A Plague on Mr Pepys (Women Of Pepys' Diary Series) - Softcover

Samuel Pepys (pronounced 'Peeps') began his diary in 1660 and continued to write it for ten years. His famous diary is the best resource we have on London in the 17th century. It provides us with a fly-on-the-wall account of daily life in the period just following the Restoration of King Charles II, and includes passages on The Plague and The Great Fire.

In this second book about the women in Pepys' Diary, I focus on Mrs Bagwell, who is Pepys' most often-mentioned mistress. His affair with her is documented in his diary, as is his relationship with her husband Will, whose career is transformed through his influence. I thought it would be fun to imagine this 'love triangle' from the points of view of Bess Bagwell and her husband, Will.
It also appealed to me as the Bagwell affair was at its height during the Great Plague, and this setting provides additional, and life-threatening tension in the book. Pepys mentions that Mrs Bagwell has redecorated the house, since their maid succombed to the plague - a tantalising detail which I have expanded into my story.
Do have a look at the other book in this series, Pleasing Mr Pepys, or find out more at deborahswift.com 
You can also follow me on Twitter @swiftstory for news of my writing, and for more history and chat!

The pacing is fast and the author succeeds in captivating the attention of the reader, thanks to the emotionally rich characters, the rising sense of suspense, and the masterfully handled conflict. A Plague on Mr Pepys is a historical novel that scores on multiple levels and Deborah Swift writes with the confidence of the masters in this genre.  -Reader's Favorite 5*