The Manningtree Witches

In this dark tale, the Devil's work is shown.Yet ‘tis men who reap what they have sown. For Hopkins, with his fervent quest. Finds in his heart, no peace or rest. A tale of woe, a tale of pain, In Manningtree, the witches slain.

Simply glorious.

DNF. Could not get into it

Spoiler Free Review

Set in 1640s England, at the time of the English civil and the height of witchcraft hunting and suspicions, comes the story of the women of Manningtree, and in particular that of Rebecca West. An outcast, with a strong and volatile mother, gets through her boring and lifeless days only by dreaming of the subject of infatuation: John Edes. Newcomer, Matthew Hopkins, is full of questions about women like her, the ones that live on the edges of society and as a child falls ill with fever those questions take on a sharper edge.

What struck me most about this was the prose. You can absolutely tell it's written by a poet. There are some absolutely gorgeous sentences here. A very good, beautifully written first novel. I will be keeping a lookout for more.