Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of Witch 13 by Patrick Delaney!!

This was a solid read! It’s a bit creepy, I don’t really count it as a horror book. I read it in about two days. It’s an easy read to get through.

small town spooky , queer witchiness is all I need for a good time. loved this I want more. Representation matters

Witch 13 by Patrick Delaney.
On the eve of her resignation, Sheriff Sterling Marsh prepares for a bleak winter in Drybell, Connecticut, after a string of bad decisions leaves her life in shambles. Two weeks before Christmas and expecting a long night of paperwork and quiet celebration with the friends she’s grown to know and love, she’s surprised when an unnerving stranger appears in the form of a witch.
This was a slow starter but then boy did it get good. Creepy and spooky. Omg gave me goosebumps. Please let there be more to come. 4*.

Sheriff sterling marsh decides to put her resignation in after some bad decisions which leaves her life in shambles
The witch appears with a tall pointed black hat black clothing bare feet dead eyes like two gleaming mirrored coins her skin unnaturally pallid and smooth and bare feet no fingerprints and she doesn’t speak sterling wonders if she is deaf and blind and one by one people dying
This book was a bit slow starting at the beginning but it soon livened up and got really good it wasn’t what I expected at all
Well done Patrick Delaney for a well written spooky read to make the hairs on my arms stand up

Unfortunately the writing style of this was not for me, so I only made it a few chapters in. There was a bit of a Dickens-esque verbosity to the descriptions that made it hard for me to get through some of the scene-setting. However, this is a book I wouldn't be against recommending to anyone who doesn't mind descriptions on the longer side.

An atmospheric and creepy thriller, Witch 13 starts out with a bang and just keeps the action rolling. Real characters, a strong protagonist and a twist at the end that will make you want to stay the whole thing over saying What just happened…,,,

My disbelief remained unsuspended, I was unable to engage with the main character or with any other, Really didn't work for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Oblivion Books for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was amazing. I've never read anything quite like it. It reminded me of a cross between the Blair Witch Project, Stephen King's Last Shift and Hansel and Gretel. Not quite a dark fairy tale, but very close.

It's Sterling Marsh's last night as Drybell Connecticut's Sheriff and she's prepared for a quiet night of paperwork with her small crew until a storm breed and a mysterious stranger who is dressed like a witch straight from a children's storybook. The night quickly becomes more interesting than Sterling had planned.

This book was creepy. The scenes with the witch gave me the chills at times. It was well written and genuinely scary. It was also quite unique. It drew me in from the first page. The illustrations throughout were incredible and added a lot to the book. My only complaint, and the reason I only give 4 stars and not 5 is that the ending was a bit confusing and I'm not sure what actually happened. I won't give more away because I don't like spoilers. 4 stars. I will actively be seeking out more of Patrick Delaney's books.

This is one of those books that has a combination of equally good and bad moments of execution.
Let's start with the good, because despite the fact that I have some criticisms it is a decent book and it deserves to have a review start on a good footing;

The story is solid and the pacing is decent. It all takes places over a relatively short period of time, basically a single night, and it does a good job making the nightmarish night feel oppressive and never-ending from the character's perspective. The descriptions (especially the violent ones) were visceral and creative and I appreciate a novel that doesn't try to hide the obvious for the sake of trying to impose pointless mystery. It's a witch, she's evil. No plot twist there. I like it. A simple but effective antagonist.

My criticisms come in the form of the writing of the characters. The dialogue wasn't natural right from the outset. I found myself wanting to almost skip the dialogue in favour of the scene descriptions. The characters themselves weren't overly relatable. There is a classic trope of flawed but redeemable and almost all of these characters felt flawed with little to nothing to redeem them in my eyes. Chase, especially felt toxically controlling and angry toward nearly every woman in the book and it was uncomfortable to read.
Max's perspective felt very forced and I didn't understand why he basically forgot about his own parents about halfway through the book, never to mention them again.
The final "twist" of having Sterling being the object of the Witch's focus, not Max, made no sense to me. Why was she? Did witches always go recruiting random women? Did she have some connection to them? I finished the book feeling like I missed something, and maybe I did.

