interesting and I enjoyed the plot development. This was probably my least favorite of the series but still a solid story! My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't realize this was going to be a detective book but do I hate it for that? No! I loved it. It was dark. It was solemn. Its so incredibly interesting!

Ahhh I freaking LOVE this series!!!! I was SO happy to be back in Burning Lake with Detective Natalie Lockhart!

Book 3 starts off with the gruesome death of one of Burning Lakes much loved residents. A practicing Wiccan and founder of the town's oldest coven.

Witch stories? Yes please! This was such an enthralling storyline. The characters are well written and the small town discoveries made throughout the book are damn good!

That ending though! Ahhhh!

If you haven't read these books my advice is to start right at the beginning. There's so much to unpack, a ton of character building, and some extreme cases are solved. Plus, Detective Natalie Lockhart is awesome!!

Thank you so much to Minotaur Books for my gifted copy! I already can't wait to get my hands on book 4!!

While I have absolutely loved this series I have to admit I was very disappointed in this one. It was not the whole story. It pulled me in and had me turning the pages as did the previous two books. It was the ending. What the heck happened? Nothing is resolved. It didn't give me any closure. None. Not one tiny bit. I can't take a cliff hanger but this is not acceptable. Not even a hint as to who the murder was or who did what to a certain person. Though I do have my guesses. I can't even share those though as it would be a giveaway and I never do that.

Natalie Lockhart is back at it again in this harrowing book. A top Wiccan has been murdered in the most brutal way. Handcuffed to the train tracks. Waking up there and knowing what was coming had to be a most terrible feeling. A fate no one deserves. Ok maybe someone but not this woman who is so well loved by everyone in Burning Lake. Obviously not everyone though. Someone took this woman and shackled her to the tracks and left her. The details are gruesome but also very realistic. I cringed a lot during this part.

From the beginning Natalie talks about her deep love for Hunter. What a great guy. How handsome. What a great lover. All the things you want in a mate. Then the next morning she goes to work and there is Luke. Her lifelong friend and according to her the love of her life. His good looks, his strong arms. All the same things except the lover part. It's obvious who she truly loves. Or is it. Good grief Natalie make a choice. Breaking hearts is not a good trait ya know. I do like Natalie though. She's a top notch detective and a friend to the end. She's reliable and dependable. She gets the job done.

As for who killed Veronica.... Well I'm going to suppose that will come out in the next book. At least I hope so. ha I'm sure it will. While this book kept me on the edge for almost the whole story it did leave me reeling. I truly did enjoy it. I just wish so bad it would have hinted that it was going to be a cliffhanger so I could have been prepared. I hate to read a book and not know what happened. Not know who did what to whom. I hate when there is no idea of a cliffhanger. Though I would have read it anyway because I would have known that another was coming. Now how long do we have to wait??? I hope not too long. I think this author has a very creative mind and in ways maybe a morbid sense of humor. Not really anything funny about this story though. That is just an observation. This book has plenty of twists and turns. Plenty of killings, none solved exactly. Plenty of things to keep you reading. Be warned... No ending! Until next time maybe.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AliceBlanchard, #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts.

4/5 and a high recommendation. Even though it leaves you hanging it's very good.

When a local witch is found dead after being tied to the train tracks, Detective Natalie Lockheart finds herself on her third big murder case. While this book is the third book in a series I was able to read it on its own and had no issues. The mystery of this book keeps you enthralled throughout the story. The cliffhanger though 😭. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to review this book via e-arc.

Amazing! Suspense at its best! Intrigue! Witches! This book has it all. I found the book a little hard to get into but I didn’t realize it was the third book in a series so I needed a little time to get to know the characters. It would have been nice to read the other books but the author gives you enough background to read this as a stand-alone book. I loved the characters and the story both. The author does an awesome job of throwing red herrings into the mix which makes it more exciting. It’s one of those books that keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what will happen next. My only complaint is the ending but I won’t talk about that as it would ruin the book for you. I hope the next book in this series is aLready written as I don’t want to wait to long to read the rest of the story. Thank you to St Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.

This is the third book of a series that I had not read but was able to follow along easily with the charcters in this latest installment. This can easily be read as a stand alone. This was a enticing mystery with all the right suspenseful elements readers enjoy. Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this story of Natalie a cop with a past who lives in a small mysterious town where a local witch has been murdered. Natalie is assigned the case and soon is delving into local covens as well as the history of witch hunts in the town, A mysterious tree enters into the clues and Natalie is finding clues abound and red herrings as she struggles to solve this strange case. A enjoyable read and a perfect fall read.

Followed by notoriety she never asked for, Natalie is looking for a way out of the darkness and evil that seems to find her. Even if that means leaving her job on the police force.

Let me just start with holy cow, the imagery and language Blanchard sets us up with is... *chef's kiss, perfection. Very rarely do I feel like I am there in the scene following, watching the characters as the story unfolds. But here, I am walking with Natalie as she goes to interview potential witnesses or as she is driving along the snowy landscape of her hometown. It’s mesmerizing.

I was disappointed that this was yet another story with a love triangle. And as it was introduced so early on, I knew it was going to be a prominent plot point to the story. But it made me cringe every time an interaction happened between Natalie and the one man she wasn't in a relationship with, Luke, her childhood friend, and boss. That right there should be a good sign that it wouldn't work. Too much history. And never the right time. Not to mention the man she was in a seemingly committed relationship with, who was ready to do whatever he could to make her happy and keep her healthy. Something it seems she desperately needs after the stressful events of the previous year. And she couldn't stop thinking about what-ifs with Luke. I am not a fan.

