The Ghost Woods

by C.J. Cooke

A young woman sent to stay in a crumbling gothic manor will find haunting secrets creeping out of the surrounding dark woods in this new, chilling novel from the acclaimed author of The Lighthouse Witches.

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 on the grounds—and together they begin to unpack 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.

Genres: Horror, Gothic, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2022

About the author

C.J. (Carolyn) Cooke is an acclaimed, award-winning poet, novelist and academic with numerous publications as Carolyn Jess-Cooke and Caro Carver. Her work has been published in twenty-three languages to date. Born in Belfast, C.J. has a PhD in Literature from Queen’s University, Belfast, and is currently Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where she also researches the impact of motherhood on women’s writing and creative writing interventions for mental health. Her books have been reviewed in The New York Times, The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, and the Daily Mail. She has been nominated for an Edgar Award and an ITW Thriller Award, selected as Waterstones’ Paperback Book of the Year and a BBC 2 Pick, and has had two Book of the Month Club selections in the last year. She lives in Scotland with her husband and four children.

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Then: Dundee, May 1959, Mabel Haggith aged 17 visits the doctor with her mother, they say she’s pregnant but she doesn’t understand as she’s done nothing wrong. It must be the ghosts inside her as they make her do some strange things.
Now: Pearl Gorham, September 1965, aged 22 and a nurse. She’s heavily pregnant and being taken to a mother and baby home in the Scottish Borders which is a 16th Century Manor House called Lichen House and is owned by the Whitlock family. There are many rumours about the Whitlocks and certainly the ghost woods, trees with pale ghostly trunks that are on their property adds to the strangeness. Pearl is treading where Mabel treads before her and their stories become entangled and intertwined.

This is another clever, creative and different Gothic tale from CJ Cooke. In this one motherhood is the principal theme, specifically unmarried mothers and their treatment and lack of power at this time. It’s well documented that mother and baby homes in this era have terrible reputations, look no further than the Magdalene laundries.

However, of course, it’s not that simple as a fantastical, imaginative story emerges woven in with several aspects of nature which mingles with fables and legends especially those from Gaelic folklore. I really enjoy this element though obviously it requires some suspension of disbelief but with the evocative descriptions of the house and its surrounds and some thoughtful explanation the author pulls you in and you go with the flow.

At times it’s creepy and menacing as a suspenseful dark tale unfolds with even darker deeds which includes betrayal, murder, destruction, some cruelty, manipulation and violence. There is a big mystery that lies at the heart of Lichen Hall and the further the Pearl in particular digs, the more horrifying it becomes.

The characterisation is good throughout and the author gives us some to root for and cheer on especially in Mabel, her son Sylvan and Pearl. The portrayal of Sylvan is fascinating but my lips are sealed on how!

Overall if you like a mixture of the factual and Gothic, the supernatural and fantasy then this one is for you.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins/HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disrespectful towards mushrooms

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 Stars

One Liner: Atmospheric

In the middle of Ghost Woods in Scotland is Lichen Hall, a huge house with mysterious members, rooms, and incidents. It is a place where unwed girls go to give birth and hand over the child to adoptive parents. It is supposedly a better place than the ‘institutions’ that serve the same purpose.

Mabel goes there in 1950 and Pearl in 1965, along with a good many other girls. Pearl notices strange happenings and events in and around the house. One day, she meets a mysterious young woman and a boy on the grounds. Together, they start to unravel the hidden secrets even as darkness threatens to swallow them whole.

The story comes in the first-person POV of Mabel and Pearl in alternating timelines.

My Thoughts:

The story is divided into four parts:
• Part I: okayish and slow
• Part II: picks up pace and intriguing
• Parts III and IV: engaging and steady-paced

As you can see, the book is slow to start and even a little boring. But once the atmosphere sets in, it keeps you hooked.

I read The Lighthouse Witches by the author and know that she writes settings very well. The book lives up to the previous one in this aspect. It is atmospheric, gothic, and dark. It’s not spine-chilling but has enough to sustain the mood.

Folklore and science blend nicely, and there are enough social issues to add to the list. However, it doesn’t get preachy or OTT.

Various human emotions and dark sides merge seamlessly as the story progresses. It also requires a little suspension of belief to take a few things in stride.

The main characters are well-defined if not fully sketched. The side characters do what’s required of them. Though they aren’t explored, we get the essence of each character without trouble.
Mabel and Pearl’s voices are distinct enough. They blur a little toward the climax, but it’s still easy to keep track.

The author’s note at the end is detailed and provides insights into her idea and intent for the book.

The climax and ending are predictable (there are many hints). The climax isn’t as impactful as I wanted, but the detailed epilogue is more than satisfying.

To summarize, The Ghost Woods is a dark and atmospheric tale that uses folklore and science to explore the dark human side. Be careful of the triggers.

