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Claire Donovan #2
The Devlin Diary
London, 1672: A vicious killer stalks the court of Charles II, inscribing his victims' bodies with mysterious markings. Are these the random murders of a madman? The deadly consequence of a personal vendetta? Or the grisly result of a hidden conspiracy? Cambridge, 2008: A Trinity College history professor is found dead, the torn page of a seventeenth-century diary in his hand. His death appears to be an accident, but the college's newest Fellow Claire Donovan and historian Andrew Kent suspect otherwise. The professor's last research subject was Hannah Devlin, a physician to the king's mistress and the keeper of a diary that holds the key to a series of unsolved murders in 1670s London. Through the arcane collections of Trinity's Wren Library, the British Library, and the Royal Society, Claire and Andrew follow the clues Hannah left behind, unearthing secrets of the past and present as both stories unfold to their shocking conclusions.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2009
48 people are currently reading
2141 people want to read
About the author
Christi Phillips
9 books167 followersChristi Phillips lives in the San Francisco Bay area of America. Her interest in European history has led her all over the continent. The Devlin Diary is her second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
June 12, 2019
3.5 on my scale - There was lots to enjoy about this story - the time period of 1672 London in the court of Charles II, a determined woman who was a court physician, a complicated series of murders, a present-day heroine who attempts to uncover the truth, plus a dash of romance.
January 30, 2022
Not as good as The Rosetti Letter which was excellent. Liked the past and present story line, but had slight difficultly keeping all the different characters introduced during the past straight and couldn't see how they were going to coalesce for at least two thirds of the book, then boom. Could have eliminated the modern day story line which seemed superfluous and would have had a complete historical fiction story.
May 10, 2013
What a disappointment. I completely expected this book to be a formulaic, light read, and therefore read it for entertainment/distraction purposes whenever I could squeeze a few minutes in during an 80 hour work week.
This book is terrible. I hated that it was written in the present tense (even the historical part). There were too many characters that weren't worth keeping track of. The author really should have kept the story tighter and eliminated them. There were huge sections that I started skimming for anything relevant that would drive the story forward, then just skipped altogether (like all of Ravencroft's parts - I didn't read a single section that he appeared in and trust me, I didn't lose anything in the story by skipping these parts). Likewise; all the sections that had ANYTHING to do with Lucy/Hester/Hannah's father, mother, or uncle (family friend?) - didn't serve any purpose in driving the story forward, and entirely too much time and too many words and pages were wasted giving them backstory.
Actually, I take that back - the part with Hannah's uncle/family friend did drive the plot forward - but again too much time was wasted on his backstory. This character literally randomly appeared for the sole purpose of moving the plot forward, in a really obvious, artless way.
I could go on, but I have to get back to work.
This book is terrible. I hated that it was written in the present tense (even the historical part). There were too many characters that weren't worth keeping track of. The author really should have kept the story tighter and eliminated them. There were huge sections that I started skimming for anything relevant that would drive the story forward, then just skipped altogether (like all of Ravencroft's parts - I didn't read a single section that he appeared in and trust me, I didn't lose anything in the story by skipping these parts). Likewise; all the sections that had ANYTHING to do with Lucy/Hester/Hannah's father, mother, or uncle (family friend?) - didn't serve any purpose in driving the story forward, and entirely too much time and too many words and pages were wasted giving them backstory.
Actually, I take that back - the part with Hannah's uncle/family friend did drive the plot forward - but again too much time was wasted on his backstory. This character literally randomly appeared for the sole purpose of moving the plot forward, in a really obvious, artless way.
I could go on, but I have to get back to work.
February 1, 2013
Fantastic historical fiction story! Two different centuries, two strong, clever female protagonists, two murders, and two hot beds of political intrigue. What more could a reader ask for?!
London, 1672 - Hannah Devlin is a woman doctor in a time when women cannot legally practice medicine. But since she mainly treats the poor and indigent, nobody gives her any trouble. Until, that is the King's Secretary of State forces Hannah to come to Court and use some special knowledge she alone possesses.
This thrusts Hannah into the vicious Machiavellian political battles the rage in the King's circle. And when highly placed courtiers start showing up brutally murdered and mutilated, Hannah becomes reluctantly involved in the investigations. She just hopes to avoid landing herself in more trouble than she can handle!
