Small town Drybell Connecticut, a Sheriff on the eve of resignation and a series of unexplainable events with a witch at the centre. This is Witch 13.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book, but I had high hopes and it didn’t disappoint.

Delaney’s writing is atmospheric, descriptive and immersive. Our setting is great and the characters feel well rounded and real, with all the flaws one should expect from adults in this world!

I was drawn in from chapter one and we don’t dawdle with getting into the meat of the story, but also new plot points are slowly fed through the book to keep mixing it up.

Dark, creepy and with equal parts fairy tale and Blair witch, this is a perfect novel to have you sat up in bed feeling unsettled. We get the spooky unseen stuff but also some horrific actual Gorey visuals , one of which is firmly burned into my brain!

The climax came a little too fast and I wanted more from a particular character, but those are my only issues with this great book.

We’ve heard about police dealing with psychics. We’ve read about police dealing with ghosts. We’ve read about mysteries and wiccans. But what would happen if a witch was arrested by the police?
Not a wiccan, a witch. A devil worshipping, straight from the candy-house, eats children alive for breakfast witch?

For fans of the witch from The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

*Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

The description of this book intrigued me, but the execution was not the best. The story centers on Sheriff Sterling Marsh. She recently put in her resignation and is looking to move on from the small town she lives in. However, on her last shift, a creepy witch (dressed as you would imagine a witch dresses), is taken in to custody and the town begins to unravel.

The prologue to this book was written so well. The brief story was creepy and gave me the haunting feeling I was hoping to feel throughout this book. Sadly, the rest of the book did not compare. What really bothered me was that many of the descriptions were over written. In most of these instances, we didn't need the level of detail that was given for the story to progress. There were also events that occurred in the book that seemed to have no effect on the story and left you wondering if they needed to be included at all.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book, as it's quite long and disjointed.

*arc provided by netgalley and publisher*
3.75 ✨
WOW. this book was beautifully descriptive, horrifying, and a wild ride. It was such a blast, special thanks to the publisher and Patrick Delaney for writing it. I highly recommend for horror fans, I have read my fair share of horror books and this one takes the cake! I can’t say I’ve ever read a book that’s wigged me out like this one. let’s just say reading this in the middle of the night was not my smartest move! the descriptions, and jump scares in this book were very effective. This book would’ve gotten a higher rating, I just felt the plot was lacking a little. It didn’t feel like there was a motive for the witch (we didn’t find out until the very last few pages) I felt like the authors writing was SO. GOOD. which is why the witches backstory felt so way too simple and felt vague. I’m hoping that Patrick has plans for some more stories about the other witches, because there’s twelve more that I can’t wait to read about!!

I was initially hooked from page one, and the prologue was brilliant. However, the rest of the book didn’t live up to the early expectations.

I found the memory flashbacks messy with how they were inserted into the present day events; they took away from the story.

There was too much backstory that essentially added nothing to the plot to justify adding, and excess description that could’ve been cut. I also found some of the speech to be a bit wooden; it doesn’t flow how people would speak.

I was creeped out while reading, I wanted to know what would happen next, and enjoyed how the story was wrapped up.

Overall, a very interesting story that just unfortunately wasn’t executed well enough.

3.5 stars

I'm always on the look out for a horror book that will give me the chills and make me a bit afraid of the dark. This definitely fit the bill, at least for the majority of the story. If you were also traumatized by The Blair Witch Project as a child, you might recognize the terrifying way the witch faces the wall. Ooh, that made me shiver just thinking about it.

Anyway, most of the book was hair-raising and with the fast pace, I tore through this. The witch is spooky and some of the scenes are bloody and gruesome. I liked that we got Sterling's point of view along with several others, mostly for their death scenes. I was disappointed when we found out the history of the witch and the ending itself felt lackluster. Things were so crazy and intense and then the end had no real explanation and didn't go how I hoped. I'm not sure if the author is hoping to write a sequel or not, but I would have liked more information.