Thank you, NetGalley and Emma Pickard from HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley #TheGhostWoods

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

C.J. Cooke’s "The Ghost Woods" is a masterful exploration of gothic horror, blending eerie folklore, the supernatural, and the harrowing real-life experiences of unwed mothers in the 1950s and 60s. Set against the haunting backdrop of Lichen Hall—a crumbling, isolated manor steeped in legend and shadowed by dark woods—the novel draws readers into an unsettling world where the boundaries between reality and myth blur in disturbing ways. With themes of motherhood, trauma, and societal repression running deep, this is not just a ghost story, but a poignant commentary on the treatment of women who were cast away for their circumstances.

The narrative unfolds in two timelines, each following a young woman sent to Lichen Hall to give birth and leave their child behind. In 1959, Mabel finds herself inexplicably pregnant, though she has no memory of ever having been with a man. She arrives at Lichen Hall in a state of confusion and fear, believing that her condition is the result of something supernatural. Fast forward to 1965, when Pearl, a 22-year-old nurse, is similarly sent to the manor after being ostracized for her pre-marital pregnancy. While both women arrive for the same reason, they soon discover that the true horrors of Lichen Hall go far beyond their own personal tragedies.

From the moment they step foot in the manor, the sense of dread is palpable. Lichen Hall is decaying from the inside out, with mold festering within its walls, strange apparitions haunting its grounds, and the woods themselves seeming to encroach upon the house. The caretakers, Mrs. Whitlock and her husband, are unsettling figures in their own right—Mrs. Whitlock, in particular, insists on handling the pregnancies without any medical intervention, her behavior veering between cold detachment and sinister intent. Her husband, suffering from dementia, only adds to the aura of decay, while the strange young boy, Wulfric, who roams the grounds, has an eerie fascination with mushrooms and the natural world, hinting at something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface.

What makes "The Ghost Woods" truly compelling is Cooke’s ability to intertwine gothic horror with real-world trauma. At its core, the novel explores the shame, isolation, and abuse that unwed mothers endured during this period. Lichen Hall becomes not just a physical place, but a symbol of the systemic oppression faced by women—its walls trapping them in silence and secrecy. The friendships that form between the women, particularly between Pearl and Mabel, offer moments of warmth amidst the bleakness, but their bond is also forged by the shared suffering and uncertainty of their futures.

The supernatural elements of the novel are woven seamlessly into this larger narrative of horror and loss. The house itself feels alive, with its creeping mold and decaying structure reflecting the internal rot of the societal systems that put these women in such dire straits. The woods surrounding the manor are filled with ghostly figures, unsettling folklore, and a sense of impending doom. Cooke introduces a variety of supernatural motifs—from witches and haunted woods to strange, sentient fungi that evoke a visceral sense of unease. These elements add depth to the novel’s atmosphere, heightening the tension and pushing the boundaries between what is real and what is imagined.

Pearl and Mabel’s journeys eventually collide, unraveling the dark secrets of Lichen Hall, the true nature of the woods, and the strange happenings within. As the two timelines converge, the reader is taken on a twisting, suspenseful ride that leads to a shocking conclusion. The truth behind Lichen Hall is deeply tied to the folklore and mythology that have surrounded the manor for centuries, but it also reflects the more human horrors of memory, trauma, and loss.

While the ending may require a suspension of disbelief for some, the journey is well worth it. Cooke manages to balance a deeply atmospheric, slow-burn horror with moments of genuine emotion and humanity. The dual timelines allow for a rich, layered narrative, and the characters—particularly Pearl and Mabel—are complex, relatable, and sympathetic. Mrs. Whitlock’s Jekyll-and-Hyde persona, Wulfric’s unsettling presence, and the other inhabitants of Lichen Hall all contribute to the claustrophobic, eerie mood that pervades the novel.

Cooke’s signature style, evident in her previous works The Lighthouse Witches and The Nesting, shines through here as well, with her talent for creating vivid, moody settings and her ability to explore the psychological depths of her characters. The horrors of The Ghost Woods are not just found in the supernatural, but in the way society treated these vulnerable women, stripping them of their dignity and choices. The novel’s exploration of motherhood—its joys, pains, and sacrifices—adds a level of emotional resonance that elevates the story beyond traditional gothic horror.

For readers who enjoy atmospheric, character-driven horror with a blend of folklore, history, and social commentary, "The Ghost Woods" is a must-read. Cooke’s ability to craft a chilling, immersive world while also addressing real-life issues makes this novel both haunting and thought-provoking. It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve turned the final page, leaving you to ponder the true cost of the secrets we bury and the stories we leave untold. Whether you’re a fan of gothic literature or just looking for a compelling, eerie read, The Ghost Woods will not disappoint.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this unputdownable mystery's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

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[Will Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh God, there it is, lit up by the car’s headlights. Four pointy turrets and dark stone walls laced with red ivy. It looks like Dracula’s holiday home.

--------------------------------------

Something unspeakably evil is stalking the grounds of Lichen Hall.

Two women, from different backgrounds, at different times, (1959 and 1965) find themselves in the same position, pregnant without a mate in a period in which that was not considered socially acceptable. Such women were often shunted off to mother-and-baby homes. You may have heard of the Madgalene laundries of Ireland. They were awful, and were not restricted to the Emerald Isle. But Mrs. Whitlock’s Lichen House is soooooo much worse. There is plenty of strangeness about the place and some of its inhabitants, well beyond garden-variety human unpleasantness.