Cambridge, 2008 - Claire Donovan has dreamed of teaching at Trinity College, and she has somehow managed to make it happen. With the handsome Fellow of the college as her friend and sponsor, Claire is thrilled.
But she soon comes to understand that the world of academia is just as cutthroat and back-stabbing as any royal court of history - if not more!
And when a fellow professor is found dead and it turns out to be murder, it soom comes out that he was such a snake that it would be easier for the police to list who DIDN'T want to kill him than who did!
At the heart of the murder seems to be a seventeenth century diary kept by a female physician by the name of Hannah Devlin.
In clear contrast to the last book I read, which was also a dual story flipping between present and past, this book does full justice to that literary feature. The way the author skillfully builds the suspense in the stories of both centuries, and brings you to a thrilling cliff-hanger in one woman's story, and then goes back to the other makes it nearly impossible to put the book down because you are constantly flipping from the past to the present.
The author also does an excellent job in weaving the two stories together seamlessly but without taking anything away from each individual woman's story. Both plot-lines are excting and cleverly structured and the suspense is terrific.
A really excellent read, which I recommend if you favour strong female characters, English history, or books in general, as a big part of both storylines revolves around a book.
London, 1672 - Hannah Devlin is a woman doctor in a time when women cannot legally practice medicine. But since she mainly treats the poor and indigent, nobody gives her any trouble. Until, that is the King's Secretary of State forces Hannah to come to Court and use some special knowledge she alone possesses.
This thrusts Hannah into the vicious Machiavellian political battles the rage in the King's circle. And when highly placed courtiers start showing up brutally murdered and mutilated, Hannah becomes reluctantly involved in the investigations. She just hopes to avoid landing herself in more trouble than she can handle!
Cambridge, 2008 - Claire Donovan has dreamed of teaching at Trinity College, and she has somehow managed to make it happen. With the handsome Fellow of the college as her friend and sponsor, Claire is thrilled.
But she soon comes to understand that the world of academia is just as cutthroat and back-stabbing as any royal court of history - if not more!
And when a fellow professor is found dead and it turns out to be murder, it soom comes out that he was such a snake that it would be easier for the police to list who DIDN'T want to kill him than who did!
At the heart of the murder seems to be a seventeenth century diary kept by a female physician by the name of Hannah Devlin.
In clear contrast to the last book I read, which was also a dual story flipping between present and past, this book does full justice to that literary feature. The way the author skillfully builds the suspense in the stories of both centuries, and brings you to a thrilling cliff-hanger in one woman's story, and then goes back to the other makes it nearly impossible to put the book down because you are constantly flipping from the past to the present.
The author also does an excellent job in weaving the two stories together seamlessly but without taking anything away from each individual woman's story. Both plot-lines are excting and cleverly structured and the suspense is terrific.
A really excellent read, which I recommend if you favour strong female characters, English history, or books in general, as a big part of both storylines revolves around a book.
July 14, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book which takes place in the 1700's and the present. I really like books that take a mystery from the past and solve it in the present.
April 17, 2022
Another entertaining and well-researched novel from Christi Phillips. As a longtime follower of British royalty, I found the setting and Reformation time period more accessible than the first Venetian book. Really the only bad part about this book is that Christi Phillips hasn't written a follow-up in the last 13 years. Sorry to disappoint!
Our intrepid American historian, now Dr. Claire Donovan, is starting her first year at Cambridge. If you've read A Discovery of Witches you'll recognize the celebration of classic English places of learning. So much history, tradition, and competition. Also, mostly male.
Claire is quickly embroiled in the people politics of the college. She reunites with Hoddy, a fellow (pun intended) friend of Andrew Kent's that she met in Venice. Christi Phillips only briefly touches on the previous novel's events so you're not bogged down in recaps.
Andrew Kent, to Claire's annoyance, is keeping his distance...until someone is murdered. The two historians team up to solve this crime as well as unearth 400 year old secrets. Will the get the romance both clearly want, or are they still not free? This may be a theme of the book.
