Part mystery part tragedy and all feminine ferocity The Witch of Willow Sound is a spellbinding debut novel Foreword Reviews starred review

Fastpaced and forwardmoving The Witch of Willow Sound is an original poignant story with a fresh perspective on magic Cemetery Dance

This fun and twisty story is an ode to the wisdom of nature and the women who carry it as well as a reminder of the importance of balance and the way that histories will haunt us unless we are honest about what our stories really are Pickle Me This blog

This is a moody atmospheric and fastpaced novel with a lot of suspense tempered with a good amount of humour as well thanks to Fades acerbic wit Penney evokes an incredible sense of place throughout the book with vivid and detailed descriptions of the landscape the woods the cottage we feel we are right there with Fade moving through this place Elizabeth Obermeyers blog

Penney understands intimately the craft of writing fiction of good research of creating a story which while most definitely genre fiction moves beyond genre by exploring believably and credibly a history the interweaving of relationships of the effect of willful ignorance upon those who dont conform to rigid closedsocietal standards A resonant and prevalent voice of Canadas East Coast On Spec Magazine

The Witch of Willow Sound is perfect for readers who love modern gothic stories feminist reimaginings of folklore and atmospheric mysteries with emotional depth Its a gripping reminder of how superstition and fear can shape entire communitiesand how easy it is to lose those we love when we dont take the time to listen Write on the World blog

The Witch of Willow Sound by Vanessa F Penney is a history lesson wrapped in a murder mystery Utilizing the true dark past of Nova Scotia this book is a sobering example of how true horror neednt be supernatural Horror Tree

Penneys story is at once both mesmerizing complex highly entertaining and an unapologetic statement illustrating the horrors historically and culturally perpetrated against women and children marginalized by society The book is destined to become a classic of East Coast regional folklore Ottawa Review of Books

While The Witch of Willow Sound wasnt super scary I still liked the creeping dread and unexpected craziness of it I might even call it cozy horror It was a compelling story and pushes me further in the direction of I need more nature horror FanFiAddict

With her fairytaleesque debut Vanessa F Penney keeps the pages turning delivering the plot through punchy compact sentences and chapters that can be read in a single exhale The prose is carried by a remarkable eye for vivid detail Literary Review of Canada