C.J. Cooke - image from Curtis Brown

In 1959, seventeen-year-old Mabel Anne Haggith finds herself five months deep in a family way, despite never having had sex. Her mother and stepfather have sent her off to be seen to, out of sight of the neighbors. She is truly a clueless innocent. She feels that there are ghosts in her body. In 1965 Pearl Gotham, twenty-two, a nurse, is likewise facing emerging problems, an unreliable bf among them. Both are taken in by the welcoming, if somewhat chilly, Mrs. Whitlock. The house seems likelier to generate nightmares than comfort to women in need. In fact, it has much in common with the abusive mother-and-baby institutions of its time. More about that later.

Mabel is very much a pleaser, eager to fit in, even when hazed by those already there. She is shy and unsure of herself, working class, uneducated, and for all intents and purposed alone in the world. Until she finds a friend in another young woman there, Morven.

Pearl arrives with much more confidence. A nurse, she is aware of the seriousness of the lack of real medical care at Lichen House. She is also much more worldly, more socially able, not just with the other young women but with Mrs. Whitlock as well. In addition she is charged with tutoring Mrs. Whitlock’s decidedly odd grandson.

Cooke offers a cornucopia of detail that gives the creepiness texture and provides a constant source of surprising revelations. There are mysteries to be sussed out. The overarching imagery of the story has to do with fungi. The house itself is seriously infested with molds of various sorts, and is rapidly sinking into decrepitude.

I follow her gaze to an enormous mass of yellow fungus creeping up the side of a wall. What looks like a series of giant ears are bulging from the gap in the doorframe, right down to the floor. As I draw my eye across the length of the vestibule I spot more fungus spewing from cracks in the tiles and the window frames. The vaulted ceiling is sullied by black blooms of mold. Black frills poke out from the wooden steps at my feet. And at the end of the staircase, a plume of honey-gold mushrooms nub out from the newel post, perfectly formed. It makes me feel physically ill.
“What happened?” I ask, burying my mouth in the crook of my arm.
She sighs wearily. “An infestation of fungus. I still can’t quite believe it. This house has been standing for four hundred years. It has withstood bombs, floods, and a bolt of lightning.” She folds her arms, exasperated. “Fungus can eat through rock, can you believe that?”
“Good God,” I say.

The woods manifest spots of light that can lure one in. Mrs. Whitlock celebrates every birth with a puff of fairy dust toward the newbie. Mr. Whitlock maintains a Micrarium, a sort of mini- museum, a cabinet of curiosities focused on fungi. He makes a big deal about cordyceps, which may be familiar to fans of The Last of Us.

There is plenty of strangeness. Who posts a “Help Me” poster in one of the rooms? Who is that little boy Pearl sees dashing about, the one the other young women deny having seen? Mrs. Whitlock seems particularly averse to making use of the medical profession, forcing her guests to give birth in the house, with only the assistance of the women living there. What’s up with that? Mr. And Mrs. Whitlock were reputed to have had a son who died in an auto accident, but his body was never recovered. Huh? Who is the mysterious, threatening figure in the woods?

“So there’s a story about a witch who lives in the ghost woods out in the forest.”
“I’ve heard of that,” I say. “Mrs. Whitlock mentioned it. At least, the ghost woods part. I don’t believe she mentioned a witch.”
“Well, I heard about it when I first came here,” Rahmi says, and I see Aretta give her a look, as though to warn her not to say more. Rahmi notices, and bites back whatever she was going to say. “I’ve seen her,” she says guardedly.
“Who, the witch?” I say, and she nods. I study her face, expecting her to say “Boo!” or something, revealing it all as a big joke.
“Well, then,” I say, raising my glass of water as though it is a crisp Chardonnay. “I shall seek out this witch in the ghost woods. A little bit of spookiness will spice this place up nicely.”
“Don’t,” Rahmi says, though I’m not sure how much I should take this at face value. “It might be the last thing you ever do.”

As the story goes, Nicnevin was a witch who had lain with a girl who had fallen asleep in the woods. When the girl gave birth, it was to a monstrosity, and it was killed. Nicnevin made the family mad before killing them, then took over the family hall to be a place of rot and ruin, naming it Lichen Hall.

In addition to the ample gothicness of the novel, there is plenty of character and plot content to keep you flipping those pages, and maybe loading up on bleach. Both Mabel and Pearl are sympathetic. What will happen with them, with their babies? What kind of danger are they in? You will definitely care.

There is also plenty of payload beneath the overlaid story. In an image of how women were treated in the 50s and 60s, the awfulness of Mrs. Whitlock’s Lichen House offers a vibrant image of a decaying institution, controlled by ill-meaning people, enforcing wrong-headed social norms, and crushing any people or behaviors falling outside the prescribed lanes. It is a moving, powerful, effective tale.

