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

Underdown, Beth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 024197805X ISBN 13: 9780241978054

Publisher: Penguin, 2017

Synopsis

'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

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, and a Spring 2018 Richard and Judy Book Club pick, this beautiful and haunting historical thriller is perfect for fans of Sarah Waters, The Miniaturist and Burial Rites.

'Vivid and terrifying' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

'Thumpingly good' Lucy Mangan

'A clever, pacey read that blends truth and fiction...what elevates this book above other historical thrillers are the questions that Underdown asks about the nature of power, fear and how easy it is to become complicit in terrible acts' The Times

'A chilling, creeping novel with very obvious parallels to more modern forms of witch-hints and misogyny, but is still firmly rooted in an England torn apart by civil war and gripped by religious fervour' Red

'A haunting, brooding debut' Psychologies

'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

'Anyone who liked Cecilia Ekback's Wolf Winter is going to love this' Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

'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

'A tense, surprising and elegantly-crafted novel' Ian McGuire, author of The North Water

'Beth Underdown cleverly creates a compelling atmosphere of dread and claustrophobia... Even from the distance of nearly four hundred years, her Matthew Hopkins is a genuinely frightening monster' Kate Riordan

'Superb: dark, terrifying and utterly compelling' Tracy Borman

'A novel for our times. Beth Underdown's The Witchfinder's Sister explores another time and another place to lay bare the visceral horror of what a witch hunt truly is' New York Times Book Review

'Entertaining and thought-provoking, with a valuable message for our own times' Washington Post

About this title

Review

'A compelling debut from a gifted storyteller' (Sarah Perry author of The Essex Serpent)

Thumpingly good (Lucy Mangan)

THE MOST THRILLING HISTORICAL DEBUT OF 2018

Based on the true story of the infamous witchfinder Matthew Hopkins, with one of the most memorable heroines in recent historical fiction, this haunting novel is perfect for fans of The Miniaturist, Sarah Waters and The Essex Serpent.

(From the publisher)

Beth Underdown grips us from the outset...at once a feminist parable and an old-fashioned, check-twice-under-the-bed thriller (Patrick Gale)

A tense, surprising and elegantly-crafted novel (Ian McGuire)

Atmospheric and filled with foreboding, it's a novel that draws you under its spell (Stylist)

A haunting, brooding debut (Psychologies)

Beth Underdown cleverly creates a compelling atmosphere of dread and claustrophobia... Even from the distance of nearly four hundred years, her Matthew Hopkins is a genuinely frightening monster (Kate Riordan, author of The Girl in the Photograph)

A novel for our times. Beth Underdown's The Witchfinder's Sister explores another time and another place to lay bare the visceral horror of what a witch hunt truly is (New York Times Book Review)

Entertaining and thought-provoking, with a valuable message for our own times (Washington Post)

About the Author

Beth Underdown lectures in Creative Writing at the University of Manchester. She came across a brief mention of the 1640s 'Witchfinder General' Matthew Hopkins while reading a book about midwifery, igniting an interest which turned into an all-consuming hunt for the truth about this infamous killer.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 024197805X
• ISBN 13: 9780241978054
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368