Despite the ending not being my favorite, I still thought this was a good horror novel and the pictures added to the creepy factor. I'll be looking out for more books from Delaney.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thank you to Oblivion Publishing and NetGalley for the copy

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for giving me a free ARC. This book was a very enjoyable and entertaining read. This book read in a way that made me feel as if I was watching a horror movie. The events unfolded in only a short time period which allowed the book to never have a dull moment. As a reader who is a fan of horror movies I loved this book and the style in which it was wrote. The characters are all relatable and some grow on you more than others. Also the post twists in this book I did not see coming for the most part which also lended a big hand in why I loved this book so much.

This was so poorly written--full of cliches and contradictions and lack of logical thought--that it was a chore to read. It really needed a strong and good editor to help the author organize their thoughts, write with clarity, avoid tired phrases and bad grammar, and create something worth reading.

In Witch 13 we follow Sheriff Sterling Marsh over the course of one December night, things turn nasty when a Witch straight out of fairy tale turns up and wreaks havoc on the town of Drybell.

The illustrations throughout the book were really beautiful and it was an enjoyable read, particularly the chapters from the perspective of Max. However, there were a lot of things in this book that were left unresolved and unexplained and as I neared the end of the book I was surprised at the lack of twists, which I was expecting after reading Silvers Hollow last year. Overall this was an enjoyable read and the scenes at the end of the book won't disappoint horror fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oblivion Publishing for the chance to read Witch 13.

This was a fast paced read that kept me on the edge of my seat...but I found myself wanting more, the book felt like it was missing something.

Thank you NetGalley and Oblivion Publishing to allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and view expressed in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This was a fun book. Patrick Delaney did an excellent job of writing in a way that caused me to be able to hear voices or feel the chills. This is a story full of twists and turns that keeps the reader on their toes and you never know what is going to happen next. I’m really glad that I got an opportunity to read this book.

2.5* Unfortunately this one was just not for me. I didn't think the writing was engaging enough, so it didn't exactly grip me and it was hard to stay focused. I liked the idea of a witch tormenting a small town and i was excited to try this one out as it would be one of the first times I've tried horror but I just did not like the way it was executed. The plot was rushed and pretty disorganized, there was some of the back story that just didn't feel necessary. I do believe the idea for this story has potential but I think it needs to be developed more.

First, I want to thank Netgalley and Oblivion Publishing for the e-version of this ARC in exchange for an honest constructive review. Given this book's publication date isn't for a couple of months, I will not be posting this review to Goodreads until after publication as I think there is still time for further editing and the book that is published might not be the one that I read.

NOTE: This review includes spoilers.

This is a story about a creature that looks like a witch that terrorizes a town and the local police precinct. I think this storyline had a lot of promise and it simply was not well executed, at least for the medium it is written for. The scenes, pacing, and characters read more like a B-level horror movie which focused on jumps and scares rather than what the medium of book publishing allows which allows for a greater focus and ability to world build, develop a true history for the lore that is introduced, and develop multi-dimensional characters. It was a very surface level book that could have delved into much more detail.

I'll start with the positive:
* The opening prologue is beautiful, except for the last line, which was very blunt. It definitely hooks the reader.

* Building on that, when the writing is from the perspective of a child, there is something magical that happens. The author's level of detail is perfectly balanced, the setting is creepy and fascinating, and those segments of the book were very redeeming.

* The artwork throughout, while it felt jarring and a bit unnecessary to me, was very beautiful.

* Since wiccans and witches are real practices, I'm always hesitant when a book treats them as monsters for the entire book, but I was pleasantly surprised that this author explained this that the witch was not really a human but rather a creature that was released in transport.

* Overall the premise and the characters all showed promise and this book has good bones to build on.

And now for the not so positive:
* While the story shows a lot of promise, this book felt like a first draft. It felt rushed, under developed, and still in need of large structural changes. The lore of the witches and the background of the mystery man in the cell opposite her wasn't even introduced until the very end of the book. It actually felt like an after thought, which was disappointing since there was a real opportunity to pepper that background throughout this book. The man is arrested within the first few chapters, he could have easily gotten into that lore much earlier on and allowed the police officers to be skeptical until facts of his story proved to be true. I think this book would have been a lot better if the lore had been introduced sooner and explored more thoroughly throughout.

