The Devlin Diary

The Devlin Diary

By Christi Phillips

Pocket Books

ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-2739-8

4 stars

In addition to this blog, I also do reviews for The Book Reporter website. Below is a short summary of my review of The Devlin Diary which can be found on their website in full here.

London, 1672, Hannah Devlin is ministering to the sick when she is summoned by an official of the king, to care for King Charles’s mistress. Over 300 years later, historian Claire Donovan, uncovers a decades old diary belonging to Hannah that chronicles a fascinating tale of murder and deceit at court.

Following the lives of two women, one is 1672 London and another in Cambridge in 2008, the reader is taken on a journey of murder, mystery, and English court intrigue in The Devlin Diary.

Phillips takes the reader on a wild chase through London streets, court conspiracies, and the stacks at Trinity College. Her talent lies in the details. She pulls together a rich tale set in 1672 London. One can clearly picture this London, smell the rank Fleet river, and feel sympathy for Hannah and all she has lost. Her descriptions of the inventions of the time and the characters she has assembled are marvelous.

In the end, Phillips delivers a story full of historical suspense. In fact, you’ll wish there were more of her take on the time period which she describes wonderfully.