Book blurb…
The independent women of Scotland stand up to a witch hunt, male fury and the power of the Church in a battle for survival in this compelling historical novel based on true events in early eighteenth century Scotland.
1703: The wild east coast of Scotland.
Returning to her home town of Pittenweem, fishwife and widow Sorcha McIntyre knows she faces both censure and mistrust. After all, this is a country where myth and legend are woven into the fabric of the everyday, a time when those who defy custom like Sorcha has are called to account.
It is dangerous to be a clever woman who 'doesn't know her place' in Pittenweem - a town rife with superstition. So, when a young local falls victim to witchcraft, the Reverend Cowper and the townsfolk know who to blame. What follows for Sorcha and her friends is a terrifying battle, not only for their souls, but for their lives, as they are pitted against the villagers' fear, a malevolent man and the might of the church.
Based on the shocking true story of the witch hunt of Pittenweem, this multi-layered novel is a beautifully written historical tale of the strength of women united against a common foe, by one of Australia's finest writers.
'Meticulously researched and historically compelling... this fast-paced novel is a dramatic spy thriller that shines a spotlight on the inner workings of Elizabethan England.' - BOOKS+PUBLISHING on The Locksmith's Daughter

My thoughts…
PLOT: This novel is based on historical times in Scotland and the plot is linked to those events.

PACE: The pace is slower than I would have liked. The story, however, was well told.

LANDSCAPE: I certainly got a sense of the town and its surrounding area. I could easily imagine the fishing village and feel the cold, wet conditions the townsfolk experienced.

CHARACTERS: The characters were well-crafted and I felt for them as they endured difficult times under suspicion of witchcraft.

OVERALL FEELINGS ABOUT THE STORY: It’s hard to say I enjoyed the story. The story was well told but may have had some unnecessary fictional elements. Some descriptions were a little repetitive. The historical facts in the story made for interesting reading and created feelings of disgust in relation to the treatment given to the women suspected of Witchcraft.

For me this was a book that I found hard to get into at the beginning, but when I did I didn’t want to put it down, the research that went into this book to tell the story of witch hunts in Pittenween back in the 1700’s was amazing and it is based on a true happening with extra characters added that made this one a story that had me getting emotionally involved and so many emotions, sadness, anger and the ending had me smiling.

It is 1703 in the village of Pittenween on the coast of Scotland and Sorcha McIntyre has just returned to her home she is one of the fishwives and widowed and her and her friends Nettie, Nicholas, Janet, Isobel and Beatrix work hard to earn money to put food on the table, they are strong woman and honest and would do anything for each other.

When one of the young men in the village falls ill and witchcraft is suspected Reverend Cowper starts a witch hunt that will change the lives of the fishwives, it will push them to the limits but together no matter what cruel punishment is doled out to them they stay strong.

Captain Aiden Ross is in charge of the soldiers billeted in the village he is a caring man and finds himself drawn to Sorcha and when the fishwives are captured and tortured as witches Aiden does what he can to help and this puts the Reverend off side, the Reverend’ sermons incite the villagers and the incomers that have come to be there while the witches are supposedly put to trial, this caused even more hurt and pain for the women and man accused of being witches.

This story is heart-wrenching and beautiful at the same time and I am sure that MS Brooks would have been emotionally exhausted after the research and then writing this story, that she has done so well, I do highly recommend this book but yes there are very cruel and violent moments throughout but the strength that these woman show lifted the spirits of myself and then the ending was beautiful the joy and happiness. I honestly went through many emotions reading this one, thank you MS Brooks.

I have read and enjoyed two Karen Brooks novels before and they have been exceptional. I was therefore eager to try her latest - a tale of witch hunts in eighteenth century Scotland.

This gripping and confrontational tale revolves around a group of women - fishwives - who are accused of being witches. There is a great deal of research that has gone into this fictional adaptation. Based on a true story this is a shocking truth and extremely cruel occurrence. In a world dominated by men and religion, these women come together and exemplify everything that embodies the word ‘friendship’. Add into the mix superstition and a clergy out for revenge and it is hard to believe that much of this story is true! These women fight to save their lives and the torture they endured can only be described as horrific.

