The Witchfinder's Sister

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.

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 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.