A bingeable, twisty thriller with witches, ghosts, and a creepy old house
Release date: October 6, 2026
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Synopsis:
Some secrets don’t die―they wait.
When Julia Barlow loses her job and her apartment, she has nowhere left to go but Pemberton, her family’s sprawling seventeenth-century estate in rural Massachusetts. Officially, she’s there to check in on her aging grandmother. Unofficially, she’s hoping the old house will give her a place to disappear.
Instead, Pemberton begins to unravel her.
Every night, the grandfather clock stops at exactly 3:41 a.m. The lights flicker without warning. And a disembodied voice cries for help outside Julia’s bedroom door.
As Julia digs into the house’s dark history, she uncovers the story of a woman executed for witchcraft in 1692―and realizes the past may not be finished with Pemberton yet. When decades of family lies begin to surface, Julia must confront a terrifying truth: Pemberton may be haunted by women whose voices refuse to stay silent.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes The Witch, a chilling, twist-filled thriller about secrets―those we inherit, those we bury, and those people will burn to keep silent.
Review:
The Witch is exactly the kind of compulsive, popcorn style read I expect from Freida McFadden, with one fun difference: part of the story takes place in the late 1600s. The dual timelines alternate between present day and the era of the Salem witch trials, adding a historical and supernatural element that made this one stand out from her usual thrillers.
This was such an easy book to binge. The chapters are short and snappy, the pacing moves quickly, and there are constantly new questions popping up that made me want to keep reading. In typical McFadden fashion, you know there are twists coming, but figuring out exactly what is happening at Pemberton—and what happened there centuries ago—is half the fun.
The setting was probably my favorite part. A creepy seventeenth century estate, strange noises in the middle of the night, possible ghosts, old family secrets, and a connection to a woman accused of witchcraft in 1692? It has such a great spooky atmosphere without becoming outright horror. The supernatural elements added another layer of mystery and made this feel especially perfect for fall.
If you already enjoy McFadden’s fast, twisty thrillers, this delivers plenty of what she does best while offering something slightly different with the historical timeline and witch trial storyline. And if Salem, witchcraft, haunted houses, ghosts, and centuries old secrets immediately grab your attention, this is a really fun seasonal binge.
Perfect for readers who love:
- Short, snappy chapters
- Fast paced popcorn thrillers
- Dual timelines
- Salem witch trial history
- Witchy fall reads
- Creepy old houses
- Ghostly and supernatural elements
- Twists, secrets, and family mysteries
Overall rating: 4/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
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