A well-written, hugely enjoyable historical murder mystery set in a grim and atmospheric period of English history. Valentine is an excellent writer and I found this book much more than other writers in the space, THE PLAGUE LETTERS had a certain charm and charisma that writers like Taylor and Parris lack. However, there were a couple of things that brought this book down to 3-stars for me. The first is that beyond Symon and Penelope, many of the characters are superficial and sounds similar, I had a hard time distinguishing between the members of the plague society because they all sounded and felt like the same person. The second was the ending. The reveal of the killer felt rushed (it all happened in the final 3%), the motive weak and some of the adjacent mysteries such as the father of the baby and Penelope’s background addressed poorly or not at all. It very much felt like the end was setting up for book 2, but I’m not sure I would read it. Enjoyable overall, fans of historical mystery will love it.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I love historical fiction but I love a brilliant historical mystery more and this book brought everything to the table! Set in 1660s London, The Plague Letters is a dark and witty mystery that uncovers the gruesome side of human capability. Loved this so much and looking forward to reading more by the author.

London in 1665 is a pretty grim place to be. The plague is relentless and death is everywhere but not all deaths are due to sickness. It’s very scary as described in this book. Symon, the rector is determined to solve the baffling mystery when he starts noticing certain things about some of the bodies left in his churchyard. I’ve made two or three attempts to read this book but found it hard going with a cast of characters who are hard to even like let alone feel any sympathy for. It was also rather slow and I was glad to finally reach the end! Anyone who enjoys murder mysteries from the past would probably enjoy this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

Really enjoyed this book would recommend a read

Well researched with some great characters, this is full of tense moments and an enjoyable historical fiction.

Although the writing is solid & there are some interesting characters, I'm not finding myself drawn to this story or wanting to pick this up which is disappointing.

I'm going to DNF at this point & hope to perhaps return to it in future.

The Plague Letters is an amazing historical mystery that I loved. The historical background reminded me of the current times (putting it into context) and it's well researched and vivid.
I loved Penelope and I hope to read other stories featuring this lively and clever womean.
The mystery is solid, grisly at times, and gripping. I couldn't guess the twists and the solution.
It's a page turner that kept me reading and I hope to read other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Liked this mystery, really builds up the atmosphere of London whilst going through a plague. Easy to read and read this all in one go. Would read any other future books

Picture this, London 1665, the bubonic plague, has spread quickly during the hot summer months. Eventually, the city was closed by order of the King - no one allowed in, and no one allowed out. As we ourselves are now familiar with the Covid pandemic, we understand how dreadful, how frightening it is, but what takes ‘The Plague Letters’ to another level is, there is also a serial killer within the city walls, walking freely among these unfortunate people - all of them trapped.

A fantastic atmosphere is created in the writing, whether it is factually correct, I can't comment but I fully immersed myself without question, which is rich with description. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I did struggle at first to get into this book, but when i did, i really enjoyed this book. The descriptions are fantastic, and the book is written really well overall. Not only is it a mysterious novel but it genuinely made me think about the world we are living in at the moment. The characters are easy to get involved with, and the plot is fast paced and easy to keep up with. I love how unique this book is.

When V L VAlentine sat down to write The Plague Letters a global pandemic was something you read about in history books. By the time publication date rolled round a whodunnit set in lockdown London seemed timely! We are back in seventeenth century London, lockdown has been declared, mass graves are filling up with Plague victims but there is also a serial killer on the loose. Will Symon Patrick vicar of Covent Garden and Penelope manage to catch the killer before he gets them?

I loved every last word of The Plague Letters

‘The Plague Letters’ by V.L Valentine is based around the Great Plague of London that hit the city in 1665, where an estimated 100,000 died from the plague before killing another 100,000 after it had spread across the rest of England. This was at a time when population was much lower than it is today so rates were higher and when science was not as advanced.

When a woman with burns all over her shows up dead- the question is raised, was she murdered or was it the plague that killed her? Is there a serial killer there out on the loose?

It’s upto Symon, the Reverend and his new maid, Penelope to find out the truth behind her death and the many others beginning to pile up.

‘The Plague Letters’ takes place in difficult times when starvation and deaths were ripe in families and people were fleeing London to escape the plague. I felt completely transported back to the gritty streets of London in the 17th century. The author also based many of the characters off real characters that were in London around the time of the plague or just after which made for an interesting read.

This is a brilliant read and well paced. There are a couple of sad moments due to the subject at hand and some humorous moments.

The author has done a fabulous job of reimagining the Great Plague of London and 17th Century London. Full of mystery, this is a dark and gothic tale that is great for fans of historical fiction and thrillers.

Set in 1665 during the outbreak of bubonic plague, that killed about a fifth of the population of London, this is an entertaining murder mystery. Somebody is killing people to find a cure. Full of eccentric characters and lots of detail, there’s plenty to enjoy although I think it was longer than necessary, the reading dragged for me in the last third or so.

