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The Ghost Woods

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The Ghost Woods

By: C.J. Cooke
Narrated by: Paula Masterton
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About this listen

‘Haunting’ Sara Sheridan

‘Intriguing, atmospheric, thought-provoking’ Alexandra Bell

‘Beautifully crafted, thrilling and atmospheric’ Rebecca Netley

In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall.

This place is shrouded in folklore – old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who is not quite a child.

Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed.

Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something.

Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds – and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place.

As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew – and risk what she holds most dear.

Praise for The Ghost Woods . . .

‘Cooke has mixed the darkness of reality with a magical realism that will have you gripped’ Woman & Home

‘This chilling gothic tale is the perfect choice for a book club . . . atmosphericPrima

‘Original and compelling, The Ghost Woods is a beautifully written, chilling tale that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished’ Elizabeth Lee

‘[C.J. Cooke is] a master of the feminist gothic!’ Katherine May

The Ghost Woods rattles along, with a twisty plot that defies expectations right from the start . . . highly enjoyable’ Sally Hinchcliffe

‘An eerie gothic thriller’ Samantha Downing

‘Deliciously unsettling, strangely believable’ Carly Reagon

‘With a great plot, this suspenseful and compelling story touches on the difficult history of women in mid-20th-century Scotland’ Candis

©2022 C.J. Cooke (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Fantasy Genre Fiction Gothic Horror Magic Magical Realism Suspense Thriller & Suspense Scary Fiction Heartfelt Haunted Ghost

Critic reviews

‘Wonderful! [C.J. Cooke is] a master of the feminist gothic!’ Katherine May

‘Original and compelling, The Ghost Woods is a beautifully written, chilling tale that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished’ Elizabeth Lee

‘It’s no surprise that C.J. Cooke has done it again. She is the queen of gothic thrillers and never fails to amaze me with her writing. The Ghost Woods is an eerie, timely story and an instant classic of the genre’ Samantha Downing

'Beautifully crafted, this thrilling and atmospheric read had me racing to the very satisfying end' Rebecca Netley

‘A haunting and gothic deep dive into danger’ Sara Sheridan

‘Deliciously unsettling, strangely believable’ Carly Reagon

‘Original, moving . . . A twisty gothic thriller’ Anne Wyn Clark

‘I loved The Ghost Woods . . . the perfect chilly read’ Nina Pottell

‘Hauntingly spellbinding. Once again C J Cooke combines history, horror and heart to bring us a mysterious tale wrapped in eerie magic’ N.J. Simmonds

‘Intriguing, atmospheric, thought-provoking and just the right amount of creepy’ Alexandra Bell

All stars
Most relevant
My overall review in short would be that this is a great story, unusual and dealing with some painful subjects in a way that brings home the emotional trauma that must have affected unmarried pregnant woman in the 1950s and 1960s. The only reason I have not given it full marks across the board is that it did seem repetitive at some times and that made it feel overlong. We could have done with a few less chapters and the book would still have been great. I did like the characterisations but had guessed the big reveal well before the end which probably explains why I would have been just as happy with a shorter novel. All in all, a good book and one I would recommend.

Great and Unusual story

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lovely, Scottish narrator. very easy to listen to. I listened to this audio in one day!! loved the story. so unique, interesting and with a touch of magic.

storyline and narrator

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Something different but really worth a listen! This book pulls you in and not only is a very good listen but full of a sad but true taste of the past and its treatment of women.

Totally loved this book!

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Amazing book. Didn’t expect the authors note to make me cry. But there you go. Well written. Dark. Gothic. Serious and beautiful.

Brilliant

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An interesting take on an historical and sad time in Western history. Good twists and turns.A very thought and emotional provoking story.

An interesting concept

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