The Ghost Woods is, first and foremost, a gothic novel, the last installment of a thematic trio that considers our relationship with nature, motherhood, memory, and trauma (the previous two installments are The Nesting and The Lighthouse Witches). I suppose the question could legitimately be asked whether motherhood, gay rights, reproductive rights, and gender inequality have any place in a gothic novel. For me, the gothic is exactly the space to explore darkness of any kind, and the practice of othering is one of the darkest corners of human history. - from the Author’s Note

Review posted - 06/27/25

Publication date US trade paperback – 4/29/25
First published UK – hardcover – 10/13/22

I received an ARE of The Ghost Woods from Berkley in return for a fair review and a pinch of fairy dust. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.




This review is cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!

=============================EXTRA STUFF

Links to Cooke’s personal, FB, Instagram, and Twitter pages

Her personal site was strangely unavailable when I was testing this. I am hoping it has been restored by the time you see this.

Profile – from GR

C.J. (Carolyn) Cooke is an acclaimed, award-winning poet, novelist and academic with numerous publications as Carolyn Jess-Cooke and Caro Carver. Her work has been published in twenty-three languages to date. Born in Belfast, C.J. has a PhD in Literature from Queen’s University, Belfast, and is currently Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where she also researches the impact of motherhood on women’s writing and creative writing interventions for mental health. Her books have been reviewed in The New York Times, The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, and the Daily Mail. She has been nominated for an Edgar Award and an ITW Thriller Award, selected as Waterstones’ Paperback Book of the Year and a BBC 2 Pick, and has had two Book of the Month Club selections in the last year. She lives in Scotland with her husband and four children.

Interviews
-----Rachel Herron - Ep. 208: CJ Cooke on the Thrills of Contemporary Gothic Horror - video – 33:29 - begin at 8:10 – not specific to this book, but interesting
----- Murder by the Book – - C.J. Cooke in Conversation with Rachel Harrison

My review of prior work by Cooke
-----The Lighthouse Witches).

Songs/Music
-----The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand - referenced in Chapter 2

Item of Interest from the author
-----Insta - CJ holds forth on the mother-and-baby homes theme from The Ghost Woods on her insta page
----- Google Play Books - Excerpt - audio – 10:36

Items of Interest
-----Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – a great novel re the Magdalene laundries
-----Wiki - Magdalene laundries in Ireland
-----What Moves the Dead - another novel involving fungi

[JaymeO · Rating 4 out of 5]

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!

Why are there so many…books about fungi? 🎵🍄‍🟫🍄

Fungus seems to be a hot topic for gothic thrillers these days…from T. Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead to M.L. Rio’s Graveyard Shift to C.J. Cooke’s The Ghost Woods. All of these books explore the unique topic of mycology. The Ghost Woods is a gothic folk horror novel and the last installment of the thematic trio which also includes The Nesting and The Lighthouse Witches.

Told in two timelines 1959 and 1965, two women detail their experiences at Lichen Hall, a house for unwed mothers. Pearl is a nurse and comes from the upper-class society and Mabel is very poor and is from lower-class Dundee. Shrouded in folklore, Lichen Hall might also be home to ghosts, witches, and a child who is not quite a child. Surrounded by fungi, the mystical landscape is foreboding. The two women must learn the truth about Lichen Hall and its caretakers in order to survive.

The Ghost Woods includes themes of motherhood, memory, trauma, and humans’ relationship with nature. The setting is very atmospheric, creepy, and disturbing! The characters are fully developed and the plot is engrossing. However, the twists are pretty obvious and it felt like a lot of time was spent setting up the plot.

I have enjoyed all three books in this trilogy, but The Lighthouse Witches still remains my favorite.

3.5/5 stars rounded up

Expected publication date: 4/29/25

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for the ARC of The Ghost Woods in exchange for an honest review.

[Lindsay L · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

A gothic and atmospheric tale that never quite engrossed me.

A home for fallen women. This is what Lichen Hall offers. An isolated decrepit estate tucked and hidden near The Ghost Woods. This novel follows several women who are forced to endure their pregnancy surrounded by strangers in this crumbling mansion. There are plans for their babies that they promise to give up.

I liked the idea of this story and was excited to read it in October during spooky season. Gothic stories are usually a win for me but this didn’t quite work the way I had hoped. The gothic, witchy aspect wasn’t believable for me so I never felt truly invested. I also didn’t fully connect with any of the characters which kept me at a distance from the story. I usually love stories revolving around pregnancy, birthing and motherhood but this missed its mark for me.

This novel unfolds through two timelines, a few years apart. It shares a few chapters of each timeline in chunks which I found choppy. I did find myself confused between storylines several times as they are similar and share some of the same characters.

Overall, this had a promising start but never captured my full attention. This is my first book by this author and I would be curious enough to try another to see if this was just a one-off with my lack of connection.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I’ll admit it, I was officially creeped out by this book. It is set in the late 1950s - mid 1960s in Scotland where being an unwed mother and her unfortunate illegitimate child was still very much a stigma. We’ve all heard of the horrific Magdalen laundries which only closed down far too recently for any reasonable person’s thinking. In this story, Lichen House, a truly massive gothic mansion in a remote Scottish location abutting some very dense woods seemed like a humane alternative for many families. The house has a dark past but we don’t believe in witches and ghosts - do we?

