It is a terrible flaw of human nature that we immediately ostracize those with perspectives different from our own. It is more convenient to simply demonize others than it is to peacefully engage them. And from the ashes of a thousand monsters we have created in our head, real ones will always rise, brought to life by our own prejudices." In 17th-century England, the infamous Matthew Hopkins has taken advantage of public fears and made a career of knowingly executing hundreds of innocent women for witchcraft. Meanwhile, clergyman and paranormal skeptic John Gaule has sworn to put an end to the Witchfinder General's reign of terror. Together with a mysterious young woman named Rebecca West, Gaule sets out to chase Hopkins across the country and stop him before he can kill again. Timely and culturally relevant, Dead Trees tells the story of the rivalry between Matthew Hopkins and John Gaule and those who fan the flames of societal tensions for their own gain--and the damage it can do to those caught in the crossfire.