THE POISON BED

'I imagined my hands about his throat, thumbs pressing into the soft flesh, could hear his choked pleas for mercy'

Autumn, 1615. Celebrated couple Robert and Frances Carr are imprisoned in the Tower of London on suspicion of murder.
SHE
Has been rescued from an abusive marriage by Robert, and is determined to make a new life for herself. Whatever the price...
HE
has risen from nothing to become one of the country's most powerful men. But to get to the top you cannot help making enemies...
*
Now a man is dead.
And someone must pay with their life.
*
Frances knows the truth can Kill.
Robert knows a lie can set you free.
Neither understands their marriage is a poisoned bed...​
Engaging, vivid and revelling in historical detail', (Sarah Perry – The New York Times)
Think Gone Girl with bodices. Brilliant, (Glamour)
Wildly entertaining. One of the best historical novels I've read. (Huffington Post)
A CHILLING TALE OF MARRIAGE AND MURDER RIPPED STRAIGHT FROM THE HEADLINES

​A king, his lover and his lover's wife. One is a killer.

In the autumn of 1615 scandal rocks the Jacobean court when a celebrated couple are imprisoned on suspicion of murder. She is young, captivating and from a notorious family. He is one of the richest and most powerful men in the kingdom. 

Some believe she is innocent; others think her wicked or insane. He claims no knowledge of the murder. The king suspects them both, though it is his secret at stake. 

​Who is telling the truth? Who has the most to lose? And who is willing to commit murder?

Based on the true story of a murder and scandal that rocked the court of James I to its foundations, THE POISON BED exposes a Jacobean world of political and sexual corruption drawing modern-day parallels. 

WATERSTONES RECOMMENDATION
'An intricately plotted, incredibly well-written, genuinely page-turning historical thriller… a must-read for fans of historical fiction and thrillers alike.'

Praise for The Poison Bed:
'Rich and fascinating' (The Guardian) 'A gripping novel with the pace and plot twists of a psychological thriller. Ingenious.' (Antonia Senior in The Times) ‘An electrifying, brilliantly executed thriller’ (Woman and Home) 'Immaculately detailed and atmospheric, this Jacobean mystery borrows from both revenge tragedies and contemporary noir thriller to manipulate the reader. It is dark, clever and compulsive’ (Elizabeth Buchan in the Daily Mail) 'A Jacobean Gone Girl. Dark and deeply satisfying The Poison Bed is a talk of monstrous intrigue and murder' (MJ Carter) •  'Exquisite. The reveal is terrifying.' (Toby Clements) • Thoroughly compelling.  Once started, impossible to put down' (Minette Walters) • Fremantle has taken a fascinating poisoning case, a toxic blend of glamour, intrigue and ambition, and breathed new life into it. I doubt if I shall read a more deliciously sinister historical novel this year (Andrew Taylor) • EC Fremantle has written a riveting tale, giving us a new take on an old mystery, with her unique, accomplished skill. Her characters live, an age is evoked, and the story surges on with vivid pace. I cannot recommend this highly enough (Alison Weir) • Gripping and fascinating. Fremantle is a master (Santa Montefiore) • A seductive historical thriller. The Jacobean world leaps off the page in all its vivid, visceral glory (Kate Riordan) • Brilliant. Gripping and sexy and wholly transporting. Highly recommended. (Eve Chase) • Flawless. A sharp well-constructed thriller. This is a book that will keep you on your toes (The Bookbag) • Historical fiction with the pull of a psychological thriller. (Anna Mazzola) • 'A sparkling, riveting tale, that had me reading into the night. Beautifully written and realised' (Kate Hamer) • 'I love a book that keeps me reading long past my bed-time, and The Poison Bed certainly did that. With its intoxicating blend of intrigue, seduction, witchcraft and murder, all within the Jacobean court, The Poison Bed is beautifully told and impossible to put down. (Karen Perry)
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