This is a story which tells a captivating tale that intwines a historical mystery with a touch of magic. And all of it takes place in atmospheric Cornwall. I loved the dual timeline that switches between the 17th century and the present. I enjoyed the author’s world-building, and her descriptive style brought St. Mawgan to life, which enhanced the story’s sense of mystery and intrigue. The back and forth between the two storylines is written so as they are clearly defined while at the same time portraying the sense of connection between the past and present. The slow reveal of the secrets of the past added multiple layers of depth to the present mystery.

This is a multi-genre book, and the author mixes historical fiction, mystery and witchcraft elements successfully. It created an excellent amount of suspense that had me glued to the pages. Witches and ghosts and smugglers…oh my! I found the pacing to be a tad on the slow side, but I think it added to the suspense and worked well here. And if you’re a historical fiction purist, you may not appreciate the witchcraft sections. If I have to mention one niggle it would be the ending, I wish there was more to it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and its blend of the past with the present. It was captivating when it needed to be and a slow burn when it didn’t. I think the best part of the book was the setting and the way the author melded an intriguing mystery with a hint of magic. I recommend it to those who enjoy a captivating story with a touch of hocus pocus.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Elena Collins delivers another captivating dual-timeline tale with The Cornish Witch—a blend of mystery, romance, and the supernatural. When Megan’s father receives a letter revealing a long-buried secret, Megan travels to the Cornish village of St Mawgen Cove to uncover the truth, under the guise of a surfing trip. What she finds instead is a haunting mystery, ghostly encounters, and a centuries-old tragedy that still lingers in the present.

Set in both modern times and 1625, the story follows Susanna, a healer and single mother whose daughter becomes dangerously entangled with a woman suspected of witchcraft. As suspicion and fear rise, the past unfolds with heartbreaking intensity.

Beautifully written and atmospheric, this novel explores themes of love, loss, and healing across time. With rich characters, vivid imagery, and a satisfying conclusion that ties both timelines together, The Cornish Witch is another enchanting read from Collins. Fans of her previous paranormal stories will not be disappointed.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Cornish Witch, my I’d been so looking forward to this ARC, Elena Collins being one of my must read authors and let me just say, she didn’t disappoint. 5 shining stars.
Being a time slip story it’s told in the 1600 and the present day.
I love how the holistic ways have stood the test of time. Even if lesser embraced in present day.
In present day we meet Megan who takes herself off to St Mawgan to uncover a family secret, there she stays at an old inn, which has a haunting vibe.
There she quickly settles in to friendships, surfing, diving and spooky tales of The Drenched Man, The Weeping Woman and The Waiting Witch. Can the tales and mysteries of old be laid to rest?
In the 1600s we meet Susanna, a single mum to her flirtatious and very pretty Katel, Tedda and Beaten. Susanna is known for her healing talents and is called upon for ailments and childbirth, Katel works with the fish the fishermen bring in, She is besotted with old lady Tedda and her enchantments, which her mother warns her against.
Bad things start to happen and pretty soon rumours spread and lives are ruined.
With Spirits trapped can they be set free?
Cold Kisses, Fishermen, Lotions and Potions and the much darker side of the coin, Tedda!!!
Its so well put together, I don’t quite know how she does it, but she had me gripped and scared at times too, as I read parts at bedtime, from start to finish. Highly Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

St Magwen Cove is a Cornish fishing village that exactly 400 years ago was befallen by a tragedy that still has repercussions today.

The story is told in two timelines. In 1625 we have Susanna, a midwife and herbalist healer and her 17 year old daughter Katel who gets under the influence of a woman thought of as a witch, plus a whole host of villagers with unusual names. It's a heartbreaking story of witchcraft, smuggling, death and grief resulting in three ghosts called The Waiting Witch, The Weeping Woman and the Drenched Man, who are still haunting three of the four guest rooms in the Ship Inn because they used to be fishermen's cottages back then.

In the present day, 28 year old Megan, also into herbalism and crystals, has booked a room in the Ship Inn for a holiday - sun, sand, surfing and finding the half sister she never knew she had. She starts a romance with diver Patrick who is interested in an old shipwreck, but she also gets drawn into the history of the Ship Inn and the ghosts who are very much still around, in their grief-stricken and angry form.

The story is compelling but somewhat uneven in narrative. The supernatural element and the treatment of women in the 17th century, expected to still cook and clean while ill or just having given birth, is a lot more interesting than the lukewarm present day romance and trying to de-ghost an old pub. I don't believe in ghosts and it makes no sense whatsoever for an upset unalived witch to still kill men 400 years later - there wouldn't be anyone left! However I did find that story well-researched, atmospheric and compelling, and the haunted pub full of locals singing sea shanties while trying to be modernised by a gay couple is a fascinating mixture of the old and the new.

