*Many thanks to V. L. Valentine, Serpent's Tail, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Historical fiction set in London during the times of pestilence of 1665. Reverend Symon Patrick, having complicated personal relationships, learns that there is a murderer on the loose who kills people under the pretence of looking for the cure. Symon gets involved in the hunt, together with a mysterious Penelope of whom little is known but one is certain: she is intelligent and courageous.
The mystery is quite engaging but I think the author's talent is revealed in creating the atmospheric read. The descriptions of the 17th century London under lock-down are top-notch and give you the feel of fear and helplessness.

This was a pretty good story based around the place that afflicted London during 1665 just before, the fire of London. I liked the mystery and liked how dirty, and foul London was and also how villagy the suburbs still felt. I had a few issues with certain elements of the book and I did struggle to follow the plot at times. I think it’s good and will do well.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. Very evocative and atmospheric, but I found the writing style distracting and I just lost touch with the plot.

I have read 20% of the book in Kindle format and have had to cease and desist because, other than establishing the year is 1665 and it is Plague Season, I have no clue as to what the book is trying to tell me. Sad really as I enjoy good historical novels, regrettably, to my mind at least, this is not in that category.

I am a big fan of non-Victorian or Tudor historical fiction. It felt like, for a long time, these were the only kinds of historical fiction publishers were buying, and it's been great in the last couple of years to see more variety in the market. The Plague Letters takes place in a particularly neglected and relevant point in history: the reign of Charles II, and the last hurrah of the bubonic plague.

The Plague Letters is a sort of murder mystery, taking place in locked-down London of 1665. It follows Symon Patrick, a vicar and one of the few remaining in London, as he and his mysterious companion, Penelope, attempt to find a medical person who has been experimenting on and killing the sick in order to find a cure.

The tone of the novel feels very much like the comedy of manners plays that were so popular during the period. Because of this, although the subject matter is pretty bleak -- especially when experienced by a reader similarly locked-down because of a plague -- the tone is almost always light and humorous. I was put in mind of George Saunders's Lincoln in the Bardo quite frequently. But where that book always felt a bit crass for the juxtaposition of death and toilet humour, perhaps it's the black humour we're all developing, or perhaps it's the Merry Monarch setting, but it works in The Plague Letters.

For me, the murder mystery itself was slightly less satisfying. If you're looking specifically for a historical crime novel, with emphasis on the 'crime', this may not be for you. But V.L. Valentine is taking on so many genre aspects - historical, humorous, ghost story, mystery -- that again, I didn't mind so much when the murderer's identity turned out to be quite straightforward. The mystery of Penelope -- her background, her mediumship, her future -- was for me, much more compelling.

The Plague Letters was a surprisingly enjoyable and fun read, given the current circumstances, and I would certainly recommend for anyone ready for a bit of bleak humour that aligns with but is pleasantly distant from the current crisis.

With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing and advance review copy.

"he checked upstairs to make sure no one had left an ailing granny behind". One of the sometimes darkly comic asides in this historically based atmospheric murder mystery set amongst the plague of 1665 in London.
At our time of pandemic readers might shiver at the similarities as weekly mortality figures of the dead across boroughs are listed with maps of the time (a well researched part of the book) and I liked the link with the diary of Samuel Pepys, from whom we gained such a lot of information including of course his links with the real life surgeon Dr Burnett who appears as a character sought out by Rector Symons Patrick.
As the tortured bodies of women and girls stack up supposedly being hidden amongst the plague dead corpses on carts we see our brave female lead Penelope (with some utmost modern ability to move from London to Essex in double quick speed !) shake up the man she is both fond of and also infuriated by.
The atmosphere of London is perfectly described with the buildings and streets and of course the growing numbers of homes closed by plague as coffins run out and many end up in mass graves.
I am quite interested in the whole history behind the plague so was keen to read this book. I wasn't entirely convinced by the plot thrown in the mix but it was saved by some good dialogue and wonderful characters - my favourite being Valentine Greatrake - the Irish mystic!
The place of religion and the sinful links with disease is outlined well as well as the weird and wonderful plague cures that medics (and amateurs) explored and exploited amongst the terrified citizens - I am always seeing the wonderful London Treacle making an appearance as a cure!
Overall a worthy addition to such historical novels.

