A Plague on Mr Pepys: An enthralling historical page-turner

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Headline, Jul 5, 2018 - Fiction - 400 pages

Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, Anne O'Brien and Elizabeth Chadwick, Deborah Swift brings a unique period in history to vivid, fascinating life in her acclaimed Pepys trilogy.
'An intriguing and exceptionally beautifully written book' CAROL MCGRATH

'A novel that transports readers with astonishing and engrossing detail' READERS' FAVORITE

'An immersive and rich imagining of a mysterious woman from Pepys' life that will hold readers until the very end' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY

*The second in Deborah Swift's atmospheric trilogy, bringing to life the women in Pepys' Diary. The books can be read in any order as each stands alone.*
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1665 and The Great Plague has London in its grip.
As the summer heat rises, red crosses mark the doors, and wealthy citizens flee. Only the poor remain to face the march of death . . .

Ambitious and attractive Bess Bagwell is determined her carpenter husband, Will, should make a name for himself. So she schemes to meet Samuel Pepys, diarist, friend of the King, and an important man in the Navy shipyards.

But Pepys has his own motive for cultivating Bess, and it is certainly not to benefit her husband.

With pestilence rife in the city, all trade ceases. Will is forced to invest in his unscrupulous cousin Jack's dubious 'cure' for the pestilence. But this only horrifies Bess and leaves them deeper in debt. Now they are desperate for money, and the dread disease is moving ever closer. Pepys's help seems to be the only answer.

But as with all bargains, there's a price to pay. A price that could cost more than Bess has to give.
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Praise for Deborah's INSANELY ATMOSPHERIC tales:

'A Plague on Mr Pepys brings seventeenth century London to life in convincing detail. I found the story utterly gripping and it is a book that will be hard to forget' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Ms Swift's characterisation is so compelling, her storytelling is a dream, and her descriptions of the time and place and the way the people lived are so vivid, so detailed and intricately researched... Utterly brilliant, you have to read it' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I found this story utterly page-turning and was lost for several days amongst its pages. It is an intriguing and exceptionally beautifully written book filled with vivid images of London between 1662 and 1665' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'If you enjoy historical fiction, this is a book you will savour' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Don't miss Deborah Swift's other enthralling tales of Samuel Pepys - Pleasing Mr Pepys and Entertaining Mr Pepys - OUT NOW!

 

Contents

Part Three
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41

Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Part
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Part Four
Chapter 56
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Historical Notes
The Bagwells
Morality
Selected Further Reading
Acknowledgements Meet more of the Women Of Pepys Diary Find out more about Headline Accent
Copyright

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About the author (2018)

Deborah Swift is a historical novelist living on the edge of the Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge.

Before becoming a writer, she had a career as a scenographer and costume designer for theatre and BBC TV. Her first novel, The Lady's Slipper, was shortlisted for the Impress Prize, and she is the author of ten further historical novels including the Women of Pepys' Diary trilogy.

Find her at her website www.deborahswift.com.