Essex, England, 1645. With a heavy heart, Alice Hopkins returns to the small town she grew up in. Widowed, with child, and without prospects, she is forced to find refuge at the house of her younger brother, Matthew. In the five years she has been gone, the boy she knew has become a man of influence and wealth--but more has changed than merely his fortunes. Alice fears that even as the cruel burns of a childhood accident still mark his face, something terrible has scarred Matthew's soul.

There is a new darkness in the town, too--frightened whispers are stirring in the streets, and Alice's blood runs cold with dread when she discovers that Matthew is a ruthless hunter of suspected witches. Torn between devotion to her brother and horror at what he's become, Alice is desperate to intervene--and deathly afraid of the consequences. But as Matthew's reign of terror spreads, Alice must choose between her safety and her soul.

Alone and surrounded by suspicious eyes, Alice seeks out the fuel firing her brother's brutal mission--and is drawn into the Hopkins family's past. There she finds secrets nested within secrets: and at their heart, the poisonous truth. Only by putting her own life and liberty in peril can she defeat this darkest of evils--before more innocent women are forced to the gallows.

The Witch Trials have always fascinated me & I've long been aware of Matthew Hopkins' role thanks to watching "The Witchfinder General" way back in the early seventies. However this book did little to give me any insight into the man himself. But as the author herself says "Matthew Hopkins left only a sparse paper trail behind him. This book is necessarily a work of fiction..." & taken as such I found it a compelling read.

For the purpose of the story at least, Matthew has a sister, Alice & allowing her to narrate the story helps evoke the horror & fear that women of all ages must have felt as Hopkins' attention focused on their village. The air of suspicion, along with the drudgery of everyday life & the toll of living in such violent times were quite convincingly portrayed & it's a sobering thought to remember that, while Alice may be a figment of the author's imagination, Matthew certainly isn't & the trials that he subjected the women to are documented fact...which makes this good read all the more chilling.

Added to my "Debut Novels" Bookbox

This looks very interesting. Admittedly not my usual style of book but the blurb makes me want to find out more!
Thanks Plum