The Brampton Witch Murders is a historical cozy mystery by Ellis Blackwood. Set in the 17th century, this is the first book in the Samuel Pepys mystery series.
Title: The Brampton Witch Murders
Author: Ellis Blackwood
Series: Samuel Pepys Mysteries
First Published: August 31, 2024
Publisher: Vintage Mystery Press
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Acquired: from the author
*** Thank you to the author, Ellis Blackwood, for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review purposes. ***
As the inferno of the Great Fire devours London in 1666, another firestorm rages in the tranquil village of Brampton, where Pepys’s 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, Pepys’s astute housemaid, and Jacob, his awkward yet eager protégé, unravel a web of whispers, gossip and lies to clear Paulina’s name?
Racing against time, Abigail and Jacob must confront a formidable Simon Hopkins, son of the infamous Witchfinder General. Possessed by his father’s Puritan zeal, he will stop at nothing to prove Paulina’s sorcery and send her to the gallows.
An engaging historical mystery
As most of my regular blog readers know, I’m a huge fan of mysteries and historical fiction, so whenever I can get my hands on a historical mystery, it’s always a bonus. The Brampton Witch Murders, which is the start of a new mystery series by Ellis Blackwood, thrusts the reader deep into the 17th century, complete with superstitions, witchcraft, and every day life of way back when.
While the series is named after real-life character Samuel Pepys, the main sleuths of the story are Pepys’ Inquisitors, Abigail and Jacob. I think it was smart to use two such different protagonists. Abby is a housemaid, but smart and clever, while Jacob, while eager to please, is a bit slower, and not as bright. By having two such opposite characters, we can see how attitudes towards the different sexes and classes were treated. While it’s obvious that Abby is the smarter one, she must deal with a lot more prejudice because she’s both a women, and a servant. It made for some really interesting dynamics.
History brought to life
While there is a lot of historical detail woven into the story (you can tell the author really knows their stuff!), it never felt like too much information and the story moved along at a very comfortable pace. There were a lot of very interesting characters, both good and bad, and it kept the mystery from becoming too easy to solve.
While Pepys doesn’t make too much of an appearance in this story (maybe a future one?), Abby and Jacob more than made up for things. I found the pair to be interesting enough for me to become invested in them as a sleuths and it wasn’t hard to want them to succeed.
What I enjoyed most about this book was how real and engaging the author made the time period. The language has been modernised a bit, but that kept the story easy-to-read and enjoyable. It was so easy to imagine the living conditions, the religious fervour, the manic witch-hunt, and even the smells and tastes of the time (not always pleasant). I can’t wait for the next book!
Quote from The Brampton Witch Murders
This is on my fall/October tbr.
I hope you enjoy it Regina! It was a fascinating visit into a dark period in history!