‘Listening to the reverend, Sorcha marvelled that this man of God, who should be alleviating people’s fears, was exacerbating them. When he should be encouraging unity, he was fostering discord and suspicion. How was this helping the town? It wasn’t. It was destroying it.’

Karen has done an incredible job of not only researching the trials themselves but capturing the time and place of Scotland during this period. The best part I believe, however, is her detailed characterisations. As she states, “I hope that this book, while dark and harrowing in parts, is understood as I intend it—not only to showcase female friendship, the great bonds and love that can exist between good and decent men and women, even when all about them is unravelling, but also to honour the community of Pittenweem and especially those who fell during these bleak and terrible times.”. The author’s note at the conclusion is most insightful after such a read.

‘... slowly, carefully, she embraced the woman. She smelled of musty old caves, fear and hunger. Of nightmares and endless days of loneliness. She smelled of defiance.’

Despite all of this, I did struggle at times. There were parts of the book that seem overly drawn out and the reader needs to be patient and persevere to learn of this desperate time in history for women. This tale is so dark and difficult to read at times simply because of the material - it really is confrontational. Although uncomfortable and challenging, it shines a light on both the good and bad to be found in human natures.

‘There was something not quite right about someone who could inflict that level of pain on another human being, divest a woman of her robes without blinking a cold eye nor show any emotion as he pawed her flesh, pulled and searched… Searched, my arse. It was as if his soul had been dislodged or evaporated altogether. And they called her a witch.’




This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

History is rife with examples of humans doing their worst. When you read as much historical fiction as I do, you have occasion to come across this fairly regularly. Even so, I’m still pulled up at times by history that has been buried deep in the hopes that it may not ever be discovered and pulled out into the light. And so it is with the 1704 witch hunt of Pittenweem, the history that this incredible novel, The Darkest Shore, is based upon. This is a dark read, with human nature exposed at its most despicable, where torture and murder is vindicated as ‘the will of God’. It was at times a harrowing read, but such is the talent of Karen Brooks that this darkness did not equate to a depressing read. There are moments of such strength and love between friends and neighbours that you can’t help but feel as though this story is as uplifting as it is harrowing. As is the way with history, from the author’s notes at the end we learn that the very worst parts of this story were the ones that were entirely true.


‘Yet to Reverend Patrick Cowper, the fishwives represented everything he disapproved of: loud, godless women, women without men to control them, teach them how to behave and keep them tamed and quiet. That they were able to earn their keep and had means and property besides, only added to their sins.’


The Darkest Shore is a long novel, a touch over 500 pages, and it’s also a very involving novel. The story is epic in scope and immersive in its attention to detail. I absolutely loved the Scottish-ness of it, the language, the customs, and the way in which people interacted with each other; the ebb and flow of daily community life. This is where the more uplifting parts of the story were evident, particularly in the connections between the fishwives. There was a loyalty and affection between them that was empowering to witness. For all that these women endured, they drew strength from each other and I believe this was a big part of the reason why they survived all they were subjected to. Karen Brooks has brought the history of who these women were to life with honour and affection; this novel really is a beautiful tribute to who the fishwives were and the important role they played within Scottish fishing communities in the early 18th century.


‘In the telling, she owned the story. She took it from the men who inflicted the pain and suffering, the officials who allowed it to happen and kept records, and made it hers.’


Reverend Cowper was a villain and a half, let me tell you. There was no end to his evil, he just kept on stalking the women, hammering away at his congregation about ‘the witches’, whipping up hysteria and fear. He was a man obsessed, but what was more alarming was how the majority of Pittenweem locals fell for his fervour. Honestly, the man was transparent in his agenda and purely evil, yet he ruled that community like a puppet master. It’s a telling reminder of just how easy it is to manipulate the masses if the chips are all falling down in your favour. That he fashioned himself in the model of Pontius Pilate was beyond arrogant and entirely reprehensible. He deserved a reckoning that far surpassed what he had orchestrated and allowed to be done within his community. Karen Brooks gives us a more satisfying outcome with regards to Reverend Cowper than what history reports of his true fate.