I really enjoyed the attention to detail in both modern (2008) and historical contexts. Library policy, the pressures of academia, the state of medicine in 17th century England, women's rights/stature in BOTH time periods, and how far people will go for power and fame.
This book is a more graphic in terms of death, sewage, and gore. We're dealing with the early days of surgery and a highly unsanitary time period. Only one passing reference to sex, some old-fashioned coarse language, drug use in both time periods.
If you liked this story and want a longer, finished dual time period series, check out Lauren Willig's "Secret History of the Pink Carnation". For a standalone, the 2022 novel "Anatomy" by Dana Schwartz is excellent, if closer to YA.
Our intrepid American historian, now Dr. Claire Donovan, is starting her first year at Cambridge. If you've read A Discovery of Witches you'll recognize the celebration of classic English places of learning. So much history, tradition, and competition. Also, mostly male.
Claire is quickly embroiled in the people politics of the college. She reunites with Hoddy, a fellow (pun intended) friend of Andrew Kent's that she met in Venice. Christi Phillips only briefly touches on the previous novel's events so you're not bogged down in recaps.
Andrew Kent, to Claire's annoyance, is keeping his distance...until someone is murdered. The two historians team up to solve this crime as well as unearth 400 year old secrets. Will the get the romance both clearly want, or are they still not free? This may be a theme of the book.
I really enjoyed the attention to detail in both modern (2008) and historical contexts. Library policy, the pressures of academia, the state of medicine in 17th century England, women's rights/stature in BOTH time periods, and how far people will go for power and fame.
This book is a more graphic in terms of death, sewage, and gore. We're dealing with the early days of surgery and a highly unsanitary time period. Only one passing reference to sex, some old-fashioned coarse language, drug use in both time periods.
If you liked this story and want a longer, finished dual time period series, check out Lauren Willig's "Secret History of the Pink Carnation". For a standalone, the 2022 novel "Anatomy" by Dana Schwartz is excellent, if closer to YA.
July 4, 2023
Too many plotlines and people to keep track of, slow to start, interesting / exciting middle, a complete surprise who done it, probably a bit too long.
March 27, 2024
I loved this. It had the right amount of fact and fiction for me. I love a story where i can learn some history from. This is a really well researched book. Mystery, history and romance. Who could ask for more? If i can find Christi Phillip's first book i will be reading it.
August 3, 2009
I just finished this book this morning and I have learned a lot about my own reading habits from this plot: I seem to read an AWFUL LOT of historical fiction (if I hadn't categorized so many titles, I probably would not have noticed this fact), most frequently BRITISH. I also seem to enjoy parallel time periods: someone doing scholarship or stumbling upon a mystery in present day, only to find correlations to something in the past. Needless to say, I am going to have to investigate this author's previous book The Rosetti Letter!
The present day finds us following American Claire in her new surroundings at Cambridge, learning how to be an educator at a British university and the intrigues that surround the college. There is a murder of a colleague which increases the mystery surrounding a diary she stumbled upon in the Wren Library (how how I would LOVE to go that library someday). The diary describes the life of its writer, a woman physician in 1672 Britain that also contains references to murders committed at that time as well. And, of course, the past has bearing on the present!
I loved the dedication to authenticity in this novel. The patterns of speech from the 1600s was especially enjoyable. I also have a lot of respect for the research that went into this work ... it reminds me of my all-time favorite author Anya Seton (of Green Darkness and Katherine fame) who spent YEARS researching her stories.
There is much suspense throughout, intermingling the present and the past. And there is a pervasive love of libraries and scholarship as themes.
What a winner!
The present day finds us following American Claire in her new surroundings at Cambridge, learning how to be an educator at a British university and the intrigues that surround the college. There is a murder of a colleague which increases the mystery surrounding a diary she stumbled upon in the Wren Library (how how I would LOVE to go that library someday). The diary describes the life of its writer, a woman physician in 1672 Britain that also contains references to murders committed at that time as well. And, of course, the past has bearing on the present!
I loved the dedication to authenticity in this novel. The patterns of speech from the 1600s was especially enjoyable. I also have a lot of respect for the research that went into this work ... it reminds me of my all-time favorite author Anya Seton (of Green Darkness and Katherine fame) who spent YEARS researching her stories.
