Book Review | The Lighthouse Witches by CJ Cooke

Single mother Liv accepts a commission to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island in a bid for a fresh start. She brings her three daughters; Luna, Sapphire, and Clover, and meets the locals who warn her about the beliefs on the island. Witchcraft, wildlings and supernatural elements come to the fore when two of her daughters suddenly go missing.

Two decades later, Luna receives a call that her youngest sister, Clover, has been found. Except Clover is still seven years old and has no memories of what happened to her. Luna must return to the island to find the truth about what happened to her family.

It was a raw scene: a full moon hiding behind the purple cloud, ocean trashing against black cliffs. Gulls wheeling and shrieking above us. Trees stood like pitchforks, flayed by the wind. They hemmed the island, watching.

The Lighthouse Witches is a mythological mystery that blends wildlings folklore, the witch trials, missing family and the power of time. The story is presented in three timelines with different POVs, but the short chapters and clear headings made it easy to read. I expected a supernatural element but the book went on an interesting and unexpected journey that feels fresh.

The first timeline tells the story of Patrick Roberts in the 17th century when women were accused of being witches and prosecuted. I found his story heartbreaking and engrossing. While Patrick himself is a flawed character, I had an affinity for him. The second timeline takes place in 1998 and features Liv and her daughters moving to The Black Isle, Scotland. She was hired by a wealthy, mysterious man to paint strange mural symbols inside a lighthouse. She learns about the history of witches on the island and about  wildlings – changelings that take children and switch them with one of their own. I didn’t warm up to Liv and I wished she could have handled things differently. But reading about her family dynamics was entertaining.

The third timeline takes place in 2021 and sees a now-adult Luna struggling to deal with her trauma after the fracture of her family. When her missing sister, Clover is found, Luna is surprised to see that she is still the same age as when she disappeared. This is my least favourite storyline because I thought it requires too much suspension of disbelief. For example, it’s highly unlikely that the authorities wouldn’t investigate the reappearance of a missing child. I also couldn’t connect with Luna, who seems to go with the flow and seems lacklustre for someone reuniting with her missing sister.

While the story does seem far-fetched at times, I was invested in the mystery and how the timelines intersect. The characters experience growth and reconciliation. The book looks into how fast time moves and how little time we actually have through the themes of family, love, sacrifice and injustice. How the wildlings folklore is revealed, too, is effectively moving. The ending feels slightly too neat but it works.

Overall, The Lighthouse Witches would be perfect for readers who love mysteries, family drama, and the history of witches.

CW: physical assault, child death

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the author: CJ Cooke

Photo by Dan Mall