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Witch Hunt
A chilling, haunting ghost story that delves into the dark past of the 16th century Essex witch trials in England.
Sadie Asquith has been fascinated by the dark past of Essex’s witch hunts for as long as she can remember. And for good reason: between 1560 and 1680, over 500 women were tried for witchcraft in the county of Essex. But as she researches a book on the subject, Sadie experiences strange, ghostly visions. She hears noises at night, a sobbing sound that follows her, and black moths appear from nowhere. It’s as if, by digging up the truth about the witch hunts, she has opened an unearthly connection to the women treated so cruelly and killed centuries before.
And something else in the modern world is after her too: Sadie is sure she’s being followed, her flat is burgled and she finds clues that reveal her own past isn’t all that she believed. Can she find peace for the witches of Essex’s history and can she find a safe path for herself?
For fans of Christopher Ransom and Susan Hill.
So scary you’ll sleep with the lights on…
Sadie Asquith has been fascinated by the dark past of Essex’s witch hunts for as long as she can remember. And for good reason: between 1560 and 1680, over 500 women were tried for witchcraft in the county of Essex. But as she researches a book on the subject, Sadie experiences strange, ghostly visions. She hears noises at night, a sobbing sound that follows her, and black moths appear from nowhere. It’s as if, by digging up the truth about the witch hunts, she has opened an unearthly connection to the women treated so cruelly and killed centuries before.
And something else in the modern world is after her too: Sadie is sure she’s being followed, her flat is burgled and she finds clues that reveal her own past isn’t all that she believed. Can she find peace for the witches of Essex’s history and can she find a safe path for herself?
For fans of Christopher Ransom and Susan Hill.
So scary you’ll sleep with the lights on…
442 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2012
200 people are currently reading
1269 people want to read
About the author
Syd Moore
16 books201 followersBefore embarking on a career in education, Syd worked extensively in the publishing industry, fronting Channel 4’s book programme, Pulp. She was the founding editor of Level 4, an arts and culture magazine, and is co-creator of Super Strumps, the game that reclaims female stereotypes.
Syd has also been a go go dancer, backing singer, subbuteo maker, children’s entertainer and performance poet, She now works for Metal Culture, an arts organisation, promoting arts and cultural events and developing literature programmes.
Syd is an out and proud Essex Girl and is lucky enough to live in that county where she spends her free time excavating old myths and listening out for things that go bump in the night.
Syd has also been a go go dancer, backing singer, subbuteo maker, children’s entertainer and performance poet, She now works for Metal Culture, an arts organisation, promoting arts and cultural events and developing literature programmes.
Syd is an out and proud Essex Girl and is lucky enough to live in that county where she spends her free time excavating old myths and listening out for things that go bump in the night.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
October 21, 2023
There were elements in this novel that I really enjoyed.
Especially as the Essex Witch trials are an interesting topic to delve into.
That's certainly the case for Sadie Asquith, who's researching the grim past where as according to the novel the county had a higher percentage of women put to death.
The idea of the stereotypical Essex girl could be the reason for the higher rates certainly seemed an interesting theory...
I was hoping for a bit more spookiness as strange Internet messages start to appear the more that Sadie started to delve into the dark past.
It was quite slow going in places but still an interesting look at the history of witch hunts in this country.
Especially as the Essex Witch trials are an interesting topic to delve into.
That's certainly the case for Sadie Asquith, who's researching the grim past where as according to the novel the county had a higher percentage of women put to death.
The idea of the stereotypical Essex girl could be the reason for the higher rates certainly seemed an interesting theory...
I was hoping for a bit more spookiness as strange Internet messages start to appear the more that Sadie started to delve into the dark past.
It was quite slow going in places but still an interesting look at the history of witch hunts in this country.
March 17, 2020
I didn’t go in to this book for scares or thrills, I picked it up for the witch aspect and because of that I enjoyed it more than others (it would seem).
I have a deep, almost obsessive fascination with witches and witch hunts so this was a great read - full of conspiracies and empathy for the people murdered by Mathew Hopkins.
I have a deep, almost obsessive fascination with witches and witch hunts so this was a great read - full of conspiracies and empathy for the people murdered by Mathew Hopkins.
November 12, 2012
This would be a two and half star book for me. It was quite a smart story, although it did verge on incomprehensible at times. However, I have a strong suspension of disbelief and I was hooked until the quite frankly, bonkers conclusion. The writing is a little clumsy and there were times when I really questioned how the main character could make a living as an investigative journalist when she was SO slow on the uptake. She also seemed to know very little about her specialist the subject, the Witch Hunts of the seventeenth century. The subject, and the fact that action was set in the Essex countryside were my main reasons for selecting the novel in the first place. It did bring a new perspective to this fascinating subject and I was pleased to see the author included further reading at the end.
I also found it more than amusing that a book published by an imprint of Harper Collins contains a villain based on owner, Rupert Murdoch. Good job, guys.
I also found it more than amusing that a book published by an imprint of Harper Collins contains a villain based on owner, Rupert Murdoch. Good job, guys.
July 24, 2013
Interesting topic, though it does suffer from a slightly melodramatic narrative voice and ridiculously implausible ending. Moore attempts to link the real-life, self-titled Witch Finder General Matthew Hopkins' forays into Essex with further adventures in New England. She does admit, however, that this is entirely fictitious. Have to admit, typically mentions of 1692 started to make me twitchy but she wisely concentrates on the Essex travesty, though her claims that it is not widely known is somewhat dubious.
Malcolm Gaskill's 'Witchfinders' is the authoritative text on ths matter and well worth reading. In fact, Moore herelf cites this as a source. I read Gaskill's book about five years ago, and although Frances Hill's work on Salem is more to my taste, his book is brilliantly researched and accessible.
