The Witches of Bone Hill

First of all - thank you to Ava Morgyn and Net Galley for this early-release copy. The Witches of Bone Hill will be published on the 26th of September 2023 - right in time for Halloween!

Cordelia is having a rough go at life, and when she gets a call from her estranged sister Eustace to tell her about their aunt's will, she sees it as simply a quick way out of her money troubles. However, they soon find themselves reunited and thrown into a family mystery.

This book was beautifully written, I was immersed in the story from the get-go. The relationship between Cordy & Eustace, the unraveling of each character's back story and personality (even the dead ones!), as well as the tactful use of suspense kept me hooked.

You won't want to put this down.

Hands down, the best witchy, magical novel I've read in awhile! And definitely a book I would read again. As I was nearing the end, my one wish would be for the author to continue the story. Even though I knew who was causing the sister's troubles, I didn't expect the revenge component.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for the chance to read it. Introducing me to a new author that I will follow!

The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgan starts out with two sisters who have not spoken in several years, Cordelia lives in Dallas and is going through a divorce with a man who has absconded with more than all their wealth, dragging her good credit with him. Eustace does not live near her, but in Colorado and she grows marijuana for a living. Their lives are very different.

They are contacted by a lawyer who lets them know they have an aunt who has passed away and they must travel to Connecticut for the reading of the will. Cordelia hopes they can sell the property so she can pay off debts incurred by her absent husband.

When they get to Connecticut, they discover the estate is much different than what they expected. There is wealth there they could use, but the house has different ideas. Their mother left the estate when the girls were young and never went back, the girls have so many questions.

This book is such an engrossing read that you won’t want to put it down. There are interesting characters, some of them human. It should be macabre, the spirits make their meaning known and they can be frightening. Even if you don’t usually read fantasy, you will love this book.

Cordelia Bone and her sister Eustace Bone inherit a house. Not just any house but an entire estate, legacy and trust. The Bone girls don't know anything about their family because their mother left her family. Cordelia is in the midst of a messy divorce and Eustace is having health concerns. The estate falls to them at just the right time. The women move to the house and soon having haunting experiences . They learn their family is known to be witches. They also realize quickly that somebody doesn't want them to inherit. This book has all the things...ghosts, witches, blood magic, romance, mystery,murder...the house is its own character. I absolutely loved this book. It just had everything intriguing that I love about a good witch book!

I loved this! It felt like a story of acceptance and of loving ones self for who they are, while there was still magic and romance, mystery and murder.

Cordelia works in real estate and lives the perfect life in her beautiful home in an upscale Dallas suburb. Then, sadly for her, but a marvelous break for the readers, every possible aspect of her world falls apart. We’re talking the big things: her marriage is over, she’s beyond broke, she is going to lose her home, and the mob is out to get her. You may think that last item was just me being whimsical. Nope, I’m serious!

In the middle of all this turmoil, Cordelia gets a call from her sister, Eustace. The sisters couldn’t be any more opposite – Eustace grows and sells cannabis in Colorado. The sisters don’t have a close relationship and haven’t spoken in a long time. But, Eustace has news. An aunt they’d never met has died and left them a house. Cordelia sees this as the answer to her problems. She’s eager to go see the house, sell it as fast as possible, and use the money to repair her life.

But there’s a catch (because of course there’s a catch!) The will states that both sisters must live in the house to inherit the family fortune. Cecelia is determined to sell the place anyway, so off she goes to Connecticut, where she will reunite with her sister. Her plan is to take care of business and head back to Dallas.

Now, if everything had gone the way Cordelia planned, we wouldn’t have much of a story. Thankfully for us, her ancestors, the house, and even her own latent powers she doesn’t fully understand all have their own agendas. And there are secrets. So many secrets that need to be revealed.

This isn’t a horror novel (though a few scenes are horrific). I see it through more than one lens. It’s a love story, a coming-home story, a family ties story, and a wickedly moody gothic tale. As Cordelia and Eustace explore the house and the land surrounding it, they learn about their ancestors and how they are tied to them. They get to know the house as it reveals their family history, sometimes freely and sometimes reluctantly. Even the caretaker who lives on the property, and the local townsfolk have secrets. The sisters are keeping secrets from each other as well – and then there’s that big secret that has haunted them both for so long – what really happened to their mother?

If dark and stormy nights, eccentric Victorian mansions, atmospheric landscapes, chilling family crypts, strong magic, handsome yet brooding groundskeepers, and witchy family legacies appeal to you, this is your next read. Brew a cup of tea, sink into a comfy chair and turn your phone off. You are encouraged to read this story well into the night.

I would certainly enjoy a sequel, as I’m curious about how Cordelia and Eustace settle into their new home, new talents, new relationships, and new outlooks on life.

My thanks to author Ava Morgyn, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.