It’s the summer of 1665. The Plague is spreading through London and those who can afford it have fled to the countryside.

Symon Patrick is rector of St Paul in Covent Garden and has only recently returned to his parish after spending some much needed in a spa. Now he has to take care of the dead and give them a Christian burial. He’s invited to become a member of a society that wants to find a cure as well as preventing the Plague. They’re a weird bunch of medical professionals that quarrel most of the time and achieve nothing. Amongst those dead that are delivered to his church, Symon recognizes Mary a maid of his household that was missing since May. It looks as if she was tortured before she died; there are strange burns and scars all over her legs and ankles and wrists are bound with a length of twine. The same day another girl who’s on death’s door arrives in his churchyard. Instead of bringing her to a pesthouse, he puts her in a cot in the vestry. As by a miracle, Penelope survives and soon claims a place in his own household. It’s she that discovers another victim of the same butcher: shorn hair and a puzzle of wounds encased in inked squares. Who would murder the dying? When they look closer, they discover that in some wounds there are strange objects sewn in; the foot of a frog and a hare, a virgin's fingernail, ... This looks like someone is experimenting on these girls.



At regular intervals, this narrative is interceded by the genuine historical notations of the renowned Samuel Pepys on the progression of the Plague. Dr Burnett is also a real historical figure and was a friend of Samuel Pepys. Some of the others are also authentic. At the end of the book, there’s some explanation about the real people that figure in the book.

Penelope is an enigma. She can see ghosts and thinks nothing about it. We learn that she a bit of an ‘heiress’ and suffered abuse from her aunt and uncle that were after her inheritance. She’s amazingly well educated and can read Greek and German, as well as a bunch of other languages. She turns out to be a good detective using logic and science to discover what she wants to know. She’s the most likeable character in the book.

The main character, Symon is a douchebag. His drooling and pining for Elizabeth annoyed me a bit. The rector is a weak and indecisive man. Even his friends call him that to his face. He suffered some kind of breakdown prior to the events of this book as he returns from a health spa. But with his nice income, he’s considered a good match by his female parishioners and their mothers and he’s handsome as well. To his defence, I must say that he has a just moral compass about duty and has the courage to stay in his parish instead of fleeing the city as most well-off people did.

Although Penelope convinced the rector that the culprit was one of the men of the plague society, I wasn’t all that certain. They’re all nasty and unsympathetic men with vices and secrets that make them into suspects, but all of them seemed to be exonerated one way or another. I really had no idea who was guilty until the end.

There was more than enough suspense and it was well spaced out over various events and people. With a disease like the plague, you’re not sure all and who of them will survive and during this epidemic, they must find a delusional medic who kills and tortures the dying. The beginning was a slow build-up but once the train was in motion, there was no more stopping it. Despite the gruesome theme, I enjoyed this book.

I was surprised to learn that this book is a standalone or possibly the first in a series. I felt as if the author assumed that we had prior knowledge of the affair between Symon and Elizabeth and of the events that brought Nell, Jack and the sexton to the rector. It would make a good first in a series about Penelope, as she is the most engaging character in the series and I would like to find out how she’ll go about getting her birthrights back. Maybe a second book can be written about the great fire that ended the plague?

I can’t get around mentioning the similarities between this current Covid pandemic and the plague. Others have already said most of the things that I have in mind. Many of the measures we undergo today aren’t much different from the ones they took back then but luckily, no-one thinks about putting down our cats and down nowadays.

I thank Netgalley and Serpent’s Tail for the free ARC they provided; this is my honest and unbiased review of it.

An interesting read in these times.of lockdown, quarantine and ever-changing health policies. Dark humour, well researched historical facts and setting yet it's a little like Boris' bulletins...drawn out and confusing. Penelope was a stand out heroine from her very introduction, with the heart and intelligence to uncover the murderer, yet the majority of the novel is concerned with the petty arguments of the male characters in power. Great premise with clever writing but can't help be disappointed it didn't get those final few edits (especially of the subplot correspondence to Elizabeth).

The Plague Letters takes us on a dark and dreary journey to London in 1655. The plague is beginning to ravish the parishes of the city and yet there’s something more sinister afoot.

A young woman is found, twine around her ankles and boxes of ink drawn around her maladies. Our main man Symon Patrick, St. Paul’s Covent Garden rector, is drawn to this corpse. Surrounded by so many dead, he wants to do good and find a cure for the plague. To do so he joins The Society for the Prevention and Cure of Plague. A group of peculiar and eccentric men who are of not many left in the city.

The star of the show however, is absolutely the young Penelope who settles herself in Symon’s world. She is hunting for the man behind the terrible experiments forced upon those unfortunate enough to be ridden with the plague. Confident, hardy and intelligent, she is a complete enigma.

This is a positively, perfectly descriptive and atmospheric read that feels real. You are transported to the alleys and lives of those trying to survive and not only is the read enjoyable, but it is fascinating and gives a great depth to how life would have been. The sights, sounds and unfortunately, the smells.

V.L Valentine knows what she is doing. The research and effort put into these words is obvious and I would happily read dozens more pages. The historical note at the end was a perfect addition to end with.

Set in London 1665, the great plague is raging and people are dying in ever increasing numbers. The medical men who have stayed in the town have no idea how to slow the spread or cure the dying. Symon Patrick is a clergyman, a weak but well-intentioned fellow who joins a society dedicated to try to find a cure. However, it becomes clear that someone is procuring healthy young women and trying out a bizarre set of remedies in order to find the cure.

Penelope comes into Symon's life - a really eccentric young woman, who's parents have died and who was being brought up by her aunt and uncle until she ran away. She sees the dead, and is very intelligent, but is hampered in this man's world.

Overall the story was entertaining, as Symon and Penelope try to stop the unnecessary deaths in their parish. The author does portray good images of life in 17th century plague-ridden London. However, the characters did not always ring true - the language did not sound authentic for the time, and some of the antics were just not credible. Which is sad because a number of the characters are based on real people.

Thank you to NetGalley, Serpent's Tail, Profile Books and Viper for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In unusual times like these, what is more relevant than a book about the Plague. "The Plague Letters" by VL Valentine is really relevant to times like these. Thanks to Samuel Pepys, we get the weekly death toll and how many areas of London have been infected. Like Coronavirus, everyone is cautious and unsure how it spreads, but spread it does.

I shudder at the thought of the "experiments" on people, trying to find a cure for the Plague but suppose that it has to be done.

A very relevant book for these times.

It took me a little while to get into this book. I lost track of the characters many times throughout the first half of the book, only keeping up from around halfway through. The last half did keep me gripped until the end however. Definitely one to persevere with if you find it a bit slow going to begin with. Not a bad story at all, just it a little confusing to keep up with.

London 1665, and the bubonic plague, which started slowly in the spring of that year, began to spread much more 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.

As victims of the plague are brought to Reverend Symon Patrick’s churchyard for mass burial, he discovers that one of the corpses has strange markings on her body, along with burns and bruising and pieces of twine tied around her ankles. Evidence suggests that this young woman, besides suffering from the plague, was also a victim of torture and murder - and there are more victims to follow!

A young woman named Penelope turns up at Symon‘s home - a strange, dirty and untidy girl, (think urchin and you won’t be far wrong) who otherwise appears to be extremely intelligent, can even speak German, she’s certainly something of an enigma, ultimately though, with her expert help, Symon will unveil the killer amongst them.

Very well researched, some glorious (though not always likeable) characters, and plenty of tension, peppered throughout with a dark sense of humour. This is a well written whodunnit, with a real sense of time and place, and great atmosphere.