Moore's fictitious version is entertaining holiday reading; at times senstationalist nonsense, almost adolescent in its breathy descriptions of the luscious Felix and dependable PC Joe. The journalist protagonist, Mercedes (Sadie) Asquith aka Mercy Walker is not exactly a sympathetic, and at times, histrionic character. Have to admit, I did feel she deserved incarceration in Colchester Castle and would have locked the door myself. But then I would.
This claims to appeal to fans of Christopher Ransome (The Birthing House) and Susan Hill (The Woman in Black et al) and does credit MR James' short stories, particularly the device used in 'Oh Whistle and I'll Come, My Lad', but it doesn't rank alongside Hill and James at all. If you want real ghost stories (an oxymoron maybe?) you'd be better off with MR James, Walter de la Mare, R Chetwynd Hayes and the old masters found in anthologies or Project Guttenberg.
Plot 'twists' are visible well before their disclosure and the ending is, frankly daft. Be interesting to see what this self-professed Essex girl (her first novel The Drowning Pool is better than this) produces next time.
Malcolm Gaskill's 'Witchfinders' is the authoritative text on ths matter and well worth reading. In fact, Moore herelf cites this as a source. I read Gaskill's book about five years ago, and although Frances Hill's work on Salem is more to my taste, his book is brilliantly researched and accessible.
Moore's fictitious version is entertaining holiday reading; at times senstationalist nonsense, almost adolescent in its breathy descriptions of the luscious Felix and dependable PC Joe. The journalist protagonist, Mercedes (Sadie) Asquith aka Mercy Walker is not exactly a sympathetic, and at times, histrionic character. Have to admit, I did feel she deserved incarceration in Colchester Castle and would have locked the door myself. But then I would.
This claims to appeal to fans of Christopher Ransome (The Birthing House) and Susan Hill (The Woman in Black et al) and does credit MR James' short stories, particularly the device used in 'Oh Whistle and I'll Come, My Lad', but it doesn't rank alongside Hill and James at all. If you want real ghost stories (an oxymoron maybe?) you'd be better off with MR James, Walter de la Mare, R Chetwynd Hayes and the old masters found in anthologies or Project Guttenberg.
Plot 'twists' are visible well before their disclosure and the ending is, frankly daft. Be interesting to see what this self-professed Essex girl (her first novel The Drowning Pool is better than this) produces next time.
December 3, 2025
I actually really like this book. #SorryNotSorry
Yes it's a bit bonkers. Yes the idea of someone who died in the 1600s being somehow able to contact a journalist in the 2010s via Facebook messenger, is on the face of it, pretty nutso. But I just really enjoy the amount of background research done for this story and the way it's incorporated into the book.
It's always odd seeing people react to the witch hunts back around the time of the English Civil War, as if it was thoroughly unbelievable that sane people would get on board with any of it; yet we still live in a time where we pursue, persecute, prosecute and try to cancel those who don't go along with whatever issue is plaguing us in #CurrentYear. (You only have to check out the politically cretinous outbursts from randos on Twitter calling anyone they don't agree with both "Far Right" and Hitler, without having the slightest idea as to why that makes absolutely no sense, if you want to see how this notion of damning one's opposition in any arena, is as popular as it ever was.)
Of course this book is silly, but it's not terribly written. For the most part that is. I did laugh at a couple of amusingly contradictory statements where at one point the narrator claims to be an out and out socialist...only to then claim a few chapters later, that they hate how bloated the bureaucracy is within the UK government. Um...yeah, you're a socialist babe. You love big daddy government and all the tax spent on every tentacle of the state that weaves its way into every aspect of our lives. Are you saying you're pro small government? Minarchist? Little bit localist, little bit libertarian? ARE YOU A MEMBER OF THE FAR RIGHT, LOVE??
Yeah that just made me chuckle. Gotta love people who throw their weight behind a political position and then when everything goes to shit, they're all "surprised Pikachu face" about it.
I've read this book about 5 or 6 times, but I wanted to have a nice little simple 'Spooktober' read that I knew wasn't going to disappoint me as much as some other titles have this year. And I do genuinely find the topic at the centre of the tale fascinating. I've given it a 3 star rating in the past and I'm going to stick with that because it might be 3.5, but I don't think it's worthy of rounding up to a 4 star score.
Is it worth reading? Well I obviously think so. I wouldn't have read it as many times as I have if I didn't. But I'm not completely mental. If you find the witch hunts - on both sides of the Atlantic - interesting, and are looking for an interesting tale that incorporates past and present into an easy-to-read bit of mental cotton candy, then by all means give this a shot. Syd Moore also wrote another story that touches on similar themes with her first book 'The Drowning Pool' (which I might read again at some point because I think I quite enjoyed that one too) and a series of other books that is set around an Essex Witch Hunt Museum, but they never appealed to me. (The blurbs on here and the GR reviews make them sound like some fantastical YA tales that the author wrote around the topic she finds the most fascinating...namely, witches and witch hunts. And one can have too much of a good thing, y'know?)
But this was fun to return to and there was a lot that I'd forgotten since I last read it, so it was still an enjoyable romp. And it reminded me of some factual books that I should probably dig out and have a quick look back over, because it's a very interesting period in history from which I fear too few people have actually learnt any important lessons - and/or applied them to the way they behave in #CurrentEra. I'm not promising anyone that this will rock their world or blow them away with its literary greatness, but it's fun and factual in equal measure, even if it is a bit silly.
