- C.J. Cooke

The Last Witch

By C.J. Cooke

Will she be damned by flame… or cursed by magic?

Innsbruck 1485

Helena should be doing what every other wealthy young wife is doing: keeping her husband’s house, bearing his children. But when their footman is found dead, Helena is accused of killing him. Worse, she is accused of being a witch.

Imprisoned with six other women, Helena is plunged into a world of terror. When a cursed witch totem is smuggled into the prison, the prisoners attempt to use it to escape only to unleash a malevolent spirit which places all their lives in danger.

Does Helena risk her life and the lives of others by standing up to the terrifying witchfinder and risk death at the stake if found guilty? Or is the real threat the world beyond this one…?

Author: C.J. Cooke
Format: Hardback
Release Date: 09 Oct 2025
Pages: 384
ISBN: 978-0-00-865626-3
Price: £16.99, £16.99 (Export Price) , €None
C.J. Cooke is a poet and internationally bestselling Edgar- and ITW-nominated gothic novelist. She takes inspiration from real women she discovers in detailed historical research, and her books have been critically acclaimed for their atmospheric use of time and place. She has been published in 23 languages. Born in Belfast, C.J. has a PhD in Literature and teaches Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where she also researches creative writing interventions for mental health. She lives by a river with her husband, four children, and a cocker spaniel.

PRAISE FOR C.J. COOKE -

‘Chilling and beautifully written, THE BOOK OF WITCHING gripped me from the very first sentence: I read it in one sitting. A haunting recreation of a real Scottish witch trial, this is CJ Cooke's finest novel yet’ Emilia Hart, Weyward -

‘A fantastic blend of folklore and feminism, Cooke delicately balances terror and tenderness in a gothic, gripping tale’ Daily Mail -

'A pacy, atmospheric story' Good Housekeeping -

'A spellbinding thriller' Scots Magazine -

'A gothic treat' Heat ​ -

'An atmospheric one-sitting read' Woman&Home -

‘Rich, chilling and gorgeously gothic … The kind of enchanting, terrifying mystery I just adore’ Chris Whitaker -

‘Mesmerising and terrifying, this is a powerful story lovingly told … with characters that remain with me. Highly recommended’ Lisa Ballantyne -

‘Evocative and chilling, an addictive piece of polar gothic’ Anna Bailey -

‘An eerie, atmospheric novel that is full of tension and suspense, this is a beautiful gothic chiller of a book’ Elizabeth Lee -