The story is based on a true fact of Matthew Hopkins, who was responsible for sending over 100 women to the gallows for the most of menial things. It is supposed that he might have had a sister and this story is narrated through the supposed sister.

It starts in 1645, after the death of her husband, Alice makes her way to her brother’s house. Once there, she starts hearing about accusations of witchcraft. Further, she uncovers her brother’s involvement.

A war of witch-hunting is set against English Civil War of King Charles I. Matthew Hopkins claimed to hold the office of Witchfinder General, although officially the title was never bestowed upon him by Parliament. Did he use the chaos of Civil War to gain the position?

The story starts very absorbing with a language sounding very appropriate for the time period. However, once Alice goes back in time revealing stories of her childhood involving her brother and family, the story starts losing its interest.

The time period of war and division of Charles I is just a mention at the very beginning. It is not reinforced throughout the story, in result losing its authenticity. What influence did the turmoil of Civil War had on Matthew Hopkins?

For me the story could be much stronger with developing such key points as time period and the effects of it; also in general what sparked the witch-hunting.

The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown is the story about the infamous Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins. The story is told from the perspective of his sister, Alice, who returns home after the sudden and tragic death of her husband. She quickly becomes suspicious of her brother’s business dealings and learns of the horrifying deeds he’s doing in the name of God. When local village women are accused of witchcraft, Alice doesn’t believe it and tries to persuade him to stop. But Matthew is insistent, specifically using a verse from Exodus that witches must die. She begins to work in secret to stop him. She begins to look into the family’s past, only to find horrifying secrets. When she confronts Matthew with what she has discovered, Matthew locks her away. Will Matthew stop his witch hunting? Will Alice be able to escape her brother’s hold?
The Witchfinder’s Sister is a fictionalized story of a terrifying figure in history. Very little is known about Matthew Hopkins’s past or family. However, his witch hunting is well documented and he is credited with killing over 300 women during 1644-1646. He is solely responsible for the increased number of witch trials in the area. He even wrote a book, The Discovery of Witches (1647) which helped influence the Salem Witch Trials (1692-1693). The story of The Witchfinder’s Sister is a look into possible influences to Matthew Hopkins’ obsession with witches and his drive to rid society of them. It is an interesting take on a man which history seems to have forgotten. A man who had done so much damage. I recommend The Witchfinder’s Sister. The story will intrigue you and you will not be able to put it down.

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I liked the story overall and the fact that it was based on a real person, but felt it could have been written better. The pace was pretty slow for me but I think if you are a fan of historical fiction this book is definitely worth a read.

I love when an author mixes historical fact with fiction which is exactly what author Beth Underdown has done in her debut novel, The Witchfinder’s Sister.

In Essex, England, in the year 1645, a man by the name of Matthew Hopkins, backed by the rich men in the community, begins a campaign to rid the area of supposed witches. If a child dies of fever, or crops are destroyed, or a farmer’s cow dies, people become suspicious and blame it on witchcraft. They round up widowed or elderly woman and blame their misfortune on them. It is Matthew’s job to prove or disprove that each woman is a witch.

What is absolutely terrifying about this scenario is that it is actual fact. This happened. What is fascinating is the way Ms. Underdown takes this true story and creates characters around it to fill in the details that are not know and create an intriguing, gripping tale. Believe me, you won’t want to put this one down!

If you love Paula Brackston and Alice Hoffman novels, you are going to love this one.

(I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.)

DNF-Guys, I tried, and then tried, and then tried again...I just couldn't do it, something about this was just not sitting right or rubbing the wrong way, I couldn't really put my finger on it, but man, I just couldn't get myself past 30%. I gave it ample chances and even made sure I was in a different state of mind each time I tried, it just didn't work for me.

Beautiful historic fiction! The author is adept at crafting descriptions of place that evoke the era. Well written, well thought out.

Interesting perspective on the sad story of witch hunting. You can really feel that women in those times had very little to protect them, and bad people can do so much damage. This book is well written and interesting, keeps you guessing about what will happen next.

I’ll admit right out of the gate that one of the reasons I picked up The Witchfinder’s Sister for review is because the real-life events that play out in the novel took place in the area in which I now live – North East Essex and South Suffolk. Matthew Hopkins is a well-known historical figure in the UK; the self-styled Witchfinder General – a title he was never officially granted – lived in the small Essex town of Manningtree, but his influence was felt across all of East Anglia. Between 1644 and 1647, Hopkins and his associates were responsible for the executions for witchcraft of over three hundred women.

In spite of his notoriety, very little is known about Hopkins’ personal life, but author Beth Underdown has painted an intriguing and menacing picture of the man and the events he set in train as seen through the eyes of his (fictional) sister, Alice, who, we learn at the beginning, has been imprisoned – we don’t know why or by whom – and who is using her time to record the full history of my brother, what he has done.

In 1645, Alice returns to Manningtree following the tragic death of her husband in an accident. She is apprehensive; her Mother (who is actually her stepmother, her father’s second wife) has recently died, and Alice is not sure if she will be welcomed back at home. She is closest in age to her younger brother Matthew – the only child of her father’s second marriage – and they were close as children, but he did not approve of her marriage to the son of a family servant and they have not been on good terms ever since. Yet Alice has nowhere else to go, and is relieved, on reaching the Thorn Inn – now owned by Matthew – that he is willing to let her stay with him.

It’s not long before she starts to hear odd rumours about her brother and to realise that he’s a very different man from the one she’d left when she got married and went to London. In the intervening years, it seems that Matthew has become a man of some influence in the area, but Alice soon begins to hear some very disturbing things about his involvement in the accusations of witchcraft levelled at several local women. At first, she is reluctant to believe it, but when she discovers that he is making lists of women suspected and accused, collecting evidence and convening trials, Alice reluctantly has to accept that her brother is a dangerous and unpredictable man.

One of the things the author does very well is to chart the very uneasy relationship between Alice and Matthew; there’s a real sense that Alice is permanently treading on eggshells around him, expecting at any moment for him to look at her and work out that she is defying him in small ways, by visiting her mother-in-law, whom he has forbidden her to see, or in trying to help the women who are being accused. She paints an intriguing picture of Matthew through Alice’s eyes, as Alice recalls various incidents from their childhood, remembers the boy he was and then, in an attempt to understand his motivations, begins to delve into long-buried family secrets which could threaten her own life and liberty.

There is definitely an air of subtle menace pervading the book, which is as it should be, given the subject matter. But while I enjoyed reading it, it was slow to start and Alice’s frequent reminiscences in the first half tended to interrupt the flow of the present day story being told. These passages do help to build a picture of Matthew as Alice had known him, and also to give some insight as to the actions and events that have made him into the man he is, but there’s no denying that their positioning affects the pacing of the novel in an adverse way.

But with that said, there’s no doubt that Ms. Underdown’s research into the period and her subject matter has clearly been extensive, because her descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of 17th century England are very evocative, enabling the reader to really put themselves in the middle of those muddy streets and swirling mists or sniff the smells of roasting meat and hoppy ale. She does a splendid job of creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty as the accusations spread and shows just how dangerous it was to be a woman in those times, when the most innocent look or word could be deliberately misinterpreted by someone who wished you ill; and the scenes and descriptions of some of the ‘tests’ the accused women are put through are harrowing in their matter-of-factness.

I enjoyed the story, but there were times I wanted just a bit… more. I found it quite difficult to get a handle on either Matthew or Alice, and this is, I suspect, in part due to the fact that Alice is mostly a passive narrator, a witness to events or on the periphery of them, which creates a degree of emotional distance between the characters and the reader. I felt for Alice and what she went through and admired her determination to do something to help those she believed were unjustly accused. She’s the counterbalance to Matthew’s obsessive piety, but she’s also a woman alone with no-one to turn to and faces some very difficult choices. Her decisions aren’t always the best, but they are human and it’s easy to understand why she makes them.

The last part of the book is the strongest, as this is where Alice finally – and unwillingly – starts to take part in the events she describes. This brings an immediacy to the narrative which was lacking before, and serves to ramp up the tension and to thicken the all-pervasive atmosphere of oppression. The ending is suitably shocking – and I give substantial props to the author for the last line, which is an absolute zinger.

This is Ms. Underdown’s début novel and is, all in all, a well-researched piece of historical fiction told in an engaging way. It wasn’t a book I found difficult to put down, but the subject matter is intriguing and the author has constructed a perfectly plausible account of Hopkins’ life given the paucity of available material. I’m going to give The Witchfinder’s Sister a qualified recommendation; if you’re not familiar with this particularly dark period of English history and are interested in learning more, it’s not a bad place to start.

