An instantly gripping and complex account of a long ignored period of history. The characters of Lady Anne and Thaddeus Thurkell bring to life the complexity of role an society and encourage the reader to want to learn more both of their backstory and how they will respond to the approaching events namely the plague. Added to this is a deftly drawn outline of the different stratas of society and a suggestion of how these will impact on the ability of Develish and England as a whole to respond to this crisis.