The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys

Synopsis

The diaries of Samuel Pepys have enthralled readers for centuries with their audacious wit, gripping detail, and racy assignations. Pepys stopped writing at the age of 36. Or did he? Named one of the best historical fiction books of the year by the Sunday Times, this action-packed historical thriller imagines what might have happened next. It is the summer of 1669 and England is in dire straits. The treasury's coffers are bare and tensions with the powerful Dutch Republic are boiling over. And now, an investigator sent by the King to look into corruption at the Royal Navy has been brutally murdered. Loathe to leave the pleasures of London, Samuel Pepys is sent dragging his feet to Portsmouth to find the truth about what happened. Aided by his faithful assistant, Will Hewer, he soon exposes the plot as the work of a Dutch spy. But has he got the right man? The truth may be much more sinister. And if the real killer isn't found in time, then England could be thrown into a war that would have devastating consequences… Praise for Jack Jewers "Book of the month... A zestful imagining of the lost late memoirs of one of Britain's great historical chronicles." – THE INDEPENDENT "One of the best historical fiction novels of the year." – THE SUNDAY TIMES "Impressive." – THE TIMES "Jewers excels in both his assiduous research and the characterisation of his hero... this is a splendid adventure with the promise of more to come." – THE FINANCIAL TIMES "Hard to imagine Samuel Pepys being any more interesting than he already was, but Jack Jewers has done it for him, imaginatively, brilliantly, convincingly, in the now plural (praise be!) Samuel Pepys Mysteries." – REV. RICHARD COLES "Jewers' reimagining of Pepys as sleuth in the heady days of the Restoration is a blinder - what's not to like? Palace intrigue, the roar of the greasepaint and our Samuel's eye for detail. A wonderful combo artfully reimagined." – JASPER FFORDE "A page-turning crime thriller. Jewers, like the best historical novelists, has done his research. He recreates the world of 1669 in a vivid, realistic and natural way… his characters are as relevant today as they were 350 years ago." – THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT "There is a palpable sense of dynamism to the rapidly changing city of 1670, yet the danger and deceit remains lurking menacingly in the shadows. It is a joy - compelling, exciting, moving and like all the best murder-mysteries, with enough twists and turns to keep the reading guessing to the very end." – JAMES HOLLAND "Outstanding. Wonderfully researched and rich in period detail, Seething Lane is absorbing and moving, as both a crime novel and as a portrait of the times." – PHILIP GWYNNE JONES "A thrilling and atmospheric historical adventure which brilliantly reimagines infamous diarist Samuel Pepys and conjures up the world of London theatre in 1670. Reminded me in the best way of Antonia Hodgson's Devil in the Marshalsea. Hugely entertaining." – ANNA MAZZOLA "Jack Jewers has no scruples. He revels in such phrases as 'bull's pizzle' and delves into as many décolletés as are to hand... His rip-roaring yarn is also a bodice-ripper. There is something for everyone." – THE IRISH EXAMINER "Swashbuckling action-packed drama." – WOMAN AND HOME "The genius of Samuel Pepys brilliantly channelled by the genius of Jack Jewers in an exciting, heartfelt 17th century adventure." – GREG MOSSE