I can't believe that this is the third genre that Judy Leigh (under a pen name) has mastered, after her cosy murder mysteries and her romances for the older gals. Despite reservations about ghosts, I had a good time reading this and would recommend to anyone interested in historical fiction coupled with the supernatural and a contemporary romance in a Cornish setting with a gorgeous cover.

I’m not usually one for ghosts and witches but I figured I’d try this one anyways, since quite often old 1600’s witch trials were a complete farce. This, however was a legitimate witch and ghost story, but I didn’t feel like it was all that creepy or eerie.

The storyline was interesting, going back and forth in the two timelines and I thought the build up was well done. I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style - it just felt kind of flat, at least for Megan’s timeline, and some of the dialogue felt unnatural or mechanical.

The ghosts depicted in the book supposedly sent people screaming in terror but I never got that from the writing. They felt more like a weird interruption without much description to back up the declared emotional reaction. Susanna’s chapters were more fleshed out and better described, though the characters across the board felt fairly inconsistent.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

I enjoy any witchy novel and this one piqued my interest. The dual timeline of Megan and Susannah’s lives were really interesting. I particularly liked reading about Susannah’s life in the 1600s and the old healer ways. Megan’s journey to learn more about her family and expand her own life was really enjoyable too.

Megan's father receives a letter concerning the past and asks Megan to go to the village of St Mawgen cove to investigate. dual timeline

A dual timeline read of superstition, witchcraft, smugglers and haunted goings on set in Cornwall has all the right ingredients to be right up my alley and this definitely did not disappoint!
Loved the atmospheric backdrop of St Mawgen Cove, both in modern day and old., the descriptions and writing really pulled me in to feel like I was right there. The 1625 fishing village and lifestyle was my favourite, particularly the wide mix of strong well developed characters, not just in Susanna and Katel, but in the neighbours and friends around them as well.
I really liked modern day Megan's interest in 'new age' crystals and healing too. It was a clever link to the healing offerings of the wise women of before.
I liked this a lot!!

The story was fabulous, I was just a little put off by the switching back and forth. I thoroughly enjoyed being in the 17th Century, but I realize the story wouldn't have worked if it had been the sole era of the book. The characters were wonderful and each personality read as completely separate individuals. I had the mysteries figured out by the end but it was suspenseful getting there. I'd recommend The Cornish Witch as a good read!

I enjoyed going back and forth past and present lives of Megan and Susannah.
What a neat mystery that unfolded between both story lines. Really good historical fiction with some mystery and romance intertwined.

Well I absolutely devoured this book in a day,. Sitting in the sunshine, what’s not to like- a story about Cornwall, witches, ghosts, romance, heartbreak and mysteries.

I loved the present day characters and also the historical ones. What a difficult time being a women in the 17th century.

A huge recommendation from me 5⭐️’s

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

A dual time story of mystery, loss and great longing that comes down the centuries.
1625, Cornwall, a daughter is wrongly accused of Witchcraft and condemned to death. Not a trial by jury, but a mob of villagers seal her fate.
Her mother curses those responsible, and men gradually start dying in mysterious circumstances.
Present day sees Megan going to Cornwall to discover more about her newly discovered half sister. She becomes involved in the pain and suffering of Katel, the young woman , when she takes a room in the Ship Inn. Rooms are said to be haunted there, legends of smugglers and the ghosts of those who were involved in that fateful night so long ago.
Superstition, Witchcraft and Murders are the key features of this really absorbing story. There are romances and heartbreak in each time zone which add to the sense of loss and enduring love over the centuries.
I really enjoyed the modern day story, it brought back fantastic memories of surfing at Watergate Bay and Fistral beach, and the Museum of Witchcraft at Boscastle really appealed to our two boys, the more gruesome the details the better!
Times in 1625 were scary for wise women who had a knowledge of herbal remedies and midwifery. It is particularly frightening how mass hysteria can be whipped up through ignorance and the resultant punishments doled out to such women.
A four star read. A slow burner, but there are some very likeable and faithful characters.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Boldwood Books for my advanced reading copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave copies to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication. I also recommend to my local library and book groups.

A profound story of love and loss with beautiful atmospheric writing.

The mystery at the heart of this novel keeps the story going, but it’s the women, their experiences, desires, losses, and longings that will remain with you.

I especially enjoyed reading the chapters about Susanna and Katel. Their stories were so captivating and their fate heartbreaking.
Another thing I enjoyed were the ghostly happenings at The Ship Inn which gave the story an unsettling and eerie feel.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys emotional stories about women, witchcraft, all with a touch of supernatural and written in a beautiful heartfelt way.