There is much suspense throughout, intermingling the present and the past. And there is a pervasive love of libraries and scholarship as themes.
What a winner!
February 22, 2009
The story is told through parallel story lines, one set in the 1670s and the other in the present day. I've discovered that I prefer historical fiction told straight without the back and forth to the present, and the reason is simple...the characters I like from the past are already dead. Their stories are over even as you are discovering them!
The Devlin Diary started off at a good clip, featuring, of course, a strong-willed and ahead-of-her-time female physician named Hannah Devlin. The writing falters as soon as the modern character, Claire, enters the mix. She's just not as interesting as Hannah, nor is the author's writing as rich or interesting when she's writing about Claire in Cambridge as when she's describing Restoration era London and the perils Hannah is facing. All of the characters in the past are more finely drawn (Edward Strathern, Madame Severin, Montagu), and frankly more compelling than the object of Claire's affection, Andrew Kent.
It's interesting to note that the back cover marketing of the book prominently features Claire (she was also the heroine in the author's previous book, The Rosetti Letter, yet there is no mention of Hannah at all, just about some vicious murders that took place in the court of King Charles II.
Still, it was worth reading for the intrigue and for Hannah. I'd recommend this to fans of Ariana Franklin.
The Devlin Diary started off at a good clip, featuring, of course, a strong-willed and ahead-of-her-time female physician named Hannah Devlin. The writing falters as soon as the modern character, Claire, enters the mix. She's just not as interesting as Hannah, nor is the author's writing as rich or interesting when she's writing about Claire in Cambridge as when she's describing Restoration era London and the perils Hannah is facing. All of the characters in the past are more finely drawn (Edward Strathern, Madame Severin, Montagu), and frankly more compelling than the object of Claire's affection, Andrew Kent.
It's interesting to note that the back cover marketing of the book prominently features Claire (she was also the heroine in the author's previous book, The Rosetti Letter, yet there is no mention of Hannah at all, just about some vicious murders that took place in the court of King Charles II.
Still, it was worth reading for the intrigue and for Hannah. I'd recommend this to fans of Ariana Franklin.
September 10, 2010
I definitely enjoyed reading this book enough to seek out Christi Phillips earlier book, The Rosetti Letter. The Devlin Diary had a number of interesting aspects: the dual time frames, alternating between intrigue in Restoration England and modern-day academia in Cambridge; an interesting and somewhat flawed main character in Hannah Devlin, working as a physician at a time when women were not actually permitted to do so; some very interesting period detail outside of the main characters' expertise (the sanitation issues and plans to clean up the Fleet); and an ending that did not unrealistically turn into 100 pages of chases, fighting, and action. There is some action at the climax, but it did not suddenly turn from a "thinking" book to an "action" book, which I appreciated.
I suppose the biggest flaw for me with this book is that the mystery in the current day setting is not as compelling as the historical one, although I have a weakness for books set in schools so the atmosphere of those sections did compensate for the weaker mystery.
I suppose the biggest flaw for me with this book is that the mystery in the current day setting is not as compelling as the historical one, although I have a weakness for books set in schools so the atmosphere of those sections did compensate for the weaker mystery.
January 5, 2011
Another good read by Christi Phillips. Claire Donovan returns in this novel to Trinity College in England. This time she will be uncovering mysteries within the college and within the court of King Charles II, both full of intrigue, jealousies and murder! The 17th century heroine is Hannah Devlin, a woman physician hired to treat the king's mistress and while doing that stumbles into the mystery of King Charles's sister's death. Claire Donovan finds a diary that has the key to the conspiracy behind Henriette-Anne's death and much more. This book is full of historical details that add interest but not tedium. Her characters, both factual and fictional are captivating, able to leap from the page and through time. It is obvious quite a bit of research went into this and Phillips's previous novel and is one of the strengths of her writing. I look forward to more adventures with Claire Donovan.
February 28, 2017
Phillips' book again is just okay. Not good, not bad. I read the Rossetti Letter and the Devlin Diary back to back and I enjoyed the "idea" of both of them. Modern day historian solving past mysteries with the story being told from both perspectives but neither novel was mind blowing; I will say that I liked this one better than the one set in Venice however.
