Plague is one of the best novels of historical fiction and mystery I’ve read in years. The story is not merely set in plague-ridden 17th century England. The disease itself becomes an on-going character, a situation that colors human activities. The three primary protagonists navigate life just above its lowest level. The villain is horrifying. And, despite efforts to keep the streets clean, London streets remain a breeding ground for disease. ( )

William Coke is a highwayman with a conscience. A veteran of the Civil Wars, he now makes his living by holding up travellers, but he shies away from murder – which is probably wise, because he has a sensitive stomach. On this latest foray he is preparing to rob the wealthy passengers of a coach in Finchley, but the driver refuses to stop (on account of his being murdered), and when he finally enters the carriage, the three people inside are already dead – or in the case of the lady, almost dead. Thief taker Pitman, hard on the heels of the coach, is resolved to catch the murderer, even if it means joining forces – albeit reluctantly at first – with a notorious criminal. They are joined by Sarah Chalker, an actress who has vowed to catch the murderer of her husband. But they're in a race against time, because the number of victims of the plague mounts every day, and they need to stay one step ahead not only of the disease, but also of the murderer.

The author brings seventeenth-century London alive before the reader's eyes (and ears, and nose); it felt almost as if I was walking the streets alongside the characters. The scenes describing houses being shut up with the inhabitants still inside them in an effort to restrict the spread of the plague, and the conditions inside Newgate prison, felt truly terrifying, and it's not hard to imagine how people must have suffered. The novel is meticulously researched and is rich in historical details: on daily life, theatre and religion. The main characters – with the exception of the villain – are well rounded and show some neat and unusual traits, which made me engage with them throughout the book. Where the novel falls flat in my opinion is in the characterisation of the villain: despite the author's attempt to inject an unexpected twist, and despite an effort to make them appear more human (as explained in the author notes in the appendix), they are a walking cliché and I pinpointed them as the killer almost from the moment they appeared on the scene.

However, I will be reading the sequel (on the Great Fire of London) to find out the characters' fates and to experience how the author recreates an altogether different terror. ( )

I think this one had knocked _Absolute Honour_ off the pinnacle of my fave CC Humphreys books. Yes, it's a buddy-cop flick with a highwayman and a thief-taker, but it's so much more than that. Humphreys at his best. ( )

I thought I would enjoy this novel a lot more than I did. The characters were quite interesting, and I really liked the way the author introduced each one, giving them all their own chapter and spotlight at the very beginning of the book. The language of the book was perfectly written to fit in with the surroundings; the author did a great job setting the scene. However, I felt that the plot itself was lackluster, at times dragging and at times rushed. Some parts of the plot were quite unnecessary and that just made it harder for me to get through this novel. I thought that the plague would play more of a role than it did but it just served to set the scene. Overall, this book had interesting characters and a perfect setting, but lacked in a strong and interesting plot. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an adventure story.

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London, 1665. A serial killer stalks his prey, scalpel in his hand and God's vengeance in his heart. Five years after his restoration to the throne, Charles II leads his citizens by example, enjoying every excess. Londoners have slipped the shackles of puritanism and now flock to the cockpits, brothels and, especially, the theatres, where for the first time women are allowed to perform alongside the men.

But not everyone is swept up in the excitement. Some see this liberated age as the new Babylon, and murder victims pile up in the streets, making no distinction in class between a royalist member of parliament and a Cheapside whore. But they have a few things in common: the victims are found with gemstones in their mouths. And they have not just been murdered; they've been . . . sacrificed. Now the plague is returning to the city with full force, attacking indiscriminately . . . and murder has found a new friend.

"With kings and cripples, rats and rotters, highwaymen and loose women, you’d never think a lethal virus could be so much fun."

Fast read, engaging characters, bit of history, bit of mystery and jolly good fun. Hope to meet Captain Coke in future adventures.
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