Thank you to the publisher Boldwood Books for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood for allowing me to read this book before release date.

This book had me from the first sentence.. i was hooked into this story. I loved that we followed present day and the past. Such strong female main characters, in both present and past ! Family, love.. mystery ! Ghosts, witches and history with such strong settings in Cornwall. I felt my heart ache at points in this book... I found myself thinking about this book even when i wasn't reading, It's constant page turner.

It's a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ all day long from me..
this book is what i needed to remind me why i love historic novels so much. I will be recommending it fellow book friends.

Now i need my Cornwall fix 🌊

Meghan discovers that her father has a second daughter with his first love who was given up for adoption. She heads to St. Mawgen Cove in Cornwall to search for her and for a well-deserved holiday after a painful break-up with her ex-boyfriend. She stays at The Ship's Inn, the only hotel of the town, where a lot of customers leave because ghosts are said to wander at night. And in there is a story that men die suddenly after a kiss from The Waiting Witch when they walk the streets at night. In the 17th century, Susannah is a single mother who tries to warn her daughter Katel about the influence of Tedda Lobb who practices black magic.

Elena Collins writes dual timeline stories with a touch of magic, which is a successful recipe for me. After having read 'The lady of the loch', this one also seemed interesting.

I must admit that I found Meghan's contemporary perspective more smoothly written and it was therefore more appealing to me. Although the whole thing with the ghosts in the Inn does take a long time. Susannah and Katel's story picks up after some time, but I struggled to get to know all the names and to really form a bond with the two women.

Throughout the whole book, the village St. Mawgen Cove in Cornwall takes center stage. I liked how Collins portrayed the town and how The Ship Inn was the center stage of both timelines.

The Cornish witch is an entertaining novel with different themes (love, family, witchcraft, betrayal). You can see certain things coming and you have to like some of the paranormal elements. But for fans Nicola Cornick, this author is definitely worth a try.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

"This is how people ensnare us, by promising things that won't come to pass."



I have just finished reading The Cornish Witch by Elena Collins, which was kindly gifted to me for review by the publisher Boldwood Books prior to its release. I enjoyed it immensely and it is one of those witchy historical novels that I love to read. Set in Cornwall in a small fishing village it tells the duel narratives of Susanna and Katel, a mother and daughter from the 1600s, and Megan, a modern day surfer and herbalist.

When Megan discovers that she has a half sister, she travels to Cornwall to find out more about her. There she spends her time surfing and diving, and learning about the history of the haunted pub where she is staying, The Ship Inn. After a close encounter with the not so friendly ghosts, she is determined to find out who they are and why the are so tormented.

Back in 1625 The Ship Inn was the bustling hub of the village. It was also the base for a group of smugglers and wreckers, who would stash their stolen booty in the cellar. Susanna lives in one of the cottages attached to the Inn and she makes her living as a healer, wise woman and midwife. In this quiet, sheltered life she has brought up her only daughter, Katel, who is a flighty young woman eager for male attention. In her hurry to find love and ward away rivals, she turns to a less wise women than her mother, a woman called Tedda who has a reputation for witchcraft. The subsequent spell casts a dark shadow over the whole village, leaving both Katel and her mother in danger, as the workings of the spell play out with disastrous consequences. I felt great empathy for Susanna who was the calm voice of reason trying to break through the noise of irrational fear and a web of superstition.

This is a novel in the style of a traditional Cornish sea yarn, filled with smugglers, sea shanties, witchcraft, romance and of course, ghosts. In lots of ways it reminded me of the works of Daphne du Maurier, so if you like books such as Jamaica Inn and Frenchman's Creek, The Cornish Witch will probably be one you will enjoy too. I especially liked the descriptions of surfing, which really gave a feeling of being swept up by the power of the ocean and carried on crests of waves. As a non-swimmer I really appreciated this insight into what it must be like to be a surfer and to feel completely at home and safe in the sea.

It is a coastal novel and I could almost smell the surf and the tang of the ocean as I read this book. It was eerily atmospheric when it needed to be and at the same time, it had all the freshness of a coastal mystery and romance. It is the first time I have ever read any of this author's work and I was hooked from the very first page, which is always a good sign. I believe she has also written another novel about a highway-woman, so I'm certainly going to be picking that one up next.

The Cornish Witch is the perfect read for anyone who loves the work of Daphne du Maurier or Barbara Erskine. It will sweep you away on a tide of intrigue and leave you feeling as if you have spent time on the beautiful Cornish coast, wherever you happen to be. It's the perfect book for taking on holiday. Happy reading!

