Overview

WHO WOULD MURDER THE DYING... London, 1665. Hidden within the growing pile of corpses in his churchyard, Rector Symon Patrick discovers a victim of the pestilence unlike any he has seen before: a young woman with a shorn head, covered in burns, and with pieces of twine delicately tied around each wrist and ankle. Desperate to discover the culprit, Symon joins a society of eccentric medical men who have gathered to find a cure for the plague. Someone is performing terrible experiments upon the dying, hiding their bodies amongst the hundreds that fill the death carts. Only Penelope - a new and mysterious addition to Symon's household - may have the skill to find the killer. Far more than what she appears, she is already on the hunt. But the dark presence that enters the houses of the sick will not stop, and has no mercy... This hugely atmospheric and entertaining historical thriller will transport readers to the palaces and alleyways of seventeenth-century London.

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9781788164559

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Reviews

A riotous delve into the dark medical world of Restoration London. In her heroine Penelope and the hapless Symon, V.L.Valentine has given us an appealing and truly unique pairing -- S.G. MacLean, author of <i>The Seeker</i> An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters -- Oscar de Muriel, author of The Strings of Murder Endearing, comic characters and crisp, spirited prose. The Plague Letters is a gripping whodunnit with a sinister twist, depicting the desperate scramble to find a cure and capture a killer -- Jennifer Ryan, author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir V.L. Valentine drops us deep into a single deadly year, 1665, into a sickening, increasingly desperate London wonderfully evoked. A terrific read! -- Alix Nathan, author of <i>The Warlow Experiment</i> V.L. Valentine's visceral debut skilfully immerses the reader in the dread and despair of plague-ridden London during the stinking hot summer of 1665 * Aspects of History * A rollicking, roistering tale with humour, horror and human decency at its dark heart. Such prescience, relevance and wonderful characters! -- Kate Griffin, author of <i>Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders</i> Brilliantly convincing and thrillingly infectious -- S.W. Perry, author of <i>The Angel's Mark</i> A gorgeous, darkly witty novel that transports the reader to the London of Charles II. Valentine takes the reader to squalid back alleys and serene country estates with equal aplomb. Those looking for a wonderfully entertaining escape from our own dark times need look no further -- Mariah Fredericks, author of <i>A Death of No Importance</i> Dark, haunting, and unexpectedly witty - a journey back to seventeenth-century London, where a serial killer is even more terrifying than the raging sickness. Suspenseful from start to finish -- Susan Elia MacNeal, author of Mr Churchill's Secretary A terrific, intriguingly twisty tale... This is a tantalising novel full of period detail that will delight those who enjoy the novels of Andrew Taylor, Susanna Gregory or C J Sansom * Shots Magazine * A funny, fascinating and gripping adventure tale. It's as if V.L. Valentine holds up a magic mirror to reflect a lesson in time for us now -- Janice Hallett, author of <i>The Appeal</i> A glorious whodunnit. I loved the characters, and fell in love with its world -- Leonora Nattrass, author of <i>Black Drop</i>

A riotous delve into the dark medical world of Restoration London. In her heroine Penelope and the hapless Symon, V.L.Valentine has given us an appealing and truly unique pairing -- S.G. MacLean, author of The Seeker An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters -- Oscar de Muriel, author of The Strings of Murder Endearing, comic characters and crisp, spirited prose. The Plague Letters is a gripping whodunnit with a sinister twist -- Jennifer Ryan, author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir V.L. Valentine drops us deep into a single deadly year, 1665, into a sickening, increasingly desperate London wonderfully evoked. A terrific read! -- Alix Nathan, author of <i>The Warlow Experiment</i> V.L. Valentine's visceral debut skilfully immerses the reader in the dread and despair of plague-ridden London during the stinking hot summer of 1665 * Aspects of History * A rollicking, roistering tale with humour, horror and human decency at its dark heart. Such prescience, relevance and wonderful characters! -- Kate Griffin, author of <i>Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders</i> Brilliantly convincing and thrillingly infectious -- S.W. Perry, author of <i>The Angel's Mark</i> A gorgeous, darkly witty novel that transports the reader to the London of Charles II. Valentine takes the reader to squalid back alleys and serene country estates with equal aplomb. Those looking for a wonderfully entertaining escape from our own dark times need look no further -- Mariah Fredericks, author of <i>A Death of No Importance</i> A funny, fascinating and gripping adventure tale. It's as if V.L. Valentine holds up a magic mirror to reflect a lesson in time for us now -- Janice Hallett, author of <i>The Appeal</i> Dark, haunting, and unexpectedly witty - a journey back to seventeenth-century London, where a serial killer is even more terrifying than the raging sickness. Suspenseful from start to finish -- Susan Elia MacNeal, author of <i>Mr Churchill's Secretary</i> A terrific, intriguingly twisty tale... This is a tantalising novel full of period detail that will delight those who enjoy the novels of Andrew Taylor, Susanna Gregory or C J Sansom * Shots Magazine * A glorious whodunnit. I loved the characters, and fell in love with its world -- Leonora Nattrass, author of <i>Black Drop</i>

A riotous delve into the dark medical world of Restoration London. In her heroine Penelope and the hapless Symon, V.L.Valentine has given us an appealing and truly unique pairing -- S.G. MacLean, author of The Seeker An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters -- Oscar de Muriel, author of The Strings of Murder Endearing, comic characters and crisp, spirited prose. The Plague Letters is a gripping whodunnit with a sinister twist -- Jennifer Ryan, author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir V.L. Valentine drops us deep into a single deadly year, 1665, into a sickening, increasingly desperate London wonderfully evoked. A terrific read! -- Alix Nathan, author of <i>The Warlow Experiment</i> V.L. Valentine's visceral debut skilfully immerses the reader in the dread and despair of plague-ridden London during the stinking hot summer of 1665 * Aspects of History * A rollicking, roistering tale with humour, horror and human decency at its dark heart. Such prescience, relevance and wonderful characters! -- Kate Griffin, author of <i>Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders</i> Brilliantly convincing and thrillingly infectious -- S.W. Perry, author of <i>The Angel's Mark</i> A gorgeous, darkly witty novel that transports the reader to the London of Charles II. Valentine takes the reader to squalid back alleys and serene country estates with equal aplomb. Those looking for a wonderfully entertaining escape from our own dark times need look no further -- Mariah Fredericks, author of <i>A Death of No Importance</i> Dark, haunting, and unexpectedly witty - a journey back to seventeenth-century London, where a serial killer is even more terrifying than the raging sickness. Suspenseful from start to finish -- Susan Elia MacNeal, author of Mr Churchill's Secretary A terrific, intriguingly twisty tale... This is a tantalising novel full of period detail that will delight those who enjoy the novels of Andrew Taylor, Susanna Gregory or C J Sansom * Shots Magazine * A funny, fascinating and gripping adventure tale. It's as if V.L. Valentine holds up a magic mirror to reflect a lesson in time for us now -- Janice Hallett, author of <i>The Appeal</i> A glorious whodunnit. I loved the characters, and fell in love with its world -- Leonora Nattrass, author of <i>Black Drop</i>

Author Information

V.L. Valentine is a senior science editor at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., where she has led award-winning coverage of global disease outbreaks including Ebola, Zika and Covid-19. She has a master's in the history of medicine from UCL and her non-fiction work has been published by NPR, The New York Times, The Smithsonian Channel and Science Magazine. The Plague Letters is her first novel.

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