A gripping 17th-century cozy historical mystery Can Samuel Pepys save his sister from the hangmans noose? As the inferno of the Great Fire devours London in 1666, another firestorm rages in the tranquil village of Brampton, where Pepyss sister, Paulina, stands accused of witchcraft. Pepys summons his inquisitors, Abigail Harcourt and Jacob Standish, plunging them into the heart of the witch-hunt. Can Abigail, Pepyss astute housemaid, and Jacob, his awkward yet eager protg, unravel a web of whispers, gossip and lies to clear Paulinas name? Racing against time, Abigail and Jacob must confront a formidable adversary: Simon Hopkins, son of the infamous Witchfinder General. Possessed by his fathers Puritan zeal, he will stop at nothing to prove Paulinas sorcery and send her to the gallows. To the pious folk of Brampton, the options are stark. Witch or not? Life or death? The Samuel Pepys Mysteries bring 17th century England vividly to life, in the company of the celebrated diarist himself, and his personal inquisitors, Abby and Jacob. If you love your cozy mysteries wrapped in history, this series is for you. Enter a world of hidden secrets and whodunits you'll never want to leave...
Charles Johnston artfully narrates this lively look at witch hunts and trials in seventeenth-century rural England. Wealthy Jacob Standish and housemaid Abigail Harcourt are called in to help free diarist Samuel Pepys's sister, who is accused of witchcraft. Johnston portrays Jacob's insecure and often fumbling nature in contrast to socially inferior Abigail's determination to prove Paulina's innoc
