This book was about a priest burning witches. I really did not like this historical fiction novel. It was very disturbing and made me uncomfortable to read. This was not for me.

The Pope’s Butcher – Joseph C. Gioconda



I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in order to provide an honest review.



Joseph Gioconda is an American author who spent several years studying at a Catholic seminary. He attended Yale Law School and earned a law degree and is a trial lawyer. This is his debut novel.



“The Pope’s Butcher” is a story about Heinrich Institoris, an actual Catholic clergy from history who published a book in Germany in 1487 regarding the extermination of witches.

However, the story is told from the point of view from a young clergyman and researched, Sebastian. He has been tasked with travelling and discovering all he could about witchcraft. How to detect a witch and discover how much of a threat witches really are to the Church, but also to collect any books about the blasphemy that is witchcraft.

Yet Sebastian discovered so much more on his year long journey. Most witches were not in fact anything like how the church had painted them, nor was witchcraft. Sebastian met a beautiful young witch, Brigantia, and her coven; whom he learned much from.

All he had gathered and discovered was written down in a manuscript for Heinrich who then later published his book – The Witches Hammer. In this book though, Heinrich barely referenced any of Sebastian’s research, persecuting those who practice witchcraft or who believed to have practiced it. He even went to so far as to mention Brigantia and her coven. Sebastian knew he had to protect her and the coven before they were burned, and it was all his fault. Their very lives were in danger and it was all his fault.

Alas, Sebastian left the Church and those he knew behind to try and save Brigantia because he knew true witches were not the villains, they were made out to be.



“The Pope’s Butcher” is a fascinating and engrossing historical fiction tale about the church and the way they dealt with those suspected of practicing witchcraft. It is a very unique take on the atrocities that were suffered by many innocent people of the time. But it also highlights how the Church, and most people, deal with something they do not understand and fear.

The Pope's Butcher is a gripping read and all the more remarkable because it is based on the truth. The author coveys a palpable sense of menace in his account of the activities of the Inquisitor at a time when it was a dangerous world for anyone to stand up against the narrow strictures of the Church's teaching. I particularly enjoyed the sumptuous descriptions of place. A fascinating and revelatory book.

The Pope’s Butcher is probably one of the most well-researched and well-written books I’ve read in some time. To learn that it’s Joseph C. Gioconda’s first book makes it remarkable.

Based on historical facts, this book of fiction is about a priest initiate named Sabastian who is tasked with searching out witchcraft and its practices throughout the 15th century Roman Catholic world. Sabastian travels through Europe, Britain, and Ireland studying and taking notes on local witch practices. Toward the end of his travels, he judges witchcraft to be the innocent application of herbal medicinal practices that have been practiced from long before the founding of the Christian Church. In his notes, he opines that the actions taken by witches are entirely beneficial to the health and welfare of the communities being served. Spending a considerable amount of time with one young witch, he falls in love but leaves her to return to Rome to file his report with the chief inquisitor. According to the fictional account, Sabastian’s notes are misused and end up serving as the basis for the chief inquisitor’s widely distributed book on the evils of witchcraft. That book, The Witch’s Hammer, is still being published and is in circulation today. The initial publication of The Witch’s Hammer led to the deaths of thousands of women in Europe and America over the ensuing years.

In my experience, books that include a bibliography the size of the one at the end of The Pope’s Butcher are assigned social sciences texts that must be read in college. While historically factual and somewhat interesting as enhancements to the subject matter being studied, they are not enjoyable literary reading. Gioconda, on the other hand, wrote his book as reading literature, not an academic enhancement. I think that he succeeded in doing so and has, what will shortly become, a bestselling book as a result.

Gioconda, no doubt, has a busy schedule as a trial lawyer, but I do hope that he continues to set time aside for more historically based fictional writing. The Pope’s Butcher emotionally engaged me and always had me looking forward to my next reading session.

Thankyou to NetGalley, the publishers and the author, Joseph C Gioconda, for the opportunity to read The Pope's Butcher in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Wow, such a good read. I found it very hard to put down.
Well worth a read.

Sebastian is a young seminarian who was orphaned as a child. When he is asked to research witches for the Grand Inquisitor, Sebastian agrees without a second thought, believing that he will be rewarded for his hard work. Sebastian begins his research by travelling to France and he discovers that perhaps witchcraft (or Satan worship) is occurring there. He follows clues that lead him to the Mount Saint-Michel library where he discovers one book he has been told contains dark magic. From there he goes to London and finally to Ireland where he meets the intriguing Brigantia. Sebastian soon comes to discover that most women who are accused are actually more Christ-like than the male accusers, and that there are men who are out practicing dark magic for their own benefit. This was an interesting fictional look into the history of the most blood-soaked book in history, The Witch's Hammer and how fear of strong women by a probable serial killer lead to millions of women being murdered in the name of eradicating witchcraft.

Having been raised in a catholics boys home I can attest to the brutality of the Catholic Church so I was not surprised by the factual events this books is derived from, it’s a good read, interesting and intriguing, the story flowed well and would recommend this even if you have no interest in the the church

From the first chapter, I was hooked as the book is a real page turner! I love that the book is inspired by actual history and that the author provides great details about the true horror in the medieval Vatican!