Mrs Whitlock runs the house now. Her older husband, who is obsessed with fungi and the symbiotic relationship between some fungi and animals, is slowly developing dementia so his actions are somewhat erratic. Mrs Whitlock herself is alternately charming and friendly and then cold and mean. Also living there is their grandson, Wulfric, another very strange individual. Into this weird environment the young, pregnant women arrive. Some of them do not stand a chance.

There is no midwife, they must fend for themselves. When a problem arises no doctor is called. The red flags are already flapping madly in the wind! The story focuses on Mabel, Pearl, Morwen, Rahmi and Aretta.
Mabel feels she has ghosts inhabiting her body and her baby, Sylvan, is rejected by the couple that comes to adopt him after only a few days. Mabel is happy to have him back but struggles to make a life for them in a crude shack on the grounds of Lichen House. Sylvan is indeed a very different child, he has ‘the sight’ and can see things that others can’t.

Pearl is the last of these women to arrive and she tries to help them as she is a qualified nurse. But it is all too little and too late for most of the residents. This would be a perfect Halloween read - spooky but not violent per se. The story is very gothic and unsettling and quite mysterious.

Do read the author’s notes at the end of the story. She has successfully explored the themes of motherhood, the different views of it, women’s equality and rights and the freedom to choose their own se*uality. Many thanks to Netgalley for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

[Susana · Rating 2 out of 5]

TW: rape
A case of cool concept which ended up being wasted in a very long and tedious story.
The initial dual pov didn't help, because after awhile it just became... boring.
The fantasy wanna be mixed with gruesome every day life details, needed more development at the end, and not the swift ending that the author provided us with.
I was like, "really, after all of that, we get this?" -_-
Not for me I guess.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE GHOST WOODS by C. J. Cooke

Page Count: 408

Publisher: Harper Collins

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: A Haunting in the Arctic

Where to buy: It's not easily accessible here in the States. I bought my edition from Blackwell's HERE and I see that another edition will be released in the US, in April 2025

Release Date: October 2022

General Genre: Gothic, Psychological Suspense, Supernatural/Paranormal

Sub-Genre/Themes: Parents sending their daughters away when they get pregnant out of wedlock, folklore, scandals, women, motherhood, sapphic romance, ghosts, creepy children, remote estates, cursed families

Writing Style: Dual timelines, short chapters, great pacing/plotting

What You Need to Know: 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 was 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 on 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.

My Reading Experience: Dual narratives tell the stories of two women, Pearl in 1965 and Mabel ten years or so earlier. Both women are sent away to Lichen Hall to give birth when their families discover they are pregnant out of wedlock. I was transported to this place. I could see every detail in my mind. A remote manor is hidden away from the rest of the world occupied only by women in various stages of pregnancy and motherhood.
Something about this gave me dark academia vibes even though there is no schooling or classes but I think this is due to the nature of the female dynamics and relationships between the young mothers and the all-women staff.

There are bullies and "the new girls" and secrets and rivalries. The atmosphere is so absorbing. The book is 400+ pages but the pages fly with short chapters and the back-and-forth timeline. I did end up enjoying Mabel's timeline a little more, but not enough to feel disappointed with the switchbacks.

Final Recommendation: You need a hot cup of strong tea, a cozy blanket, and a few hours to lose yourself at Lichen Hall. See the ghosts lurking in the shadows. Light a candle to walk down a long hallway. Hear a child laughing in the woods. Hear a woman screaming in the middle of the night. Make friends with a young woman who is part of the staff and tells you secrets and stories about Lichen Hall and the owners that you aren't allowed to know...

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Ghost Woods is an atmospheric read told in two timelines by C.J. Cooke. Lichen Hall stands in the middle of the woods and is steeped in folklore and local gossip. It is a place where unwed young mothers have been sent to have their babies and place them up for adoption. I so wanted to love this one as I typically love C.J. Cooke's books. While this book does have it strong points - C.J. Cooke is a master at creating atmosphere that seeps from the pages. She also excels at creating tension, dread, unease, and a sense of something being not quite right in her books.

This book focuses on two young women in two different time periods who are sent to the home. Mabel is sent to Lichen Hall in the 1950's while Pearl is sent there in the 1960's. Each young women gets the feeling that something is off in the home. Both feel unease and a sense of dread.

This one was a little on the slow side and I struggle with slow books. I felt as if I were there at the home waiting for anything and I mean anything to happen. It was not until the last third of the book where the book began to get interesting for me. Not my favorite book by C.J. Cooke and I put it in my liked but didn't love category.

Others enjoyed this book more than I did so please read their reviews as well.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Tara — on semi-hiatus for health reasons; will check in when possible. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.50 Stars💫“The Ghost Woods,” a sophomore novel by C.J. Cooke, At the heart of the book, we are introduced to two captivating women, Mabel and Pearl, who each experience the profound journey of motherhood at Lichen Hall—but decades apart. The narrative artfully shifts back and forth between Mabel's life in the 1950s and Pearl's in the vibrant 1960s, weaving a tapestry of their birth stories and the fates of their children. As their timelines converge chillingly, the layers of the plot unfold, revealing a haunting mystery that keeps you guessing.

