‘Wickedly brilliant… a darkly fascinating, suspenseful and Machiavellian tale. So richly evoked you can almost smell the incense of Papal Rome. Highly recommended’ Anna Mazzola

‘Between the pages of These Wicked Devices I was transported to the streets and palaces of baroque Rome in all the sordid splendour of the Holy Jubilee. Plampin’s characters, knotty, ruthless and complicated, weave their intrigues and ambitions and carry dangerous secrets as they struggle to survive in a place where power shifts constantly. Gripping, immersive, at times very funny and beautifully written, this is historical fiction of the highest quality’ Elizabeth Fremantle, author of Disobedient

‘Beautifully and fluently written, it is such an unusual and interesting story – full of brilliant characters who pulse with life and the Rome of 1650 is fascinatingly evoked’ Elizabeth Buchan, author of Bonjour, Sophie

Praise for Mrs Whistler

‘Matthew Plampin is heartbreakingly good … Mrs Whistler is a beguiling glimpse of a fascinating world’ THE TIMES

‘A terrific novel … It springs off the page, bristling with life. A vivid and absorbing portrait of bohemian London and the love affair between Whistler and his long-suffering but spirited muse’ DEBORAH MOGGACH

‘A captivating tale …This novel is a delight’ THE TIMES

‘A delightful book’ LITERARY REVIEW

‘Should rank with the best … his work possesses depth and vitality … vividly engaging … a novel that conjures up the Victorian art world in rich colours’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘A richly imagined historical novel, full of depth and vitality’ SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE