“A sensuous evocation of seventeenth-century noble shenanigans. Jago offers a timely lens through which to reconsider power dynamics in Jacobean England.… Seamless and stylish … Set in 1609, sixty-nine years after the Mantel trilogy concludes, so those mourning Cromwell may find much to scintillate here.”

—The Irish Times

“A magnificent reimagining of a scandal in the Jacobean court … Masques, machinations and murder ensue, as well as affairs, gorgeously described clothes and a dangerous friendship.”

—Tatler (UK)

“Dazzling.”

—Sunday Independent (Ireland)

“The Thelma & Louise of the seventeenth century: two mismatched heroines, two grittily textured lives, an outrageous plot (true!), sex, politics and a gut-wrenching ending.”

—Lawrence Norfolk, author of John Saturnall’s Feast

“Full of color, intrigue and historical characters we can relate to … Jago has a great flair for the sensuous image and evokes the heady mix of gaudy glamour and grime that characterizes the era with a distinctive, dense poetry. Historical fiction at its scintillating best and most filmic.”

—Susan Elderkin, author of Sunset Over Chocolate Mountains

“A fabulous book. Frankie and Anne’s world is not just brilliantly evoked but brilliantly sustained. Lucy Jago doesn’t make a single false step. And it’s exciting!”

—Andrew Miller, author of Pure

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lucy Jago is an award-winning writer of fiction and nonfiction and a fellow of the Royal Literary Fund. Her first book, The Northern Lights, won the National Biography Prize and has been translated into eight languages. She lives in Somerset, England. You can sign up for email updates here.

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