The love-interest bit was lame AF too, with the copper being incredibly 2-dimensional and annoying in equal measure. I don't know why we always have to have a relationship thrown into a story for absolutely no reason, regardless of the themes or genres being written. Between boring love-interest side-plots and that ubiquitous character with flame red hair, it does sometimes feel like a lot of books are trying to play 'Buzzword Bingo' with the readers. I also find it a bit annoying when feminists get all up in arms about the fact that there were mainly women targeted by the witch hunts around this time - making sure to throw the word "misogynist" in there a few times - but neglect to pay much heed to what was happening with so many of the men in this period: namely that they were being rounded up and sent to fight in a civil war. Life was shit for everyone back then, but as always it's a case of "World About To End...Women Most Affected!"
Sure Jan.
⭐⭐⭐
Yes it's a bit bonkers. Yes the idea of someone who died in the 1600s being somehow able to contact a journalist in the 2010s via Facebook messenger, is on the face of it, pretty nutso. But I just really enjoy the amount of background research done for this story and the way it's incorporated into the book.
It's always odd seeing people react to the witch hunts back around the time of the English Civil War, as if it was thoroughly unbelievable that sane people would get on board with any of it; yet we still live in a time where we pursue, persecute, prosecute and try to cancel those who don't go along with whatever issue is plaguing us in #CurrentYear. (You only have to check out the politically cretinous outbursts from randos on Twitter calling anyone they don't agree with both "Far Right" and Hitler, without having the slightest idea as to why that makes absolutely no sense, if you want to see how this notion of damning one's opposition in any arena, is as popular as it ever was.)
Of course this book is silly, but it's not terribly written. For the most part that is. I did laugh at a couple of amusingly contradictory statements where at one point the narrator claims to be an out and out socialist...only to then claim a few chapters later, that they hate how bloated the bureaucracy is within the UK government. Um...yeah, you're a socialist babe. You love big daddy government and all the tax spent on every tentacle of the state that weaves its way into every aspect of our lives. Are you saying you're pro small government? Minarchist? Little bit localist, little bit libertarian? ARE YOU A MEMBER OF THE FAR RIGHT, LOVE??
Yeah that just made me chuckle. Gotta love people who throw their weight behind a political position and then when everything goes to shit, they're all "surprised Pikachu face" about it.
I've read this book about 5 or 6 times, but I wanted to have a nice little simple 'Spooktober' read that I knew wasn't going to disappoint me as much as some other titles have this year. And I do genuinely find the topic at the centre of the tale fascinating. I've given it a 3 star rating in the past and I'm going to stick with that because it might be 3.5, but I don't think it's worthy of rounding up to a 4 star score.
Is it worth reading? Well I obviously think so. I wouldn't have read it as many times as I have if I didn't. But I'm not completely mental. If you find the witch hunts - on both sides of the Atlantic - interesting, and are looking for an interesting tale that incorporates past and present into an easy-to-read bit of mental cotton candy, then by all means give this a shot. Syd Moore also wrote another story that touches on similar themes with her first book 'The Drowning Pool' (which I might read again at some point because I think I quite enjoyed that one too) and a series of other books that is set around an Essex Witch Hunt Museum, but they never appealed to me. (The blurbs on here and the GR reviews make them sound like some fantastical YA tales that the author wrote around the topic she finds the most fascinating...namely, witches and witch hunts. And one can have too much of a good thing, y'know?)
But this was fun to return to and there was a lot that I'd forgotten since I last read it, so it was still an enjoyable romp. And it reminded me of some factual books that I should probably dig out and have a quick look back over, because it's a very interesting period in history from which I fear too few people have actually learnt any important lessons - and/or applied them to the way they behave in #CurrentEra. I'm not promising anyone that this will rock their world or blow them away with its literary greatness, but it's fun and factual in equal measure, even if it is a bit silly.
The love-interest bit was lame AF too, with the copper being incredibly 2-dimensional and annoying in equal measure. I don't know why we always have to have a relationship thrown into a story for absolutely no reason, regardless of the themes or genres being written. Between boring love-interest side-plots and that ubiquitous character with flame red hair, it does sometimes feel like a lot of books are trying to play 'Buzzword Bingo' with the readers. I also find it a bit annoying when feminists get all up in arms about the fact that there were mainly women targeted by the witch hunts around this time - making sure to throw the word "misogynist" in there a few times - but neglect to pay much heed to what was happening with so many of the men in this period: namely that they were being rounded up and sent to fight in a civil war. Life was shit for everyone back then, but as always it's a case of "World About To End...Women Most Affected!"
Sure Jan.
⭐⭐⭐
November 5, 2012
I really liked this story, it's very atmospheric and haunting in its setting of Essex and Suffolk, surrounding the towns of Manningtree and Colchester where in the period from 1560 to 1680 upwards of 500 women were tried for witchcraft in the area. Central to the plot is the much maligned figure of Matthew Hopkins, the infamous witch finder general.
In modern day Essex, Sadie Asquith has moved back to home after giving up a fast paced life in London which does not suit her any longer. She lives alone in her flat and is picking up the pieces after losing her Mum suddenly. Working for a local newspaper as a journalist she comes up with an idea of bringing the Essex witch hunts bang up to date with a regular column piece with a view to publishing a book. Starting her research on Hopkins and the trials she begins to get spooked by some very strange noises in her flat, she then is plagued by strange visions and apparitions. She is convinced someone is following her and then Sadie makes a terrible discovery about herself and her family....
Very creepy in places, full of wonderful descriptions and bound together with the true history of the despicable witch trials and the terrible witch finder general himself. A very good read and I found it very fitting to have read this over the Halloween period for added atmosphere. Spooky....
In modern day Essex, Sadie Asquith has moved back to home after giving up a fast paced life in London which does not suit her any longer. She lives alone in her flat and is picking up the pieces after losing her Mum suddenly. Working for a local newspaper as a journalist she comes up with an idea of bringing the Essex witch hunts bang up to date with a regular column piece with a view to publishing a book. Starting her research on Hopkins and the trials she begins to get spooked by some very strange noises in her flat, she then is plagued by strange visions and apparitions. She is convinced someone is following her and then Sadie makes a terrible discovery about herself and her family....