‘Listening to the reverend, Sorcha marvelled that this man of God, who should be alleviating people’s fears, was exacerbating them. When he should be encouraging unity, he was fostering discord and suspicion.’


I really loved The Darkest Shore. The history of witches and witch hunting is of particular interest to me and I feel that Karen Brooks has handled such a dark history with care and empathy. I read The Chocolate Maker’s Wife last year and adored that and when considered alongside The Darkest Shore, I’d have to say that Karen Brooks is now one of my favourite authors. I’ll be reading everything she releases from now on and will be making a point of reading her historical fiction back list as well. I can’t recommend this one highly enough, it’s a brilliant read.


Thanks is extended to HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a copy of The Darkest Shore for review.

The Darkest Shore by Karen Brooks is a compelling, fascinating, and disturbing historical fiction novel inspired by true events.

“Twas the sea and its siren call and the men to whom they cleaved that made sisters of all the fishwives, regardless of who their mothers were, where they hailed from, and whether their husbands, fathers or brothers were alive or dead.”

The story begins on Hogmanay (New Years Eve) 1703 as Sorcha McIntyre returns home to Pittenweem, a small fishing village on the east coast of Scotland, after a fraught few months spent with her sister in St. Andrews. Despite a rude homecoming, Sorcha is happy to be back amongst her close friends, the fishwives of the ‘Weem, and quickly resettles into the rhythm of village life.

“He would put his mind to how to tame Sorcha McIntyre. Her and the rest of the fishwives.”

It’s not long however until the local minister, Patrick Cowper, who considers the independence of the fishwives and in particular Sorcha, an affront to God, takes advantage of an ill young man to turn the community against the women with accusations of witchcraft.

“All of them are wicked, wicked women, every last one of them.”

Drawing on a wide range of primary and secondary sources, (quotes from which chapter introductions are drawn), Brooks seamlessly blends historical detail with informed imagination to create a spellbinding story that explores the true events that occurred in Pittenweem, where seven women (and one man) were imprisoned and tortured after being accused of witchcraft.

While the true motives of the minister who led the persecution of the ‘Pittenweem Witches’ are unknown, Brooks offers an explanation that certainly seems plausible. Her portrayal of Cowper feels authentic (and frighteningly familiar) as he manipulates the Word of God to satisfy his lust for power and control, and to deflect his own personal shortcomings.

Sorcha is a young woman who has defied custom by circumstance. Both her parents are dead, her eldest brother is presumed to have been killed overseas while soldiering, and having been recently widowed, she is the sole owner of a large fishing vessel. The combination of her financial independence, her beauty, and her refusal to heed his demand that she remarry, are in part what infuriates Cowper and makes her a target of his rage.

Though Sorcha is a wholly fictional character, the other women (and one man) who also stand accused as witches in The Darkest Shore were once real people. Brooks breathes life into these tragic figures in a manner that I think honours the strength and dignity with which they seem to have faced Cowper’s vendetta in order to have survived it. The harrowing experiences of the accused, particularly at the hands of ‘The Pricker’ during their imprisonment, and the cruel fate that befell two of them, made for uncomfortable reading at times, more so when you are reminded that there is truth in their suffering.

Though there are many dark and troubling events depicted in the novel, there are also inspiring and heartening moments as the fishwives refuse to surrender hope, supporting and comforting one another as best they can through their prolonged ordeal. There is even a touch of romance when Sorcha finds a champion, and love, with an army Captain, and the ending (though Brooks admits it deviates from the official facts) is eminently satisfying.

Beautifully written, with authentic characterisation and vivid description, I found The Darkest Shore to be a captivating, even if sometimes confronting, read.

