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The Witchfinder’s Sister

The Witchfinder's Sister Book Cover The Witchfinder's Sister
Beth Underdown
Fiction
Ballantine Books
2017
336

Essex, England, 1645. With a heavy heart, Alice Hopkins returns to the small town she grew up in. Widowed, with child, and without prospects, she is forced to find refuge at the house of her younger brother, Matthew. In the five years she has been gone, the boy she knew has become a man of influence and wealth—but more has changed than merely his fortunes. Alice fears that even as the cruel burns of a childhood accident still mark his face, something terrible has scarred Matthew’s soul.

There is a new darkness in the town, too—frightened whispers are stirring in the streets, and Alice’s blood runs cold with dread when she discovers that Matthew is a ruthless hunter of suspected witches. Torn between devotion to her brother and horror at what he’s become, Alice is desperate to intervene—and deathly afraid of the consequences. But as Matthew’s reign of terror spreads, Alice must choose between her safety and her soul.

Alone and surrounded by suspicious eyes, Alice seeks out the fuel firing her brother’s brutal mission—and is drawn into the Hopkins family’s past. There she finds secrets nested within secrets: and at their heart, the poisonous truth. Only by putting her own life and liberty in peril can she defeat this darkest of evils—before more innocent women are forced to the gallows.

Inspired by the real-life story of notorious “Witchfinder General” Matthew Hopkins, Beth Underdown’s thrilling debut novel blends spellbinding history with echoes of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale for a truly haunting reading experience.

 

Review:

3 1/2 Stars Rounded Down

Having had an interest in witch trials for as long as I can remember, I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of “The Witchfinder’s Sister.”  Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.

Parts of the book were interesting, as well as horrifying, and the characters were intriguing.  The problem is the other parts were just so slow and dull that it cancelled out the good parts in my mind.

If “The Witchfinder’s Sister” sounds like something you may like, then by all means give it a try.  It may be that the problem with the story was me.

This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.