Between 1645 and '47, a man named Matthew Hopkins declared himself "Witchfinder General" and promptly began to hold more trials for witchcraft than England had ever known, leading to the deaths of about three hundred women. <i>The Witchfinder's Sister</i> is a novel detailing these events from the point of view of Matthew's sister Alice (who does not actually appear in the historical record, though she could theoretically have existed).

The book opens with Alice newly widowed, forced to return to her hometown and the brother she hasn't seen in years. Without money, without other relatives to go to, without influence, and with the general lack of independence granted to women in the seventeenth century, Alice quickly finds herself trapped as a dependant member of Matthew's household. She's shocked to learn of his belief in witches (given their father's general reliance on logic, common sense, and an academic approach to the Bible) but is unable to talk him out of it or stop his trials. She desperately investigates old family secrets, in the hope of figuring out what drives Matthew to do such things, believing that if she figures out his motivations she'll be able to stop him. At the same time, Matthew slowly maneuvers her into acting as an assistant during his interrogations of "witches".

<i>The Witchfinder's Sister</i> is mostly concerned with exploring how witch trials could be allowed to happen; it goes with an explanation based on the general chaos of England during the Civil War, particularly the tensions between Protestants and Catholics, as well as Matthew's troubled relationship with his mother. Which, you know, is probably accurate enough, but somehow felt a bit shallow in the depiction, though I can't put my finger on exactly why. There's also a twist at the very end (it's literally the last sentence) that seemed silly compared to the serious-minded tone of the rest of the book.

Despite those complaints, I mostly liked <i>The Witchfinder's Sister</i>. The characters of Alice and several other disadvantaged women are very well done, and give a real sense of the constriction of their lives. The mystery of Matthew's childhood secret kept me turning the pages until the ultimate reveal. But the best part of the book is its excellent depiction of the terror and tension of Alice's position. There's a scene of a swimming trial – where a woman was tossed in water to see if she sinks or floats – that was particularly chilling. It's more literary fiction than horror novel, but <i>The Witchfinder's Sister</i> does a good job of reminding one of how scary normal humans can be.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2166320238

After 30% of nothing happening, this book lost me. You can't spend that much of your book remembering past events. The main character never experienced things; she only looked back on them. Not intriguing at all. It was too slow and had no emotional weight. The main character is bland and naïve...not a winning combination.

I had high hopes for this book. Sad to close it so early, but there is so much time spent setting up the plot and characters, that the book ends up having no plot whatsoever.

I seem to be coming across a lot of debut novels lately. I hope I also come across the author's next books, because I've been blown away. This one has everything a reader wants in historical fiction. You learn about the place and the everyday life of living in those times. Meet Alice Hopkins, a sister to Matthew. After her husband dies, she has no choice but to leave London and return to the Essex region. There, she has to deal with a lot of unsettled business, including a brother who now heads up a group of men who go on witch hunts

I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in this book. I thought the whole premise of witch hunting would be fascinating and exciting. I expected a fast-paced story from an insider's perspective. Unfortunately, that is not how this book played out.

This is a rather slow-paced tale of a woman trying to figure out what happened to her brother and exactly what he is up to. The problem is that we already know, even from just the title of the book, what her brother is doing. I didn't feel there were any big surprises and not really any new information regarding the witch hunts either.

The book was atmospheric in the beginning, but seemed to lose the feeling somewhere along the way and not much really happened until the end. I almost stopped reading several times because I didn't have any desire to pick it up once I put it down. Because of this, it took me a long time to read.

There are a couple of plot points that were thrown in that didn't make sense in the book. I think they were added to add some mystery and a sense of anticipation, but they were never really explained and just left hanging there.

Ultimately, this turned out to be a mediocre book which could have been a lot better. I thought the pacing was too slow, but the end was interesting.

I love witch stories and anything historical fiction so I was intrigued by this book. It started off a bit slow and I struggled to get through the first half, but once I really delved into the book it was definitely worth it and exposed me to a whole level of witch hunting and blaming in the English countryside that is rarely talked about!

I am voluntarily submitting my honest review after receiving an ARC copy of the ebook from NetGalley.

This book is a haunting fictionalization of Matthew Hopkins's reign of terror during the seventeenth century witch trials in Essex. Told from the viewpoint of his sister, Alice, who is forced to return to his household as a pregnant widow following the tragic death of her husband, this novel is a vivid and horrifying illustration of the powerlessness, fear and at times, outright persecution women were subjected to in 1645 England. The narrator is created as an all too human woman, trapped by circumstance, and a product of her time--sure that some of her brother's victims are innocent, yet unable to dismiss the possibility of witchcraft completely. As she tries to discover her brother's motives for such vigorous lashing out at the most vulnerable and unprotected women for his persecution, she must guard against becoming a target herself. The book is a fascinating and quick read with a fluid style rife with tension that keeps the pages turning--at times it is like watching a horror film--I wanted to cover my eyes, but I just couldn't! While some criticize the significant departures from the historical record, I find no fault whatsoever on this account as this book is upfront about being historical fiction, so the author is absolutely justified in taking license with verifiable facts. Fans of historical fiction, particularly those with an interest in the history of the occult or the paranormal, will enjoy this book.

he number of women my brother Matthew killed, as far as I can reckon it, is one hundred and six. He accomplished it in two of our short English summers, and the months between. One hundred and six women, through Essex, Suffolk, and beyond; that much is certain. But though I know that much, and much else of Matthew, still I cannot quite capture him, just as how when were children and learning to draw, he would move before you were finished; he would turn his face away. In the end, he was not one thing but many, and though I want tell the truth about him now I want to make him more than a shadow on the wall used to scare children. I want to make him more that that and also less; I want to show him as a man who chose to call himself a witchfinder; who deserved every inch of pain that found him, and also the sad wreck of a small boy. For he was both these things, and none could know it him better than the sister who watched him grow.

Based on the man Matthew Hopkins, the author Beth Underdownweaved a tale of a sister that has come back from London to witness her brother's obsession with finding witches and putting them to death. A manipulative man who used his sister to achieve the evil that consumed him. Told in Alice Hopkins's voice as her return from London after the death of her husband, she witness her brother's cat and mouse game among the women in the community. Using the communities fear to play out his agenda. Alice in her own feeble way, tries to outplay her brother but only falls deeper into despair.

The book is written very well with detail to the characters which are many with a great sense of the mind set of the time. The book at times was heavy but the significance at the end gave it an uplifting boot with some irony.

A Special Thank You to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

The Witchfinders Sister is a beautifully written book. WIt was very hard to put this book down once I started. Highly recommend.

I enjoy historical fiction a lot, and i did not come across this particular theme before. So, i was very curious about it.

Alice Hopkins, recently widowed, was coming back to her brother's home, seeking confort and refuge. Little did she know how changed her brother was, and what mission he was embarking on.
it was the 17th century England, a very disturbing period, the Witch hunt period.

Matthew Hopkins, Alice's brother, was very instrumental in this hunt in his small region. The story was told by Alice, and from her perspective we follow the doings of Matthew, but also we see how certain events in his childhood had shaped him.
I was surprised to find from the Author's note at the end, that Matthew Hopkins was actually real, and some of the details of his methods and cases were taken from surviving notes of him. It was interesting but also disturbing, to see the extent of human cruelty.

Alice was a fictional character, she was very important in telling her brother's story. I admit that i did not always like her or sympathize with her. But i can see that her choices and mistakes were important in telling the story of Metthew.

Overall it was an interesting book.

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 was a well constructed and beautifully lyrical book. It tells the fictionalised story of Matthew Hopkins, the self-proclaimed Witch Finder General, and his persecutions of women in Essex, England in the 1600s. Told from the point of view of his sister, Alice, this is a wonderfully vivid exploration of the man and his motives, along with the societal superstitions and prejudices that allowed him such a free reign. Beth Underdown paints a portrait of a very troubled man with a family history of mental instability and takes us deep into the psyche of Hopkins, ensuring that we have to see him as a man first, as opposed to a monster. There are some great characters at play here, including Alice herself, who is a witness to many of the trials and we get a real sense of the insignificant things that could condemn a woman to death. There are occasions where the pacing lags just a little, but overall this is a remarkable achievement.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Alice finds herself pregnant and her husband died in a terrible accident. So she must return to her home village and live with her brother Matthew who hadn’t approved of her marriage. Mathew has changed a lot and is now a very powerful man as he is the “ Witch Finder General” Mathew is now cruel, troubled and sullen person with some evil around him. Mathew is now a merciless hunter of witches. People are of Mathew now. Alice tries but she can’t change Mathew or the way he thinks or what he does. Alice tries to understand Mathew’s reasoning. Then Alice finds out some dark secrets about when they were young and which also puts Alice’s life in danger. Mathew brought in women as witches when they were just a little odd or eccentric. Mathew traveled across many countries following rumors and talk of supposed witches.
I had mixed feelings about this story. It was really scary to think this was based on an actual person and Mathew had been responsible for the deaths of over three hundred women in two years time. This choked me up at times. I found this difficult to read at times knowing what happened to women accused of witchcraft. This story dragged for me at times and the second half I didn’t find interesting. The plot was good for the most part.. I had problems keeping my attention in the second half and the pace was too slow for the most part. So I did like some things about this book and others I didn’t.

Wonderful book that I enjoyed reading! Will be recommending this book to my customers.

When I was awarded this book through Net Galley I had every hope it would remind me of the Paula Braxton books about "witches." Beth Underdown did not disappoint! Historical fiction is my favorite genre and since this book is based on actual events of the witch hunt it made it that more appealing. It follows Alice Hopkins who has returned to her home town to live with her brother, Matthew, after her husband has passed away. Matthew is based on a real person that contributed to many being killed during the witch hunt trials in the 17th century.

