In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall.
This place is shrouded in folklore—old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was not quite a child.
Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed.
Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something.
Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds—and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place.
As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew—and risk what she holds most dear. ~taken from Goodreads
This place is shrouded in folklore—old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was not quite a child.
Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed.
Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something.
Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds—and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place.
As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew—and risk what she holds most dear. ~taken from Goodreads
This is not the first C.J. Cooke novel I have sunk my teeth into. I absolutely loved "The Nesting" and you can read my reviews on previous books here.
"The Ghost Woods" is an eerie, creepy, atmospheric read. A gothic novel set in Scotland told in two different timelines. This started off intriguing and I could tell the two stories would eventually intertwine. The problem was that it took so long for them to connect that I lost interest.
Chapters alternate between timelines, which at times left me confused as the two stories are very similar. This is labeled as a gothic horror and although it has its frightful moments, I wouldn't call it horror. The Scottish Folklore gave it a spooky element. Once the two storylines did connect, it was less than satisfying.
I think it would be wrong of me if I didn't mention the possible trigger warnings of rape, familial rape, sexual assault, and loss of a child.
Overall, I think this has great potential, but it never really captured my full attention. There seemed to be too much fluff in the middle. It was enjoyable up to a point, but then I just couldn't wait to finish it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest review. I give it 3.5 stars!
"The Ghost Woods" is set to be released here in the U.S. on April 29, 2025. You can pre-order now! I give it 3.5 stars!
Happy Reading!
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