Very creepy in places, full of wonderful descriptions and bound together with the true history of the despicable witch trials and the terrible witch finder general himself. A very good read and I found it very fitting to have read this over the Halloween period for added atmosphere. Spooky....
October 20, 2015
We will start with the most important factor first: if you’re looking for a truly terrifying horror book this is not what you’re looking for.
Whilst it appears to be a scary read such is not the case. There are supernatural elements to the book but not in a manner which will keep you up at night. Despite the fact that I was expecting more of a scary story than I was given I still enjoyed the book. I feel as though the last third was the best part of the book, however, with the first two thirds being a little bit slow in places – of course, that is just my opinion and I’m sure there will be people out there who will disagree with me.
Nevertheless, the storyline is one which keeps you interested throughout and leaves you wanting to read more and find out exactly how it ends. I will say, however, that I do wish that there hadn’t been quite so many references as to what was to come as I felt as though it would have been more of a surprise that way.
Still, it’s worth a read if you’re into the suspense filled books with a paranormal twist.
Whilst it appears to be a scary read such is not the case. There are supernatural elements to the book but not in a manner which will keep you up at night. Despite the fact that I was expecting more of a scary story than I was given I still enjoyed the book. I feel as though the last third was the best part of the book, however, with the first two thirds being a little bit slow in places – of course, that is just my opinion and I’m sure there will be people out there who will disagree with me.
Nevertheless, the storyline is one which keeps you interested throughout and leaves you wanting to read more and find out exactly how it ends. I will say, however, that I do wish that there hadn’t been quite so many references as to what was to come as I felt as though it would have been more of a surprise that way.
Still, it’s worth a read if you’re into the suspense filled books with a paranormal twist.
December 7, 2012
This book started off so well, but unfortunately became dull and slow! I think it would have been much better as a short story, really could have done without the 'In between' stories.
November 19, 2012
Narrated by proud Essex Girl Sadie Asquith, Syd Moore's Witch Hunt mingles ghostly horror with mystery and a dash of chick lit, along with a sprinkling of historical fact and a smidgeon of psychogeography.
I enjoyed the horror, the mystery and the fascinating details of the 17th century witch hunts and the appalling injustices dished out by Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins. The chick lit? Not so much. Sadie was an independent and capable heroine who, coping with a recent bereavement and juggling a brand new book deal with her career as a freelance journalist, I might have preferred not be going giddy over her new editor whose eyes are 'flecked with quartz' or calling on her cute policeman friend Joe to rescue her from time to time. Having said that, I was glad to see that this became a relatively minor aspect of the story and wasn't wholly resolved in what might have been the easiest or most obvious way, which is a plus.
Women - Essex women in particular, whether they're from the present day or from centuries past - are the strongest and most memorable characters in this book, and it's a better read for that. It's also worth adding that Essex is almost a character in itself in Witch Hunt. I grew up just over the border in Hertfordshire myself: I know Essex well as a county full of intriguing history, a pleasant coastline and charming villages and consider it unfairly maligned, so I was delighted by Moore's efforts to redress the balance on that score.
Overall, Witch Hunt is an engaging page-turner with an interesting premise and plenty of chilling moments. Moore has clearly done some serious research into Matthew Hopkins and his role in the witch hunts, and this benefits the book tremendously - it's a chilling and gripping subject in itself and it's easy to empathise with Sadie as she becomes increasingly affected by her studies. Sadie's complex family relationships and the shadow of mental illness that hangs over some of them are convincingly and sensitively handled too.
The ghost story elements of Witch Hunt work well, and it's to Moore's credit that they don't all take place in historically significant locations and atmospheric settings: Sadie's experiences in a local castle are nicely written and the chills are easy to imagine, but for me, some of the creepiest moments come when Sadie is logging on to Facebook or catching a train. As the past catches up with the present and Sadie's own connections with the Essex witches start to become clearer
Witch Hunt is Syd Moore's second novel and I think I'll be checking out her first book, The Drowning Pool, as a holiday read in future. I would, however, love to see her attempt a dark historical novel in what seems to be her favourite Essex setting: from Witch Hunt, I got the impression that Moore feels every bit as connected to the women persecuted by Matthew Hopkins as she does to her present-day characters, and I for one would like to read more about them.
I enjoyed the horror, the mystery and the fascinating details of the 17th century witch hunts and the appalling injustices dished out by Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins. The chick lit? Not so much. Sadie was an independent and capable heroine who, coping with a recent bereavement and juggling a brand new book deal with her career as a freelance journalist, I might have preferred not be going giddy over her new editor whose eyes are 'flecked with quartz' or calling on her cute policeman friend Joe to rescue her from time to time. Having said that, I was glad to see that this became a relatively minor aspect of the story and wasn't wholly resolved in what might have been the easiest or most obvious way, which is a plus.
Women - Essex women in particular, whether they're from the present day or from centuries past - are the strongest and most memorable characters in this book, and it's a better read for that. It's also worth adding that Essex is almost a character in itself in Witch Hunt. I grew up just over the border in Hertfordshire myself: I know Essex well as a county full of intriguing history, a pleasant coastline and charming villages and consider it unfairly maligned, so I was delighted by Moore's efforts to redress the balance on that score.
Overall, Witch Hunt is an engaging page-turner with an interesting premise and plenty of chilling moments. Moore has clearly done some serious research into Matthew Hopkins and his role in the witch hunts, and this benefits the book tremendously - it's a chilling and gripping subject in itself and it's easy to empathise with Sadie as she becomes increasingly affected by her studies. Sadie's complex family relationships and the shadow of mental illness that hangs over some of them are convincingly and sensitively handled too.