This book was a definite thriller and I would highly recommend it to anyone that loves thrillers, historical fiction, or horror. The book will keep you guessing throughout and surprises you up to the very end!

Although many readers will be familiar with the Salem Witch Trials, few will have read of their predecessors in England. The Witchfinder's Sister is a fascinating tell of "witch hunting" from an nteresting perspective. This one is not to be missed!

Alice's hardships as a woman in 1640's England can be difficult to read at times. She's beholden to her younger brother, caught up in tangled emotions and memories, and is determined to do the right thing no matter what. It's difficult in the face of such superstition, hatred and poor understanding of mental illnesses.

The descriptions of the Hopkins family as well as the villagers point to anxiety, depression and psychosis, which were all believed to be the work of demons or witches at the time. In their ignorance and political/religious zeal (essentially one and the same at that time period), it became a firestorm of suspicion and doubt, where the helpless and poor widows of the county suffered.

Alice isn't left with many choices, and she doesn't interact with many of the accused witches. This leaves the book with a somewhat limited viewpoint, because Alice doesn't know much about what else is happening in the county or with the English Civil War, even though it was mentioned in the beginning. That gives the story a claustrophobic feel, intentional or not, mirroring the fact that Alice is writing the story while trapped in an attic room.

This is an amazing first novel, and I'm sure anything else that Beth Underdown writes will be just as wonderful to read.

Telling the story from another viewpoint this book knocks my socks off. I'm obesssed with Salem and the witch trials and this one gave me a glimpse into the other side of things. I highly recommend this and the historical details immerse you quickly.

I loved this! It really shows the constraints put upon women in this era, and how insanely hard it was for people to be free, and how poor education and superstition can wreck people's lives.

So — I recently found this novel on Net Galley and since I love historical fiction and things like Salem, I thought it would be a great read.

This book totally haunted me and I was horrified to find out it was based on many real events. It was very well done and well-written but also very disturbing. The characters are well developed and more than once I was thankful that I did not live in those times!

Thank you for my review copy!

Perhaps it is a coincidence simply due to my reading choices lately or a heightened awareness of the topic in general, but there is an abundance of books lately discussing women's roles past and present, how intelligent and independent women were viewed and in some regards continue to be viewed by general society. Whatever it is, I am thoroughly enjoying the chance to learn more and adding fuel to my renewed feminism. While The Witchfinder's Sister does not have such a woman as the main character, it does detail how the real-life Witchfinder went about terrorizing women for a few years in the mid-seventeenth century. Even though no one is hunting down modern "witches" to torture them into confessing their sins, the hatred towards women exhibited by the men in the novel is something to which all women today can relate.

Ms. Underdown admits in her Author's Note that there was a lot of license she had to take with the details because there is not much known about Matthew Hopkins. This could be problematic for the story, but she does a tremendous job of incorporating painstaking research into her novel and credibly blending fact with fiction. She also recognizes those areas she added in her notes so that readers understand exactly what she added and her reasons for doing so. When fact is stranger than fiction like in this scenario, knowing such delineations is useful and interesting.

While Matthew Hopkins' reasons for hunting and killing witches are only a supposition, Ms. Underdown provides a great example of how hatred and disgust at the female body, as well as fear, cowardice, and a lust for power, contributed to witch hunts. In fact, it takes no great stretch of the imagination to view Matthew as a symbol for all of the hunters throughout history. His disgust with the female reproductive system and female lust is every man's discomfort at menstruation and sexually forward women. His lust for power is the glass ceiling and ongoing misogyny that continue to view women as inferior and limit them in their roles. The witch hunts of today may not involving watching and swimming, but they provide similar results in making women's health a taboo subject and making it virtually impossible for a woman to become president under today's conditions.

The Witchfinder's Sister is an interesting story but not without its demerits. Alice is a surprisingly weak character, not in development but in personality. She is meek whereas the women who most influenced her life were strong. She is hesitant to offend and spends much of her time lamenting her inability to influence her brother for the better. There is no concern of her being mistaken for a witch because she spends a majority of her time hiding in her room rather than taking action. It is her frustrating lack of inaction and propensity for wishful thinking that strikes the reader as out of place in this novel where the hunting of strong, active women plays such a strong role.

In spite of its negatives, The Witchfinder's Sister is enjoyable with its glimpse into a little-known part of history. The timing of the story's release, as women face ever increasing concerns about reproductive health care access as well as an ongoing dialogue about feminism and women's roles in society, may be a coincidence or else it is brilliant marketing by the publisher. Either way, readers can relate to Alice and to Matthew's victims in a way they may not have done a year ago, and it is easy to recognize in Matthew the sanctimony of today's current American administration. It may be dismaying to realize that women have been persecuted for the same reasons for hundreds of years, but there is comfort in the fact that we continue to survive and thrive in spite of such persecution. We might have a long way to go to stamp out such witch hunts, but being aware of the various forms they take, past and present, is one weapon in our arsenal to continue to battle against them.