Sorcha McIntyre was unsure of her reception once she returned to her hometown of Pittenweem after an absence of years, but was pleasantly surprised at the welcome she received, at least from her women friends. The fishwives of Pittenweem were a strong, hardworking group of women who spent their days on the shore on the east coast of Scotland, mending the fishing nets and many other chores from dawn to dusk. Nettie, the good friend who had been living in Sorcha’s home while she was away, kept Sorcha close, filling her in on all that had happened in her absence.

The new incomer, Captain Aiden Ross was a fairer man than his predecessor and kept his soldiers in line, banishing them for any misdemeanors. But it was the Reverend Cowper who terrified her and many others. He’d always had a hatred of Sorcha – and she of him – but his fanatical beliefs had followers as well. Sorcha and her friends needed to remember not to ignite anything to cause the superstitions which were rife in the town in 1704. The innocent jest by one of the women started a terrifying and brutal time for Sorcha and the others as they were hounded for witches. Reverend Cowper was determined to see them all hang…

The Darkest Shore by Aussie author Karen Brooks is well researched, beautifully written but oh my goodness, it is brutal! Cruel, breathtaking, descriptive torture – I had to put the book down several times as I just couldn’t read any more. I ended up skimming a lot of the dark viciousness, while wishing the perpetrators much harm. Based on the true story of the witch hunt of Pittenweem back in 1704 and 1705, with many of the characters actual people, the Author’s Notes at the end are interesting – don’t read first as there are spoilers. Sorcha (a strong, independent woman, and my favourite character) and her family are fictional; and the ending was perfect. I feel sure Ms Brooks would have needed to do something light and entertaining after she finished this book. I know I need to read something light and entertaining now! Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins AU for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

‘Someone had to bear witness.’

In 1703, Sorcha McIntyre returns to her hometown of Pittenweem, on Scotland’s east coast. Pittenweem is a small fishing village, steeped in legend, tradition and superstition. Sorcha is a widow and a fishwife, whose defiance of custom will prove dangerous.

A young local lad falls ill. A victim of witchcraft, according to Reverend Cowper and some of the local villagers. In the ensuing hysteria, several women are named witches, imprisoned and tortured. The Reverend Cowper knows how to manipulate the situation, claiming to have right (and God) on his side.

What follows is an intense story, which is largely based on real events. Ms Brooks brings her characters to life: the circumstances and friendships of the fishwives are as much a part of the story as their fight for freedom. I kept reading, wanting the hysteria to abate. I kept reading, wanting to see justice for the accused women, wanting to see Reverend Cowper get his just deserts.

I read this novel twice. The first time, I read to find out how it would end. The second time, I paid more attention to the setting, to Ms Brooks’s depictions of character and place. I also appreciated the glossary and list of characters.

This is a compelling, dark work of historical fiction. Not comfortable, and a reminder of both the best and worst of human nature.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin HQ Fiction for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

4.5/5

This is a story based on true events. It is essentially about the imprisonment and torture of a group of women falsely accused of witchcraft.

This story is very dark but also intensely riveting. I couldn’t put it down! I binge read the last 70% in a day. The author has done a fantastic job in creating an authentic and tense atmosphere. The setting is richly detailed without being belabored and feels like it’s own character.

The author has done an exceptional job at creating interesting and well rounded characters. I particularly enjoyed the friendships between the women. It was lovely to see strong female characters with equally strong friendships. And there is also a ‘Joffrey-esq’ character that you just want to repeatedly punch in the face - in a really good way though. It’s a testament to good story telling when you want a character to get their comeuppance so forking badly.

There is also a love interest for the main character but it’s firmly in the background to the rest of the story. The only reason this didn’t get 5 stars was because the relationship felt a bit insta lovey in the beginning and there is a sex scene that could have been toned down. It just felt a little out of place in the overall story. That being said I came to really love Sorcha and Aidan’s relationship by the end.

<b>Thank you to Harlequin Australia and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this title to review!</b>