The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce

The Witch in the Well

by Camilla Bruce

The Witch In The Well is a thriller from Camilla Bruce, author of You Let Me In.

Two childhood friends reunites in an eerie Norweigan coastal village where their flawed ambitions and grudges swirl into an all-too-real echo of a terrible town legend.

Far up the Northern coast of Norway, one woman returns to the summer paradise of her youth, back to help her family's manor house ready to sell while also fleeing her influencer lifestyle (and the daunting draft of her overdue second book). There, she finds a long-dormant friendship that had been left behind—and a world more haunted and dangerous than she could ever imagine.

A thrilling ride about women who have been swept away by the promise of internet fame―only to find that creating a cult of personality means depending on the dark whims of their acolytes even at the expense of their friendship.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

3 of 5 stars

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October is the best time for finding a surplus of spooky books. At least, that's how it always feels. My latest creepy read is The Witch in the Well, written by Camilla Bruce.

There once was a woman named Ilsbeth Clark. Like many unfortunate souls of her time, she was accused of witchcraft. She died protesting her innocence to the crimes levied her way, not that it did her much good.

In the present day, two friends have always been a little bit obsessed with Ilsebth's story. While the two grew apart growing up, it would seem their obsession lingered, for both were drawn back to the mystery – and the danger.

There are certain authors that we keep coming back to again and again. Camilla Bruce will always be one of my favorite gothic/horror authors. Therefore, I'll pretty much read anything of hers around Halloween time!

This leads me to The Witch in the Well. While this wasn't my favorite horror novel of all time (actually...I have no idea which book I would give that award to), it was still an engrossing and compelling read.

I love that the tale begins with the story of two friends. It has a grounding effect, even when everything goes horribly (awfully) wrong. There is something so human about a friendship crumbling, don't you think?

Everything that follows gets steadily darker as we delve into the truth of Ilsbeth Clark's story. It was moving to read. As the saying goes, we are the witches they couldn't burn.

Thanks to Tor Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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  • Started reading
  • 21 October, 2022: Finished reading
  • 21 October, 2022: Reviewed