Last year, I read and got totally hooked on author C.J. Cooke’s Gothic suspense novel The Nesting, a sinister story set in the wilds of Norway. This October, just in time for Halloween, C.J. Cooke is back—and this time, she is bringing readers along on a bookish journey to a remote Scottish island, where the secrets of Scotland’s history are reaching across the centuries. THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES will be published October 15, 2021, and in today’s blog post, I’m so thrilled to reveal its gorgeous and creepy cover, and to give CBTB readers a sneak peek into this chilling upcoming thriller. In THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES, two sisters have gone missing on a remote Scottish island. Twenty years later, one is found… but she’s still the same age as she was when she disappeared. To uncover the secrets of her sister’s fate, this book’s protagonist will have to travel back to the remote island from which her sister disappeared over two decades ago. THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES is a story of Gothic suspense that incorporates an exploration of witch trials in Scotland’s history, and looks absolutely perfect for anyone looking to add a sinister, extra-creepy suspense tale to their Fall 2021 wishlist. I cannot wait to dig into THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES as part of my Halloween reading this fall, and I’m absolutely thrilled to give readers a glimpse into C.J. Cooke’s newest release today. Read on to learn more about THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES, check out its gorgeous cover, and get the inside scoop on the book through a Q&A with C.J. Cooke!
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Book Review: THE NESTING by C.J. Cooke
Gothic suspense gets a Nordic makeover in C.J. Cooke’s beguiling and bone-chilling 2020 release THE NESTING. In this inventive suspense novel, there’s more than just wildlife lurking in the woods of Norway, and an unsuspecting young woman is about to realize that her new home isn’t just slightly creepy… it’s flat-out dangerous. When I first learned of C.J. Cooke’s book THE NESTING, I could hardly believe my good luck. It felt like one of those rare moments when an author somehow managed to craft the exact right combination of things you personally love as a reader—for me, in this case, a combination of Gothic suspense and a Norwegian setting—and I could hardly wait to dive in. I’m happy to report that Cooke’s latest release more than met my (high!) expectations. THE NESTING puts a modern spin on a classic Gothic suspense premise, and wraps it all up in the atmosphere of Scandinavia. Fans of Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor and Ruth Ware’s THE TURN OF THE KEY (both of which pay homage to Henry James’ classic THE TURN OF THE SCREW, I would be remiss not to add!) will adore the immersive Gothic tale Cooke spins in her latest novel, while readers who love stories set in Scandinavia will sink effortlessly into the dark forests of Norway in which THE NESTING is set. As we enter the colder, darker months of the year, C.J. Cooke’s THE NESTING is the perfect spine-tingling story to add to your TBR list.
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Book Excerpt: THE NESTING by C.J. Cooke
You know that feeling when you learn about a book that sounds so extremely up your alley, it almost feels like the author wrote it tailor-made for you? That’s my sneaking suspicion about C.J. Cooke’s forthcoming release THE NESTING, which will hit US bookstores in September. This book is—wait for it—a Gothic suspense novel set in Norway. Yes, you read that right, and this might just be the perfect combination for my reading tastes (and, I suspect, for many of yours, too!). THE NESTING follows an architect who has just built his dream high-concept home in Norway, and a nanny who begins to suspect that something isn’t quite right in the house… and that something sinister might be lurking in its shadows. I am beyond excited for this book: it has a Norwegian setting, a story of Gothic suspense, a character working on writing a Scandinavian crime novel… basically all of my favorite things wrapped up in one chilling package. THE NESTING is one of my personal most-anticipated reads of the fall season. Thanks to C.J. Cooke’s US publisher, I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to give CBTB readers an early glimpse into THE NESTING. In this blog post, you will be able to learn more about the book, including plot details and fabulous early praise from CBTB-favorite authors like Simone St. James (!), and you will also be able to read an early excerpt from the book’s first chapter.
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