“Black cats, snakes, spiders, mystical signs and symbols and dangerous sex are skilfully stirred together in this brain-squeezing thriller”

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

Towards the end of last year I came across this author on Netgalley with her most recent book Dark Prayer (also reviewed on my blog) and I loved it. It was definitely one of my books of the year. Wanting to read some more I picked Season of the Witch which I didn’t know until after I had read it has won The Book To Talk About: World Book Day Award. I have to say that it more than deserves its award.

It is a long time since I read it but this book reminded me of The Magus by John Fowles but with none of the confusion of that book.

The story is about Gabriel Blackstone a computer hacker, or as he says himself, a thief. He steals secrets and sells them to the competition. An extremely lucrative business. But Gabriel has another talent; he is a remote viewer, he can see into other people’s minds.

After a visit from his ex-girlfriend, Gabriel is reluctantly drawn into the search for her missing stepson Robert Whittington. This leads him to Monk House and the mysterious Monk sisters, Morrighan and Minnaloushe. They are very different sisters; one is full of physicality the other cerebral, one has black hair the other a redhead, one writes a diary the other is a murderer.

Gabriel is drawn further and further into the world of Monk House just as Robert Whittington was before him, he believes he is strong enough to keep his own mind but then makes a discovery about the sisters and realises that he may end up losing it..and more.

Natasha Mostert is a wonderful, intelligent writer. She takes what could easily come across as a dense complex story and turns it into an immensely readable thriller which includes; murder, mystery, magic, alchemy, memory and romance and what’s more every page of it works.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys intelligent writing with a brilliant storyline and beautiful prose. You will sink into this book and not want to come up.

Natasha Mostert is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and I am really looking forward to reading more.

 

Reviewed by:

Sandra Foy

Added 6th March 2015

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Sandra Foy