It never took me so long to read a book. It took me forever as every time I started reading I fell asleep after a few lines. This book is terribly boring, has no back story about this "witch" just a couple of lines that are not enough to hold the narrative, also she feels monodimensional, without a clear goal. The book is a long description of a long night. It goes on and on about Sterling and Chase's one-night stand and Sterling's relationship with her parents which are completely useless to the plot and doesn't add to the 'Witch' story. Most of the text feel just as a big add-on to feel the pages.

Also, the book is classified as LGBTQIA, but has no trace of any LGBTQIA theme.

It was incredibly boring to read, the plot was basic and uninteresting with no real direction... confusing overall.

Reading witch stories and watching witch movies has always been a favorite of mine.
This book brought a different take to the stories of witches, I almost want a prequel and a sequel to this because of what was mentioned through the book, of the witches beginnings and from the ending that I did not see coming!

2.25 stars. This book was not for me - mostly because I was coming at this with the expectation that I would get scared by the titular witch and we'd get a queer character, but instead, I was mostly annoyed and our queer lead's queeriness felt like it was squashed soon after she mentioned it.

Sterling Marsh, our lead character is a strong lead in my opinion. She starts off the book having an affair with her work partner, basically in front of his wife, who is understandably angry with the both of them. I know she kind of breaks it off, but she knew the man was married and was friends with his wife and kid to boot. He didn't help things, but she still help make that situation so bad for that family. On top of that, she does fall into the trap of being 'the other woman' and a bi lady who has said that she can't settle down with one person, making her more of a stereotype. She, as a character, doesn't even get to do much beyond that, until she and her partner are caught making out by the wife, then the horror things happen.

I was so bothered by the fact that Sterling started the book in such a bad spot, that I didn't really care about the scares and creepiness that happened after. I didn't find Sterling or the town interesting enough to even really care when the spooky stuff spiraled that I just read to the end. I don't think that Sterling was given a chance to be really interesting, and I don't think she got to be anything beyond the slightly broken person who makes terrible decisions all the time.

Unfortunately, the bad start and poor characterization of Sterling just could not be over come by the creepy atmosphere and sense of isolation that only a small town in a winter setting can impart. I didn't enjoy this from almost the word go, no matter how much I hoped for better.

*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Requested this at the suggestion of another user and was not disappointed. Tops the charts as one of my top five reads of 2022 so far. It was a little out there and other but I loved it.

Witch 13 is a relentless, exhausting and ultimately unsatisfactory read. There isn’t enough backstory on how the big, bad witch came to be and the opening is a jumble of telling not showing.

Delaney puts the pedal to the metal and almost never lets up. There are probably people out there who enjoy the kind of book that makes them feel like they’ve been on a roller coaster during a monsoon, but there are almost certainly more people who will be wrung out by the unrelenting, frequently confusing action.

And yet, in the rare moments when the little boy in the book, Max, gets a point of view, and the action slows down for his perspective, I could see that the writer can write straightforward, clear prose that succeeds as entertainment.

Ultimately, though, the book had a flaw I couldn’t get past as a reader. Here it is, and it’s a huge spoiler:

Sterling, the protagonist, sees the big scary witch entity kill the wife of a fellow officer, Chase, with whom she had a one-night-stand. But Sterling rationalizes not telling Chase that his wife is dead because she needs his help at the police station. Now, granted, things are very, very bad in their town at this time, but it’s just not acceptable to do that. It is a lie so enormous that I couldn’t get past it and enjoy the book.

Delaney has some great ideas here—even a potential series—and I’d like to read something from him that is clearer, crisper and less extreme.

What a fantastic read. I was looking for the perfect spooky book to ignore the fact that it’s so hot outside and I’m craving that cool weather, the crisp crunchy leaves under my feet. And y’all this hit the spot. This book! The ending, the twist, it just all in all felt like that moment when you’ve been waiting in a restaurant for your food and finally you get a whiff of it and you just devour it. That’s what this story was for me. Just perfect exactly what I was hoping for. I am going to reread this and recommend it in a spooky book club I’m in. Fantastic writing, such a great plot, characters were great. What more could you need. I need to order the physical book.

Witch 13 offered an interesting description which got me at the beginning. Unfortunately the story failed to meet my earlier expectations. The characters isn't hook me and I cant feel any connection with them. When I saw a novel with paranormal character in cover I expected it will get big portion in the plot.
I found my self busy beat the bushes to find more background story about "the witch" it self, more than followed jumbling action of our MC.
For the writing style part, I think less uneccesarily description is better.
I’m sure there are others who will love this more than me and but this kind story just not my cup of tea.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Oblivion Publishing. I am grateful and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Witch 13 is released 7 June 2022

The book follows the story of Sterling Marsh on her last night as Sheriff of Drybell, Connecticut, with her resignation imminent. What starts as a fun evening with a party for Christmas and Sterling leaving, quickly descends into terror with the appearance of The Witch.

I’ve always loved horror and I really liked the creepiness of this writing. There were eerie moments throughout, whilst you’re also discovering more about the queer protagonist, Sterling.

