My Five Word TL:DR Review: Definitely not a cosy story

I enjoyed The Bewitching, this is the story of three women whose stories interconnect across time.  It blends Mexican folklore and horror to bring to us the disappearance of a young woman that has remained a mystery over the years.

To be fair, I love split timeline stories and I also have enjoyed everything I’ve read by this author to date so I could be unreasonably biased, but I don’t think so.

Set in 1908 we follow Alba’s story, a young woman, just coming of age and starting to feel attracted to a local neighbourhood boy.  Alba believes in witches and when unhappy occurences begin to take place she recognises the signs of bewitchment. Her uncle, however, doesn’t believe in such superstitious nonsense and Alba, who longs for her uncles approval, keeps her thoughts to herself.  And, yet, the family continue to experience terrible luck with Alba’s brother disappearing without a sign and animals around the farm being brutally killed in the dead of night.

Jump to 1934 where we become aware of Virginia’s disappearance from Stoneridge College.  Her roommate and best friend Betty (Beatrice Tremblay) has never forgotten her and becoming an author in later life wrote only one novel called The Vanishing.  This part of the story is slightly different than the other two in that we learn about events from manuscripts, notebooks, newspaper articles and interviews.

In 1998 we meet Minerva (Alba’s great granddaughter – from the 1908 story).  She is attending the same academy as Virginia and Betty and in fact her thesis is about the author Tremblay and her work The Vanishing.  To help with research Minerva connects with Carolyn, Beatrice’s best friend (from the 1934 story element) and she uncovers an unpublished manuscript that clearly relates some of the story regarding Virginia’s disappearance.

So, all three stories are interconnected in more ways than one – in particular is that for each timeline something sinister is stalking the women involved.

I think I’ve possibly made that sound terribly complicated – although I really hope not.

Let’s take a look at what I really enjoyed.

The writing, I clearly wouldn’t keep coming back for more if this author wasn’t so good at what she does, she is amazing at giving you the creeps, that experience where you’re reading and find yourself suddenly self aware that everyone else has gone to bed, you’re alone, the curtains are open and, okay, it could be your imagination, but somebody could be standing in the dark looking in.  Gives me the shivers.  That’s what she does.  She also creates this really creepy, threatening even, atmosphere around the college campus where Minerva is frequently out at night and the place is practically deserted.

She also manages to give us three, yes, connected, storylines but at the same time with such clear voices and with a different feel.  The early storyline is set in Mexico and this is where we learn that witches are real – and, well, some of them are definitely not nice!  We learn of the folklore elements here and although I wouldn’t say that this was my favourite out of the three stories you do need to pay attention and think about what you’re discovering.

I really liked the mystery element and for that reason the two later storylines were my favourite – just because that’s where the mystery really began.  We have Minerva in the most recent story carrying out research into Virginia’s disappearance and uncovering things from that period that seemed to have remained overlooked.  And of course Minerva’s research could actually be putting her in real danger.

In terms of criticisms, I felt that some elements of the story slowed the pace a little.  For me this wasn’t really a problem because I still pretty much devoured this in short order but I was aware on occasion of feeling that the tempo and tension had lessened.  I would mention that some elements of the story may be difficult for some readers as the author delves into certain aspects.  I also would mention that I second guessed a couple of the elements that were going on here – but, in fairness, I think that may be deliberate on the part of the author as she still manages to sneak in a final surprise.

Overall, I really did have a good time reading this.  I love a good mystery and throw in some dark witchy goings on and I’m sold.  .

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4 of 5 stars