Overall it was a good concept, with some truly enjoyable moments and a good antagonist. I think an adaption would have a lot to work with. I just wish the characters were a little better defined and likeable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oblivion Publishing for the ARC.

3.5/5 Witch 13 is a contemporary fairytale twisted together with horror and mystery. As someone who doesn't often pick horror up, I found it a very easy read and the addition of drawings added to the fairytale vibes. I really enjoyed the illustrations personally.

When reading, I found myself picturing the story like a tv show or movie. The characters were fine, I found Sterling annoying at times, but I liked them all in general. I found Witch 13 fun to read, but to be honest, I think it would make a fantastic show. There was so much mystery surrounding the witch and it was really compelling having the whole town involved in such a spooky encounter. The ending was a bit surprising, I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, but interesting nonetheless.

“She’d closed her eyes and made the decision to let herself feel everything, soak it up while she could, because happiness was a fairy tale, just as much as the witch herself.”

At first glance, this appears to be the typical small-town Christmas horror story. Set in a small town on the east coast, it gives major Stephen King vibes. Sherriff Marsh enters the story on the last night before deciding to bring her current chapter in life to a close and set course on her next chapter. In the small town of Drybell, it’s the typical holiday season with all the wonders of Christmas painted on the town square. It isn’t until a panicking call is received by dispatch that the Sherriff’s life, along with her closest friends and coworkers, is changed forever. Enter our dark force antagonist. Most of us would guess the antagonist is indeed a witch from the title. Everyone’s life is changed over the course of a few hours, and not one person in Drybell will ever forget this frightful night. Delaney takes his readers through twists and turns, keeping you on your feet till the final page. There were probably five or six times I thought I could figure out the direction of the story and how it would end, only to be wrong. I would best describe this book’s genre as mostly horror with fantasy and even mystery elements. Patrick Delaney leaves his readers wanting more till the final word is read.

The book is a fast starter. Delaney does a good job building each character's backstory throughout the entire book. The fact that Delaney is writing a horror book with aspects of fantasy and mystery kept my attention from the first page to the final words. I honestly never wanted to put this one down and finish later. Delaney does a great job making his characters relatable. All of us have encountered each person in the story, and maybe even a little of each of us is seen in all the characters, even the witch! I loved this book because of the HUGE plot twist that I never saw coming.

I felt the book's final chapter was a bit rushed to wrap the book up in a clean little bow. I can acknowledge that the last few chapters were epic, but at the same time, I wish Delaney would have taken a little more time to answer some more important questions. POSSIBLE SPOILER: This said, Delaney could have possibly been leaving the door open to a sequel or prequel to this book. I will leave it there because I don’t want to spoil the end of the story for other readers, as it is truly was a great ending.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a great read, and Delaney keeps you engaged. If you are looking for a book that is more than just a gorefest with no back story and tons of gore, then Witch 13 will fill your cup, and it will run over. This book is due to release until the summer of 2022; I would recommend putting this book on your list to read. It is a fantastic horror book and is an instant classic in my mind.

I received Witch 13 as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As far as creepiness goes, this book hit the mark. It was horrific and gruesome and had me cringing at times. However, the writing was not great. The characters' dialogue really confused me. Were they speaking and thinking with southern accents or weren't they. It was inconsistent and the accent seemed unnecessary. It was hard for me to get through this book unless it was during the horrific scenes. I did enjoy those. I feel that those scenes were done well. The witch was terrifying. I think if this book has great potential. It just needs to be edited a bit more.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie, I struggled with this book. The premise was sound and I enjoyed the plot layout but sadly the writing style felt lacking. I just didn’t find it as captivating as I would have hoped.

Unfortunately I DNF'd this book. I really wanted a good witch book but I did not find it here and was just getting frustrated with it.
I do greatly appreciate NetGalley and the publisher giving me the opportunity to read this.

First of all the cover of this is fantastic.
Second this book went places I did not expect. I am honestly speechless but in a good way. I can just say I loved this book and this one will go on my shelf once I can buy it in physical form. Thank you so much for this arc.

