The Witch in the Well
A deliciously disturbing Gothic tale of a revenge reaching out across the years
Published on 5. October 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-80499-316-3 (ISBN)
Description
Once upon a time, the townspeople of F -. did something bad . . .
Local schoolteacher Catherine Evans has made writing the definitive account of what happened when Ilsbeth Clark drowned in the well her life's work.
Some don't want the past raked up, but Catherine is determined to shine a light upon that shameful event. Because Ilsbeth was an innocent, shunned and ostracized by rumour-mongers and ill-wishers, and someone has to speak up for her. And who better than Catherine, who has herself felt the sting and hurt of such whisperings?
And then a childhood friend returns to F -. Elena is a successful author who's earned a certain celebrity. Now in search of a new subject, she announces her intention to write a book about the long-dead woman.
And Elena has everything Catherine has not. A platform. And connections. And no one seems to care that this book will be pure speculation, tainting Ilsbeth's memory. Catherine is left with no option but to blunt her rival's pen ...
Before summer is over, one woman will be dead and the other accused of murder.
But is she guilty, or are there other forces at work? And who was Ilsbeth Clark, really?
An innocent? A witch? Or something else entirely?
Local schoolteacher Catherine Evans has made writing the definitive account of what happened when Ilsbeth Clark drowned in the well her life's work.
Some don't want the past raked up, but Catherine is determined to shine a light upon that shameful event. Because Ilsbeth was an innocent, shunned and ostracized by rumour-mongers and ill-wishers, and someone has to speak up for her. And who better than Catherine, who has herself felt the sting and hurt of such whisperings?
And then a childhood friend returns to F -. Elena is a successful author who's earned a certain celebrity. Now in search of a new subject, she announces her intention to write a book about the long-dead woman.
And Elena has everything Catherine has not. A platform. And connections. And no one seems to care that this book will be pure speculation, tainting Ilsbeth's memory. Catherine is left with no option but to blunt her rival's pen ...
Before summer is over, one woman will be dead and the other accused of murder.
But is she guilty, or are there other forces at work? And who was Ilsbeth Clark, really?
An innocent? A witch? Or something else entirely?
Reviews / Votes
True to form, Camilla Bruce has spun a slippery yet beguiling spell with this cleverly crafted and intoxicating tale of female rivalry and folklore. A startling and original plot is woven around a cast of gleefully unpleasant characters - I was gripped from the very first page. Haunting and harrowing . . . I couldn't look away. Simmering with unease and spookiness, this creepy read will give you goosebumps. **** * HEAT magazine * A slippery yet beguiling spell ... this is a cleverly crafted and intoxicating tale of female rivalry and folklore. * PICK ME UP! 'Book of the Week' * Uniting the 'found footage' of Janice Hallett's books with Norwegian tales of 'difficult women' and folk horror. * STYLIST * Haunting and deadly. * TAKE A BREAK * True to form, Camilla Bruce has spun a slippery yet beguiling spell with this cleverly crafted and intoxicating tale of female rivalry and folklore. A startling and original plot is woven around a cast of gleefully unpleasant characters - I was gripped from the very first page. Haunting and harrowing . . . I couldn't look away. Simmering with unease and spookiness, this creepy read will give you goosebumps. **** * HEAT magazine * A slippery yet beguiling spell ... this is a cleverly crafted and intoxicating tale of female rivalry and folklore. * PICK ME UP! 'Book of the Week' *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Transworld Publishers Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
218 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80499-316-3 (9781804993163)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Camilla Bruce
The Witch in the Well
A deliciously disturbing Gothic tale of a revenge reaching out across the years
E-Book
10/2022
Transworld Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Person
CAMILLA BRUCE was in born central Norway and grew up in an old forest, next to an Iron Age burial mound. She has a master's degree in comparative literature and has co-run a small press that published dark fairy tales. Her first novel was the acclaimed work of folk horror, You Let Me In; her second the historical crime novel, Triflers Need Not Apply. Camilla currently lives in Trondheim with her son and cat.