The Witch Hunters (novel)

Publisher's summary
''The Reverend Samuel Parris, Minister of Salem, follows three strangers in the forest beyond the village - a forest which is traditionally believed to be the source of much evil. He hears movement through the trees, steps forward and makes a terrible discovery. It is one which will change life in Salem forever.''

The TARDIS arrives in Salem Village, Massachusetts, 1692. The Doctor wishes to effect repairs to his ship in peace and privacy, and so his companions - Ian, Barbara and Susan - decide to 'live history' for a week or so. But the friendships they make are abruptly broken when the Doctor ushers them away, wary of being overtaken by the tragic events he knows will occur.

Upon learning the terrible truth of the Salem witch trials, Susan is desperate to return - at any price. Her actions lead the TARDIS crew into terrible jeopardy, and her latent telepathy threatens to help the tragedy escalate way out of control...

Characters

 * The Doctor
 * Susan Foreman
 * Barbara Wright
 * Ian Chesterton
 * Rebecca Nurse
 * John Proctor
 * Elizabeth Proctor
 * Reverend Samuel Parris
 * Tituba

Continuity

 * Barbara is still upset about her failure to save the Aztecs. (DW: The Aztecs)
 * The Doctor uses the alias "Doctor John Smith" twice: when asked his name by Rebecca Nurse (realising that a simple 'Doctor' would not do), and when checking in at an inn. He had previously used the alias when living at 76 Totter's Lane (DW: The Vampires of Venice), but now recalled it merely as a name of the lead signer of a 20th century band, namely John Smith and the Common Men, with whom Susan had been besotted. (DW: An Unearthly Child)
 * The Doctor has at least partially fixed the Fast Return Switch, previously broken in DW: The Edge of Destruction. Susan uses it to return to the same place, but approximately five months later. As a result, he decides to disable it permanantly.
 * The Doctor is afraid of breaking the First Law of Time, to the extent that he condemns Rebecca Nurse to death. This is a far cry from his later behaviour in DW: The Waters of Mars when he attempts to rewrite history by saving three people from sure death.
 * The Doctor's fourth visit to Salem was granted to him by Rassilon, after the events of DW: The Five Doctors, to allow him to deal with unfinished business before his first life ended.
 * Abigail Williams predicts that Susan will marry a "fighting man." (DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth)
 * There are references to the Daleks, Skaro and the TARDIS' fault locator (DW: The Daleks), Marinus and the Voord (DW: The Keys of Marinus), the Sense Sphere (DW: The Sensorites) and Ian and Barbara's experiences in the French Revolution (DW: The Reign of Terror).

Timeline

 * This story occurs after PDA: City at World's End
 * This story occurs before ST: The Thief of Sherwood
 * The Thief of Sherwood ends with the Doctor detecting a build up of space pressure, as this book's rear cover states it takes place between the television stories DW: The Reign of Terror and Planet of Giants which has themes of changes in pressure in relation to the TARDIS this is a logical placement.


 * The epilogue occurs after BE: The Meeting
 * The epilogue occurs before ST: The Three Paths