I'll admit that a book with a witch element too always grabs my attention. This will most definitely not be the last one I pick up just because of the title or cover. And I was thrilled to see that the story delved into the witchcraft, or in this case, Wiccan, element and provided the readers with information and described the covens and their practices instead of just saying she was a Wiccan and moving on. It made it that much better in my opinion.

And while it felt that there was new information being shared every chapter it was never overwhelming nor did it feel like an info dump. There were times when it felt like information was being repeated that didn't need to be but also, the dialogue reads a lot like a procedural.

It felt like it started to drag about halfway through. I was bored reading every new detail that was spelled out. I kinda wished some of the details would have been summarized. The continual interruptions of Natalie’s inner monologue of what if’s with Luke also started to ruin it for me. They seemingly came out of nowhere and while I guess that makes sense, you never know what is going to remind you of something, I was tired of it after 200 pages in.

It was great. And I really loved the mystery and crime and how well written it all was. But the love triangle and confusing back and forth between Natalie and Luke just killed it for me. This was a solid mystery-thriller ignoring the muddled romance aspect of it. But that is probably just a personal preference.

I was captivated until the very end, and I never saw it coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Natalie Lockhart series is one of my favorite series of all times. It's not just another police procedural. It's so much more. It's edgy, a bit dark and always has these creepy undertones. I absolutely adore Natalie and Luke and all the characters of Burning Lake.

It should come to no surprise when I say that The Witching Tree is absolutely fantastic. I should have made a bingo board with all the potential twists and turns because Alice Blanchard wrote an an absolute rollercoaster. There is never a dull moment in this series and I am here for it.

The Witching Tree can be read as a standalone; however, I fully recommend starting with Trace of Evil and then reading The Wicked Hour first. It sets up the events of The Witching Tree better. Each book does end with a cliff hanger but I don't mind. The cliff hangers fuel anticipation for the next and Alice always delivers. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!

Brilliant! Loved everything about this book. Only one problem I wish I had read the first 2 books in the series...it would have given me more insight into Detective Natalie Lockhart and Burning Lake, New York. Don't get me wrong you can read this book without reading the first two and still follow the story but I am the type that likes to read the books in order!

This story was amazing...welcome to Burning Lake, New York where in 1712 three women were killed for witchcraft. One of them put a curse on the town. Natalie Lockhart has seen some gruesome things in the past with solving 2 major crimes involving her family....but she has never seen what she sees in this book....a coven leader is killed in a horrifying manner, one that Detective Lockhart will have a hard time forgetting...

Veronica Manes, leader of one of the 2 covens in Burning Lake, is killed in such a grisly way that the town reels from the news. To solve this case, Det. Lockhart will have to dig into Veronica's life. Veronica is a descendant of the judge who put to death the 3 women for witchcraft in 1712 so the town thinks it has something to do with that. With Veronica's death it brings Natalie to the Witching Tree, which has been around for 200+ years but as the story goes whomever touches or defiles the Witching Tree with meet with dire consequences..so the town long ago planted 13 trees around the Witching Tree and people from the town and all around carved initials and such into the tree.

Everyone is working overtime on this case and because of the past cases Natalie worked on her she has been held captive by nightmares and insomnia. The whole police force is worried about her and makes her take it easy....BUT Natalie doesn't want to be treated like a fragile item. She wants to do her job. Her job, to find the killer, but as we read further into the story and nearing the end you can feel that the author is going to leave us with a cliffhanger..and that she did! I couldn't believe that we weren't going to get an answer on who killed Veronica Manes....but now I have something to look forward to...another great story from author Alice Blanchard. I hope my local library has the digital copies of the first two books...because I really need to read them.

Alice Blanchard is a new author to me but not for long. Exceptional writing that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time reading The Witching Tree. Suspenseful, white knuckled and edge of your seat read! Brilliant story and characters!

Highly recommend! I wish I could have given it more than 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a early digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I finished the book but was unable to get past the writing issues. I hate being critical of an author's work because I understand how hard it is to complete a manuscript. In light of this, I've decided not to post about this book on my blog or social media.

Welcome to Burning Lake, a small, isolated town with a dark history of witchcraft and false accusations.

This third book in Burning Lake series starts off with a gruesome murder of a popular Wiccan priestess, dressed up and tied to the train tracks to face her death alone in the middle of a winter snowstorm.

The main character is Detective Natalie Lockhart, who is called to investigate the scene. Natalie is still dealing with the grief of her sister. She gained unwanted notoriety when she and her family became the center of not one, but two sensational murder cases (in Books 1 and 2).

Now she is burned out and emotionally lost. Should she quit the police force? That is an internal debate she has throughout the book, while solving the current case of who murdered Veronica Manes, the founder of the town’s oldest coven.

In addition, she must work with Detective Luke Pittman, her boss and the old childhood friend she cannot admit she loves, even to herself.

Natalie discovers there is a silent, malignant presence in Burning Lake that will not rest. The latest murder is only the beginning.

I liked this book in the series enough that I plan to go back and read Book 1 (Trace of Evil, 2019) and 2 ( The Wicked Hour, 2020).
The mystery is atmospheric and Natalie and the other characters in Burning Lake keep the story and its occult occurrences suspenseful.

However, be forewarned: The ending leaves the reader completely and abruptly hanging. I don’t know when the next book will be published, or if it’s even written. Under those uncertain circumstances, the ending didn’t make me want more. It just made me feel cheated. Because of the utterly abrupt cliffhanger, The Witching Tree gets only 3 stars from this reader.