By Kerryn Goldsworthy
The Witchfinder's Sister
Beth Underdown
The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown.
Viking, $32.99
Matthew Hopkins was an English historical figure, author of The Discovery of Witches and active as the self-styled "Witchfinder-General" between 1644 and 1646, during which time he and his associates are thought to have caused the deaths of more than 300 women accused of witchcraft. Beth Underdown makes this strange character more psychologically interesting than he appears to have been in life. The real Hopkins was well paid for his services and that seems to have been his motivation, while Underdown posits a man with serious psychological problems. This tale of misogyny and hysteria purports to be narrated by Hopkins' fictional half-sister Alice, who is unwillingly drawn into his activities. It's a well-structured and quite gripping read, and the final sentence is genuinely creepy.