Given all four Pepys Mysteries to date take place during, or in the immediate aftermath of the Great Fire of London, it's been remiss of me not to post an image of this devastating conflagration. And I'm yet to do so, since this woodcut illustration dates from 1612,...

I just love this illustration, by William Faithorne, of 12-year-old Richard Jones being levitated through the (alleged) witchcraft of Jane Brooks and her sister, Alice Coward, of Shepton Mallet, Somerset, in 1657. Coward died while awaiting trial; Brooks was executed....

I make no apologies for featuring another antique map, because I adore the things. This one, I used A LOT, in the writing of The Plague Doctor Murders - preorder your copy now - sorry, NOW - using the link in my bio, as it's out at the end of the month. So this map...