From the research desk
Welcome. I’m Lyn Harris, author of The Wycliffe Papers. This is where I take a closer look at the history behind my stories: the people, places, animals, and everyday details that help bring their world to life.
The blog brings together source notes, historical images, and extra context, with links for anyone who wants to follow the research further. Alongside it, I’m preparing a narrated podcast, with each season exploring the history around a published book in the series.
The history blog
An old catalogue, a picture, or a passing detail can raise a whole new set of questions. Here I’ll bring together the sources and historical context behind The Wycliffe Papers, including what a source can tell us, where it needs a little caution, and what remains uncertain.
First feature · Forthcoming
Our first stop is Fig, the French hound in The Cipher at Winterbourne. We’ll explore the history behind a basset-type hound in Britain in 1869, with historical pictures and annotated sources to help put him in context.
Book connection: The Cipher at Winterbourne. Fig’s introduction and naming only, with no later plot reveals.
The first article is in preparation.
Podcast · In preparation
Join me for the real history around The Wycliffe Papers. We’ll follow details from the novels into the records, pictures, and lives that help explain them, and explore the bigger stories people were talking about at the time.
Each season follows a published book, with episodes of around half an hour, narrated by me. The companion blog gives you somewhere to see the historical images, explore the sources, and keep reading.
The first episodes are in preparation. Listening links will appear here when the show launches.