The Witch (by Freida McFadden)

allfictionsuspensemystery
Written by Natalie

A Historic Mansion, a Ghostly Clock, and a Story That Felt Different

I couldn’t let spooky reading season pass me by without reading Freida McFadden’s latest book, The Witch.

Julia Barlow has nowhere else to turn after losing her job and apartment, so she heads to Pemberton, her family’s old Massachusetts estate, to check on her aging grandmother. She hopes the house will offer a quiet place to disappear for a while. Instead, things feel unsettled right away. The grandfather clock stops at the same minute every night, the lights flicker without warning, and a voice calls for help outside her bedroom door. As she digs into the property’s history, she uncovers the story of a woman who lived there in 1692 and was accused of witchcraft—and begins to realize the house has been holding onto secrets for a very long time.

I borrowed the audiobook from Hoopla and enjoyed the dual narration by Saskia Maarleveld and Marin Ireland.

This one felt different from McFadden’s other suspenseful novels in the best way. It leans into a ghostly atmosphere, a historic mansion with dark family secrets, and witches. The chapters alternate between Julia in the present and Caroline in the 1600s. Julia’s sections focus on piecing together the past mysteries that still affect her family, along with more ordinary pressures: needing a job, caring for her elderly grandmother, and deciding whether to sell the mansion to a museum. Those parts kept me interested, but I was most drawn to Caroline’s story. I loved how each of her chapters moved through her life day by day.

The book showcases McFadden’s talent for writing and storytelling. The ending is creative and unique—unexpected, but handled in a respectful, thoughtful way.

If you like McFadden’s twisty thrillers but are in the mood for something with a stronger gothic, historical feel this spooky season, The Witch is worth picking up. It’s the kind of book that keeps me coming back for more of her stories.

Just a note about the background in my book cover photo: it was taken at the fountain in the gardens at West Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick, Indiana. My husband and I celebrated his birthday there—you can read about our adventure in my blog post here.

I'm slowly making my way through Freida McFadden's entire catalog. You can find my previous reviews of her books linked below.

 
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Natalie
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The Mad Wife (by Meagan Church)