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Historical novels

The Amorous Nightingale by Edward Marston (Headline, 2001). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
Harriet Gow, Charles II's favourite mistress, is kidnapped. Christopher Redmayne, with the help of his friend Jonathan Bale, a Puritan constable, is engaged to resolve this delicate affair. The façade of elegance and gentility soon begins to crumble in the face of their investigations.

Impassioned Clay by Stevie Davies (Women's Press, 2000)
Part mystery, part historical novel, this tells the story of the recent discovery of a young woman's body, dating from the 17th century.
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Invitation to a Funeral: A tale of Restoration intrigue by Molly Brown (Orion, 1996). Out of print; may be available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
Historical crime novel featuring female writer Aphra Behn as the detective, with appearances by Charles II, Nell Gwyn, Lord Rochester and Samuel Pepys.

Restoration: A novel of 17th-century England by Rose Tremain (Sceptre, 1990)
Set after the English Civil War and the rule of Oliver Cromwell, Tremain's novel is about the son of a glove-maker who is brought into the court of Charles II.
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They Were Defeated by Rose Macaulay (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2002)
Set in the 1640s, Macaulay's classic novel interweaves the lives of Robert Herrick and other poets with a small group of fictional characters.
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A Year of Wonders: A novel of the plague by Geraldine Brooks (Fourth Estate, 2002)
A fictionalised account of the Pennine village of Eyam, where in 1666 350 souls confront a scourge – plague – beyond remedy or understanding. They turn to sorcery, herb lore and murderous witch-hunting. Then, led by a charismatic preacher, they elect to isolate themselves in a fatal quarantine.
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