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I’d imagine it’s very nerve-racking for authors when sending their second book out into the ‘bloggers wild’, as it were. She also remembers another boy, a small child who died decades earlier under strange and tragic circumstances. This lapses from 1888 and 1918 which spans a whooping number of years that accumulate a lot of dark secrets within family, relationships and is written in the style that I’ve come to love from Beth Underdown. In this regard, one of the best scenes is saved for the very end and makes for a ‘was it / wasn’t it’ witchcraft scenario. I also found the seemingly random inclusion of some red chairs around and above the set distracting as I tried to work out what it was trying to say.
The Witchfinder’s Sister, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch Review: The Witchfinder’s Sister, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch
The story slowly built in tension and drama, finally revealing the true events of the night of the fire and I for one was pleased with the outcome. She sits comfortably alongside Sarah Waters where I don’t even have to read the synopsis, I already know I’m going to love it, it’s a given.
This makes her wonder if she deserves this, if this is fate's way of balancing the scales, as the doors to the past open up. However, intriguing socio-religious theories are advanced as to why certain members of the upper classes pursued “witches” – mostly poor, vulnerable women – with such zeal. We were shown the fraying relationship between George Kemp in a relatively minor role as Mathew Hopkins and Lily Knight as his sister Alice. Told in split timelines, one in 1888-89 and one in 1918-19, we slowly uncover the truths behind what happened in the past and what's happening as a result in the present. All in all, a disquieting show that shines a light on a truly terrifying period in history – a story that feels startlingly relevant today.
The Witchfinder’s Sister – Mind the blog The Witchfinder’s Sister – Mind the blog
Partly through trying to get past the strictures of the time on women, and those without long pockets. We are introduced to many interesting characters including the family living in Polneath House and their few servants.Her debut novel, The Witchfinder's Sister, based on the witch-hunts orchestrated by Matthew Hopkins in seventeenth-century Essex, was published in 2017, won the HWA Goldsboro Debut Crown and was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. Not only is Cornwall stunning captured on the page, but so is the imposing house of Polneath, which holds an immense amount of power over the grief stricken Ivy. The events of the fire that day in 1888, are slowly revealed, and what we first thought to be the truth, isn’t necessarily so. This novel was dripping in atmosphere, absolutely drowning in dramatic internal musings, and held a surprisingly dry and witty sense of character.
The Key In The Lock by Beth Underdown | Goodreads The Key In The Lock by Beth Underdown | Goodreads
I wasn’t entirely sure who to trust and a lot of my first impressions of the characters changed by then end. Ivy, whose father was the Polneath doctor at the time, has been haunted by William’s tragic death ever since and has never been able to shake off her feelings of guilt about her actions in the aftermath of the fire. The Witchfinder’s Sister runs at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch until 30 October 2021, with a combination of socially distanced and full capacity performances. The tension increases as the two threads and timelines start to come to their conclusions, and the sedate pace of what has come before is ramped up a notch or two.The standout role was that of Matthew’s servant girl, Grace (a wonderful Miracle Chance), who stood out precisely because she had personality; she felt real. With Ivy as the narrator, the novel moves back and forth in time between 1918 and 1888, gradually shedding light on the mysteries surrounding both deaths. Brimming with secrets, this lyrical haunting historical thriller is perfect for fans of Elizabeth Macneal, Sarah Waters and Diane Setterfield.
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