4.5 STARS!

The Plague Letters follows the tragic course of the Plague during 1665 and the terrifying discovery that there is a serial killer within London’s walls.

For the last year, we have all suffered and many have lost so much due to Covid-19 which made this an even more poignant read. The situation was so similar during the plague but yet so different. I felt The Plague Letters really highlighted the advancements in medicine and technology that we’ve had since then. It was quite remarkable to read about how it used to be done. Of course, you’d expect a lot to change in 350+ years but it was almost fascinating as this was the days of slavery. Young, orphaned boys working in graveyards would seem horrifying to us now, but then it was the ‘norm’.

Rector Symon Patrick’s maid goes missing and it isn’t until her battered and plague-torn body is discovered amongst the dead brought to Symon’s graveyard that her untimely demise takes a much darker turn. Ink markings are strewn across her legs, twine bracelets are tied tightly to her wrists and ankles, and her golden hair is shorn off. Symon is horrified and his entire household staff is drowned in their own fear once they find out the truth about the missing girl. But that’s just the beginning of the horrendous acts the serial killer performs, and as more women and girls turn up with mutilated bodies, the urgency to find the killer increases. The Plague Society (a group of awful men) tries to dismiss the case but Symon and his new and mysterious housemaid, Penelope, will not give up until they find out who committed the crime. Penelope was saved by Symon when she took herself to his church on her near deathbed for help.

Whilst Symon was the main protagonist of this story, I found him at times to be insufferable. Hence why my ‘real hero’ of this story is Penelope. Symon’s pining for Elizabeth was bordering on extremely painful at times and it made his character less likable for me. Although, I do find in some ways he had quite a progressive mind as he was willing to work alongside Penelope. I never necessarily felt that he saw any of his house staff as inferior to him which was unusual for a man of that time, but I appreciated it. It brought up my overall feeling towards him from annoying to tolerable.

I thought Penelope was really fantastic and given her level of education for 1665, extremely smart. She stood out against all the other characters as she had a steely determination to keep fighting, and never stopped until the killer was found. Her fearlessness was amazing, and I feel her difficult upbringing was part of the reason she was so fearless. She’d been through so many horrid times living with her aunt and uncle that once she’d escaped them, she felt truly free. I think the hunt for the killer gave her a purpose in life during such horrid times. It likely helped to distract both Symon and herself from the horrendous outcome of the plague.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark and mysterious whodunnit and would rate it 4.5/5 stars. I felt the pacing was fairly quick which kept me hooked for the entire book, and it was well written and researched.

To be honest, at first, I couldn't get interested in this book. I tried reading it a different day and thought it quite appropriate for our troubled times. In the end I did enjoy the read and would definitely recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

This book should have hit me in all the right places:
- historical fiction
- plagues
- deaths that ain't caused by said plague

BUT I just struggled with this from the get-go.

Set in 1655 London, everyone is trying to avoid the plague sweeping the nation and very quickly all deaths were to be treated as plague now (sound familiar...?), except when our lad Symon (the Rector and the only one who seems to care to about the dead) notices a familiar face lying in the mass grave. Mary's death had been ruled as the plague but the shorn hair and lacerations on her wrist and ankles said otherwise.

Time to don their best amateur sleuthing hats and find out what the hell is going on.

I loved the premise but found the characters difficult to follow or even like in most cases so this was a bit of a struggle bus.

A lot of people will love this. It just wasn't for me.

Hear ye! Hear ye! The society for the prevention and cure of the plague is now in session. And they’re hunting for a killer. Could he be closer than they think?

London, 1655. The Bubonic Plague is spreading and the number of corpses piled in the churchyard grows each day. But the virus isn’t the only killer stalking the city. There is another threat hidden in their midst. One that lingers in the shadows hunting its prey just waiting for the perfect time to strike. Someone is murdering the dying; kidnapping those suffering from the plague and subjecting them to horrific experiments.

Rector Symon Patrick is the one to first notice the strange marks on some of the dead in his parish. Together with Penelope, a mysterious young woman who recently joined his household, and a group of medical professionals calling themselves the plague society, he sets out to find the merciless killer.

A gripping whodunit with a sinister and supernatural twist, this is an outstanding debut. Valentine transports you back to a time of death and peril, taking you on a journey through the filthy, pestilence-ridden streets of London. Her vast knowledge and research on this subject and time period is clearly shown in the societal, cultural and medical details she has woven into the story. The imagery is so vivid that you can almost smell the rot and decay in the air as the virus ravishes the population.

It starts at a steady pace, slowly building up the mystery and tension. There is a creeping malice woven through the pages as the barbaric killer commits gruesome acts of torture on already suffereing victims. We know he is a cunning predator, so disturbed that he believes himself to be doing good, but everything else is a guessing game where we are almost as clueless as Symon and Penelope. Everyone is a suspect, and I had no one suspect in my mind even as we approached the big reveal.

