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The Last Witch on the Knock
Not yet published
Expected 12 Mar 26'Mesmeric from the first page. A twisting, haunting tale.' Lucy Steeds, author of THE ARTIST
'A searing debut' Sunday Times *THE POP CULTURE MOMENTS EVERYONE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT IN 2026*
The Knock hill is a carcass unintelligible as any dream.
Wouldn't you rather be a witch than a victim?
I didn't realise those were my only options.
In need of a fresh start, Thomasin leaves her toxic boyfriend, absent father and empty friendships to spend the summer in the Scottish Highlands with her eccentric Aunt Agnes and stern little cousin, Nina. But amidst the sprawling fields and ragged hills thrums a secret that has cursed the land for generations.
300 years earlier, Kate McNiven labours in The Big House by the Knock hill, wishing for a brighter future far away from the lecherous clutches of her master, the Laird. When she is exiled as a witch for refusing to succumb to his advances, Kate finds the escape she so desperately seeks in Thomasin, whose vulnerable body becomes her unwilling host.
In the thin place between centuries, through a pulsing wound that bleeds out history, the truth of the past is finally ready to be revealed . . .
'A searing debut' Sunday Times *THE POP CULTURE MOMENTS EVERYONE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT IN 2026*
The Knock hill is a carcass unintelligible as any dream.
Wouldn't you rather be a witch than a victim?
I didn't realise those were my only options.
In need of a fresh start, Thomasin leaves her toxic boyfriend, absent father and empty friendships to spend the summer in the Scottish Highlands with her eccentric Aunt Agnes and stern little cousin, Nina. But amidst the sprawling fields and ragged hills thrums a secret that has cursed the land for generations.
300 years earlier, Kate McNiven labours in The Big House by the Knock hill, wishing for a brighter future far away from the lecherous clutches of her master, the Laird. When she is exiled as a witch for refusing to succumb to his advances, Kate finds the escape she so desperately seeks in Thomasin, whose vulnerable body becomes her unwilling host.
In the thin place between centuries, through a pulsing wound that bleeds out history, the truth of the past is finally ready to be revealed . . .
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 12, 2026
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599 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this!
A mix of literary/historical fiction with magic realism sprinkled with an eerie atmospheric vibe set in Scotland in dual timelines from 1715 following Kate and what I assume is present day following Thomasin and how their stories/ lives intertwine.
This is more of a character driven story (my personal preference is character over plot) and I never felt it dragged. I enjoyed the format and pacing. The writing was rich, I felt transported to the settings and could vividly see the characters interacting. Favourite bits being Kate's poem POVs starting each part and any scene with little Nina.
It could be slightly confusing as we switched a lot from Kate and Thomasins timelines/ POVs but it helped that the former is written in third person and latter in first person.
I read the arc version via my Kindle so the published version may have speech marks which would have made following Thomasin's thoughts vs actual speech easier. That being said, no speech marks made it feel like everything she was thinking and doing was blurred for her as well as for us, which honestly, is very on brand for her.
Thank you NetGalley and John Murray Press for allowing me to read the ARC for an honest review!
A mix of literary/historical fiction with magic realism sprinkled with an eerie atmospheric vibe set in Scotland in dual timelines from 1715 following Kate and what I assume is present day following Thomasin and how their stories/ lives intertwine.
This is more of a character driven story (my personal preference is character over plot) and I never felt it dragged. I enjoyed the format and pacing. The writing was rich, I felt transported to the settings and could vividly see the characters interacting. Favourite bits being Kate's poem POVs starting each part and any scene with little Nina.
It could be slightly confusing as we switched a lot from Kate and Thomasins timelines/ POVs but it helped that the former is written in third person and latter in first person.
I read the arc version via my Kindle so the published version may have speech marks which would have made following Thomasin's thoughts vs actual speech easier. That being said, no speech marks made it feel like everything she was thinking and doing was blurred for her as well as for us, which honestly, is very on brand for her.
Thank you NetGalley and John Murray Press for allowing me to read the ARC for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Aimée MacDonald's debut novel is an unsettling, beautiful piece of fiction that operates on two timelines - Thomasin, fleeing her toxic relationships to spend time in the wilds of Scotland with her eccentric aunt. In the second story, Kate McNiven lives 300 years earlier but is also wishing for a way to escape her existence...
MacDonald's prose is razor sharp, and she draws her characters beautifully on the page - I felt I knew them and this world - and she writes in a way which unsettles the reader. The Last Witch on the Knock is a difficult novel to pin down, but you're drawn down it's mysterious paths by a firm hand.
I really enjoyed reading this, and I think we might be seeing the start of a great career here. I'm certainly keen to see what MacDonald does next.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
MacDonald's prose is razor sharp, and she draws her characters beautifully on the page - I felt I knew them and this world - and she writes in a way which unsettles the reader. The Last Witch on the Knock is a difficult novel to pin down, but you're drawn down it's mysterious paths by a firm hand.
I really enjoyed reading this, and I think we might be seeing the start of a great career here. I'm certainly keen to see what MacDonald does next.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
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December 26, 2025I’m afraid this wasn’t a match. I loved the cover, which is why I requested it on NetGalley. As for the text itself, the interludes in the form of songs were excellent, and I wish more had been done with them—perhaps even a novel in verse. The rest, however, felt frustratingly incongruous, especially in terms of its underlying rationale. I simply couldn’t fathom the reason(s) behind much of what was happening.
December 11, 2025
Thomasin was an interesting character, I enjoyed the parts with her
Her interactions with the people around her (physically, or at the end of the phone).
The rest of the book didn't grab me so much unfortunately.
It's qute possible I missed the bigger picture because of this.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.
Her interactions with the people around her (physically, or at the end of the phone).
The rest of the book didn't grab me so much unfortunately.
It's qute possible I missed the bigger picture because of this.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.
November 11, 2025
Daring debut novel that’s as hilarious as it is horrific. A skilfully haunting take on mental health struggles, family feuds and ancestral trauma.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A wildly daring debut, where past and present are skilfully twined by a fiercely unique new voice. Alias Grace meets The Last Night in Soho. I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews