The Shadow of the Witchfinder by Wendy Leighton-Porter

The Shadow of the Witchfinder

Shadows from the Past Book 15

by Wendy Leighton-Porter.

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In 17th century Essex, at a time when most people believed in witchcraft, the name Matthew Hopkins was enough to strike fear into the heart of many a woman who lived alone with only a pet cat for company… for Hopkins was the Witchfinder General.
The 15th book in the Shadows from the Past series takes the time-travelling foursome back to the year 1646. It isn’t Max’s first visit to the village of Mistley Thorn, but this time his friends Jemima, Joe and Charlie are by his side.
Their mission is to bring an end to Hopkins’ campaign of terror. Will they succeed, or might this prove to be their most dangerous challenge yet?

“I have to admit I love a good time-traveling mystery and Wendy Leighton-Porter’s Middle-Grade fantasy novel, The Shadow of the Witchfinder, is certainly a good page-turning, action-filled adventure in time travel. Add a little magic and witchcraft and a bit of history to the mix and this story is well worth the read for people of all ages. Following Max the cat’s previous adventures in Shadows from the Past, this adventure explores further the fears of seventeenth-century people that led to such horrific events as the well documented Salem Witch Trials. As the plot thickens and the foursome (three children and a rather hesitant hero of a cat) get themselves into one predicament after another, the reader is so wrapped up in the development of the adventure that they are as surprised as the children in the story to discover that there might possibly be real witches. The use of language and description is well used as a powerful tool to drive the action to a fitting climax. I enjoyed this story immensely and look forward to more time-traveling adventures with Max the cat.”

READERS’ FAVORITE BOOK REVIEWS

“Continuing the fabulous Shadows from the Past series, the Lancelot twins and their serious-yet-clever friend Charlie travel back to the seventeenth century, together with Max the talking Tonkinese cat, in a desperate bid to save three ladies imprisoned by the notorious self-professed Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins. But for Max and the time-travelling children, they would have faced a cruel death; one that actually happened to about three hundred innocent women falsely accused of witchcraft by Hopkins. Full of adventure and well-placed humour (plus a gentle touch of the supernatural!), this novel can be read at different levels: by younger children as a fun way to learn a particularly dark period of English history and by young adults and above to question why humankind repeatedly allows evil to masquerade as ‘good’. The historical notes at the end of the book are very helpful and are also a measure of the huge amount of background historical research that goes into the writing of the Shadows series.”

OLIVER EADE, author

“The Shadow of the Witchfinder marks the monumental fifteenth novel in this series and the danger has really gone up several notches. This, of course, makes it my favourite so far… Oh my goodness there were so many new characters and returning figures to fall in love with in this story, and it’s the sweet and good elements juxtaposed with the harshness and cruelty of the time that makes it such a dynamic and exciting read from cover to cover. Wendy Leighton-Porter has slowly built up a repertoire of teaching important lessons during the Shadows from the Past series, and one of the most important that I have observed is the treatment of the underdog and the overlooked throughout historical times. She champions the characters who are authentically themselves, ahead of their time and different from the crowd, which makes for compelling and emotional reading as the series goes on. The questions raised in this fantastic slice of dark history about the true nature of what we label ‘good’ and ‘evil’ is a poignant message for children and adults alike.”

K. C. FINN, author

A Word from the Author

Max the talking Tonkinese cat has just returned from a solo adventure (Max’s Hallowe’en Adventure) that sent him spinning back through time to the county of Essex in 1646. This was a dangerous episode in English history if you were unlucky enough to meet a man named Matthew Hopkins, the self-styled “Witchfinder General”. Someone is needed to discredit Hopkins and save his victims, but who might be capable of such a difficult task?

Goodwife Clowes, an old lady from the village of Mistley Thorn, had summoned Max to come to her aid, because her own sister is amongst those arrested, but now she has sent the time-travelling cat back home to the 21^st century to fetch his friends. He’s going to need all the help he can get if he is to defeat the Witchfinder. But just who is Goodwife Clowes? Is she simply an innocent old lady living in fear for her own life, as well as that of her sister and other elderly women in the area? Or could she be a witch herself? Max isn’t entirely sure. Will he find out the truth? And, more importantly, can he accomplish what she is expecting of him? Let’s hope so, because he’s already had one narrow escape from the Witchfinder and is using up his nine lives at an alarming rate.

So, with destiny calling the reluctant feline hero once more, Max returns to Mistley Thorn where, together with his three friends – Jemima, Joe and Charlie – he must face Matthew Hopkins again. Can the time-travelling foursome defeat the Witchfinder, or will they fall into his clutches themselves? This may well be their most dangerous mission yet.Let’s not forget that, in 1646, East Anglia was no place to be overheard having a conversation with a cat, and we all know that Max is no ordinary cat… he can talk.

In a story that is filled with dark elements and moments of real danger for the young adventurers, there are also a few surprises, not least when Max’s owner, Jemima Lancelot, learns the miraculous details surrounding his birth. Now she, and the reader, understands just why this cat is so special and why he has always been destined for great things.

(Wendy Leighton-Porter, 2021)