Victims of the plague are brought to Revd Symon Patrick for mass burial. However, it soon becomes clear that some of the bodies are not as clear cut. With hands tied, burns and inked grids on their bodies, it is quickly realised that there is a murderer among them. Who is the killer and can they be found before more are murdered?

This is a historical novel set in 1665 during The Great Plague. It makes for a very interesting read, especially with what is going on right now with the pandemic. There are some really colourful characters and an intriguing plot that had me guessing until near the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was like reading about London during Covid in many ways. It made me think about our present situation but of course, this is worse as there's the lack of water, cleanliness and lack of modern day facilities in the novel.
What a book though! Despite the dark nature of it, the death and the stench, this was also darkly comical in place which made for a very unique read. I really enjoyed the characters who all seemed larger than life, and I could see them all very clearly. If you love historical fiction you should read this. If not, let this be your introduction to it.
Clever and fascinating at once.

I really struggled with this one and I’m not sure why. It is well written and detailed but I just couldn’t get drawn into the story.

The Plague Letters by VL Valentine was a bit of a slow burner for me. It took me a while to get into it, I wasn't overly enthralled by one of the main characters, Symon Patrick and it just didn't grab me straight off.

However, I stuck with it and I am really glad I did, as once I warmed to it I really enjoyed it.

The book is set in London in 1665 when an outbreak of plague threatens the population of the country.

Reverend Symon Patrick notices when burying the ever growing quantities of plague victims that some have unusual marks on their bodies which suggest they have been tortured and murdered. He is co-opted into a group of men who are seeking a cure for the plague and he begins to suspect that one of them, in their thirst to find a cure might be undertaking cruel and unusual experiments on the dying.

Symon is frankly a bit wet, and is in love with a married noble woman who he believes might have just given birth to his child. At first his attentions are taken up with mooning after her much to the frustration of Penelope, a teenage girl who has recovered from plague and has been taken in at the Patrick household. Penelope is by far my favourite character in the book. While Symon is lovesick she is wandering around an almost deserted London, breaking into houses and investigating the eccentric group of men who claim to want to cure the plague. Penelope also appears to be able to see ghosts, and these apparitions are trying to warn her but she can't quite make out what they are warning her of.

Symon initially believes that Penelope is a pauper with no family, but we learn from her adventures in housebreaking that she is an orphan, left in the care of her aunt and uncle who were keen to get rid of her and claim her inheritance for themselves. Penelope likes to play her cards close to her chest however, and she tells Symon nothing of this, he only realises she is something special when he finds out she can speak German and translates a clue to the identity of the plague killer. He realises then she must be educated and begins to see her in a new light.

Symon and Penelope work to uncover the identity of the plague killer together, placing themselves and the other members of their household in danger as they do so.

In the end, having got off to a slow start (and probably feeling as frustrated as Penelope did with the ineffectual Symon) I liked the book and would recommend to fans of historical fiction and murder mystery. Though more Penelope next time please.

VL Valentine's historical mystery is one that resonates uncomfortably with our Covid-19 contemporary realities, set in the 17th century Restoration period of 1665, a time of the Great Plague in London. Most of the well off have fled the filth, stink and terrors of the city and the deadly sickness, a pestilence that kills the poor, whilst sparing the rich. Samuel Pepys documents the rising tide of the dead, numerous maps show the inexorable spread of the plague in London, in this atmospheric, darkly humorous novel, that so often descends into pure farce. Symon Patrick is a put-upon Rector, kind and sympathetic, although a susceptible, flawed man, obsessed, and infatuated with the wily married Lady Elizabeth Gauden. Homeless, impoverished and in poor health, Penelope brings herself to Symon's church, he had helped before, and with verve and determination, makes herself at home in his household.

