Publication: 4th August 2022 – Moonflower Books
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…
Although the name Samuel Pepys sounded familiar, I didn’t know much about him or his role in history, but then I read the blurb for The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys and I was drawn to this intriguing character and this historical thriller described as “Bridgerton meets Sherlock”.
In the 17th century, Samuel Pepys was an administrator of the Royal Navy and a member of Parliament, but he is most famous for the diaries he kept from 1660 to 1669 which have become an important historical source as he witnessed and recounted great historical events such as the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London. In The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys, Jack Jewers reimagines the diarist as he is asked to find out what happened to an investigator looking into the administration of Portsmouth who made claims about a conspiracy to defraud the Crown. His loyal assistant and friend, Will Hewers, accompanies him, and as the threat of the Dutch war looms, they find out that the truth is much more complicated than they thought.
I really enjoyed reading The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys. The characters are well-drawn and I really liked the female characters that the author depicts as strong and feisty. Samuel Pepys is a fascinating protagonist. In his diary, he recounts the historical and political events of the time, but we also get a glimpse into his personal life as he reports his infidelities and his worries about his health. He is really a diligent diarist and a scrupulous detective.
The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys is a fast-paced, suspenseful, and riveting historical thriller full of political intrigue, suspense, and fantastic characters, the perfect read for all fans of historical mysteries!
A huge thank you to Midas PR for providing me with a proof of the novel.
Jack Jewers is a filmmaker and writer, passionate about history. His career has been spent telling stories across every form of media, and his body of work includes film, TV, and digital media. His films have been shown at dozens of international film festivals, including Cannes, New York, Marseille, Dublin, and London’s FrightFest, garnering multiple accolades, including an award from the Royal Television Society and a nomination from BAFTA Wales for Best Short Film. The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys is his first novel.
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