If you fell for the first volume of Florence Warden’s A Witch of the Hills, get ready—because part two pays off in spades. This isn’t just a story, it’s a moody walk through a foggy Welsh landscape, where every creaking floorboard and sudden shadow makes you set the book down for a second—then pick it right back up.

The Story

Our narrator, a sharp but inexperienced governess, is stuck in a crumbling manor with a family that seems to hide a hundred secrets. The patriarch’s past includes rumors of a woman—maybe a witch—who died in the hills years ago. And now, well, strange lights flicker on the moor, footsteps prowl the hall at night, and the lady of the house acts like she’s haunted by more than memories. Add to that a mysterious neighbor the villagers call “the cailleach,” and a young man who’s all kinds of brooding, and you get a thriller that mixes Gothic horror with a steady drip of dark secrets getting revealed. Is someone playing on old superstitions to scare off a newcomer? Or is something genuinely supernatural at work? Florence Warden makes you guess till the very last page.

Why You Should Read It

This volume is a delicious slow-burn. What I loved is how the mystery keeps folding into itself. Just when I thought I knew who was behind the weird events, Warden throws in a letter from fifty years ago, or a sudden scream echoing off the hills, and I’m back to square one. The heroine is relatable too—curious, a little scared, but stubborn enough to solve this thing, even if it means walking alone in the dark toward that abandoned cattle shed. Think Jane Eyre with more history of accusations and a touch of Welsh folk magic. Plus, the author reminds us how old prejudices and fear of the ‘other’ can poison people. It’s about more than witchcraft—it’s about what happens when false tales haunt a real person. That part hit me hard.

Final Verdict

If you’re hungry for a classic Gothic mystery without all the fancy literary fog, this is for you. Perfect for fans of Mary Stewart, Ann Radcliffe, or anyone who loves atmospheric tales where every splashing footstep on the cobblestone may cost you a ghost. Don't worry if you lost track of volume one—you can jump right in. Quick read, big emotions, and an ending that'll make you shut the book and say, “Oh!” So grab a blanket, pour a cup of tea, and go visit those misty hills. Just… maybe leave a light on.