Most of the novel’s fascinating and memorable characters are based on real historical figures, adding to its air of authenticity. The protagonist, Symon, is a hapless sleuth who bumbles his way through the investigation. He isn’t even focused on his job as rector, instead more concerned with his complicated romance with a married woman. It is Penelope, the mysterious woman who has made herself a place in his household. Feisty, resilient and courageous, she was my favourite character. I loved how she was the total opposite of Symon and the driving force in the investigation, propelling things forward when he and the other members of the plague society would have just allowed things to happen.

Atmospheric, haunting, compelling and darkly humorous, I lost myself in this book, relishing every word as I indulged my deep fascination with this time period and my love of historical and gothic mysteries. A delight for anyone who enjoys the genre, don’t miss this eerie tale.

There is such a disonance between the plot of 'The Plague Letters' and the current pandemic situation, particularly in the way that panic gathers hold and people begin to flee central London for ostensibly safer environs. Modern days require modern methods and the internet engines buzz and whirr with conspiracy theories, half baked ideas and fear mongering whereas in the past, letters, diaries, and physical manifestations of thought mean that even this many centuries later, we have a bird's eye view of the oncoming plague.

It makes this reader wonder if in centuries to come, the outpouring of our internal monologues on the web, will survive and what residents of the future cities, whatever form they take, will be left puzzling over such gems as 'This lockdown is doing my head in good and proper' 'What's up? Inbox me hun...'

Such facetious wandering down future rabbit holes aside, this is a gloriously rendered novel of historical fiction which is centered in London as the plague takes hold. Funny in the darkest way possible-I am thinking of the way that a certain person keeps trying to get hold of dead bodies to track the way that the disease takes hold, and in the meantime, makes do with dogs!-this is almost an epistolary novel interspersing narrative with letters, snippets of published works(e.g Samuel Pepys) and maps illustrating the boroughs of London as they fall.

Religion and science alike battle over whether the iniquities of class, sex and money means certain people will be saved from the ravages of this illness, whilst extolling the virtues of their particular vice-either holy salvation or a medicinal cure.

For those who are not fond of historical fiction, and feel it may be impenetrable and hard to relate to, fear not! There is no need for a degree in history to enjoy this novel, it is not only impeccably researched, it brings this time period to life with beautiful descriptors that lie uneasily next to the ravages of corpses, with their plague bubo, scars and assorted marks. It is clearly a labour of love with so much to offer, I very much enjoyed it and hope that you will as well.

London is a city in lockdown, it is 1665 and the advice is to restrict movement and stay home. A deadly disease is spreading through the city and there are countless deaths which the medial profession are unable to cure but are frantically trying to find ways to ease suffering. A Plague Society has gained a few notable members but the extent of their success is not apparent and Rector Symon even questions (to himself) what methods they are using to conduct their research.

I mention Symon as he is one of the key players in our tale. A man of faith and someone that is coming into frequent contact with the dead as the bodies are brought for blessing and burial. In the midst of the bodies arriving at his church there is one girl who has died with her hair cropped off, burns on her body and her hands and ankles bound with twine.

Symon is a man with distractions. He is being pestered to release some of the corpses which have come to him for burial to the self-proclaimed scientists. He is also obsessed with a married woman – the Lady Elizabeth. Her name crops into his sermons and the two have a steady correspondence by letter Symon travels to visit Elizabeth at her home but finds others also in her company and their relationship seems rather cool in person.

Trying to focus Symon’s attention to the very real problem of missing girls in London is a strange soul – Penelope. She appears something of an urchin, unkempt, displaced in the city and often subject of sharp comments regarding her appearance. Yet she manages to make a place for herself in Symon’s household and is doing what she can to make him forget his obsession with Elizabeth and concentrate on the increasing number of bodies which arrive at the church with hair missing and twine binding the hands and ankles. Penelope is trying to make Symon see that a killer is active in the city but will she have any success in getting him to listen to her warnings?

Through the book the story is punctuated by a wonderful use of city maps which show the spread and devastation of the plague. This was slighly impacted on my digital copy as the Kindle didn’t reflect the red colouring which grows from map to map showing the increased coverage of the disease. In a hardback, physical, copy I have no doubt these maps will look glorious. I seldom advocate a perference of physical/digial or audiobook but in this case I make a rare exception and only for aesthetic reasons.

The Plague Letters is a cracking period thriller. If historical crime is your thing then you absolutely must seek this one out. As someone who only dabbles with historic stories it took me a little longer than I would have liked to adjust to the narrative style and the (excellent) depiction of 1660’s London life. Once I was into the rhythm of the language my initial hesitance faded away and I grew into the story as the world built up around me. I clearly need to read outwith my comfort zone more than I do at present – The Plague Letters was extremely good fun to read with pleasing surprises and more than a few villianous players to raise my suspicions.