Grade: B-

This is the story of a broken man; a man whose mother tried to murder him at birth, whose father betrayed his family and everything he stood for. His father blamed his infidelities and his treatment of women on witchcraft. Therefore, his son, Matthew made it his mission to uncover and hang and burn over 100 innocent women for witchcraft. Women were of little consequence in the 17th century and were blamed for many societal ills and happenings. The story of Matthew is told by his sister, Alice, as she witnesses the horrors committed by her brother while trying to relate this man to the brother she loved growing up and while trying to save some of the women tarred by her obsessed brother. It leaves her broken and scarred though she is freed in the end. The ending of this book has a little twist that is masterful and hopeless all at once. Definitely a must read of a sad piece of history

The Witchfinder's Sister is a fictional account of Matthew Hopkins, the self-appointed Witchfinder General. While Matthew's character was in fact a real person, not much is known about his actual life before the witch trials. Beth Underdown weaves a fantastically dark tale of what may have happened in Essex between 1644 and 1647.
The story is exactly as the title states; an account as told by Matthew's sister, Alice. Alice moves back to Manningtree to live with her brother after the tragic death of her husband. However, Matthew and Alice have not spoken in years and the relationship between the two is much different than her childhood memories. Alice learns of women in the town being accused of witchcraft and further rumors that Matthew is behind the accusations.
This story is completely captivating. From start to finish, every time I put this book down I couldn't wait to pick it up again. It is dark, harrowing, and completely addicting. It is the kind of historical fiction that makes me immediately want to pick up a history book and learn everything I can about the true events.

This is the second debut author I have read this week, and I very impressed by the new talent on the scene. Beth Underdown delivers a morbidly fascinating look at the witch hunt that occurred during England's Civil War told from the perspective of the fictional sister to the Witchhunter General, Matthew Hopkins. This idea of telling the story of a historical figure from the perspective of that person's sister/daughter/wife has been trending for the last year or more, and I have to say that I do enjoy this method of storytelling. It provides a fresh look at history interweaving fact and fiction in a way that keeps the reader engaged and interested.

Matthew Hopkins was a cold man, sullen and spoiled with a quiet and calculating manner. I think he would have utterly terrified me if I had lived during this time period, as he seemed to have an aura of questionable evil about him. I couldn't tell if he really believed in witches, or if his motives were purely for revenge and a dislike of women in general. Neverthless, it is believed that Hopkins was responsible for the death of over 300 "witches" from 1644-1646. The women he targeted were often old, widowed, physically disabled or mentally infirm - and he would torture them until they confessed to devilish deeds of their own, and also reported on other women in the area. Hopkins authored the book, The Discovery of Witches (1647) detailing his methods and manner of investigation.

Alice Hopkins is a sympathetic narrator, having lived a somewhat difficult life and experiencing great tragedy. She returns home to Matthew following the death of their mother and her husband, and discovers her once-loved brother is now terrorizing and killing women. While this was a dreary and depressing tale, it was one that captivated me and kept me reading late into the night (and certainly contributed to a few bad dreams). I was drawn into Alice's struggle to reconcile the brother she had known with this new persona whom she must thwart for the safety of the women of the time. The author did a good job at pulling you in to Alice's tale and making you feel the turmoil right along with her as the story unfolded.

While it was disturbing to know that some people believed in witches, and tortured women into confessing... I believe it is even more troubling to know that many people did not believe in witchcraft, yet reported on their friends, neighbors and family anyway out of meanness, spite, jealousy and greed. While this was the story of Alice and Matthew, I do wish the book would have delved a little more into the motivations of the accusers. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this story even though it was morose and macabre, and reflects a sad piece of ancestral history.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history, or is interested in the witch hunts of the past. It's a good book to read on a rainy day or when you are in the mood for a terrifying glimpse into our past. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Ballantine.

The Witchfinder’s Sister is Beth Underdown’s dark novel of dark times. It’s 1600s England and Alice is pregnant, her husband is dead and she must return to live with her brother whom she hasn’t seen in five years. Her brother who wanted to become a minister, but due to their father’s death had to earn a living as a scribe. Now grown, he has become the man charged with rooting out witches in the south of England. With patience and smooth strokes of prose Underdown builds a story of a woman caught in circumstances she cannot control as she tries to unravel family mysteries of the past and stop their impact on the present.

The Witchfinder’s Sister is fiction, but of the type I call ‘fiction-not-fiction’ because it did happen. The easiest way for me to approach it is to break it down. Fact: Matthew Hopkins was a real person credited with finding witches and with the deaths of almost 300 women between 1644 and 1646. He was 25 years old at the time.

The fiction is the scaffolding Underdown builds around him. The destitute sister Alice with nowhere to go and utterly dependent on him. A childhood accident that may have left him with psychological scars as deep as the physical ones. Even further back—his mother had difficulty conceiving and may have turned to unorthodox help from a healer.

My brother buried his resentment that day. But resentment buried is not gone. It is like burying a seed: for a season it may stay hidden in the dark, but in the end, it will always grow.