This book unfolds as a slow burn, immersing you in its eerie atmosphere and the intricate details of its characters. Sometimes, you may wish for a quicker pace, but the wait is worth it. When you think you’ve grasped the story, it accelerates towards an exhilarating climax that leaves me breathless. The revelations in the final chapters are nothing short of astonishing and will linger with you long after the last page.

“The Ghost Woods” rewards patience with its richness. Pearl and Mabel are deeply layered characters whose struggles resonate beyond the page. The supporting cast of women adds even more depth to this complex tale. It is not just a mystery—it’s a profound character study, beautifully crafted with exquisite prose and sharp dialogue.

It’s a must-read for anyone drawn to slow-burning gothic tales that unravel intricate mysteries and explore the complexities of human nature.

[Lucy'sLilLibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off really well, it was intriguing, atmospheric and rather creepy. There were two timelines that you could tell would eventually connect with each other and it was fun learning how it would all connect.

It was quite hard hitting there were a lot of really heavy topics in this one. It was based on Scottish Folk Lore which was very interesting and I would love to learn more about it.

The horror in this book relies on isolation and atmosphere, there is a little bit of body horror to near the end. I wished this was a short story because this book really dragged in the middle it took too long for the timelines to merge and when they did it wasn't all that satisfying.

I would try something else from this author as I did like the concept and the writing I just thought it got as a little lost in the middle.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ghost Woods is a Historical Gothic Horror novel from one of my go-to authors, C.J. Cooke. I have been waiting to get to this one for years. I'm so happy I finally decided to pick it up this October. Honestly, it's about time.

I believe this novel was released in the UK in 2022, and has now been released by Berkley in the U.S. earlier this year. I've had this for a while, but really wanted to wait for Spooky Season to pick it up.



I remembered absolutely nothing from the synopsis when I went into this, and frankly, I recommend that. If you've enjoyed C.J. Cooke in the past, or enjoy historically-set gothic stories, just take a chance and pick it up.

It's one of those stories that just effortlessly unfolds. It's told from the perspectives of two different women, Mabel and Pearl, and begins with a Then/Now set-up.

The action takes place at the crumbling Lichen Hall, a Mother-Baby Home set on the Scottish border. We learn of these women's lives, their reasons for going to Lichen and their time there. Eventually, Then/Now merge, and an unexpected concluding section should leave you breathless.



As mentioned above, I didn't know quite what to expect going into this, but I expected Cooke to deliver her signature levels of atmosphere and intrigue. Spoiler alert: she absolutely did.

Lichen Hall is gothic with a captial-G. I adored the descriptions of this stately-yet-aging manor home, secluded at the border of the Ghost Woods. The way it was described, you could feel nature just trying to retake the space. I loved that vibe; so good.

I also really enjoyed how well-developed and empathetic the main cast of characters were. The reality of Mother and Baby Homes in history, you could tell that Cooke took that representation very seriously, and I think she really excelled at portraying those circumstances on the page.



That is something I always appreciate about Cooke's work. Even though they are works of fiction, they're in a way an ode to our past. You can tell that she takes her research to heart, and tries to pay homage in anyway she can to those who came before.

I respect the hell out of that.



I highly recommend this one. I actually highly recommend all of Cooke's work. I loved the Sporror/Eco-Horror elements she brought to the page here. That was so well done.

I don't generally mesh well with pregnancy stories, or motherhood stories, they're very hit or miss for me, but I did appreciate so much about this. Those elements here never made me roll my eyes, and that's a big plus. This is actually more like what I wanted Witchcraft for Wayward Girls to be...



Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Now I need to start Cooke's latest release, The Last Witch. I can't wait!

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well hellloo you wonderful gothic thriller!! 😍 Thank you so much @berkleypub #berkleypartner for the free book!! 🖤🫶

Pub day is tomorrow!! 4/29🥳

This was my first book by @cjcooke_author and WOW!! I definitely see what the hype is about and I can’t wait to read her backlist! 😍 I literally read this in one day. I couldn’t put it down.

It’s 1959 and you are pregnant 🤰.. unwed.. and off you are sent to Linchen Hall… so your family can pretend it never happened. Linchen Hall is a nice place though… right? 😬 Sure.. maybe from the outside…. Inside the walls.. there is some very sketchy business going on.. Just saying. 😉

This was so atmospheric!! So creepy!! I loved the multiple POVs!! 👏👏 THAT ENDING!! Absolute perfection!! I seriously was so shocked of how this wrapped up!!! 🖤

What I loved..

✅GOTHIC vibes!! 🖤
✅ The intensity of the last few chapters.. was off the chain
✅ Creepy woods.. creepy people.. just plain creepy 😍👏
✅ Those twists!!
✅ 👻 👻
✅ Perfect ending!! 🤯🫶

🖤🖤🖤 Is this on your TBR? Do you have a favorite @cjcooke_author book??

[Helen Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine. It’s a feminist book from the point of view that all men are bad, all women are gay and isn’t it awful how badly women were treated in the past? To the point where my eyes did a few rolls.

I finished it as I wanted to know what happened in the end so I did skim read the last quarter. Some of the book is a little drawn out.

