2022 HWA Debut Crown Award (shortlist)
'A riotous delve into the dark medical world of Restoration London' - S.G. MACLEAN
'An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters' - OSCAR DE MURIEL
'A gripping whodunnit with a sinister twist' - JENNIFER RYAN
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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. Perfect for fans of Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Andrew Taylor and C.J. Sansom.
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'A sickening, desperate London, wonderfully evoked. A terrific read!' - ALIX NATHAN
'A rollicking, roistering tale with humour horror and human decency at its dark heart' - KATE GRIFFIN
'Brilliantly convincing and thrillingly infectious' - S.W. PERRY
'A gorgeous, darkly witty novel that transports readers to the London of Charles II' - MARIAH FREDERICKS
'Dark, haunting and unexpectedly witty' - SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL
Genre: Historical Mystery
'An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters' - OSCAR DE MURIEL
'A gripping whodunnit with a sinister twist' - JENNIFER RYAN
________________________________________
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. Perfect for fans of Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Andrew Taylor and C.J. Sansom.
________________________________________
'A sickening, desperate London, wonderfully evoked. A terrific read!' - ALIX NATHAN
'A rollicking, roistering tale with humour horror and human decency at its dark heart' - KATE GRIFFIN
'Brilliantly convincing and thrillingly infectious' - S.W. PERRY
'A gorgeous, darkly witty novel that transports readers to the London of Charles II' - MARIAH FREDERICKS
'Dark, haunting and unexpectedly witty' - SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL
Genre: Historical Mystery
Praise for this book
"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
"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
"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
"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
"An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters." - Oscar De Muriel
"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
"A glorious whodunnit. I loved the characters, and fell in love with its world." - Leonora Nattrass
"Brilliantly convincing and thrillingly infectious." - S W Perry
"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
"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
"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
"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
"An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters." - Oscar De Muriel
"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
"A glorious whodunnit. I loved the characters, and fell in love with its world." - Leonora Nattrass
"Brilliantly convincing and thrillingly infectious." - S W Perry
"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
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Used availability for V L Valentine's The Plague Letters