With The Plague Doctor Murders, the second of his Samuel Pepys Mysteries, Ellis Blackwood leaves no doubt that readers are in for an amazing series, one for which historical fiction fans will clamor.
Picking up where The Brampton Witch Murders left off, the famed diarist, the Clerk of the Acts to the Navy Board and adviser to King Charles II, for whom the series is named, along with his personal inquisitors Jacob Standish and housemaid Abigail Harcourt are on their return to London, not knowing what they would find of the ancient city that burned during their absence.
Though purportedly saved from the flames, knowledge of the state of his home and belongings would have to wait for Jacob as Pepys had another urgent mission for his inquisitors – to find out who was prowling the royal dockyards by night, dressed in the nightmarish, bird-like, plague doctor mask and cloak, threatening a colleague’s life in a similar way to a recently murdered man.
No easy task for the pair as they head to Deptford, where Jacob was known for a costly mistake he made during a brief stint as a purser’s apprentice. Likewise, young Abby must assert herself to be taken seriously by the dockworkers and be recognized by Samuel as more than just a maid or Jacob’s assistant.
Another thread of the story begins in Cornwall, following the life of a young boy whose father was believed to be kidnapped at sea. Masterfully tying the two together, Blackwood is a gifted storyteller, making 17th century London, the devastation following the Great Fire, the Thames as a workaday waterway and Cornish fishing villages all come to life.
A thrilling mystery with plenty of suspects, clues and red herrings to keep you guessing, I highly recommend The Plague Doctor Murders for fans of historical fiction, British mysteries and anyone who enjoys a fascinating story.
I can’t wait to read the next installment, The Coffee House Murders due out October 30. I also can’t wait to see, for I have no doubt, The Samuel Pepys Mysteries will appear on-screen, as well.
I received an advance reader’s copy of The Plague Doctors, courtesy of the author and Vintage Mystery Press. Order online or buy now at your favorite independent bookstore. Mine is Sellers Books and Art in Jim Thorpe, PA.
If you’re interested in learning more about Samuel Pepys and the Great Plague: Pepys’ diary entries from 1665 are woven into the narrative of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated The Great Plague by Dorothy and Lloyd Moot (for which I was privileged to host a C-Span BookTV episode)
Review by Di Prokop
More Mystery Please
Picking up where The Brampton Witch Murders left off, the famed diarist, the Clerk of the Acts to the Navy Board and adviser to King Charles II, for whom the series is named, along with his personal inquisitors Jacob Standish and housemaid Abigail Harcourt are on their return to London, not knowing what they would find of the ancient city that burned during their absence.
Though purportedly saved from the flames, knowledge of the state of his home and belongings would have to wait for Jacob as Pepys had another urgent mission for his inquisitors – to find out who was prowling the royal dockyards by night, dressed in the nightmarish, bird-like, plague doctor mask and cloak, threatening a colleague’s life in a similar way to a recently murdered man.
No easy task for the pair as they head to Deptford, where Jacob was known for a costly mistake he made during a brief stint as a purser’s apprentice. Likewise, young Abby must assert herself to be taken seriously by the dockworkers and be recognized by Samuel as more than just a maid or Jacob’s assistant.
Another thread of the story begins in Cornwall, following the life of a young boy whose father was believed to be kidnapped at sea. Masterfully tying the two together, Blackwood is a gifted storyteller, making 17th century London, the devastation following the Great Fire, the Thames as a workaday waterway and Cornish fishing villages all come to life.
A thrilling mystery with plenty of suspects, clues and red herrings to keep you guessing, I highly recommend The Plague Doctor Murders for fans of historical fiction, British mysteries and anyone who enjoys a fascinating story.
I can’t wait to read the next installment, The Coffee House Murders due out October 30. I also can’t wait to see, for I have no doubt, The Samuel Pepys Mysteries will appear on-screen, as well.
I received an advance reader’s copy of The Plague Doctors, courtesy of the author and Vintage Mystery Press. Order online or buy now at your favorite independent bookstore. Mine is Sellers Books and Art in Jim Thorpe, PA.
If you’re interested in learning more about Samuel Pepys and the Great Plague: Pepys’ diary entries from 1665 are woven into the narrative of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated The Great Plague by Dorothy and Lloyd Moot (for which I was privileged to host a C-Span BookTV episode)
Review by Di Prokop
More Mystery Please
