The Blackthorn Women
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Synopsis
A terrible family curse threatens four generations of women in a spellbinding novel of haunting secrets, magic, and healing by the Edgar Award–nominated author of The Taken Ones.
After her husband’s infidelity, devastated Katrine Blackthorn reluctantly returns to Faith Falls, Minnesota, to her family’s Queen Anne mansion on the hill and the magic that binds them all.
Her grandmother Velda charms everyone she meets. Her mother, Ursula, is a brewer of potions who sees a threat around every corner. And there’s her estranged sister, Jasmine, broken by something no one will name. With Katrine’s return, all that the Blackthorns have feared seems to be manifesting. The snakes amassing with the spring thaw and the stranger who’s rolled into town are just the first omens threatening the fragile peace the family is rebuilding.
Now Katrine must face the darkest secret of her lineage and rediscover her own magic if the Blackthorn women are to survive.
Revised Previously published as The Catalain Book of Secrets, this edition of The Blackthorn Women includes editorial revisions.
Synopsis source: The StoryGraph
Review
Genre(s): Paranormal Fiction
HB&W Rating: 3 stars
View on StoryGraph, Goodreads
Buy on Barnes & Noble, Amazon
Pub Date: May 26, 2026
The Blackthorn Women had a lot going for it, especially in the way it built atmosphere and tension. The opening takes its time unfolding, but it creates an intriguing foundation that gradually pulls you into the story. The middle section was easily the strongest for me. It was haunting, eerie, and full of emotional tension that kept me invested. Because the buildup was so effective, the ending felt a little too neatly resolved in comparison, and I found myself wanting a bit more payoff after such a strong atmospheric climb.
The book also gave me strong vibes of Practical Magic, both in tone and overall story feel. While I personally struggled with Practical Magic’s more scattered writing style, The Blackthorn Women felt much more accessible and easier to settle into. At the same time, the similarities in plot and mood were noticeable enough that it often felt familiar rather than fully distinct.
One of the central themes here is the weight of secrets and the tendency for characters to sacrifice their own happiness for others. That emotional dynamic definitely added depth to the family relationships, though the constant withholding of information created a whole host of problems that could have easily been avoided with a conversation, which grew increasingly more frustrating as the story went on, especially since it wasn’t limited to the younger, more inexperienced characters. Still, if you enjoy family dramas built around buried truths and complicated emotional loyalties, there’s plenty here to appreciate.
Overall, I landed somewhere in the middle with this one. The atmosphere was immersive, creepy, and beautifully done, and that alone kept me engaged. While the reliance on miscommunication and the tidy ending didn’t completely work for me, I can absolutely see why readers who love moody, witchy family stories would enjoy it.
Thank you to Booksparks and NetGalley for an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
Until next time,
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