Burn, Witch, Burn
#10693.59 adjusted 3.74 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 1932–1934 Reading commitment Low A. Merritt Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
A. Merritt's Dr. Lowell duology is set in contemporary New York. Burn, Witch, Burn! was serialized in Argosy in 1932 and published as a book in 1933; Dr. Lowell, a physician, and the gangster Julian Ricori investigate mysterious deaths linked to Madame Mandilip, a doll maker who may be a witch. Creep, Shadow! followed in 1934, with young ethnologist Alan Caranac as lead and Lowell and Ricori in supporting roles, investigating apparent suicides tied to an old Breton legend and a hidden netherworld. Merritt wrote no further books in the series.
Dark fantasy, Urban fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
Burn, Witch, Burn A. Merritt
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burn, Witch, Burn!; Serialized in Argosy in 1932; first book edition 1933. | 1932 | 1 | core | 3.60 (1,087 ratings) | |
| Creep, Shadow!; Also published as Creep, Shadow, Creep!; serialized in Argosy in 1934. | 1934 | 2 | core | 3.53 (211 ratings) |
Two linked novels of supernatural horror set in New York around Dr. Lowell.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Burn, Witch, Burn? Burn, Witch, Burn's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for Burn, Witch, Burn? Publication order, starting with Burn, Witch, Burn!. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Burn, Witch, Burn finished? Complete (1932–1934).
- How much reading does Burn, Witch, Burn take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books).
- How is Burn, Witch, Burn ranked? #1069 in this site's official ranking, based on 1,298 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1069?
Ranked #1069 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.59 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (1,298 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Remarkably consistent across the whole series: all 2 rated core books rate within 0.07 of each other.
- 0.10 behind #1068, King of Shadows.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 2 books · Complete · 1k ratings · Ranks #1069 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment dark fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- Burn, Witch, Burn! (1932)
- Creep, Shadow! (1934)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Burn, Witch, Burn and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Aunt Tigress Urban fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.73
- Djinn Rummy Comic fantasy / Urban fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.70
- Unquenchable Fire Urban fantasy · Unfinished · Low commitment · 3.70
- Mexican Gothic Dark fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.66
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.59 across 1,298 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 29 universes; Inda widened to Sartorias-deles; 5 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia (A. Merritt) Tier 2
- Worlds Without End Tier 2
- Fantasy Literature Tier 2
- Rising Shadow Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = Burn, Witch, Burn! (1932) and Creep, Shadow! (1934).