The ghost story elements of Witch Hunt work well, and it's to Moore's credit that they don't all take place in historically significant locations and atmospheric settings: Sadie's experiences in a local castle are nicely written and the chills are easy to imagine, but for me, some of the creepiest moments come when Sadie is logging on to Facebook or catching a train. As the past catches up with the present and Sadie's own connections with the Essex witches start to become clearer
Witch Hunt is Syd Moore's second novel and I think I'll be checking out her first book, The Drowning Pool, as a holiday read in future. I would, however, love to see her attempt a dark historical novel in what seems to be her favourite Essex setting: from Witch Hunt, I got the impression that Moore feels every bit as connected to the women persecuted by Matthew Hopkins as she does to her present-day characters, and I for one would like to read more about them.
November 24, 2013
Witch Hunt was my Halloween read. Having bought it a year ago, I finally made it in time for this year!
The prologue is obviously a scene from the past. I wanted to know who is she? What had she done? How is she invisible to neighbours? This really hooked me in.
Another hook for me was how the author makes the reader aware that something of significance had happened in the past. This definitely made me want to carry on reading because I really wanted to know!
Fabulous scenes at St Botolph’s, Colchester Castle, Manningtree and in the Witchfinder General’s room at the inn :) I have to be honest and say I wasn’t scared. Fascinated yes, scared no!
I also have to mention when Sadie visits Dan. I really felt as if my perceptions had been altered.
The flashbacks to the time of the trials were brilliant. It is obvious Moore has researched thoroughly as they felt authentic.
There was one character that I just wasn’t sure of. I asked myself, what part was he playing? I knew it was more than we saw on the surface. This was a shock when I found out because I just hadn’t worked it out!
Blending fact with fiction, excellent characters and some terrifying scenes, I enjoyed this story with its different threads weaving through, all linking back to the witch trials.
I have to admit I’ve now bought Moore’s debut, The Drowning Pool. Hope it won’t take me another year!
The prologue is obviously a scene from the past. I wanted to know who is she? What had she done? How is she invisible to neighbours? This really hooked me in.
Another hook for me was how the author makes the reader aware that something of significance had happened in the past. This definitely made me want to carry on reading because I really wanted to know!
Fabulous scenes at St Botolph’s, Colchester Castle, Manningtree and in the Witchfinder General’s room at the inn :) I have to be honest and say I wasn’t scared. Fascinated yes, scared no!
I also have to mention when Sadie visits Dan. I really felt as if my perceptions had been altered.
The flashbacks to the time of the trials were brilliant. It is obvious Moore has researched thoroughly as they felt authentic.
There was one character that I just wasn’t sure of. I asked myself, what part was he playing? I knew it was more than we saw on the surface. This was a shock when I found out because I just hadn’t worked it out!
Blending fact with fiction, excellent characters and some terrifying scenes, I enjoyed this story with its different threads weaving through, all linking back to the witch trials.
I have to admit I’ve now bought Moore’s debut, The Drowning Pool. Hope it won’t take me another year!
October 22, 2013
This book is based upon the Witch Trials in 16th Century Essex, especially those killed by the ‘Witchfinder General’ Matthew Hopkins. From 1560 to 1680 upwards of 500 women were tried for witchcraft in the area.
(Spoilers ahead!)
The book is based on fact, but the author changes the story slightly to suggest that Matthew Hopkins did not die at the young age of 27 as most scholars suggest. Moore links the killings that happened later in New England, after Hopkins’ supposed death, to Hopkins. This is not what scholars say happened since he was apparently dead, but Moore acknowledges that this change in her book is purely fiction. It does make for any interesting story!
The book is mostly set in modern day Essex, and is centred around the character Mercedes “Sadie” Asquith who is a journalist that has recently lost her mother. She starts research on the Witch trials from Exeter with the intention of writing a book on the subject. The further that she gets in her research, the weirder things start to become. Moths start following her around, and a ghostly presence keeps trying to communicate with her. She also starts to have visions from the 16th Century.
This was ultimately a very enjoyable read, but I thought that the ending didn’t really do it justice.
I’d recommend it for fans of the supernatural, and anyone with an interest in the witch trials.
(Spoilers ahead!)
The book is based on fact, but the author changes the story slightly to suggest that Matthew Hopkins did not die at the young age of 27 as most scholars suggest. Moore links the killings that happened later in New England, after Hopkins’ supposed death, to Hopkins. This is not what scholars say happened since he was apparently dead, but Moore acknowledges that this change in her book is purely fiction. It does make for any interesting story!
The book is mostly set in modern day Essex, and is centred around the character Mercedes “Sadie” Asquith who is a journalist that has recently lost her mother. She starts research on the Witch trials from Exeter with the intention of writing a book on the subject. The further that she gets in her research, the weirder things start to become. Moths start following her around, and a ghostly presence keeps trying to communicate with her. She also starts to have visions from the 16th Century.
This was ultimately a very enjoyable read, but I thought that the ending didn’t really do it justice.
I’d recommend it for fans of the supernatural, and anyone with an interest in the witch trials.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2012
This story was always going to be a winner for me; it has witches, ghosts and a jolly good mystery. When something appears to be too good to be true, then it usually is but not in this case as I really enjoyed reading this book.
The story centres around a journalist called Sadie, who is commissioned to write a book about the Witchfinderr General, Matthew Hopkins. Thus a mystery ensues and I was engaged from the beginning until the end. The story unfolds as a satisfying pace, and there are some great revelations and you are left feeling satisfied with the mystery.
Something I did enjoy, if that is the correct term, was the detail that went into the descriptions of what happened to the women and men who had been condemned as witches. This was really brutal, and I'm glad it was, as it gives a realistic feel of how horrific the treatment of these people was. Also, I like the idea of Hopkins being akin to a serial killer, as that is in effect, what he was. A great mix of fact and fiction with a cracking ghost story to boot.
