The Ravenswood Witch by Jenni Keer
The Ravenswood Witch is a spellbinding gothic mystery from the bestselling author of No.23 Burlington Square, Jenni Keer ‘There are a lot of shadows at Ravenswood, so you will need to be strong…’
The novel starts with a young woman running from the life she knows. She must escape to London to be caught, which means the gallows poll. Her goal of reaching the ferry is within sight, but then she collides with a stranger. She falls and breaks her ankle…. Then, Marcus Greybourne reinvents her as his reclusive wife, Luna, protecting her from the grasp of the law.
Marcus saved her from hanging but brought the injured Eloise/Luna into a house full of dark mystery. It is neglected trapped and injured in her bed she hears strange noises and is surrounded by strange scratchings on the woodwork.
Who are her allies? Who can be trusted? The cunning man helps her ankle heal building trust between them. The villagers are scared of her and call her a witch. When she rescues the last raven of Ravenswood, naming him Bran he becomes her constant companion. Further evidence that she is a witch with her familiar.
There is light, the shared love of flowers with Marcus as he begins to repair the dilapidated house and white butterflies.
There are many twists and turns, with unreliable characters for the reader to navigate. The climax takes place on All Hallows Eve. Truth is revealed as masks are peeled away at the source of the rumours the well deep in Ravenswood.
Jenni Kerr cleverly creates for the reader the world of a small community in the late nineteenth century. The characters are superbly drawn and fit the setting perfectly. Power and superstition make a heady concoction, In the novel Jane Eyre, collides with The Woman in White and merges into a thrilling mystery written for 2024. The Ravenswood Witch is an enthralling page-turner.
The Ravenswood Witch by Jenni Keer published by Boldwood Books
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Published yesterday, September 30th, 2024, I delayed my review until October because the book's vibe — dark woods, ravens, witchcraft, haunted house and secretive behaviours—belongs in the month of Halloween.