<P><B>A classic tale of witches, first published in 1951, and based on a real 17th century trial and execution</B></P><P>Seventeenth century England is a place of superstition and fear. Deep in the Forest of Pendle, people have been dying in mysterious circumstances. The locals whisper of witchcraft, but Squire Roger Nowell, in charge of investigating the deaths, dismisses the claims as ridiculous—until a series of hideous desecrations forces Roger and his cousin Margery to look further into the rumors. What they discover brings them face to face with the horrifying possibility that a coven of witches is assembling, preparing to unleash a campaign of evil and destruction. Robert Neill's novel is a classic tale of witchcraft set in a wild, inaccessible corner of England and in a time when the ancient fear of demons and witches was still a part of life and death.