* Most of the gore at the end of this book was completely unnecessary and made zero sense. And while they were beautifully written, the deaths of the children in this book also weren't explained nor was the scene at City Hall ever explained. There was such an opportunity there, and it all ended up being completely for naught. That was probably the most disappointing aspect of this book, because the scenes with the children and at city hall were the storylines that were the creepiest and had the most bite. They were why I finished this book in hopes they would be explained. To not tie those deaths to some sort of explanation or the broader storyline felt like an injustice to those characters.

* Sterling's mother calls her at the start of this book. Given what we learn later, that call is never explained and doesn't make any sense.

* The artwork in some areas felt like it was force feeding to the reader what was an important object in the story before that object was revealed to be important.

* I also found it very jarring that all the characters, regardless of age and regardless of their level skepticism, referred to the creature as a witch from the moment they saw her. For a first person point of view, this made zero sense and deprived the reading experience of an opportunity to use the writing to indicate the switch when the characters really did see her as a witch. Also, having adult characters refer to something that looks like a woman in a costume as a witch at all times made them read as juvenile as opposed to the authority figures they are supposed to be.

* I believe other reviewers have said this, but there are instances where the story needs to speak for itself and back story isn't necessary. For example, we didn't need an entire backstory for the sleepwalking teenager Kayla Grayson or the receptionist Georgia. In fact, Georgia's character was a hoot without us having to know where she was from prior to her job. Along that vein, I think it would be helpful in the final edit to take a look at some of the paragraph long descriptions . For instance, nobody eats a cherry pie the way Sterling is described to eat her slice of pie at the diner. The description read like a juiced up 80s music video screen girl eating a pie.

Now I know the above seems very critical, but I do think this story has potential. It just wasn't quite there for me at the stage.

I’d picked this up through NetGalley when requesting another book I’d seen I like supernatural books and this sounded like it hit all the markers. Instead I found myself disliking the main character from the beginning finding her a bit whiny. She’s finishing her career as the town sheriff the same day all hell comes to her small town literally. She’s messed up and she’s going away to fix it or hide, Sterling has a sad history which you learn through the ongoing story but I still didn’t care about her.
Now some of the secondary characters Georgia, Rosa and Max yes they seemed likeable but not Sterling or Chase her deputy and work partner.
I read it in just over a day as it was fairly easy short chapters.
If you like police stories with a hint of darkness then this is for you.

I have to admit, going into Witch 13 I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Judging by the description alone, I was convinced that it was going to be a hit or miss. I came for an atmospheric, small-town mystery and stayed for that combined with a strong folk horror vibe that I haven’t seen much of within the genre.

The author establishes the setting and characters in a witty and effective manner - I was worried that the book would be slow, taking forever to unravel, but soon found out that it’s the exact opposite - to the point where I felt the mysterious happenings around town were a bit chaotic and confusing, but considering the themes of this book that might’ve been the intention. While the first 20% of the book felt a bit rushed, the pacing evens out as the plot goes forward. The characters, while not exactly likable, worked well with the setting and I soon found myself rooting for them.

What really surprised me about this book is the beautiful illustrations. The artist really nailed the gritty vibe of the story and added a whole new layer to the experience.

First off, thank you NetGalley, Oblivion Publishing and Patrick Delaney for allowing me an ARC of this book!

Which 13 is a supernatural horror novel that has a very film noir meets monster movie feel to it and needless to say, I enjoyed every minute of it.

The writing moves the plot along quickly and leaves you at the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. The author’s world building and character development was well balanced, allowing the reader to see everything clearly as if they were sitting down and watching a horror movie, which is exactly what I want. And that ending!! It was perfect and I didn’t see it coming.

My one complaint is that there are moments that some of the information included seemed to be a bit redundant and unnecessary.

The other thing to note is that the characters are not that likeable. Which doesn’t bother me one bit, mainly because I love a villain and the characters definitely leave you rooting for the witch. The one downside to not liking the characters though is that their internal dialogue can become a bit tedious.

But in all, if you are a horror fan, I highly recommend this novel and I look forward to reading more by this author.