The facts about this fiction? The Witchfinder’s Sister feels a bit like The Handmaid’s Tale in that it will evoke strong reactions about the treatment of women. For me this meant I spent a fair amount of time either talking to the pages or clenching my jaw while reading. Mostly because Underdown does such a good job with her characters and the dynamics between them. She disguises Matthew’s path to dominance over Alice by giving him an innocuous surface. He does not relish his work, he does not wish to hurt these women, but if they have been accused he must determine if they are in league with the devil. There are no raised voices or overt violence, simply sitting.

But it is not simple. It is hours upon hours on a wooden stool with wrists bound to ankles. No food, water or sleep and the release of walking only allowed after passing out. Yes, they must be intimately examined, but he would never degrade a woman that way. No, other women must do that. Women like Alice, after her covert efforts to try and help the accused fail. Matthew exerts his will over her survival by pulling her inexorably into his work.

How could anyone let such filthy proceedings go forward? How could it be made to stand in court? But I saw at once how it could be done, how my brother might make it stand: using delicate hints, using sad, reluctant shakings of the head.

That these women have done no more than live independently, practice herbal healing, flirted or speak their mind in opposition to a man ratchets my anger up to stabby. Thankfully, Underdown is able to adhere to the historical, but still use the fiction to great effect, making The Witchfinder’s Sister compelling reading.

The Witchfinder's Sister, an historical novel by Beth Underdown, is beautifully written, and it's an interesting look at the hysteria that surrounded the witch trials of the 17th century. Its strong protagonist, Alice, is the fictional sister of a real=life witch hunter, Matthew Hopkins. She goes home to live with her brother after her husband's death and becomes involved in his schemes to catch and punish "witches."

Thanks to the author's mastery of periods details and atmosphere , the story is chilling, and Matthew, the Witch Finder General, is revealed as cruel and dark. If you're fascinated by what moves people to turn against one another, the book will give you much to think about, and linger in your mind.

I did, however, feel that the pace of the story was somewhat slow, at least in the beginning, and if you've read similar novels about this era, you may find the pace and rhythms of the characters' voices almost too familiar. (I admit, that's an unfair criticism. Of course, the author must write in that style if the book is to be authentic. It's just that the dialogue felt somewhat cliched.)

The book is also introspective, focusing on Alice's inner thoughts and feelings when relating more of the action happening around her would have heightened the tension, I think.

I do recommend The Witchfinder's Sister, although if you've read similar books, you may not find it as original as you hope. I received a free e-copy from Netgalley in return for my honest opinion,

I love a good historical fiction book, its probably my favorite genre of stories. I finished Beth Underdown's "The Witchfinder's Sister" in about three days; it was hard to put down.

The story is told from Alice Hopkins point of view. She is the (fictitious) sister of the notorious Matthew Hopkins, a real witch hunter of the 17th century. Alice travels to her family home after becoming widowed and alone in London. As she becomes accustom to living with her mercurial younger brother, unsettling information about their past emerges. Trying to uncover the truth about her family's past, Alice comes entangle in Matthew's darkening plans.

I've always been interested in the witch trials, the hysteria and likely political moves surrounding the innocent victims. Underdown does a masterful job recreating the tension and fear in the heart of rural England. She captures the village dynamics and cultural norms of the time, all which influence the main characters. I don't want to give too much away, but this is an excellent read. Well written, you get a good sense of the time period without getting bogged down.

Great novel, I thoroughly enjoyed the read. If you enjoy historical fiction novels, I recommend. If you like strong female leads, I recommend. Some people may argue that Alice Hopkins isn't a strong character, but I think she is remarkable strong in her fortitude. If you like stories about the witch hunts, I think you will enjoy.

As much as it pains me to admit it, it probably wouldn’t be a great idea for me to go time travelling. The future might be better, though that has risks of its own. Travelling to the past on the other hand, would see me put in a madhouse or more likely accused of witchcraft. Author Beth Underdown has done a terrifyingly wonderful job of bringing a different viewpoint to the English witch hunt. Before Salem even had a chance to eat some mind altering fungus, they had begun to receive reports about Matthew Hopkins in England, the self proclaimed Witch Hunter General. This all took place during the English Civil War. Unlike the American Civil War, this war was very much over religion. The Protestant leader Cromwell and his Roundheads eventually toppled the reigning monarch and a land that had always been on the edge of all-out Protestant and Catholic war slipped into just that. Throughout all this, Matthew Hopkins was travelling over the country, interrogating those accused of witchcraft. 106. The sheer amount of women killed before Hopkins death is truly upsetting. 106, before he was stopped. Underdown then asks the question, “Was it death or something else that stopped him?”
By using a woman and a sister to look at this terrifying creature, author Beth Underdown has given her readers a more relatable voice to connect to and fear for. One has to pause several times, to wonder if there really are paranormal activities taking place or if we are seeing a manifestation of the paranoia of the time. A delicious thrill that lingers in the mind, this story only lasted me a couple of nights. I wanted to know more and more about what was happening and I think I may have to do more of my own research into this time. I had never really thought about the English Civil War in any real depth but Underdown’s latest book has definitely sparked something for me.

