Description

‘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

Publisher Review

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 'A compelling debut from a gifted storyteller' -- Sarah Perry * author of The Essex Serpent * 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 * Chilling, gripping, terrifying and exquisitely written * Susan Barker * A richly told and utterly compelling tale, with shades of Hilary Mantel -- Kate Hamer Atmospheric and filled with foreboding, it's a novel that draws you under its spell * Stylist * A haunting, brooding debut * Psychologies * A chilling, creeping novel with parallels to more modern forms of witch-hunts * Red * 'Anyone who liked Cecilia Ekback's Wolf Winter is going to love this. [It's] about tiny braveries and small courage... a real David and Goliath story, but far less straightforward' * Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street * 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 clever, pacey read that blends truth and fiction' * The Times * 'A clever novel with a slow burn of horror' * Guardian * 'An accomplished debut novel... this is a powerful, disturbing book, full of drama, with a masterly evocation of England in the 1640s and a sickening final twist' * Sunday Express * 'Superb: dark, terrifying and utterly compelling' -- Tracy Borman 'Alice's voice reaches us with admirable clarity and she tells a truly horrifying story with compassion and intelligence. This is a truly accomplished and satisfying debut novel' -- Adele Geras 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 *