Told across times lines and viewpoints, this is historical women’s fiction meshed with psychological mystery. We learn the secrets of the Reid family against a backdrop of witchcraft and the associated oppression of women.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

I interviewed Victoria (name-twins!) for my blog but I admit this is the first of her books I've actually read, but what a way to start!

I must say, Victoria descriptions of grandparents is gorgeous. I lost my first grandparent when I was 8, and my last when I was 23. And I miss the warmth and love and safety that they provide. It can be hard to capture that in a book, but she's done exactly that. She's captured that nostalgia and I was really absorbed. I loved the grandparents before we even met them.

The book is split into a couple of points-of-view. We have the present scenes, set in a modern time, from our protagonist Ailsa. We also have scenes set just before WW1, from Elspeth's viewpoint. I didn't know who she was at first, and I thought she might have been Ailsa's Grandmother but as a young woman but we learn her name is Moira. So that was intriguing. They were both equally as exciting and interesting as each other, and I would have gladly read an entire book set in the past scenes. It threw up a lot of questions. I think my heart was more into the past scenes, but I think that's just because I enjoy reading about the early 190s, big houses, governesses and whatnot. We do also get another viewpoint from the 60s towards the latter half of the book, but I won't spoil what that has to do with. Victoria has managed to balance the viewpoints, giving us enough of the past to understand the present, and enough of the present to remind us of the past. Beautifully done.

We have a range of characters: Ailsa, Rowan, Moira, Cordelia, Elspeth, Selina - and they're just the women! Men include fathers, husbands, brothers, sons. Forgive me, but this is the women's story. They were so brilliantly written I felt like I knew them, that they were friends or relatives, and some of it was hard to read, as it felt like it was happening, in a way, to me.

There are some difficult topics, such as domestic violence, death, loss, grief, alcoholism, dementia, abuse, abandonment, pregnancy issues, sexuality, power struggles etc. It doesn't get bogged down in the negative, but instead she uses it as a way to frame the good times.

As someone with a chronic illness, I really liked the inclusion of a character with a disability (Selina), and not just as an afterthought or a novelty, a fully fleshed-out main character who just so happens to have a disability, rather than it being her only characteristic.

I suppose one might describe it as a feminist story. It is definitely a powerful one at that, showing different generations of Reid women and the strength they've had to find in the face of violent obstacles over the years.

There's a lot of thrillers about nowadays, and I have read a lot of them, and they all have generally similar features which can be quite repetitive. But this had something a little extra. I can't pinpoint it exactly. Perhaps because it wasn't 'just' a thriller. It had a sense of the romance genre, historical, psychological thriller, fantasy. It hooked me from the first page and I just raced my way through it.

It's like a story within a story within a story. Which could have been confusing and complicated and unnecessary but Victoria has managed to weave them all in so well that I can't think of a better way of telling this story.

Historical fiction with a psychological element? What’s not to love! I really enjoyed alternating between the historical fiction chapters and the modern day chapters. The ‘curse’ of the female family link pulling between all the chapters. The relationships between the characters across the ages is very compelling, and the darker characters are very well written too. Definitely a recommended read.

This is a wonderful book and I loved it. Telling the story of the Reid women across the generations with the backdrop of a witchcraft legend, it touches many social issues from disability, women's rights and misogyny.
A tale of women forged by the past, it's dark, gripping, immersive and full of surprises.

I really enjoyed reading this book which tells of history repeating itself through several generations of women in one Scottish family who were thought to be witches. It jumps between the generations to tell the stories so that they are revealed slowly but throughout the book which works really well. The characters are well rounded and described and the historical elements seem to be well researched. The only criticism I would have is that the ending came very abruptly which seemed a shame. Still overall a very enjoyable book that I'm happy to recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

The Darkest Night is an empowering tale of Ailsa Reid and the women who came before her. It takes us on a journey through four generations of Reid women, and the individual yet connected hardships they have faced and overcome. The further into the book I read, the more I fell in love with the Reid women and how their stories wove together, creating a history of strength, determination, and perseverance in the face of men.

The depth and detail Hawthorne added to the story is so well executed. The progression of each character and their story was written pretty perfectly, and the referencing of the Reid women who came before them was intertwined so wonderfully.

My favourite character is Selina - I related heavily to her and her disability (I myself suffer from a chronic pain disability which renders me unable to work or able to do much else). I enjoyed watching how Elspeth helped her to become more than her setbacks, to push past what she thought were her limits, and to be a strong and confident woman.

