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  • The Ghost Woods

  • By: C.J. Cooke
  • Narrated by: Paula Masterton
  • Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (224 ratings)

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The Ghost Woods

By: C.J. Cooke
Narrated by: Paula Masterton
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Summary

‘Haunting’ Sara Sheridan

‘Intriguing, atmospheric, thought-provoking’ Alexandra Bell

‘Beautifully crafted, thrilling and atmospheric’ Rebecca Netley

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 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.

Praise for The Ghost Woods . . .

‘Cooke has mixed the darkness of reality with a magical realism that will have you gripped’ Woman & Home

‘This chilling gothic tale is the perfect choice for a book club . . . atmosphericPrima

‘Original and compelling, The Ghost Woods is a beautifully written, chilling tale that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished’ Elizabeth Lee

‘[C.J. Cooke is] a master of the feminist gothic!’ Katherine May

The Ghost Woods rattles along, with a twisty plot that defies expectations right from the start . . . highly enjoyable’ Sally Hinchcliffe

‘An eerie gothic thriller’ Samantha Downing

‘Deliciously unsettling, strangely believable’ Carly Reagon

‘With a great plot, this suspenseful and compelling story touches on the difficult history of women in mid-20th-century Scotland’ Candis

©2022 C.J. Cooke (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
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Critic reviews

‘Wonderful! [C.J. Cooke is] a master of the feminist gothic!’ Katherine May

‘Original and compelling, The Ghost Woods is a beautifully written, chilling tale that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished’ Elizabeth Lee

‘It’s no surprise that C.J. Cooke has done it again. She is the queen of gothic thrillers and never fails to amaze me with her writing. The Ghost Woods is an eerie, timely story and an instant classic of the genre’ Samantha Downing

'Beautifully crafted, this thrilling and atmospheric read had me racing to the very satisfying end' Rebecca Netley

‘A haunting and gothic deep dive into danger’ Sara Sheridan

‘Deliciously unsettling, strangely believable’ Carly Reagon

‘Original, moving . . . A twisty gothic thriller’ Anne Wyn Clark

‘I loved The Ghost Woods . . . the perfect chilly read’ Nina Pottell

‘Hauntingly spellbinding. Once again C J Cooke combines history, horror and heart to bring us a mysterious tale wrapped in eerie magic’ N.J. Simmonds

‘Intriguing, atmospheric, thought-provoking and just the right amount of creepy’ Alexandra Bell

What listeners say about The Ghost Woods

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Spooky, twists and turns

1st time reading a book by this author. Very different to my normal choice. It was a bit difficult to remember which character had had which experience as it is only set 6 years apart. However, this aside I loved it and had no idea how it would end so it keep me invested right up to the last page. Great story telling, what an imagination.
One of my new favourite authors

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

Was interested right from the first chapter. Great story ;) will read the others too thanks

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Creepy, haunting and wonderful

One of my favourite books this year! A great performance and wickedly written, it’s perfectly gothic and creepy and heartbreaking all at the same time

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Remarkably fabulous gothic novel

It’s truly difficult to find a great gothic novel in the sea of literature published these days but this is one of them. Excellently written, beautifully narrated, thought provoking and tender. Highly recommended

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A very good story

Such strong emotions and meaning behind this one. I did really enjoy it, to begin I didn’t feel very invested but this did deepen towards the end. There were some obvious misses in the story, not searching somewhere quite obvious, but I can understand for the story why this may have been the choice. Narration was absolutely brilliant.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant!

Kept me captivated from the start , The narrator’s voice is sublime and the story line was superb 🙏⭐️🙏

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story

Absolutely loved this book, it was well narrated. The setting and plot are clever and intriguing. I couldn’t stop listening! Love it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding!

I’m a real fuss-pot and I don’t give out 5* unless I think a book is absolutely perfect. Well The Ghost Woods by C.J.Cooke gets an easy 5* from me.

I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about this book. It’s moving, thrilling, frightening, beautiful and the narration on Audible was perfect.

All the twists and turns made sense, no loose ends were left hanging by the end. I went for a long walk to finish listening to the last few chapters and I must have looked crazy as my jaw was on the floor as I walked.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An interesting concept

An interesting take on an historical and sad time in Western history. Good twists and turns.A very thought and emotional provoking story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Couldn't put it down

Enjoyed listening to the book, really intriguing to find out what happens next and the narrator was brilliant 😊

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