Book Review | Witch 13 by Patrick R. Delaney

Sheriff Sterling Marsh is preparing for a final week at work after tendering her resignation in light of a string of misfortunes. Her quiet leaving is interrupted by the appearance of a stranger in the form of a witch. Silent and menacing, the witch doesn’t say a word but strange, awful things begin happening all over town.

Over a long winter night, Sterling would come face-to-face with a presence that throws her world into a frenzy and upends everything she ever thought she knew.

“Hello?” Her voice came out stronger than she expected, and hearing herself gave her the courage she needed to move faster.

A shadowy figure passed between the trees, startling her and causing her to stumble back.

Every time I hear about a book about witches, I get excited. Sign me up for all the witchy goodness! Witch 13 is the latest take on a witch appearing in a modern-day setting, but it leaves a lot to be desired for me.

Blending police procedural with supernatural is always a gamble, and I think it works fine here. The book is primarily set in a police station over one night where the characters are waiting for a storm to pass. A witch appearing at a police station is a striking image, and I thought uncanny moments like these were the best parts of the book. Her powers cause hallucinations and delusions, leading to some horrific situations. I really liked the gorgeous illustrations accompanying the story.

I found the characterisation and the dialogue to be the weakest. The main character comes across like a tantrum-throwing teenager than an adult whose job involves being responsible for others. While I can understand Sterling’s unbalanced mental state in light of her trauma, her reactions were extreme and reckless. When she’s not crying, she’s sneering, judgmental, and mistrustful of everyone, even an innocent child. This leads to decision-making that was questionable and unbelievable at best. I found it hard to believe that someone like her could be the town sheriff. The other characters don’t exactly fare better. The overuse of adjectives and metaphors in the writing was distracting and there were passages that could have been left out to tighten up the prose.

The book ends with a resolution that seems to come out of nowhere. I would have loved to know more about the witch and her background beyond what was given. There’s a potential for an entirely different storyline that I wish was focused on instead of the police angle. For a character whose name appears in the title, her story is sadly relegated to the side.

Witch 13 is a spooky tale about a broken woman who goes up against a powerful witch. It will make you think twice before putting on a witch’s hat!

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

About the author: Patrick R. Delaney

Photo by Ksenia Yakovleva