Ratings6
Average rating3.2
''VIVID AND TERRIFYING'' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train ''The number of women my brother Matthew killed, so far as I can reckon it, is one hundred and six...'' 1645. 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? ''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 ofThe 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 %%%''VIVID AND TERRIFYING'' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train ''At once a feminist parable and an old-fashioned, check-twice-under-the-bed thriller'' Patrick Gale ''Atense, surprising and elegantly-crafted novel'' Ian McGuire, author of The North Water ''The number of women my brother Matthew killed, so far as I can reckon it, is one hundred and six...'' 1645. 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? Based on the true story of the man known as the Witchfinder General, this exquisitely rendered novel transports you to a time and place almost unimaginable, where survival might mean betraying those closest to you, and danger lurks outside every door. ''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 ofThe 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 %%%''VIVID AND TERRIFYING'' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train ''Atense, surprising and elegantly-crafted novel'' Ian McGuire, author of The North
Reviews with the most likes.
So now I am fired up! And angry! I'm angry that for centuries our patriarchal system has been oppressing and undermining women. And I'm angry that when said women did not conform to societal expectations, they were labelled as ‘delicate', ‘mad' or in this case ‘WITCH!' This is a deeply unsettling and atmospheric read, made all the more appalling because it is based on true events in Essex and Sussex in the 1600's. Matthew Hopkins is a true psychopath and misogynist and is one of the most detestable characters I have had the displeasure to meet in years. The hypocrisy and injustice of this world just made me once again recognise the continued and continuous ‘witch hunts' that go in today's society. Drops micsmashes everything
I asked how he had known it was the devil, Did he have horns? “He had no smell”, Mathew replied. “He looked like a man but he smelt of nothing”
So this is a story about the Manningtree witch trials as told through the eyes of Alice Hopkins, sister of Mathew Hopkins the notorious witchfinder (played by Vincent Price in the film The Witchfinder General). A tale of fear, paranoia, hatred and revenge and a country whipped up into a religious fever by a few bitter men. The ending is beautifully chilling. Brilliant first book by Beth Underdown.
I loved the idea of it and I really couldn't wait to read it... unfortunately I found it a bit lacking. Not a bad book, by any means, but I also won't be rushing out to recommend it to anyone.