Book Review - The Last Witch by C.J. Cooke

Title: The Last Witch
Author: C.J. Cooke
Genre: Horror/ Historical Fiction
Published: 2025
 
Description: Helena Scheuberin should be doing what every other young wife is keeping house, supporting her husband, bearing his children. But when her husband’s footman, Leopold, with whom she was having an affair, 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 from her life of comfort into a world of terror. When a cursed witch totem is smuggled into the prison, the prisoners attempt to use it to conjure escape. But the totem is the severed hand of a murdered woman, and Helena’s life is in danger both inside and outside the dungeon.
 
Does Helena risk her life and the lives of others by standing up to a man determined to paint her as the most wicked of all? Or is the world beyond this one the real threat?
 
Review: In “The Last Witch” author C.J. Cooke weaves suspense and historical fiction together. She delves deep into one of the darkest periods in European history: the infamous witch hunts. Inspired by true events, Cooke delivers a terrifying, atmospheric, and emotionally charged story that grips you.
 
The story takes place in Innsbruck, Austria, in the year 1485. Helena Scheuberin is a wealthy yet strikingly outspoken and free-spirited young woman. In an era when women are expected to quietly manage the household and bear children, Helena refuses to conform. When she openly protests the brutal execution of her friend and her friend’s daughter, she draws the unwanted attention of the feared Dominican inquisitor Henrich Kramer.  
 
The situation escalates dramatically when her husband’s servant, with whom Helena has a secret affair, is suddenly fond dead. Helena is immediately accused of murder and witchcraft. She is locked up in a dungeon, along with six other women. Ad the threat of the stake and the witch hunter’s relentless torture intensify, the women attempt to escape with the help of a cursed witch’s totem smuggled into the dungeon. However, in doing so, they accidentally unleash a malevolent entity from the afterlife, making the danger within the prison at least as great as the danger outside.
 
“The Last Witch” is a powerful blend of historical fiction and supernatural horror. What makes this book so compelling is how vividly and realistically Cooke brings the 15th-century setting to life. The atmosphere in medieval Innsbruck is grim, filthy, and oppressive. The true horror in the first half of the book lies not in the supernatural, but in the psychological terror and sheer misogyny of that era. Inquisitor Heinrich Kramer is portrayed as a terrifyingly realistic monster, whose lust for power and hatred of women cut to the bone.
 
In contrast to this darkness stands Helena, a brilliantly developed protagonist. Her unyielding will, courage, and sharp tongue provide a much-needed ray of light in the story. Cooke succeeds in beautifully and respectfully portraying the solidarity and interpersonal dynamics among the seven imprisoned women.
 
The only drawback preventing earning a full five stars is the introduction of the supernatural element in the dungeon. Although the possession and malevolent entity provide a good dose of suspense and horror, this plot point sometimes feels a bit forced in relation to the deep, historical reality underlying it. The struggle against human evil and the corrupts system would have been compelling enough on its own.
 
Nevertheless, “The Last Witch” is a well-written and almost unbearably suspenseful book. Cooke flawlessly combines historical facts with a compelling narrative structure. For fans of atmospheric historical thrillers and Gothic tales, this novel is an absolute must-read.
 
Rating: 4/ 5