The Night Hag

by Hester Musson

The thrilling new historical mystery from the acclaimed, bestselling author of The Beholders

Scotland, 1886. Lil is an archaeologist who has dedicated herself to a life of rational enquiry. But she is plagued by nightmares which haunt her sleep, and by memories of her mother, a famous medium. As Lil tracks down a mysterious doctor who she believes will cure her of her night terrors, she is caught in a fight between science and superstition, between who she wants to be and the identity she can’t escape.

But who exactly is this doctor that Lil so feverishly reveres? And how could the long-lost hoard unearthed at one of Lil's digs reveal secrets from her past?

From the bestselling author of The Beholders comes this unputdownable historical mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Genres: Gothic, Historical

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 26, 2026

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, such an intense story! Not knowing what to believe has made it even harder to put the book down! The plot was so gripping, I did not know what to expect at all! The characters were convincing, all of them notwithstanding their strangeness..... I guessed some bits in the last 20% of the novel but the conclusion was also a very interesting surprise.... A great read!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

It took me a little while to get into this book but I absolutely flew through the second half. This is a historical tale. A woman excavating a burial site finds her discoveries start to unearth secrets from her own past.

There was a particular quality to the writing here that managed to be quite beautiful and sinister simultaneously.

What stood out most to me was how confused and troubled the main character must be. She is so frequently dismissed, diminished or out right lied to. Where she attempts to place her trust in people, there are some who are not being forthright. Prepare to be particularly angry at the behaviour of one individual. We will see some dreadful treatment of women in this story. I will avoid spoilers but I do want to highlight how stressful this felt at times not knowing who we could trust and seeing how the main character was affected by betrayal. A clever choice by the author to create an insidious tension and paranoid feeling throughout the book.

I found this engaging, I found myself kept on my toes throughout this read. A clever story bolstered by some lovely writing. I’d read more from this author.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lil, the Night Hag's central character, is a young woman who is is trying to move on from her past. She finds escape from her strange upbringing and spiritualist mother with Effie and Nils, the archaeologists that take her under their wings, as well as an interest in their work. But when they start a dig in Scotland, the past seems to come back to haunt Lil and she's not sure if the dig has disturbed a spirit, the Night Hag, or if she is losing her mind.

The premise of the story interested me and I was pleased to get an ARC copy from the Netgalley/the publisher. I enjoyed the way Lil's past unfurled through letters to a psychiatrist and the gothic atmosphere was set up well, but I actually think I would've liked even more gothic and supernatural elements.

After a promising start, I found the middle section a little less engaging and it's not until close to the end that the story picks up and long held secrets are revealed. I think I would have enjoyed the novel more if I hadn't felt that most of the characters were unlikeable and I didn't have any strong feelings towards Lil. I also struggled with reading some of the Scottish dialect.

Overall it was an interesting read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

[4cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promising premise, young woman who's past is. linked to spiritualism, has escaped to work as an assistant to a couple who work as archeoligsts. She is haunted by night -mares which paralyse her night terrors. The gothic Victorian setting is another positive. However as the plot moves forward it loses it's footing, becomes to loose and confused. What I found jarring is the modern terms used in a historical novel, the "gender" is used multiple times instead of sex, the Victorians used the word gender but it didn't mean the same as it does now, this came into being in 1955. Use the correct language it's not difficult.

[Polly Perks · Rating 3 out of 5]

advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review

The Night Hag is an atmospheric gothic mystery set in 1880s Scotland, filled with fog, superstition, and the uneasy tension between science and the supernatural. Hester Musson writes beautifully — her sense of setting is rich and immersive, and the blend of archaeology and folklore is genuinely intriguing.

That said, I found the story slower than expected. The tone and pacing suit the gothic mood, but I occasionally struggled to stay fully invested, especially in the middle sections. I admired the ambition of the themes — identity, reason versus belief, the weight of the past — but emotionally, it didn’t quite land for me.

Still, it’s a well-crafted, thoughtful novel with moments of real atmosphere and insight. Readers who enjoy a slow-burn, cerebral kind of gothic fiction will likely get more out of it than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this early copy.

[Denis Wheller · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the late 1800s seances were common social events, and Lilith (Lil) was born to be a medium, or so it seemed was the view of her mother, Madelyn, the famous medium. As soon as she was old enough, about six, Lil had been brought into the business, and by her early teens she was an accomplished performer, appearing to the bereaved as a vision of, or the voice of, the deceased; or conveying a message from her spirit guide. Although Madelyn seems convinced that real spirits are directing everything, Lil does not. Throughout this time, Lil has been haunted by a Night Hag, an extreme form of nightmare (or a supernatural intervention if you ascribe to that possibility). This comes in various forms, but always as a kind of succubus suspended over or pressing down on her sleeping body; as if threatening her death.
But after Lil escapes from Madelyn’s bizarre world, working first as a Governess and then as an assistant Archaeologist, The Hag vanishes. She is working in Norway, as a team with professional archaeologists Effie and Nils when the opportunity to dig a Bronze Age Barrow in Scotland materialises. Lil and Nils start on this project although Effie stays in Edinburg; too ill for field work.
The Barrow is known to also contain a horde of gold artifacts which must not be disturbed, otherwise a death curse will be unleashed on the children of the local village. Lil is only interested in the archaeological insights they might glean, but Effie covets a special brooch which is part of the hoard. Rational science versus superstition and folklore, but as the excavation progresses, secrets from everyone’s past start to appear, and threaten to destroy Lil.
Spirits, hauntings, ancient curses! It seems that this is a supernatural story or at least a ghost story, but this is the Age of Science, of Rationalism, and Lil is a scientific rationalist. So the story is broader than that, and somewhat diluted thereby. It’s a bit of a family story, or saga. It is also a minor mystery story. There is an element of tension, but it is not a thriller. Overall, It is well written, with accurate historical details which are integral to the plot. However, the plot itself is not very complicated, really just smoke and mirrors, an ectoplasmic manifestation with no real substance, and although there are some minor surprises there are no real twists. It will attract an audience, but it disappointed me.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

[Alyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this story very much pulled me in and I was very pleased to get an arc copy to read. It is Scotland in 1886 and 28 year old Lil is writing to a doctor, whom she hopes can help with the night-mares she has been having. She is working as an archeologist, excavating a burial mound and she wonders if the visions that appear to her at night are related to the hoard they find - a treasure that the superstitious locals want kept underground as they believe it has brought a curse over newborns in the village.
In her letters to the doctors Lil gradually reveals her childhood, working with Madelyn in seances to bring spirits to life and amaze the sitters in the audience. As Lil grows she is drawn more and more into this life including being shut in a box and 'manifesting' in a darkened room, and trance writing for the patrons. It was at this time in her life that the night-mares first started and led her to think she was being tricked by those around her.
These supernatural hauntings are at odds with Lil's rational mind and her work as a scientist and she tries to explain the visions away but as the past catches up with her, she finds there are a great many people to blame for the situation she finds herself in.
The book started well, drawing me into the story, but it was slow to get going and there were a lot of convenient coincidences that made it rather unbelievable. I found it hard to relate to Lil and many of the other characters were quite unpleasant. Much as I liked the many details of seances and details about how the they worked and the different tricks involved, and the setting and details of the time period, the story was lacking something to latch on to. In all I thought it had potential and appreciated the research that went into writing it, but wasn't quite there. An interesting read but I found I rather slogged through it.
I would be happy to try another novel from this author.
With thanks to Netgalley, the author and Harper Collins for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

[Lisa Stoker · Rating 3 out of 5]

🖤 THE NIGHT HAG 🖤

Feeling a bit icky about this review already, because there's so much about this book that I should and DID love...

This story flits between rural folklore and Victorian occultism. It fuses an archaeological dig with ancient stones, a disturbed hoard of sinister treasure and a whopping great curse that goes with it (LOVE IT), with a tragic character backstory of sham spiritualism (LOVE IT) and escaping an abuser. Then you've got some harrowing night terror/sleep paralysis depictions that chill right to the bone (LOVE. ITTTTT)

BUT I struggled to meld it all together. It felt like I was swapping between two different books at times. The pacing in the middle sections was stuttery and I sometimes found myself trying to read it as quickly as possible so that I could get back to what was going on in the present. The alienist/scientific aspects kinda got buried for me for the most part, and as much as I enjoyed the creepy seance shenanigans, all I wanted was to know what was in that hole 🤣

Character-wise, I was a bit indifferent towards the FMC. I didn't dislike her, but I did find myself wondering 'why is she doing that?' at times. Her supporting cast are all a bit shady and hiding lots of things, but nothing they eventually revealed really landed too heavily with me.

This dark historical mystery was written beautifully and I think I am going to have to come back to it in the new year for a second read. I've been in a bit of a general funk with reading this month so I'm not sure if I'm in the best place to be entirely fair in my assessment here.

So so many tropes and elements to love in this book, but it needed something to bring it all together a little better for me. Well worth a read though. I'd be interested to know what others think of it.

I genuinely did like it overall.

3.5 ⭐

[Paul Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books deserve to be read in the wee dark hours by a crackling fire and burning candles. If you've got rain outside and a hot chocolate or red wine, even better - but do read it.

A slow burner, but all the better for it; The Night Hag is set in 19th Century Scotland and introduces us to Lil, a rationale led archeaologist who is plagued by night terrors and a family tree rooted in the esoteric.

Mysterious doctors, science versus superstition and an inner battle as to who Lil is and who she wants to be - this is a chunky, but delicious undertaking of an historical mystery. If you can read it in Autumn and Winter - please do; but definitely read it - it's a joy.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m afraid this book didn’t engage me at all. The writing is at times beautiful but a little over descriptive for me. The overuse of metaphor and suggestion meant that I often struggled with meaning. Sometime it pays to just get to the point. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, and I found that there was not enough plot to pull the story along, particularly with large chunks of the main character’s backstory told in letters that didn’t really add to the present day story, but confused and interrupted it. An interesting idea though.

[Emma Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started with so much intrigue and the letters were addictive to see the relationship build. By the end, I felt it drifted slightly and I lost interest the more the book went on. Lots of potential but not the best execution.

[Claire-Shauna Saunders · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new historical fiction, drenched in folklore and curses, is the latest novel by Hester Musson.
Atmospheric and spooky, a great bedtime book, if you don’t suffer from nightmares, that is…👻
🧹 Release date February 26th 2026🪾

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Scotland in 1886 with Gothic undertones and archaeological digs, Lil is an archaeologist plagued by the nightmare of The Hag and haunted by her Mothers legacy as a famous medium. I found this a quite slow read but I persevered and quite enjoyed the story .Thankyou to NetGalley for my ARC

[Megs · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to settle into this but once I did, I couldn't put it down. This is my first novel by Hester Musson and I found it to be a gripping, atmospheric and engaging read. The letters between Lil and Dr Lachlan added to the overall tension that was building in the book.

The plot is engaging and contains unsettling elements. The writing is beautifully descriptive, some of the twists were predictable but I found the ending satisfying and felt well-suited to the story.