It was atmospheric though. Not creepy or supernatural enough as everything explained by ‘science’. It was a comment on women’s rights masquerading as a gothic horror.

I enjoyed The Nesting much more.

[Kurryreads (Kerry) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Berkley pub for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback

Publishes April 29 and follows 2 different women Mabel and Pearl in 2 different timelines who are both sent to a home for expecting mothers to give birth and adopt off their babies. The home is in a place known as the ghost woods.

Throughout this story we have flip flopping timelines with these two women with their very different backgrounds, a ghostly presence, strange occurrences, scandal, and many jaw dropping secrets to be revealed.

I was initially not sure if this book was my vibe. I loved the ghostly gothic atmosphere but beyond that I was apprehensive. As the story progressed, that quickly changed and I was fully invested.

This book was weird, unique, dark, super intriguing, took some really interesting turns, and overall really entertained me throughout.

Video review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjJKMQbu/

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the three CJ Cooke books I've read. The other two were The Lighthouse Witches & The Book of Witching. I think I gave them both a three. One of them had two timelines which is sometimes tricky when they don't connect for the majority of the story. It often drives me nuts but that wasn't a problem at all in this one. The timelines here are only a few years apart and they meld somewhere at the midway point.

It tells the story of several young women who are sent "away" when their pregnancies become an inconvenience that their families just want to shove under the rug. Why is society always so awful to women? Ugh. Anyhow, sometimes they're allowed back but more often than not, especially for the ones without means, they're just abandoned and left to beg for scraps and do unpaid labor for the owner of the moldering old mansion. It's terrible and often heartbreaking stuff but I could not put it down.

There is a lot going on in this book and all of it was interesting to me and I never felt lost or confused. The characters were well created, and I really felt for them. Even though I figured out a thing or two early on, I didn't even care because the getting there is what kept me hooked. This was the rare book that haunted me after putting it down to attend to real life.

I really enjoyed The Ghost Woods and highly recommend it to readers who enjoy an old school feeling gothic. It was creepy, suspenseful and I didn’t feel it ever get bogged down with tedium as so many books do lately (for me, at least - you're probably less grouchy!).

4 1/2 stars bumped up to 5

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg what a read!!!
The story of two young pregnant women who stay at Lichen Hall a gothic mansion with a dark secret which the owner tries to hide. I devoured this book in one sitting. Gothic, creepy in places terrifying. I dare you to take a trip into The Ghost Woods I can promise you will not be disappointed.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

[Dea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This didn’t work for me. There is nothing distinctive about the two protagonists, which, coupled with the fact that their POVs are set in the same place with all the same people around the dame time, means you easily lose sense of who’s who and whose POV you’re reading. The book also dragged on for 350 pages and then ended in a mad rush, with hurried and half-hearted explanations and for everything we patiently sat through for 350 pages. TW for rape and graphic childbirth scenes.

[janet jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This absolutely freaking ROCKED. The story, the characters, the writing, the setting, the gothic horror of it all, everything. My sole wish would be for more lore on the witch BUT that’s not enough to drop it down from 5 stars.

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

C.J. Cooke is one of my favorite authors since I adore books that are a bit paranormal.

The Ghost Woods is an excellent dual-timeline book with two girls arriving at Lichen Hall. Mabel in 1959 and the Pearl in 1965 and both are pregnant. They have been sent away to give birth and then to give up their babies. However, there are strange things going on at Lichen Hall....what is really going on there?

I really liked this book, it was engrossing and I found myself drawn into the story and the lives of Pearl and Mabel. I quite like the paranormal angle of the story and I did guess right what was going on towards the end, not that hard to figure it out. The ending made me wish that it would be a sequel.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Earlier I had read The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke and liked it so I thought I would try another of her books. I thought this one would be about ghosts because of the title, so I was surprised by this gothic horror novel.

Description:
This place is shrouded in folklore—old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was 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.

My Thoughts:
The story takes place in two time periods: Mabel's story from 1959, and Pearl's story from 1965. Lichen Hall exudes the perfect creepy, gothic setting. The isolated mansion is a private setting for unwed mothers to come and give birth. But there is a lot more going on here and it is shocking. The shame, isolation and judgment felt by unwed mothers is certainly showcased and then entwined with the decrepit mansion provide the desolated atmosphere for the story. It is easy to sympathize with Pearl and Mabel, as they are both likeable characters and their situation is difficult at best. However, their lives become a battle for survival as the horrors of Lichen Hall unfold. This is a creepy tale with a shocking ending that fans of horror novels will enjoy.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group through Netgalley for an advance copy.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of CJ Cooke's The Ghost Woods. Below you'll find my honest review.

The Ghost Woods was pure excellence. I loved every second of it, and had a hard time putting it down even when I was exhausted and needed to go to sleep. The "haunted" nature of things, the science, the character depth, the setting... all added up to a fantastic mysterious horror-adjacent read.

Highly recommended for horror, mystery, and natural science fans, but please note it's not really scary horror, just tension building gothic mystery style horror.