The story centres around a journalist called Sadie, who is commissioned to write a book about the Witchfinderr General, Matthew Hopkins. Thus a mystery ensues and I was engaged from the beginning until the end. The story unfolds as a satisfying pace, and there are some great revelations and you are left feeling satisfied with the mystery.
Something I did enjoy, if that is the correct term, was the detail that went into the descriptions of what happened to the women and men who had been condemned as witches. This was really brutal, and I'm glad it was, as it gives a realistic feel of how horrific the treatment of these people was. Also, I like the idea of Hopkins being akin to a serial killer, as that is in effect, what he was. A great mix of fact and fiction with a cracking ghost story to boot.
July 1, 2013
I felt weird about this. I closed it not sure if I had enjoyed it or not... Its not that i have a problem with things in books not being believeable- else I wouldn't have enjooyed Harry Potter, or The House at Midnight or Twilight, but this seemed a bit ridiculous in places. I like horror books where I can relate (as someone who believes and experiences such things regularly) to the feel of terror or the vision and I don't know... monsters don't scare me because they are not real. Evil people are (were?!) So the Devil thing didn't really scare me at all. The idea a supernatural force can physically harm you is just not plausable. Mentally terrify? Yes. Physically? Not so sure.
I also felt the book needed to be 100 pages shorter. Some stuff just didn't need to be in there, and I hated the political views thrown in. I don't like politics in books.
This is what i would call the 'chick lit' of the Horror Genre. Its ok to pass the time but you don't need to think about it- and you won't when you've finished!
I also felt the book needed to be 100 pages shorter. Some stuff just didn't need to be in there, and I hated the political views thrown in. I don't like politics in books.
This is what i would call the 'chick lit' of the Horror Genre. Its ok to pass the time but you don't need to think about it- and you won't when you've finished!
June 20, 2022
Ugh... this book should've been so good... the only amazing thing about it is the perfevt evil timing - just when you are about to throw it out the window, something interesting happens. 2-3 pages. And you say to yourself - yes, now it's going to get fired up. Nope. Nothing happens for another hundred pages. When you're about to set it on fire - wham, action and thrills. 2 pages. You feel like slowly dying for another hundred pages, then it painfully ends. And the ending is so so bad. Soooo bad! Oh, well, at least the realistic bits and pieces about the witches trials where interesting, but the so-called journalist is so bad at her work, and at living basically, she gets drunk a lot, she is scared when she is not supposed to, and stupidly curious when survival instinct should kick in, and the only way she survives and actually manages to find out things is because ghosts intervene. Great idea, not a great book.
November 9, 2019
WITCH HUNT is both a fascinating exploration, through contemporary eyes, of a terribly ugly chapter in English history (the witch-hunt hysteria and the English Civil War between Oliver Cromwell's Parliament and King Charles I); and a paranormal excursion which becomes terrifyingly real and vividly experienced. I enjoyed both the historical revelations and the unfolding of secrecy as out protagonist is increasingly pulled into experiences of another realm. The only aspect I didn't appreciate is the author's tendency to telegraph the approach of trouble or difficulty, which I considered to be too frequent, and also is a pattern in the author's first novel, DROWNING POOL, which I am currently reading.
June 5, 2017
Another excellent read from Syd Moore. She has found a way to put a spin on the classic ghost story and bring it into a very modern setting. I was about three chapters from the end and wasn't entirely sure how everything was going to finish so quickly after all the twists and turns that occurred throughout but I was pleasantly surprised. Looking for to other future reads by Syd Moore!
April 3, 2018
After a promising start, this book seemed to cruise along at a leisurely pace until the final three or four chapters. I didn't find it scary at all, although the chilling shower scene made me a bit shivery.
As a believer in the interconnectedness of everything, through time as well as space, the concept of links between the main character, Sadie, and others in the present and those of the seventeenth century was easily consumed. However, the ending, which I shall not spoil for you, bordered on the ridiculous and unbelievable.
It was a captivating and interesting story in that I always wanted to read on to find out what happened next. I got a little bored with the railing against the Essex girl stereotype and Sadie's attempts to prove that wrong. It was almost as if she was carrying a banner saying, "Essex gals ain't fick!"
I enjoyed the true history of those witch hunt days and the suggestion, probably true, that there was a battle of the classes behind much of the horror. One thing is for sure, the witch, once accused, could not survive. Most of us know about the trial by ducking stool. If the accused drowned, it proved that she was not a witch, but she would be dead. If she survived, she was definitely a witch and would be hanged or burned at the stake. Heads you lose, tails you lose!
I felt that there was too much about the challenges that face almost every freelance journalist and novelist and the fact that it is very difficult to earn a living that way. This seemed like the every-day gripes of the author creeping into her story.
Having said all of this, I would still recommend the book to those who like a good historical yarn and are interested in those puritanical times and the local history of Essex.
I would probably read another book by this author, but I have many higher priorities on my TBR mountain.
As a believer in the interconnectedness of everything, through time as well as space, the concept of links between the main character, Sadie, and others in the present and those of the seventeenth century was easily consumed. However, the ending, which I shall not spoil for you, bordered on the ridiculous and unbelievable.
It was a captivating and interesting story in that I always wanted to read on to find out what happened next. I got a little bored with the railing against the Essex girl stereotype and Sadie's attempts to prove that wrong. It was almost as if she was carrying a banner saying, "Essex gals ain't fick!"
I enjoyed the true history of those witch hunt days and the suggestion, probably true, that there was a battle of the classes behind much of the horror. One thing is for sure, the witch, once accused, could not survive. Most of us know about the trial by ducking stool. If the accused drowned, it proved that she was not a witch, but she would be dead. If she survived, she was definitely a witch and would be hanged or burned at the stake. Heads you lose, tails you lose!
