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The Witchfinder's Sister

A haunting historical thriller perfect for fans of The Familiars and The Dutch House

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About this listen

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown, read by Lucy Brownhill and Roy McMillan.

'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 of The 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

Historical Fiction Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Fiction Exciting Scary

Critic reviews

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)
Beth Underdown grips us from the outset...at once a feminist parable and an old-fashioned, check-twice-under-the-bed thriller
A tense, surprising and elegantly-crafted novel
Chilling, gripping, terrifying and exquisitely written
Thumpingly good (Lucy Mangan)
Atmospheric and filled with foreboding, it's a novel that draws you under its spell
A haunting, brooding debut
A chilling, creeping novel with parallels to more modern forms of witch-hunts
'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'

Featured article: Witches in fiction: 12 historical fiction books to listen to this Halloween


Throughout history, women have been branded as witches by people scared of their power, confidence and independence. In days past, accusations of being a witch – thrown at women for everything from being talented at working with herbs to being in the vicinity of a death – could result in banishment or even death. These 12 audiobooks, perfect for the longer nights, colder weather and the Halloween season, tell the stories of women through history, from goddesses to regular women, through a mix of horror, fantasy and historical fiction.

All stars
Most relevant
loved it, great story. my first audio book and I was enthralled with it x

loved it

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I loved this one, with facts woven into fiction, this booked gripped me from the start. it's an insight to a dark time in the civil wars. a snapshot of how fear can grip folk.
first time I have given 5 stars for all aspects of a book or audible. gently read and the end was sensible and was not a let down.
the book made me revisit manningtree and mistley and even take a drink in the thorn...
will now await more audibles from this author and reader.

totally believable, well read and written.

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Whilst I didn't find this as fabulously evocative as I'd hoped, I'm very clear the author has grafted hard to provide a well-contextualised novel.
Stand-alone, it felt to me like a three-star listen but given the depth and breadth of context I wanted to give a big fat four stars :)

If you're interested at all in the social & cultural origins of those 17thC 'witchcraft' trials, this is worth a read/listen.

author has worked hard to bring us this..!

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I live in the Tendring Hundred and was shocked to learn that a number of the people listed were real people and were tried and murdered for Witchcraft, one of them living a few hundred yards from my house. This work is a little slow to begin with and the narrator's whispering and halting is offputting but once you get over that it is compelling. The shock ending is worthy of a film and I fully expect it to be on the screen large or small, this episode in our history must not be forgotten.

Shocking but compelling.

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Both interesting and historically intriguing,, narration excellent. Would recommend to anyone, especially living in the local area of where the account is based

Superb

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