A review by ymjarrell
The House of the Witch by Clare Marchant

5.0

Set in dual timelines, 1646 and 2024, you feel like you are there experiencing everything as the characters are. The author's details pull you into the pages and you feel as though you can smell the herbs and garden as they do. Ursula is living in the year 1646 and being a woman on your own during the harsh times causes people to raise an eyebrow because it's so uncommon. She helps others in the town by delivering babies, tending to the ill, and helping with herbal remedies. She watched as her father abused her mother and Ursula made a decision to choose a different path for herself, vowing to never rely on a man.

Adrianna is in 2024, living in London in a prestigious job, but the stress of her position has caused her to take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life. Her confidence in herself and her work has taken a hit and she longs for peace. She decides to rent a cottage in Norfolk for the next six months. It happens to be the same cottage that Ursula once lived in. Not long after her arrival, she starts to feel a presence. Adrianna makes a discovery, she finds Ursula's journals and starts to feel like her life is changing faster than she can keep up with. She is so drawn to the journals and is invested in discovering more of what happened in the cottage.

The mystery taking place in both timelines at almost the same time in different years is so fascinating. I don't want to spoil anything but I couldn't put this book down. The tale is woven so intricately that I found myself holding my breath waiting to find out what was happening as I turned the page.

I wish there was another book to follow up with this one because I really want to know more about their futures.