Also, trigger warnings for any and all things surrounding pregnancy and childbirth, including stillbirth, miscarriage, adoption loss, and becoming pregnant due to very bad circumstances (trying to avoid a specific word here to prevent my review from being flagged or denied, but I hope I made it very clear.

Five stars, more if I could.

[Iain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A haunting tale of young women trapped by a society that shuns motherhood out of wedlock. Creepy and atmospheric, giving a genuine shiver and proof that mushrooms are not good. Plus bonus points for mentioning the Rotten Row in Glasgow, where I was born!

[Rojda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Mushrooms, ghosts, lesbians and a witch? Beautiful. 🌈

[Renee Godding · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I have a ghost in my knee. There’s a small pocket just behind the kneecap and she’s hiding in there, all tucked up in the soft mattresses of cartilage. She is very small and terrified so I’m sitting with that leg straightened so I don’t disturb her. I’ve not set a word about this to anyone. They’d think I’m mad.”

I don’t think I’ve read a more perfect opening-line to a gothic horror novel in long time, and The Ghost Woods only got better from that point on. An overgrown house in the woods, whispered legends of ghosts and witchcraft, a child who isn’t quite a child, and a pregnant woman sent to give birth amidst it all. If you’re still looking for your perfect Halloween-read, look no further because this is my definitive recommendation for 2022.

The Story
Told in dual timelines, The Ghost Woods follows two young, pregnant women’s time at Lichen Hall; an remote gothic manor in the woods that serves as a safe haven for unwed women to give birth and potentially offer up their new-borns for adoption. In 1959, 17-year old Mabel is shocked and confounded by her condition; how could she be pregnant, while she knows she’s never had sex? It must be due to the ghosts that inhabit her body…
In 1965, 22-year old nurse Pearl lost everything after the “shame” of her pre-marital pregnancy got around town. Desperate, and knowing she won’t be able to take care of the baby, she turns to Lichen Hall for help.
Both women soon find Lichen Hall not as safe a haven as the had hoped. Mould festers within the walls, strange apparitions lurk in the surrounding woods and the caretakers and inhabitant of the manor all seem privy to bouts of strange behaviour. Whether that be Mrs Whitlock insistence of “no medical intervention” surrounding the pregnancies, her husband’s collapse into dementia, or the strange boy with a precocious interest in mycology and botany.
Both women’s stories eventually collide to unearth the secrets at the roots of Lichen Hall.

What I liked
I’ve been a C.J. Cooke fan ever since The Nesting and The Lighthouse Witches. Both are gothic thriller/horror novels that combine a taught mystery, interesting characters and strong themes of motherhood, and both showcase the authors pension for creating unsettling imagery and vivid atmosphere perfectly. The Ghost Woods follows perfectly as the third entry in this “spiritual trilogy”, and might be my favourite thus far. On a surface level, you have a creepy tale that plays with many of the familiar tropes in horror (witches, ghosts, haunted houses, Scottish folklore etc.) and takes inspiration from the classics (Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher, Frankenstein…). On a deeper level, there’s a far more disturbing and emotional story of the price of motherhood, memory, trauma and the (medical) mistreatment of women in our not too distant history. It’s clear these themes are very intentional as the author even mentions the infamous Magdalene Laundries in her authors note It’s this subtle interweaving of “layers of horror” and emotion that sets a great horror novel apart from the bunch. I was not only on the edge of my seat, intrigued, excited and thrilled from beginning to end, but I also had plenty of food for thought left long after I’d closed the final chapter.

What I didn’t like
You could argue that the reveal at the end requires some suspension of disbelieve, that I can see might put some readers off. Throughout the story we’re constantly questioning whether the events at Lichen Hall are natural or supernatural in nature and the ending ultimately doesn’t quite fit neatly into either box. Because of the great set up, I was completely able to suspend my disbelieve towards the ending, but I can see it being point of contention for some.

Overall, I highly recommend The Ghost Woods , especially as a companion on a dark and gloomy autumnal night. I can see this becoming a favourite of the year for me personally.

Many thanks to Harper Collins UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Aj Wathern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most importantly this book was beautifully written, atmospheric, clever, and vivid with a cast of great characters. But…it just fell a little flat for me. I didn’t get a particular scary vibe from the book-yes it’s set in a fancy old house in the middle of nowhere, and yes there’s a sinister vein running through the story but was I creeped out? No.

Did I figure out what was going on somewhere around the moment one character told another about a fungus that spreads and infects ants? Sadly yes.

I didn’t hate the story I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped. I slogged through part one, really enjoyed part two, and then read steadily through part 3.
Content warning: SA, FAMILIAL RAPE, RAPE, BABY LOSS.

Personal note: I started this book a week after a miscarriage-whilst this doesn’t change my opinion of the content of the story it most likely did have an effect on how I read it, and why I found it hard work in parts.

[myreadingescapism · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ughhhh…. That was too insanely tedious to get to a subpar ending 🥱

[nettebuecherkiste · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

Compelling fungal horror with a deal of social criticism, but also some logical flaws.
Interessanter Pilzhorror mit einer Prise Gesellschaftskritik, aber auch ein paar Logiklücken.