I am glad that we got some type of closure on Andrew and Claire's relationship as it doesn't seem as if Phillip's will be continuing to write these novels.
I am glad that we got some type of closure on Andrew and Claire's relationship as it doesn't seem as if Phillip's will be continuing to write these novels.
December 28, 2015
a page-turner for me
January 24, 2024
I enjoyed both the 20th and the 17th century plots, even though peritonitis from a ruptured ulcer sounds about right and logical for Princess Minette's cause of death, especially given the life she lived as Orleans' wife. Authors usually twist history as known or understood when writing fiction and MS Phillips doesn't stretch the possibilities over much for her scenario. The modern half likewise doesn't have likelihood stretched too much except in so far as one would hope that Cambridge is more welcoming in fact than than as it is portrayed.
The two plots could be laid next to each other and there would be parallels in the two: Claire Donovan and Hannah Devlin, Dr. Strathern and Andrew Kent, Jeremy Maitland and Hoddy, The English Restoration Court and the modern Cambridge University.
There is a scene between Dr. Strathern and his soon to be in-law family which I cannot read without seeing it as a Victorian situation. They are having dinner (and would they have called it a dining room, not a hall?) and then rise to proceed to the withdrawing room where wine and fruit is served. I don't see them leaving the table. Rooms were just beginning to have specialised purposes but I don't think the withdrawing was happening yet. Pepys talks of the cloth being removed and people taking up their musical instruments or manuscripts for an evening of music and in other homes they were still taking away tables and moving benches to the walls or into groups by the fire. This is the only thing which bothered me. I was going to complain about Dr. Donovan being ignorant of some fairly well known historic facts but then realized that the author was being careful of her readers who might very well not be familiar with details, although slang like "swot" and "boffin" are surely familiar to anyone who has read any English fiction at all. Clair says it's not her period or location (her dissertation work was in Venice) and I suppose we have to grant her that, but she does come across as a little ignorant and definitely naive, since she was given enough warning about the Cambridge situation to make her at least reasonably careful until she's scoped things out a bit. Still and all, a really good read, even if I disagree with the writer of the interview questions - a 400 page novel cannot be "easily read in one sitting" unless you're speed reading.
The two plots could be laid next to each other and there would be parallels in the two: Claire Donovan and Hannah Devlin, Dr. Strathern and Andrew Kent, Jeremy Maitland and Hoddy, The English Restoration Court and the modern Cambridge University.
There is a scene between Dr. Strathern and his soon to be in-law family which I cannot read without seeing it as a Victorian situation. They are having dinner (and would they have called it a dining room, not a hall?) and then rise to proceed to the withdrawing room where wine and fruit is served. I don't see them leaving the table. Rooms were just beginning to have specialised purposes but I don't think the withdrawing was happening yet. Pepys talks of the cloth being removed and people taking up their musical instruments or manuscripts for an evening of music and in other homes they were still taking away tables and moving benches to the walls or into groups by the fire. This is the only thing which bothered me. I was going to complain about Dr. Donovan being ignorant of some fairly well known historic facts but then realized that the author was being careful of her readers who might very well not be familiar with details, although slang like "swot" and "boffin" are surely familiar to anyone who has read any English fiction at all. Clair says it's not her period or location (her dissertation work was in Venice) and I suppose we have to grant her that, but she does come across as a little ignorant and definitely naive, since she was given enough warning about the Cambridge situation to make her at least reasonably careful until she's scoped things out a bit. Still and all, a really good read, even if I disagree with the writer of the interview questions - a 400 page novel cannot be "easily read in one sitting" unless you're speed reading.
July 29, 2018
Уже по прочтении узнал что книга, оказывается, уже вторая в серии. Могу сразу сказать что это абсолютно не мешает и хоть в ней есть пара отсылок к первой части, но они никак не влияют на текущий сюжет и может чуть более акцентированно раскрывают персонажей.
Интересна структура книги - мы видим одновременно и 21 век, в котором происходит расследование и догадки героев книги и одновременно 17 век, в котором нам показывают как все было на самом деле. Такая дихотомия идет на пользу, читатель может и сам строить догадки, может разочаровываться и очаровываться.