I felt that there was too much about the challenges that face almost every freelance journalist and novelist and the fact that it is very difficult to earn a living that way. This seemed like the every-day gripes of the author creeping into her story.
Having said all of this, I would still recommend the book to those who like a good historical yarn and are interested in those puritanical times and the local history of Essex.
I would probably read another book by this author, but I have many higher priorities on my TBR mountain.
April 19, 2025
Firstly, I have to say I am shocked at myself for not knowing more about the Essex witch trials, especially when I'm from Essex! I will be putting that to rights.
Now, my review, I really enjoyed Syd Moore's Witch hunt. I loved her down to earth Essex lass way of speaking.
The only bit for me that felt a bit iffy was when Sadie spoke about the police woman. I wondered if the rude police officer had been slim, would she have spoken about her body in a similar way? A chunk of this is very likely to be my own feelings, but it would have felt wrong, not to mention it.
I really respected how Syd was able to transport what those poor souls went through in the awful pointless trials. Sadies' story really was gripping, relatable at times, and I was completely invested in her story.
I'm currently in a witch trail wormhole, educating and learning more about our history as women while remembering men were also targeted at the time. Especially the men who tried to stand up for the women and children accused.
5 stars for Syd Moore's Witch hunt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And I love that Syd Moore also campaigned and won to have the outdated and discriminative 'Essex Girl' meaning removed from the Oxford Dictionary 👏 what a babe!
Now, my review, I really enjoyed Syd Moore's Witch hunt. I loved her down to earth Essex lass way of speaking.
The only bit for me that felt a bit iffy was when Sadie spoke about the police woman. I wondered if the rude police officer had been slim, would she have spoken about her body in a similar way? A chunk of this is very likely to be my own feelings, but it would have felt wrong, not to mention it.
I really respected how Syd was able to transport what those poor souls went through in the awful pointless trials. Sadies' story really was gripping, relatable at times, and I was completely invested in her story.
I'm currently in a witch trail wormhole, educating and learning more about our history as women while remembering men were also targeted at the time. Especially the men who tried to stand up for the women and children accused.
5 stars for Syd Moore's Witch hunt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And I love that Syd Moore also campaigned and won to have the outdated and discriminative 'Essex Girl' meaning removed from the Oxford Dictionary 👏 what a babe!
August 18, 2018
Gloriously over the top fun read.
October 2, 2023
once again i judged a book by its cover and it ended up being one of the most beautiful and poignant stories i’ve read in a long time. i will miss sadie very much
June 11, 2024
I loved the topic but it did go a bit over the top in places which it didn’t need to, but that didn’t soil it for me. Great ending though.
February 27, 2022
A page turner from start to finish. I really enjoyed this book.
February 21, 2024
Once I got into the book I couldn't put it down. I loved it.
November 8, 2023
From the first chapter I thought this book was not my kind of read was very gruesome but I was compelled to go on and glad I did scary at times and thrilling loved the ending in all a good read 😊
February 16, 2020
Oh man. 1.5 stars. If that. I feel like there's the bones of a really good book, or maybe a film. A good story, Matthew Hopkins is always fascinating, and obviously what happened to all of those people is horrific. But Christ alive, this was hard to read. Really really badly written. Genuinely boring. The protagonist is irrtitating as f, but I guess when we learn who her father is (not really a shock btw), that makes sense.
Couple of things worth mentioning, the OBSESSION with 'attractive' men, all with 'lean bodies' and 'strong jaws' gets old. Fast. As does the constant reiteration that the main character is stunningly attractive because she is thin. There's even a whole paragraph devoted to the partner of her cop sort of boyfriend (one of four men in the book instantly and completely apparently enamoured with her. It must be her, um, thin frame and bobbed hair). Anyway, this partner woman is fat. I know this because during her brief part in the plot, the writer says she's fat, weighs as much as a man, has a broad backside, and, um, reeks of cats and microwave meals for one. Because she's fat you see. So obviously she's lonely and sad.
All of this really took the shine off the witchy plot and makes me wonder how old Syd Moore is. Because she writes like a 15 year old acting out her fantasies and I'm not here for that kind of crap. I'd also bet cash money that she's overweight and unhappy about it. Not remotely interested in trying any of her other books. At all. Total bust.
Couple of things worth mentioning, the OBSESSION with 'attractive' men, all with 'lean bodies' and 'strong jaws' gets old. Fast. As does the constant reiteration that the main character is stunningly attractive because she is thin. There's even a whole paragraph devoted to the partner of her cop sort of boyfriend (one of four men in the book instantly and completely apparently enamoured with her. It must be her, um, thin frame and bobbed hair). Anyway, this partner woman is fat. I know this because during her brief part in the plot, the writer says she's fat, weighs as much as a man, has a broad backside, and, um, reeks of cats and microwave meals for one. Because she's fat you see. So obviously she's lonely and sad.
All of this really took the shine off the witchy plot and makes me wonder how old Syd Moore is. Because she writes like a 15 year old acting out her fantasies and I'm not here for that kind of crap. I'd also bet cash money that she's overweight and unhappy about it. Not remotely interested in trying any of her other books. At all. Total bust.
November 20, 2012
This book was given to me to review.
Set in the present time we are introduced to Sadie, a journalist whose mum has just died . Sadie has an interest in the Essex witch trials and deciding to write a book about this unleashes a nightmare that had me sucked in from the very start and relishing the fact the rest of the book was yet to come.
The prologue and excerpts throughout introduces you to Rebecca, a young woman involved in those trials in the 17th century.
