Ronald Bassett's vivid, gripping novel chronicles the adventures of Matthew Hopkins, self-appointed Witchfinder General. While the country is in the grip of civil war, Matthew Hopkins seeks out the servants of Satan, tearing through the Eastern Counties on a bloody rampage of lust and torture, delivering the country from evil through the zealous trials and hangings of the helpless, the poor and the pretty in exchange for a small fee. Based on an historical figure, this horrifying tale of greed and slaughter was adapted into the famous 1968 Tigon British film starring Vincent Price. "...all the country s energies were directed towards the prosecution of a religious war. It was a situation that Matthew Hopkins intended to exploit to the full. He had already tasted blood, gained respect and lined his pockets. He was hungry for more."