Sight Unseen by Sandra Ireland

Originally posted on Chicks, Rogues and Scandals on 12th August 2020.

Series: Sarah Sutherland Thriller’s

1648. Alie Gowdie marries Richard Webster during a turbulent time in Scotland’s history. Charles I is about to lose his head, and little does Alie know that she too will meet a grisly end within the year.

2019. Sarah Sutherland is struggling to cope with the demands of her day job, caring for her elderly father and keeping tabs on her backpacking daughter. She wanted to be an archaeologist, but now in her forties, she is divorced, alone, and there seems to be no respite, no glimmer of excitement on the horizon. However, she does have a special affinity with the Kilgour Witch, Alie Gowdie, who lived in Sarah’s cottage until her execution in 1648, and Sarah likes nothing better than to retreat into a world of sorcery, spells and religious fanaticism.

Her stories delight tourists as she leads them along the cobbled streets of her home town, but what really lies behind the tale of Alie Gowdie, the Kilgour Witch? Can Sarah uncover the truth in order to right a centuries-old wrong? And what else might modern-day Kilgour be hiding, just out of sight?

Review

I can say for certain here and now, that this book is definitely one of my best books of the year, it is bloody amazing, I literally finished this in one weekend I was hooked, I couldn’t put it down and it most likely resulted in the present bag under the eyes, but hey, when you have a book of this incredible quality who cares if I look like the walking dead, that’s what concealer’s for, right? LOL!

This is one of those books that you never knew you were waiting for and when it arrives in your life it feels as though it has been there all along. Reading this is like bringing home your new puppy knowing that for many years to come you will be inundated with thrills, fun, excitement and shocks, Sight Unseen alone will take you through all those emotions and plenty more besides, and as this is the first in the Sarah Sutherland series, there are going to many, many more to come, I know that this series is going to be amazing and I am so excited about what’s to come in the future.

This may be my first book by Sandra Ireland, but no way is Sandra going to be rid of me as a reader now, her writing captivates and compels you to keep reading all the while you are being drawn further and further into her imagination, it’s a brilliantly eye-opening and compelling introduction to Sandra’s work and I cannot wait to discover more of her books. What I absolutely loved about Sarah is she is just so damn likeable, she is genuinely kind, caring and a good friend. I felt such a huge connection to Sarah, as I aspect many other women will too.

On the surface, she is a working single mother of a travelling teenage daughter, who is stuck in a dead-end job, and in her spare time she cares for her ailing father, she is a little insecure and there are fragilities to her character, she is lonely and desperately wanting more. Yet beneath that she is a passionate history lover, she loves going out dressed in her gothic clothing and doing Witch tours around her city all the while she is deeply connected to the witch who lived in her very cottage; Alie Gowder. A wronged woman who suffered the most awful treatment – as did so many poor women accused of witchcraft – Sarah is desperate to know all about Ali and discover the truth about who she really was and there is far more to Alie’s story than thought, there is darkness and villain’s lurking in the background. Sarah loves nothing better than diving headfirst into the archives to find the truth, something which I can totally relate to.

Sarah has a lot on her plate her mind-numbingly boring and a predictable job at a local supermarket, which now sees someone stealing. Her dad John is behaving rather oddly and she fears for him is there really someone who keeps popping into John’s home, or is it all his imagination? And what is it with those ‘imaginary people’ he keeps seeing? Her daughter is off travelling the world, but is she really having the greatest time?

From the very first page, I was gripped, I loved how the two stories run side by side with each other, the more we learn about Sarah and Alie the more I like both women. The witch trial is a subject that is so rarely seen in novels, and I applaud anyone who dives into that grisly and bloody part of our history and tells the stories of these women who were treated despicable, they suffered greatly and in re-telling their stories and bringing light to this dark passage of history these women who died horrific death may be able to find some justice.

Sight Unseen is a compelling, mysterious and thrilling read, there is just the right amount of supernatural to give it an edge and what keeps you guessing, with its many twists and turns you will be flying through the pages at record speed. Just when you think that you know the outcome then; boom something else pops up you are left reeling and excited to find out what will come next and all the while you are urging Sarah on and wanting to know the truth about what really happened with poor persecuted Alie.

I honestly cannot say enough good things about this, I feel that my waffled review doesn’t really do this book justice. This is mind-blowingly great, I am waiting with bated breath for the next instalment of the Sarah Sutherland Thrillers, I can’t wait!

This was a complimentary copy, which I voluntarily reviewed as a part of this blog tour.

About the Author

Sandra Ireland was awarded a Carnegie-Cameron scholarship to study for an MLitt in Writing Practice and Study at the University of Dundee, graduating with a distinction in 2014. Her work has appeared in various publications and women’s magazines. She is the author of Beneath the Skin (2016), Bone Deep (2018) and The Unmaking of Ellie Rook (2019). She lives in Carnoustie, Scotland.