Listen to a sample
These Wicked Devices
- Author
- Matthew Plampin
- Narrator
- Sofia Engstrand
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 3 July 2025
- Run Time
- 13 hours 10 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
What to expect
'Matthew Plampin should rank with the best' Sunday Times
'Plampin is heartbreakingly good' The Times
'Gripping, immersive, at times very funny and beautifully written, this is historical fiction of the highest quality' Elizabeth Fremantle
Rome, 1650.
The streets are teeming as thousands of pilgrims flood in for the Holy Jubilee, but behind the gilded façade of the Vatican, power is unravelling.
Donna Olimpia Maidalchini has long kept Pope Innocent X under her thumb, but as loyalties shift, her enemies close in. And her most dangerous opponents may be those she deems too weak to matter.
Two destitute nuns arrive, fleeing the ruined city of Castro and each carrying secrets that could destroy them.
Meanwhile, the assistant to the famed Spanish artist Diego Velázquez is drawn into a perilous conspiracy – one that could bring Italy to its knees, and against which his own desperate ambitions seem to count for nothing.
As the sweltering summer heat rises, survival, not salvation, becomes the ultimate goal – and in this world of sin, saints almost never survive.
Critics Review
-
'Plampin weaves together the disparate strands of his plot with great skill' The Times, Pick of the Month, Historical Fiction
-
'A tinderbox of treachery, duplicity, overweening ambition and betrayal … The historical background is excellently researched and full of intriguing details and context' Historical Novels Society
-
'Wickedly brilliant… a darkly fascinating, suspenseful and Machiavellian tale. So richly evoked you can almost smell the incense of Papal Rome. Highly recommended' Anna Mazzola
-
'Between the pages of These Wicked Devices I was transported to the streets and palaces of baroque Rome in all the sordid splendour of the Holy Jubilee. Plampin’s characters, knotty, ruthless and complicated, weave their intrigues and ambitions and carry dangerous secrets as they struggle to survive in a place where power shifts constantly. Gripping, immersive, at times very funny and beautifully written, this is historical fiction of the highest quality' Elizabeth Fremantle, author of Disobedient
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
'Beautifully and fluently written, it is such an unusual and interesting story – full of brilliant characters who pulse with life and the Rome of 1650 is fascinatingly evoked' Elizabeth Buchan, author of Bonjour, Sophie
-
'Absolutely loved These Wicked Devices. Rome in 1650 brought vividly to life, full of fascinating real historical figures, an utterly gripping plot and beautiful writing. I could almost feel the heat of the Italian sun when I was reading it. Fabulous stuff' Beth Lewis, author of The Rush
-
Praise for Mrs Whistler
-
‘Matthew Plampin is heartbreakingly good … Mrs Whistler is a beguiling glimpse of a fascinating world’ THE TIMES
-
‘A captivating tale …This novel is a delight’ THE TIMES
-
'Should rank with the best … his work possesses depth and vitality … vividly engaging … a novel that conjures up the Victorian art world in rich colours’ SUNDAY TIMES
-
‘A richly imagined historical novel, full of depth and vitality’ SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Matthew Plampin
- Narrator
- Sofia Engstrand
- Duration
- 13 hours 10 minutes
- Release Date
- 3 July 2025
- ISBN
- 9780008163693
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Historical fiction, Fiction based on or inspired by true events, Narrative theme: politics / economics, Biographical fiction / autobiographical fiction, Classic fiction: literary and general
Synopsis
THE HOLY CITY IS NO PLACE FOR MERCY 'Matthew Plampin should rank with the best' Sunday Times 'Plampin is heartbreakingly good' The Times 'Gripping, immersive, at times very funny and beautifully written, this is historical fiction of the highest quality' Elizabeth Fremantle Rome, 1650. The streets are teeming as thousands of pilgrims flood in for the Holy Jubilee, but behind the gilded façade of the Vatican, power is unravelling. Donna Olimpia Maidalchini has long kept Pope Innocent X under her thumb, but as loyalties shift, her enemies close in. And her most dangerous opponents may be those she deems too weak to matter. Two destitute nuns arrive, fleeing the ruined city of Castro and each carrying secrets that could destroy them. Meanwhile, the assistant to the famed Spanish artist Diego Velázquez is drawn into a perilous conspiracy – one that could bring Italy to its knees, and against which his own desperate ambitions seem to count for nothing. As the sweltering summer heat rises, survival, not salvation, becomes the ultimate goal – and in this world of sin, saints almost never survive.
About xigxag and the x-book®
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by "x-book" to find them.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.