Publication Date: October 14, 2025
A deeply compelling historical horror novel following a woman accused of being a witch who must use her voice to fight for her life—and the truth—from the acclaimed author of The Book of Witching
Innsbruck, 1485. Helena Scheuberin should be doing what every other young wife is doing: keeping house, supporting her husband, and bearing his children, but as an outspoken, strong woman, she sometimes has difficulty fitting in. Then she draws the unwanted attention of a malign priest who is just starting his campaign to root out “witches” from among the women of her town, and when her husband’s footman dies, she finds herself accused not only of murder but of witchcraft.
Helena must find the courage to risk her life and the lives of others by standing up to a man determined to paint her as the most wicked of all….
Based on the incredible true story of a woman who challenged a man who went on to become one of Europe’s most notorious and cruel witchfinders, this novel offers a jewel-bright portrait of female power.
Well before the Salem Witch Trials, history depicts a wave of horror that swept through the Holy Roman Empire during the late 15th century.
Author C. J. Cooke highlights the devastation that follows in the wake of Heinrich Kramer’s inquisition and the bold actions of Helena Scheuberin. The story unfolds in The Last Witch.
Kramer’s contempt for women comes alive as he sweeps into Innsbruck. In a time when women were already deemed inferior to men, he was easily able to convince the townspeople of evil dwelling among them.
Although full details of Helena’s life after the encounter with Kramer are lost to history, the author does a phenomenal job of personalizing her. In resisting, she faces a number of medieval tortures, each one ending in death.
The Last Witch leverages historical information to showcase a showdown between an illustrious witch hunter and the woman he condemned.
C. J. Cooke is an award-winning poet and novelist published in twenty-three languages. She teaches creative writing at the University of Glasgow, where she also researches the impact of motherhood on women’s writing and creative writing interventions for mental health.