Marie x

AD: This book was sent to be by the publisher, Boldwood Books, prior to its release for the purposes of review. It is available in all formats from the 20th April 2025.

I picked this ARC on a whim and I was pleasantly surprised by the story telling! I enjoyed getting acquainted with Megan and her journey from her home in Somerset to a remote cove in Cornwall. Cornwall is filled with tales of ghosts, witches and smuggling and Megan's Cornwall is no different. The book alternates between the present day and Megan's adventures and 1625, when Susanna and her daughter Katel live in the same village. There are mysterious happenings at the The Ship Inn where Megan is staying and with some local help, Megan figures out what happened and how to help the spirits who have not moved on.

It was a fast read, although things ended up tied up quite neatly and easily. It's an enjoyable read and not at all taxing.

The Cornish Witch is 3.75 stars for me.

I like the dual POV of the two FMCs. One, a fiercely protective mother living in a small, secluded fishing village in the 1600s. The other POV, a woman in the present going on holiday in search for someone (and discovering so much more). The atmosphere in this novel was like I was there. I liked the history, and the mystery. At some point, I was a little scared. Overall, the conclusion was satisfying.
I do however think the author didn't portray some of the revelations well. We were told instead of shown what happened and I would have liked to see it on page, some of the connecting of the dots. But I like the story overall. I would recommend this book to people who like historical settings.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this advance copy to read and review.

Any novel set in Cornwall is bound to be atmospheric and even mystical, considering the history and landscape of this picturesque seaside region of England. In this dual-timeline story set in the village of St Mawgen Cove, there is not, on the surface, much that is similar about Megan’s present-day life and that of Susanna in the 17th century. There is still some fishing done, but it has become mostly a tourist haven whose beach draws surfers and divers. Also alluring are the stories of smugglers, shipwrecks, curses and hauntings.

In Susanna’s time (1625), the sea is literally the residents’ livelihood. Men fish, smuggle goods, keep inns for seafarers, make and sell alcohol. Drinking is their exclusive pastime. Women have few rights. They keep house, bear and deliver children, salt the incoming catches and, occasionally, serve as healers or ‘pellars’ in the local dialect. The beautiful Susanna, an unmarried mother to the even more stunning Katel, is one such ‘wise woman’. In this world, those who step out of line and appear more powerful or more enticing (often the same thing) than women should be, may find themselves charged with witchcraft.

Megan, who owns a ‘new age’ shop in close-by Somerset, sells crystals and healing herbs with her mother. They are in some ways contemporary versions of Susanna and Katel. When Megan’s beloved father confides that he received a letter from a daughter he has not seen since she was adopted out when he was a teenager, she tries to help him locate Emma. She revealed only her location in St Mawgen. To find out what she can before they tell Jackie, Megan takes a surfing holiday at the Ship Inn, a relic of Susanna’s time and reputedly haunted. I confess that I skipped a lot of the surfer detail that makes up Megan’s story, most of which I didn’t understand anyway.

In Susanna’s story, the detail really enriches the narrative, telling much about the roles of women and the long survival of pagan beliefs. But the surfing does bring a new friendship in the form of Carly, surfer-girl and surf shop merchant. It also introduces Megan to a sudden hot romance with a young beach Adonis, Patrick, who is actually a professor looking for evidence of a 17th century shipwreck. The Carly story really
doesn’t do much for the larger story, and could have easily have been cut.

With both stories established, the timelines finally cross. The author beautifully integrates the customs, beliefs and legends of seafaring families. Local legend speaks of 3 apparitions: the Drenched Man, the Weeping Woman, and the Waiting Witch. , The Witch, who haunts a cliff overlooking the sea, is dangerous to men. She has recently claimed another victim, a local fisherman, evidently happy and healthy, who died suddenly of a heart attack on his way home after a drink at the inn. He left behind a pregnant wife.

With the help of the lovely French innkeeper and his husband/chef, recent owners, and the locals who know the old stories, the mysteries, new and old, are mostly resolved. Much of the resolution has to do with the supernatural, but even the scientific professor has no real problem with that.

Both the contemporary and the historic were thoroughly researched. I confess I was far more drawn to the 17th century timeline. I often found Megan’s chapters draggy, with extraneous characters like Carly who really added nothing to the actual story. I learned far more about surfing than I wanted to, and much of that detail buries the mystery behind the haunting as well as that of the missing half-sister. The friendships—with Carly and with the innkeepers—as well as the romance are too fast and intense to be credible. Megan only spent ten days there! In Susanna’s story, the detail enriches the narrative, telling much about the roles of women and the long survival of pagan beliefs. The resolution to all the questions raised is maybe a bit too fast, on the other hand, but it is satisfying.