*This eBook was provided by NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for honest feedback**

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel based on fact from Netgalley, Beth Underdown, and Random House Publishing - Ballentine in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.

This is a most frightening tale. Long before Salem had it's go-round with witch trials (Feb 1692 - May 1693), England, four years into their Civil War, had Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne. The Witchfinder's Sister is fiction based on the known facts of the time, including a book written by John Stearne, A Confirmation and Discovery of Witchcraft. Beth Underdown fleshes out those historical facts with an intriguing tale, covering March 1645 - the fifth day of Christmas, 1645. She brings this tale to life with her attention to detail and intimate knowledge of the times. The places Hopkins visits and the names of his victims are actual, though the role played by Alice is not. This is a novel I enjoyed and will happily recommend to my friends and family. And this is a debut author - can't wait to see what she comes up with, next....

Sending this back also. Started it and just couldn't get into it.

First Line: Once, I scarcely believed in the devil.

Summary: Alice returns to her home after running away to get married to a man of lesser station that her family did not approve of. But when she returns her mother has died and her brother is becoming prominent in the community. She doesn't realize until she starts to hear the whispers that there is something sinister happening and she may soon be ensnared in the outcome. Witches are being accused and taken into prison. Women are being rounded up but Alice thinks that things will blow over but she begins to see that this is not going to happen.

Highlights: The storyline and plot seemed so intriguing. I love anything to do with the Salem witch trials so I was hoping that this book would be just as interesting and give me a new story and history to learn about. I love history so this appealed to me.

Lowlights: The story was so slow. I would have to force myself to read. I found myself pushing it off. I was disappointed because I wanted to like it. I did not finish this book at around 51%.

FYI: There is a few scary moments when shadows are seen but it mainly is in the imagination.

The cover of this book is what drew me in at first. It shows what one can only assume is an empty room with just a plain highback chair and the back of a woman. The story is described as a historical thriller and I see some people shelved it as a paranormal/witches kind of story. If you do not like that sort of book do not let that dissuade you from reading this one. I DO NOT like anything that is in any way, shape or form scary. I avoid it like the plague. This book is anything but scary. It may be a little breath catching in a couple of places but other than that it’s fairly mundane.

The story begins in roughly 1645, in England, as Alice Hopkins is working her way back towards her childhood home of Manningtree. Her husband is dead and so is her mother. She is carrying her 5th child and hopes to carry it to term. Her 4 other pregnancies ended in miscarriage or stillbirth. As she bumps and thumps over the muddy road in the back of the wagon she wonders how her life will work out. How her brother Matthew has turned out. He was always a quiet boy, with scars down his face, chest, and arm from an accident when he was just days old. While she was never put off by the scars she knows some people are. She also hopes that her brother has forgiven her for marrying the person that she did. She seems to be welcomed back home by her brother and is tasked with returning their childhood home to its former glory for his upcoming nuptials with Ruth Edwards. While Alice lives under her brother’s roof she slowly realizes that her brother is not who she thinks he is. He is slowly and methodically capturing, torturing and killing “witches” across the British county-side. All with permission of those in a position of authority and deep pockets. Will she be able to stop her brother before it’s too late? Or will Alice be put firmly in the cross-hairs of her brother’s methodical take down as well?

I debated about giving this book 2 or 3 stars. In the end, I ended up with 3. I finished this book a few days ago and I am still not sure how I feel about it. The big thing that bothered me about this book was that it never really developed. It was more a this happened, then he went and did this. The other supporting characters seemed very one-dimensional. The ending also just kind of happened and bam the book was done. It left a lot of loose ends. I don’t know if that is what the author was going for but the character of Matthew was creepy and somewhat mental. That said, I really enjoyed the main character, Alice. She was gutsy. She seemed to have a good moral compass. She spoke her mind when she actually worked up the courage. She was, in most ways, a good, strong female character that is sometimes lacking in books. I felt sorry for Alice at times. It felt that nothing seemed to go her way. The loss of all her children, her husband’s untimely and tragic end as well as the death of all three of her parents. I did find it fascinating that the character of Matthew Hopkins is based on an actual historical character. While a large part of the story is fictional some of the events are true and are actually recorded in history books. While I am still on the fence with this story I would probably try to read other books that this author writes in the future.