📚 As Sheriff Sterling Marsh wraps up her last night on duty in Drybell, Connecticut, she is confronted with a monster that neither she (nor the reader) will soon forget.

🖌 Overall, this book is perfectly fine. Not amazing, not terrible. I found the beginning and its set up of the witch’s and Sterling’s stories to be the novel’s strongest points. The rest of the book could have benefited from some stronger editing. Some of the characters felt like caricatures and sometimes the internal logic of the narrative was off. The author does provide an interesting take on the myth of witches, though.

I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My daily ritual consists of waking up at 4 AM or thereabouts, showering, and driving to work hours before it opens. For myself and a stray cat, our morning existence is one of darkness. The closest streetlamp flickers in the distance. Its post is just out of sight so all I get is an eerie ambiance. It's usually cold. For whatever reason, the nearest office to the streetlamp has deep, dark red light inside that glows. If there's any place to spend time with a witch, this is it.

It's increasingly obvious that Patrick Delaney is a major talent. Hello, world. It has been exciting watching him progress through each book he's written. Witch 13 is his best yet.

It's hard for me, sitting here now in the safety of my living room, to come up with honest flaws. Stories about officers dealing with something unexpectedly supernatural are not uncommon. Delaney is not reinventing the wheel. He is taking that wheel, adding rims to it, and then running you over. It is so deliciously crafted that it reminds me yet again that he could find his place in the film pantheon. Or television. His work transcends literature. There is a rhythmic beat to it all that some people just don't have. I see it in his hands like a bloodied heart.

What a great cast of characters. This is also a different type of Witch than we are used to seeing in media. The payoff is excellent. Particularly the long creepy build-up we experience with what I like to call "Witch.1 Mode". When "Witch.2 Mode" kicks in...

Also, ahem... The House That Fell From The Sky gets referenced? Sign. Sealed. #Delivered.

I'm curious to see where Delaney is going next. If he's building towards a larger universe of connected stories. And can he solve a Rubik's Cube?

Part police procedural, part dark fairy tale, part cosmic horror—- this story is essentially the turducken of horror. Except I actually enjoyed this, unlike turducken!

📚 REVIEW: Witch 13

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 | Sci Fi & Fantasy

📖 Synopsis: "On the eve of her resignation, Sheriff Sterling Marsh prepares for a bleak winter in Drybell, Connecticut, after a string of bad decisions leaves her life in shambles. Two weeks before Christmas and expecting a long night of paperwork and quiet celebration with the friends she’s grown to know and love, she’s surprised when an unnerving stranger appears in the form of a witch.

A silent, menacing figure, the witch appears to be ripped straight out of a fairy tale, complete with a tall, pointed hat, and black clothing. But when strange things begin happening all over town, Sterling begins to suspect that there may be more to the witch than meets the eye."

🧙 Witches, monsters, a love triangle, death, horror, and action all packed into one narrative. This science fiction novel drew me in right from the start of the prologue. I really enjoyed how much detail and scenary the author included. I really got to picture the whole book playing like a horror movie inside my head as I read. The illustrations added to story making it come even more to life. Overall, I loved the story, I loved his description of the Witch (I could see her, I could smell her, I was creeped out by her), and I loved how suspenseful it was between chapters. To be honest the only thing that really did not satisfy me completely was how it ended. It left me with a lingering sense of, "why, how, what happened next?!". Other than that it was a great page turner. For any Fantasy/Horror fans out there, I 100% recommend it. A big thank you to NetGalley and Oblivion publishing for providing me with an ARC before it even hits the shelves. It will be published on June, 2022.

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On the last day of her job as Sheriff, Sterling Marsh spends it fighting for her life and that of her friends when a witch finds her way into their small town.

This book is good. I really enjoyed it. I would have read it in one setting if I hadn't had to go to bed. I devoured this book because I just needed to know what was going to happen next. The deaths were very well thought out and not repetitive which is hard to do.

The ending didn't surprise but it was and it could be unpredictable. I like that while I had a few theories, and the ending was one of those, I really enjoyed it and it was a fresh read from a horror/mystery genre.

I got this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.