I also really loved the illustrations scattered throughout the book, which complemented the story.

i received this book as a digital ARC from NetGalley.
i liked the premise of this book and i really wanted to love it, but it just didn’t meet expectations. a lot of it was really over the top and i can get behind that when it’s done in a way that fits the narrative, but this book also takes itself way too seriously for what actually goes on. had it been written in a way that felt more self-aware or even sort of satirical, i feel like that could have carried a more satisfying tone throughout the book.

4 stars from me as I quite liked this book! Patrick Delaney is a new-to-me author, and with books like Witch 13, I will continue to read him! Witch 13 sucked me in from the get-go. Creepy and stunning and creepily stunning, I regretted ever needing breaks from reading.

*DNF at 30%*

I thought this book was fantasy, not a horror. Which is my own fault, I should have done more research.

The writing in this book is excellent, and I definitely recommend this to all horror lovers!

I've given a 3 star rating because my choice to DNF has nothing to do with the quality of the book. I'm just a scaredy cat. I have nothing negative to say about the book.

Ok. My first mistake was not realizing that this isn’t a fantasy book it’s a horror book. My second mistake? Thinking I could handle reading this til 2 am in a dark quiet house while everyone was sleeping. I wouldn’t describe this book as scary exactly but the creepy factor is there, and it’s turned to 11. I think the thing that kept shocking me was the amount of gore. Like Saw/ Devils Rejects/ Hostel level gore. As unappealing as that may sound don’t let it deter you because this book is solid c4 to the brain. In the absolute best sense. I really liked the MC Sheriff Marsh in all her unapologetically damaged glory. The secondary characters were unique and well done. I quite enjoyed the massive level of twists and turns. And a few times thought I had it figured out only to realize I know nothing. Some of my all time favorite reads are the ones you have to think about in the end, have to put a few more pieces together yourself to see the big picture. This was one of those endings. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

One of the very few books that I've read in one sitting! I absolutely loved the writing style and it was the main reason why I couldn't put the book down. Everything was so vivid which only meant that the author did a really amazing job in building the world in the reader's head and setting up the scenes. I'm so grateful for Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read the ARC of this book.

The cover is what originally drew me to the book. I love a good Horror with a fantasy element to it.
The Island town of Drybell, Connecticut is being hit by a storm and some strange things start happening. Sherif Sterling Marsh is on her last shift before resigning and quickly realises her last shift is going to be anything but quiet.
A Transport truck accident is currently blocking the only bridge in and out of town and they can't seem to find or get a hold of the deputy who was handling the accident. They did manage to arrest the man in the other vehicle and have taken him back to the station to put in lock up.
They had a call for a missing child from the Grocery store. No trace of the boy could be found.
When a distress call comes in from City Hall Sterling heads out to deal with it and stumbles across an Eerie scene that leaves her completely unnerved. She finds a woman there dressed as a Witch, pointed Witches hat and all and wonders why she would be dressed like that two weeks before Christmas. The Witch is facing the wall and is not moving. Sterling puts her in handcuffs and decides to take her back to the station as well when she can't get the Witch to respond to any of her questions or demands. They are currently dealing with a storm like no other that seems to have knocked out their communication capabilities, so being able to call for support has been impossible, Leaving Sterling and her Deputy Chase completely understaffed, with only Rosa manning the phones and Georgia currently watching Chase's young son Max until he can go home.

The Witch is an excellent character, the creepiness of her stillness and lack of communication combined with finding her suddenly moved made my skin crawl. I found the story started out a little slow and then once the pace picked up it did not slow down again.
I really enjoyed the story, it was nice to read about a Witch that was dark and menacing, however the ending left me hanging and with a lot of questions.
Glad I had an opportunity to read this book though.

2.5 stars because I enjoyed reading about all the characters, and the witch, but I found that the end wasn't convincing enough.

Emotionally challenged main character? Check.
Creative descriptions of events? Check
Creepy witches with a hidden agenda? Double check.
Witch 13 takes you on a wild ride of a female sheriff who has no idea how to deal with life or emotions beyond the job. Traumatic deaths, creepy scenarios, and a brave little boy make this story exciting. I can’t quite piece together the ending, but overall enjoyable.

After reading the blurb for this book it just called to me. From the first page I was hooked. A fairy tale for adults with pictures just like I had as a child. A creepy tale which starts off with a storm like no other in a small New England town just before Christmas. Now I have set the scene welcome to Hell!!!! A witch has appeared in town and she is out to reek havoc and devastating horror on this quiet little town why? What does she want?. Atmospheric, nail biting terror from the flick of her wand. Yes a witch story and definitely for adults only. I was completely immersed in the horror that was unfolding and only came up for breath after I had turned the last page. Loved it and the best book I have read by this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

I really love witchy books and this did not disappoint! Gave me all the spooky witchy vibes I wanted and sent chills through me! Loved it!

Witch 13 by Patrick Delaney was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I generally do not read "witch" books as the trope has not really grown in years, however the reviews I read kind of promised this was different. They were correct, this book has a classic witch (picture the Wicked Witch of theWest from the Wizard of Oz), with a wand, and she wreaks havoc. I also generally do not like long drawn-out dialogue, give me action, not words. This book has a lot of dialogue and "atmosphere" as some call it, that did not bore me. If you or someone you buy gifts for want to read a wicked witch book that takes place in New England around Christmas, give this book a read.