Можно проводить параллели между судьбой женщины 17 века и 21 века, ведь по сути, несмотря на разные области науки, есть столкновения со схожими препятствиями и предрассудками. В положительную сторону запишу также что хоть и есть концентрация на "тайне", но помимо этого мы видим жизнь героев, их проблемы, очень живой окружающий мир. В Лондоне всегда интересно :)
Приятные герои, современные мне показались менее глубокими, но это дело вкуса.
Романтическая линия в обоих временных отрезках на мой вкус вялая, в ней нет тонкости, в ней нет страсти, я бы даже сказал что в рамках такого романа она просто лишняя.
Но по итогу скажу что чтение весьма приятное, новых горизонтов вам не откроет, но если интересен исторический детектив - то пожалуйста.
Интересна структура книги - мы видим одновременно и 21 век, в котором происходит расследование и догадки героев книги и одновременно 17 век, в котором нам показывают как все было на самом деле. Такая дихотомия идет на пользу, читатель может и сам строить догадки, может разочаровываться и очаровываться.
Можно проводить параллели между судьбой женщины 17 века и 21 века, ведь по сути, несмотря на разные области науки, есть столкновения со схожими препятствиями и предрассудками. В положительную сторону запишу также что хоть и есть концентрация на "тайне", но помимо этого мы видим жизнь героев, их проблемы, очень живой окружающий мир. В Лондоне всегда интересно :)
Приятные герои, современные мне показались менее глубокими, но это дело вкуса.
Романтическая линия в обоих временных отрезках на мой вкус вялая, в ней нет тонкости, в ней нет страсти, я бы даже сказал что в рамках такого романа она просто лишняя.
Но по итогу скажу что чтение весьма приятное, новых горизонтов вам не откроет, но если интересен исторический детектив - то пожалуйста.
August 13, 2018
A historical Fiction cleverly one, Alternating time lines, between 1642 and present, with great (too much?) detail. A good read when you need some escapism. Wont challenge you, or stay on. your thoughts for a long time.
Amazon: From the bestselling author of The Rossetti Letter comes a “thrilling” (Library Journal) novel of intrigue, passion, and royal secrets that shifts tantalizingly between Restoration-era London and present-day Cambridge, England.
London, 1672. A vicious killer stalks the court of Charles II, inscribing the victims’ bodies with mysterious markings.Are the murders the random acts of a madman?Or the violent effects of a deeply hidden conspiracy?
Cambridge, 2008. Teaching history at Trinity College is Claire Donovan’s dream come true—until one of her colleagues is found dead on the banks of the River Cam. The only key to the professor’s unsolved murder is the seventeenth-century diary kept by his last research subject, Hannah Devlin, physician to the king’s mistress. Through the arcane collections of Cambridge’s most eminent libraries, Claire and fellow historian Andrew Kent follow the clues Hannah left behind, uncovering secrets of London’s dark past and Cambridge’s murky present and discovering that the events of three hundred years ago still have consequences today. . . .
Amazon: From the bestselling author of The Rossetti Letter comes a “thrilling” (Library Journal) novel of intrigue, passion, and royal secrets that shifts tantalizingly between Restoration-era London and present-day Cambridge, England.
London, 1672. A vicious killer stalks the court of Charles II, inscribing the victims’ bodies with mysterious markings.Are the murders the random acts of a madman?Or the violent effects of a deeply hidden conspiracy?
Cambridge, 2008. Teaching history at Trinity College is Claire Donovan’s dream come true—until one of her colleagues is found dead on the banks of the River Cam. The only key to the professor’s unsolved murder is the seventeenth-century diary kept by his last research subject, Hannah Devlin, physician to the king’s mistress. Through the arcane collections of Cambridge’s most eminent libraries, Claire and fellow historian Andrew Kent follow the clues Hannah left behind, uncovering secrets of London’s dark past and Cambridge’s murky present and discovering that the events of three hundred years ago still have consequences today. . . .
September 19, 2018
While I found Christi Phillips first book, The Rossetti letter, to be both interesting (historically) and a little bit silly (the modern story), I truly LOVED The Devlin Diary. The modern mystery about Claire Donovan, Andrew Kent, and Trinity College, was intriguing, while the Restoration-era story about Hannah Devlin was well written and truly fascinating. I feel like Christi Phillips was really coming into her own as an author. Now for the big mystery: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CHRISTI PHILLIPS?