The story holds the truths of how we’ve always lived in a man’s world, yet how the strength of women has always shone through. I hope that every woman who reads this book is reminded that she has the power to write her own story.

(I received an Advance Review Copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ARC received via NetGalley.)

A great historical fiction with lots of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages. This book had everything I enjoy in a book - well researched historical elements, a bit of horror, and some romance. I did guess one of the twists which is why it dropped a star for me, but a great read nevertheless.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my eARC!

Beautifully haunting story of multiple generations of Reid women.

I was hooked within pages and finished the entire book within a few days, reading sentences whenever I could.

Victoria Hawthorne has created interesting and engaging characters which lead the reader through the modern age to post-war times to a contemporary world. By swapping between these storylines I was always kept in suspense at where the stories were heading and I was not disappointed at the end.

Very well written and will definitely be looking forward to anything else Victoria Hawthorne writes.

The Darkest Night by Victoria Hawthorne.
A split timeline of family relationships and secrets. The story spans the fortunes of the Reid Women (supposedly descendants of witches although this thread does not really feature in the story) from before the 2nd world war through to present day. Well written with some suspense and a final twist at the end.

I really liked this, I love a dual timeline and even more so if there’s a family or location link. I thoroughly enjoyed uncovering the mysteries in all the timelines, especially the one I had not anticipated!

The women in this book were intriguing and complex, demonstrating both strengths and vulnerabilities to make very real people.

The locations were atmospheric and evocative and it was a gripping read.

Highly recommend.

This was a timeslip mystery, so there was more than one narrative to follow. From the start, I was drawn in by the eerie tone of the writing, and I felt that something sinister had happened or was going to happen. The chapters were short, and moved from the perspective of one character to another, so that kept me in suspense, so it was difficult to stop reading, especially once I became interested in the characters and felt invested in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Thanks NetGalley and publishers for the arc. Completely different from what I normally read, but proves that I stepped correctly out of my comfort zone. Compelling and entertaining. Definitely recommend.

The atmosphere in this novel was absolutely haunting and cleverly written.
I definitely could have read more, it seemed a very short read and was over quite quickly. Great twist at the end!

It is the epitome of what a fantastic historical fiction book should be. The history is the most significant element, along with the setting, characters, and plot. The parts based on actual incidents that may shock you. When it comes to learning and education, Victoria's books are a true delight because of her meticulous research, but they also err on the side of horror when it comes to what people can do to one another.
One of her novels probably has a self-referential story or a profile of a person you wouldn't often read about. Victoria provides a genuinely authentic portrayal by drawing on her personal experiences with discrimination, health issues, and general struggles. This twist is arguably the best thus far, and it's really dark!

I describe this book as many stories within a story. It covers detailed accounts of the women within the Reid family- their lives, loves, secrets and tragedies.
I was hoping we would hear more of the witches that were burned on the hill by the Reid family home, but this was only lightly covered, instead detailing the lives of the Reid women that followed.
This is a well written book but I did find it confusing in places and a little unbelievable, but an enjoyable read overall.

It's an enchanting saga taking place on the North Sea shores, spanning over five generations of the Reids family. It's a story about complicated mother-daughter relationships, male violence, and women standing up against abusers.
I really enjoyed this book. It's quite slow paced, but I didn't mind it. I was drawn by this disturbing family history and strong female characters. The writing style is beautiful, creating a dark, haunting atmosphere. Some parts of the storyline were understated, but I felt it added charm and mystery to the narrative.

I really liked the writing and the setting in this book. The characters were well fleshed out and the author wrote the atmosphere very well
I got a little bored at about the halfway point and it struggled to keep my interest towards the end. Although I did like the story it often felt a bit long winded
I would give this author another shot as I did like some aspects of the book

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher

This book really had many great tense moments and suspense building. It kept me hooked throughout and I would definitely recommend it.

Victoria Hawthorne, aka Vikki Patis, is the absolute queen of atmospheric reads, suspense and gothic settings. And perhaps this one is her best yet… in fact… calling it now!

It has everything that you want in brilliant historical fiction novel. The setting, the characters, the storyline and most importantly… the history. The bits that will shock you and which are based upon real events. Vikki carefully researches what she writes about and her books are a real treat in terms of learning and education, but also on the edge of horror in respect of what humans do to other humans.

Vikki also brings representation in her fiction. You will likely see yourself in one of her books, or you’ll read about people that you don’t usually read about. Vikki uses her own experiences of health and discrimination and general struggle to give a truly authentic characterisation. This is probably the best so far - and so very dark - that twist!