Mark of the Plague

Mark of the Plague

By Kevin Sands

This follow up to the wildly popular Blackthorn Key is equally good.  Christopher Rowe is back, but his master is dead.  Although the apothecary shop has been left to him, he is still an apprentice and therefore not allowed to sell his wares.  He is in dire straits without a source of income.  But worse than that, a deadly plague is sweeping the city, and no one is safe.

Enter the prophet Melchior.  He appears to have the ability to predict who will die next, and as such, he gains a significant following.  Christopher fears him, but also questions his abilities.  After all, how can a mortal man predict the course of disease and death?

Then there’s the apothecary Galen, who seems to have discovered a cure.  Unlike the money-grubbing quacks who have claimed to heal people time and again, Galen proves that his cure actually works and is quickly hired to save the city.

Christopher has his doubts about both of these men.  With the help of his friends Tom and Sally, Christopher begins an investigation.  The discoveries of these three children are shocking and terrifying, and lead all of them into a criminal conspiracy that could cost them their lives.

Mark of the Plague weaves the history of 1660s London into a suspenseful mystery.  Once you start, you can’t put it down!