While researching and writing the book Sadie starts to have experiences that made the hair stand on the back of my neck, dreams making her wake up in a cold sweat, noises in the attic , instant messages from someone with no name and no proof that these things are happening, the sensation of being followed . Has Sadie inherited her Mother’s mental illness or is there something more to these strange occurrences?
The novel flits between the two time lines building up tension nicely, the description of the what those poor women tried as witches went through was horrific and the suspense of what is happening to Sadie was spine chilling.
A great paranormal novel written beautifully by an author I had never tried before, rest assured I will be seeking her other work out now!
Set in the present time we are introduced to Sadie, a journalist whose mum has just died . Sadie has an interest in the Essex witch trials and deciding to write a book about this unleashes a nightmare that had me sucked in from the very start and relishing the fact the rest of the book was yet to come.
The prologue and excerpts throughout introduces you to Rebecca, a young woman involved in those trials in the 17th century.
While researching and writing the book Sadie starts to have experiences that made the hair stand on the back of my neck, dreams making her wake up in a cold sweat, noises in the attic , instant messages from someone with no name and no proof that these things are happening, the sensation of being followed . Has Sadie inherited her Mother’s mental illness or is there something more to these strange occurrences?
The novel flits between the two time lines building up tension nicely, the description of the what those poor women tried as witches went through was horrific and the suspense of what is happening to Sadie was spine chilling.
A great paranormal novel written beautifully by an author I had never tried before, rest assured I will be seeking her other work out now!
April 8, 2013
Being a girl born in Essex and moving to the other side of the border and into Suffolk, this book struck a chord and sparked an interest in local history. Being originally from Colchester myself it was good to see the Castle as a backdrop for certain parts of the story and the surrounding areas.
The fact and fiction of the book kept it exciting and when you know the area well, it adds to the intrigue and what you do visualise is a place you know well.
Some of the story I found predictable and I found the main character a bit weak at times. I think she needed more guts every now and then but when it came to the final twists, they were more in depth than what I expected as everything made sense gradually. However, I did feel the end was rushed to just tie things together in a hurry. Not that I mind that as I loved the paranormal connections and this was a chiller that kept me hooked.
I will certainly be reading up more on the Essex Witch trials and currently have Syd Moore's The Drowning Pool on my "to read" shelf.
All in all, good tale with a good amount of research done to make it a believable and exciting book.
The fact and fiction of the book kept it exciting and when you know the area well, it adds to the intrigue and what you do visualise is a place you know well.
Some of the story I found predictable and I found the main character a bit weak at times. I think she needed more guts every now and then but when it came to the final twists, they were more in depth than what I expected as everything made sense gradually. However, I did feel the end was rushed to just tie things together in a hurry. Not that I mind that as I loved the paranormal connections and this was a chiller that kept me hooked.
I will certainly be reading up more on the Essex Witch trials and currently have Syd Moore's The Drowning Pool on my "to read" shelf.
All in all, good tale with a good amount of research done to make it a believable and exciting book.
December 20, 2019
Well written for sure, but a bit boring. Maybe a hundred pages too long?
April 9, 2013
*Might contain spoiler materials*
It was ok.
I wasn't keen in the way the author lay out her research, instead of refining it, it's more like copying the statistics down as part of her book.
Love the mention and description of original sites and transcripts. Love the haunting of Rebecca, though I think that there can be more.
The 'magic' between Sadie and Dan can be elaborated as well? Seems a bit wasted for not expanding on it. Was it part of the witch magic? Does it mean Rebecca was really a witch and not just a ghost?
Wasn't very keen in how the story ends either, hit and run just doesn't seem fitting to Sadie's personality.
I think there is a book 2 potential, to visit New England and find out the past of Mercy and gather more evidence of Hopkins' doings (why would he care about the little girl anyway? Doesn't make sense...) Anyway, it felt like the author was running out of space and had to cut the ending short, and I'm annoyed with movies and books that are like that.
It was ok.
I wasn't keen in the way the author lay out her research, instead of refining it, it's more like copying the statistics down as part of her book.
Love the mention and description of original sites and transcripts. Love the haunting of Rebecca, though I think that there can be more.
The 'magic' between Sadie and Dan can be elaborated as well? Seems a bit wasted for not expanding on it. Was it part of the witch magic? Does it mean Rebecca was really a witch and not just a ghost?
Wasn't very keen in how the story ends either, hit and run just doesn't seem fitting to Sadie's personality.
I think there is a book 2 potential, to visit New England and find out the past of Mercy and gather more evidence of Hopkins' doings (why would he care about the little girl anyway? Doesn't make sense...) Anyway, it felt like the author was running out of space and had to cut the ending short, and I'm annoyed with movies and books that are like that.
September 5, 2018
This is a truly scary story that I couldn't read at bedtime! I thoroughly enjoyed the way that Syd Moore weaves history into her detective story. It's especially interesting as I live not far from Manningtree and Mistley where Matthew Hopkins, 'The Witchfinder General' was active during the seventeenth century.
Sadie Asquith is a believable character, so much so, that I genuinely feared for her life - my heart pumped and it was difficult to keep reading and not flick through the book to make sure everything will be okay (and I'm not going to say if it all is okay - you'll have to buy the book!).
Syd Moore is an expert on Matthew Hopkins and the women he terrorised and tortured and she wears her knowledge lightly - there is enough information to make you want to find out more, but not too much that it slows down the story.
Sadie Asquith is a believable character, so much so, that I genuinely feared for her life - my heart pumped and it was difficult to keep reading and not flick through the book to make sure everything will be okay (and I'm not going to say if it all is okay - you'll have to buy the book!).
Syd Moore is an expert on Matthew Hopkins and the women he terrorised and tortured and she wears her knowledge lightly - there is enough information to make you want to find out more, but not too much that it slows down the story.
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