The Witchfinder's Sister: A haunting historical thriller perfect for fans of The Familiars and The Dutch House

by Beth Underdown

'The number of women my brother Matthew killed, so far as I can reckon it, is one hundred and six . . .'

THE PAGE-TURNING RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB BESTSELLER

'A compelling debut from a gifted storyteller' Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent
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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?

Winner of the HWA Debut Crown Award 2017, this beautiful and haunting historical thriller is perfect for fans of The Familiars, Hamnet and Where the Crawdads Sing.
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'Vivid and terrifying' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

'A clever, pacey read that blends truth and fiction' The Times

'At once a feminist parable and an old-fashioned, check-twice-under-the-bed thriller' Patrick Gale

'A richly told and utterly compelling tale, with shades of Hilary Mantel' Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat

'Beth Underdown grips us from the outset and won't let go . . . at once a feminist parable and an old-fashioned, check-twice-under-the-bed thriller' Patrick Gale, author of Notes from an Exhibition

• ISBN10: 024197805X
• ISBN13: 9780241978054
• Publish Date: 14 December 2017 (first published 2 March 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9780241978054

Reviews

[elysium]

2,5 stars

After the death of her husband, Alice Hopkins has no other choice than to return to her childhood home in Manningtree to live with her brother Matthew. But a lot has happened there while she was away and her brother has changed. They haven’t been in contact for years and Matthew didn’t approve her choice of husband and still hasn’t forgiven her.

Little by little Alice discovers that it is Matthew who is behind hunting women and accusing them of witchcraft. But she is horrified when she realizes that Matthew wants her to join him in the quest to find witches.

The first part of the book was really slow and boring so I was thinking about quitting but I still wanted to know how it ends. I mean all the action was in the latter half of the book.

I wasn’t huge fan of Alice and just didn’t connect with her. I just wished she had more backbone. She was too easily influenced by what others think and would agree with them. Then someone else says this and then she agrees with them and so on. She did got little better at the end and I was happy about the ending. I didn’t get why she would tell Matthew about her pregnancy. It probably wouldn’t have made him any warmer or anything but still.

Matthew well… he had his reasons sort of… He is evil person who truly believes in the existence of witches. He really does believe he is doing the right thing. He is not a nice person, I’ll just leave it there.

I have to say I didn’t like this as much as I thought I would but everyone else seems to love this so what do I know. But I was just bored and not scared.