Symon's young maid has gone missing, frantic efforts to find her fail, until her plague ridden and tortured dead body turns up, her golden blonde hair shorn, a drawn grid on her, hideous burns, other oddities and twine bracelets on her wrists and ankles . This is to be first of many bodies discarded and discovered with a similar MO, a serial killer roams, engaging in macabre and strange experiments on those infected by the plague. In a febrile atmosphere teeming with conspiracy theories and old superstitions, the bright, feisty and independent Penelope is on the case, going where others fear to tread, often invisible, in a world where being a woman and her poverty status guarantee that barely anyone notices or listens to her. Symon too is on the trail, he is a worried man, although distracted, becoming all too aware that few are willing to take his warnings seriously. Could the killer be one of the Plague Society looking for a cure for the plague, a motley crew, consisting of the blindly ambitious, morally bankrupt and cold hearted?

VL Valentine immerses us in this fascinating historical period and its central mystery, with a riotously colourful range of characters, including the wonderful and mysterious Penelope, just who is she and how come she can speak German? She stands hands and shoulders above the men, even the well meaning Symon, regarded as a pushover by those who know him, it takes him a while to really begin to see the real Penelope and appreciate her true value and worth. As for the other male members of The Plague Society, what a poor and unlikeable bunch! This is a fabulously entertaining and comic historical read, one that carries so many echoes of our present era, and which I think will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Serpent's Tail/Profile Books for an ARC.

This is a really great historical read full of murder, intrigue and dark goings on. All the characters are larger than life and that alongside the dark descriptions of the plague and the 17th century, the story really brings the time period to life. Penelope is definitely the leading lady though with her sharp wit, and determination pulling everyone else along in her wake. The story starts out a bit confusing but once you get to grips with who is who then it all fits into place and has you gripped until the end, This story is particularly relevant at the moment as we are living with COVID and despite the years that have passed many parallels can still be drawn with the plague, and how it was dealt with. Definitely a recommended read.

I wanted to love this book. It is the sort of historical fiction that I enjoy - something based on fact, with factual elements mixed into the fiction in such a way that you're not sure where the fact ends and fiction begins. But to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I think it would be much better as a physical book rather than the e-book version which I read. There are illustrations between each chapter showing the spread of the plague as it moved across London. A great idea, but it just doesn't work in an e-book - the map was split across two pages and the colour doesn't show.

The storyline is simple enough. It is 1665 and the plague is spreading across London. Many people have left the city to protect themselves. Others are locked in their own houses due to infection, many people are dying and the plague pits are filling with dead bodies. A group of men form a society to attempt to find a cure. One of them realises that someone is experimenting on the sick and is killing rather than curing them. He suspects the others in the society. So, there is an element of crime fiction in the novel too - crime fiction in a historical setting.

There are strong parallels to the current pandemic. Reading the death count and the numbers affected is so similar to our current daily news, it was a bit uncomfortable to be honest! Not the author's fault - I imagine this book was researched and written well before we found ourselves in the current situation.

I liked the character of Penelope. I felt she added something more to the group of men in the society and I'm sure the way she was dismissed and overlooked was very true to the time period. But she was full of spirit and fearless in a way. A much more engaging lead character than the lead male. The language used by the author also felt fitting to the period, although I am not an expert.

Now I have finished the book, I find myself reflecting on it's title. Why did the author call it the plague letters. Is this is reference to the letters between Symon and the married woman who has left the city, that he exchanges letters with? Or is it to do with the Samuel Pepys announcements which appear several times? I have no idea! Symon's letters were part of a side story which I felt was distracting to the central plot - surely they wouldn't be deemed important enough to be reflected in the title of the book. I just don't get it!

I felt overall that the crime aspect of the novel was a bit slow. When the killer is eventually revealed, it's a bit of an anticlimax. It all felt a bit superficial, lacking in depth. The historical aspects are much better and I have no doubt that everything was very well researched. I liked the author note at the end where she explains that many of the names used are real - I wondered whether any of the Samuel Pepys information was real, but didn't see anything about this.

Would I recommend this novel to other people? Yes, but make sure it is a physical book not an e-book, I suspect that would have made it a 4 star rather than a 3 star read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.