The Witch Elm

Every village has its traditions. Melissa Hendrix arrives in the remote village of Heredge desperate for a fresh start. Crumbling Elm Tree Cottage seems perfect: isolated, affordable and far away from the scandals she left behind. But as the new village midwife, Melissa is quickly drawn into something she doesn’t understand: traditions that no one dares question, silence that feels like a threat, and an ancient elm tree that no one dares disturb. As Melissa digs deeper, the village's old traditions give way to something far more unsettling. The ancient rituals woven through village life were never meant to honour the past – they're to ensure Heredge survives. Old loyalties remain. Old superstitions endure. Something buried long ago is stirring once more. And Melissa may be the one they have been waiting for. Some curses don't die. They wait. Melissa Hendrix arrives in the remote village of Hathersage desperate for a fresh start. Crumbling Elm Tree Cottage seems perfect: isolated, affordable and far away from the scandals she left behind. But as the new village midwife, Melissa is quickly drawn into something she doesn’t understand: rituals disguised as tradition, silence that feels like a threat, and an ancient elm tree no one will go near after dark. As Melissa uncovers the village’s dark past, she discovers the story of a young woman condemned to the flames as a witch three centuries earlier. A woman who died cursing them all. The descendants of those who betrayed her still walk Hathersage’s winding streets. Old loyalties remain. Old superstitions endure. Something buried long ago is stirring once more. And Melissa may be the only person who can stop it – or the one destined to set it free. A haunted midwife fleeing her past arrives in a remote village where every woman is due to give birth at once – and where a centuries-old curse is about to be reborn. Perfect for fans of C.J. Tudor, C.J. Cooke and Adam Nevill.