** Thank you to Netgalley & Oblivion Publishing for this ARC. Here is my honest review**

When I read the synopsis for this book, I was intrigued, I like horror and spooky stories.
As the story started I ended up confused at the prologue and then the sudden time change into present time with Sherriff Sterling Marsh.
I wanted to enjoy this book, it had everything I wanted, a spooky storyline, a stormy night with characters and their dramas coming to the forefront on a night where their small town is cut off from everyone. And a stranger, who doesn't move or say a thing.

I was left slightly disappointed as the characters, although I wanted to like them, fell flat for me. The backstory on each one separately didn't really gel with the storyline of the night, and i ended up wondering why we were being told this, and not more about the strange witch that had arrived in town, or why these weird things were happening and people were dying.

You didn't really understand the witch until near the end, and then the actual ending left me going, what just happened?
I guess it took me by surprise, and that's a good thing. I just wish I'd been less confused about the whole storyline for me to enjoy it more.
It had a lot of promise, and I wish it held true.

Witch 13 is a dark and twisted take on your favourite fairytales. I absolutely loved the Prologue! It set the tone and jogged my memory. There was a sense of familiarity, and just enough shock to pull me into the main story.
The plot reads like a horror movie. It's perfect for a rainy day read - the darker, the better - but I must admit that the ending of Witch 13 is the real winner. Looking back, I can't believe that I didn't see it coming, and that you-got-me moment was like a slap to the brain. I hope that these characters get a second story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

This was a 3.5 star read for me.

I was intrigued by the cover of this book and when i saw it was marked both horror and LGBTQIA I knew i needed to read it.

I typically don't read much of the blub of books so I didn't know what to expect going in. It starts off as if it's a pretty standard crime thriller, getting to know the detective and setting up the mystery. I personally found that a lot of the first part felt like an info dump about the character, very little of what you learned about them felt like it happened organically. I found that really slowed down the pace and it took me a while to get into the story. I did really enjoy the setting and scene descriptions. It was very easy to imagine everything taking place right in front of my eyes.

The story really picked up about 2/3 of the way in and I didn't put it down until it finished. At this point i felt like I learned more about Sterling in a natural way and it made her feel a lot more real and allowed me to feel more of a connection to her.

It was definitely very tense and had a lot of great horror aspects but I feel like the ending resulted in some earlier parts of the plot not really making sense or being tied up. While Im a big fan of an ending that keeps you guessing, it just made me wonder what the point of some of the earlier scenes were.

One thing that did put me off a bit was the focus on describing the three main female character in great detail and telling you a lot about there like straight away but barely touching on Chase. It felt odd to me and given that he was pretty important to the character i feel like this left him kind of flat.

Overall i think this was a good read. It kept me guessing, it has strong Goth vibes, and I had a good time with it.

IT’s A BOOK REVIEW, MY PRETTIES!

WITCH 13 by Patrick Delaney

Five witchy wands of mayhem, dude. I’m sitting here 12hours later still going “wtf did I just read?”

Witch 13 is a police procedural with a truck crash, blizzard, & an angry lady with a gun. Insert porcelain-skinned witch & puzzle-obsessed little boy. Set to spin cycle. Bake on 350 for…wait. No.

Sterling is the above-mentioned angry lady. She’s got crazy issues with her parents, her past, & her partner. When the world starts crashing down & people start dying Sterling flies further & further off the rails in a desperate attempt to prove she’s not crazy & save the people around her.

This book was 110% NOT what I expected. I was freakin’ scared! I quickly learned that reading at night was a bad idea as I had to watch cartoons just to fall asleep after! In my defense, it was dark & Mike wasn’t home & there were rats. Y'all know I got serious rat issues!

Writing: SUPERB
Plot: Intense.
Speed: perfect
Continuity: A+
Characters: Diverse
Originality: EXCELLENT!

100% recommend this book to horror fans. I didn’t see the ending coming & even tho I had to walk away to get the images outta my head a bit, I couldn’t stand NOT reading it. I had to know what was gonna happen. Totally not the author's fault I’m a big baby.

Possible triggers: Domestic violence, drugs, blood, gore, rats!

Did I mention rats? Insert maniacal witchy cackle here. Can you hear it?


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Witch 13 Pub Date 07 Jun 2022 Thank you #netgalley and #patrickdelaney for allowing me to read the ARC

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