THE HOUSE OF THE WITCH BY CLARE MARCHANT

One of the things I most love about Clare Marchant’s books is the way the current timeline echoes the historical, and this time they were bound more tightly together than ever, although that wasn’t apparent at first.

Adrianna arrives, exhausted and burnt out, at a small cottage near the Norfolk coast, deposited there by her boyfriend Rick, who then returns to his job and their life in London. Something isn’t quite right with the house, and she finds a diary from 1646 with what appears to be at worst a curse, and at best a dire warning, on top.

The diary was written by Ursula, the village midwife and wise woman, who lived happily alone in the cottage, having seen the damage men can inflict on their powerless wives. Unfortunately she attracts the unwanted attentions of a newly arrived doctor who will stop at nothing to possess her.

So the story is set up, and it is beautifully told, with descriptions that immerse you completely – especially in natural world that Ursula inhabits. A thoroughly recommended engrossing read, especially for those who love something a little other-worldly sprinkled through their fiction.