The Witchfinder's Sister
By Beth Underdown
Published by Viking (2 March 2017)
ISBN: 978-0241978030
Publisher's description
My verdict
I really enjoyed The Witchfinder's Sister. I found the book to be highly atmospheric with very realistic narrative and dialogue in keeping with the time period in which it's set. It starts off slowly, building up the suspense until it becomes a twisty page turner that's difficult to put down.
The story centres around Alice Hopkins, recently widowed sister of Matthew, who was an English witch hunter, mainly in East Anglia. Due her own circumstances, Alice becomes trapped in her brother's home and is reliant on him for food and lodging. Soon she discovers that her brother is a monster with no heart - and that he expects her to join his quest to find witches. Does Alice have a choice?
It's not an easy read, in terms of content, and is certainly not uplifting. But it's not meant to be. Instead, it's a fascinating and gripping tale of a time when women could be arrested for witchcraft, incarcerated and hanged, just because a man viewed them with irrational suspicion. The plot is claustrophobic, vivid and oozes tension and unease.
The Witchfinder's Sister is perfect for historical fiction fans who like well-researched books with a gruesome, and slightly supernatural, theme. Highly recommended.
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'The number
of women my brother Matthew killed, so far as I can reckon it, is one hundred
and six...'
1645. When
Alice Hopkins' husband dies in a tragic accident, she returns to the small
Essex town of Manningtree, where her brother Matthew still lives.
But home is
no longer a place of safety. Matthew has changed, and there are rumours
spreading through the town: whispers of witchcraft, and of a great book, in
which he is gathering women's names.
To what
lengths will Matthew's obsession drive him?
And what
choice will Alice make, when she finds herself at the very heart of his plan?
My verdict
I really enjoyed The Witchfinder's Sister. I found the book to be highly atmospheric with very realistic narrative and dialogue in keeping with the time period in which it's set. It starts off slowly, building up the suspense until it becomes a twisty page turner that's difficult to put down.
The story centres around Alice Hopkins, recently widowed sister of Matthew, who was an English witch hunter, mainly in East Anglia. Due her own circumstances, Alice becomes trapped in her brother's home and is reliant on him for food and lodging. Soon she discovers that her brother is a monster with no heart - and that he expects her to join his quest to find witches. Does Alice have a choice?
It's not an easy read, in terms of content, and is certainly not uplifting. But it's not meant to be. Instead, it's a fascinating and gripping tale of a time when women could be arrested for witchcraft, incarcerated and hanged, just because a man viewed them with irrational suspicion. The plot is claustrophobic, vivid and oozes tension and unease.
The Witchfinder's Sister is perfect for historical fiction fans who like well-researched books with a gruesome, and slightly supernatural, theme. Highly recommended.
Follow the Blog Tour
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