The Witches of Santo Stefano

By Wendy Webb

An investigative journalist uncovers the haunting secret history of her own ancestors in a bewitching novel by the bestselling author of Daughters of the Lake.

When Cassie Graves discovers her husband's affair, it's enough to chip away at the foundation of her life. But after researching her family's Italian ancestry, it completely crumbles beneath her.

Her grandmother Gia's often-told stories about the past are a lie. Her much-romanticized great-grandfather Giovanni may not even have existed. Most alarming of all, it appears her mysterious great-grandmother Violetta died by stregoneria--witchcraft. Now, piecing together the puzzle of her family tree in the small, centuries-old hill town of Santo Stefano, Cassie finds help from a welcoming group of locals: the accommodating Renzo; Dante, whose own family history connects with Cassie's; and the ethereal Luna, an interpreter of dreams who gives Cassie a protective amulet--and the warning that she may have walked into a trap.

When Cassie comes upon an old spell book, she gets closer to unearthing long-buried family secrets, the truth about a powerful female lineage, and the haunting discovery of who she really is.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1662517416
• ISBN13: 9781662517419
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
• Length: 315 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Finding your roots!

Set mostly in the beautiful country of Italy, in the small village of Santo Stefano, Cassie searches for the truth about her family and hopefully find happiness, not knowing that her line is cursed. I do like the how she was able to go to that place for her research, especially after that bum of her husband cheats serially on her. Cassie is so nice and meets so many friendly people who go to such lengths to help her (can't imagine people just drop everything and pull up lots of old papers and photos, to help a foreigner very often so it is really sweet). I also like how the chapters vary from present with Cassie to the past with Violetta, her mother and aunt, and their mother so we can find out how and why the curse came about and how standing up for yourself might change everything. It is a well written story with true love, heartbreak, awesome dogs and donkeys, all in the wonderful town of Santo Stefano!

4 stars

THE WITCHES OF SANTO STEFANO by Wendy Webb I love a good family genealogy mystery especially when it involves a little magic. Investigative journalist, Cassandra (Cassie) Graves, travels to Santa Stefano, Italy to research her ancestry. She wants to know why her grandmother’s death certificate has the incorrect date and lists the cause of her death as “stregheria” or witchcraft. I loved the descriptions of the village shops, the Italian landscape, the food and wine! The minor characters also added so much depth and color to the story. Also, how can you not love a protective dog and donkey? I feel a cast of characters or family tree at the beginning would’ve been most helpful for keeping track of who’s who. Aside from that, this is a warm and cozy, not too saccharine, mystery. Perfect for upcoming spooky season! Rating: 4/5 ⭐️ Pub Date: September 24, 2024 **ARC courtesy of Netgalley & AmazonPublishing / Lake Union