season of the witch by Natasha Mostert

In her award-winning novel, Mostert blends alchemy, the art of memory, high magic and murder to create a highly original psychological thriller.

Gabriel Blackstone is a cool, hip, thoroughly twenty-first century Londoner with an unusual talent. A computer hacker by trade, he is also a remote viewer: able to 'slam a ride' through the minds of others.

But he uses his gift only reluctantly ― until he is contacted by an ex-lover who begs him to find her step-son, last seen months earlier in the company of two sisters.

And so Gabriel visits Monk House, a place where time seems to stand still, and where the rooms are dominated by the coded symbol of a cross and circle.

As winter closes in, Gabriel becomes increasingly bewitched by the house, and by its owners, the beautiful and mysterious Monk sisters. But even as he falls in love, he knows that one of them is a killer.



This is an amazing book. I reread it after I finished it. It is a suspense novel, revolving around alchemy, magic, remote viewing, mystery and romance. It tells the story of Gabriel Blackstone, an information thief who steals data by hacking the computers of big companies. He is also a remote viewer and is able to enter the minds of others. He is asked by a former girlfriend, Cecily Frank, to find her missing stepson, last seen in the company of Morrighan and Minnaloushe Monk. Gabriel starts investigating after he "slams a ride" involuntarily. But this grows to be much more than a favour to a friend. He becomes intrigued by Monk house and its owners- the Monk sisters, alchemists, beautiful and mysterious women interested in transformation of the soul. They have extremely strong minds and roughly trained brains. The women are not only smart, but breathtakingly beautiful. Morrighan is an athlete and an environmentalist with raven hair and startling blue eyes. Minnaloushe is a mask seller and a nude model with red hair and ocean green eyes. Both sisters run a business from home selling cosmetics made according to spagyric principles- to separate and reassemble- a golden alchemical rule. But that is just what is seen on the surface. Gabriel becomes more and more bewitched by the sisters. They are very mysterious and he realizes that they are always going to be an enigma for him. However, he manages to get to know them better and even digs out the big secret- who killed his ex-lover's stepson. Even as he falls in love, he knows that one of the two sisters is a ruthless killer. I'm not going to reveal all the twists and unexpected answers, for I don't want to spoil your reading pleasure. But this book is definitely going to surprise you in a positive way.