After 2009's The Devlin Diary and the promise of a third book that was to take place in France, she appears to have fallen off the face of the Earth. Does anyone have an answer?
After 2009's The Devlin Diary and the promise of a third book that was to take place in France, she appears to have fallen off the face of the Earth. Does anyone have an answer?
April 20, 2023
Parts of the story captivated me enough to read to the end but there were also many things that felt like loose ends or irrelevant. Or maybe I just wasn't following it well enough. There was a lot going on switching back between the 2 time periods and I didn't totally get the value in that. However I did enjoy the book for the most part and was still curious to know how the story would play out in the end. I did not suspect the murderer and was also a little underwhelmed because I honestly didn't much remember who that Character was at all, he didn't seem to play a large role in the book so was not a suspect in my mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2021
This was such a bummer in comparison to the first book in the series. I could not get invested in either storyline...and they were both murder mysteries. I'm not sure what was the missing element. Maybe the author can only do a good meet-cute, but didn't know where to go with Andrew and Claire? On the historical side, Hannah was just there. Alessandra's tale in the first book was more interesting. Overall, it was disappointing.
October 11, 2022
This is the second in a series. I didn’t like this book as much as I liked the first but I did enjoy it. I did find both books a little hard to follow at first because there 2 stories going on so there are a lot of characters and some characters have titles. I got a little confused sometimes but usually could figure it out. I did check Amazon to see if there was another book by this author but does not look like it at this point but I will definitely read it when one comes out.
March 5, 2017
The Develin Diary is a thoroughly engrossing, double mystery set in a contemporary Oxford University and 17th century London. As a big fan of historical mysteries, I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it for both historical mystery lovers and those who savor novels with an Oxford setting.
September 22, 2017
SO GOOD!!
I enjoy every second of my time reading this book, Christi Phillips could make a boring history become a suspense yet cute story in this book.
I love her first book,The Rossetti Letter and i love this book even more!
Why you not write another book Mrs Christi Phillips? We need more story like this!
I enjoy every second of my time reading this book, Christi Phillips could make a boring history become a suspense yet cute story in this book.
I love her first book,The Rossetti Letter and i love this book even more!
Why you not write another book Mrs Christi Phillips? We need more story like this!
September 5, 2023
This book was just brimming with all my favorite things...set in England, two storylines from different time periods, multiple mysteries, some particularly tricky murders to solve (hah!), a little bit of subtle romance, some quirky characters, a strong protagonist. All. the. things. SO GOOD. I'm thrilled that I stumbled on part of a series and will definitely grab #1 ASAP. And hopefully #3 too.
January 2, 2018
More a 3.5 star rating. Very good! I liked the dual timeframe & murders. I thoroughly enjoyed the 1672 sections/storyline. How interesting to put true historical events into a fictional story. I was interested until the last page & thrilled to learn of Hannah's fate.
October 1, 2018
I really love historical fiction so I really loved this, but it did seem there were too many characters to keep track of. I felt it took about 50 pages for the story to really get going and 100 for me to really be into it, so because of that it loses a star in my book.
March 3, 2019
I read the first book years ago and really enjoyed it. I happen to find the second book when I was browsing at my local library. Great read overall but should reread the the first one to refresh my memory.
October 22, 2021
A superior read for history buffs who like a good mystery.
The Devlin Diary is set in 1672 and current day. Both points of view have intelligent women working with and against powerful men. This will not disappoint.
The Devlin Diary is set in 1672 and current day. Both points of view have intelligent women working with and against powerful men. This will not disappoint.
June 5, 2022
3.5 stars.
I would have given this a four star rating, but the ending for the modern-day part of the story fell flat for me. It felt rushed and and a little thin. The parts set in the 1600s were much better and more complete and enjoyable.
I would have given this a four star rating, but the ending for the modern-day part of the story fell flat for me. It felt rushed and and a little thin. The parts set in the 1600s were much better and more complete and enjoyable.
July 11, 2017
I enjoyed Hannah's character the most in this book, which was a great combo of history and murder mystery. Enjoyable beach read.
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