The Honey and the Sting

(Paperback)

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Description

An exquisite historical thriller from the author of the electrifying The Poison Bed Three sisters. Three secrets. Three ways to fall . . . Forcibly seduced by George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham and King's favourite, doctor's daughter Hester was cast aside to raise her illegitimate son, Rafe, alone and in secret. She hopes never to see his father again. Melis's visions cause disquiet and talk. She sees what others can't - and what has yet to be. She'd be denounced as a witch if Hester wasn't so carefully protective. Young Hope's beauty marks her out, drawing unwelcome attention to the family. Yet she cannot always resist others' advances. And her sisters cannot always be on their guard. So when the powerful Duke decides to claim his son against Hester's wishes, the sisters find themselves almost friendless and at his mercy. But are their secrets their undoing or their salvation Because in the right hands a secret is the deadliest weapon of all . . .

Reviews

Fremantle builds the tension with delicious skill in this page-turning thriller. She is excellent on the precariousness of life for history's powerless women * Times *
A powerful reimagining of the most dramatic murder of Stuart England. Wonderfully inventive and darkly satisfying, this story of three sisters resonates with myth -- Andrew Taylor * bestselling author of The Ashes of London *
A lush, thrilling page-turner humming with its own exquisite dark beauty. I loved it! -- Eve Chase * author of The Glass House *
Gripping and page-turning. Propels a trio of vivid women towards their complex destinies, while making their world as fresh and immediate as our own. Hugely enjoyable * author of Tell Me How It Ends *
A pacey plot, tension, and occasional flirts with the supernatural make this historical fiction engaging . . . It leaves you wanting more of Melis, who has eerie and often accurate visions of the future * Sunday Post *
We follow three sisters in a maze of twists and turns in 1628 England. Grabs your attention * i *
Pacey, immersive, and beautifully written. Takes women at the margins of history and makes us care about their stories * bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal *
One of Britain's foremost writers of historical fiction . . . a masterful Hitchcockian thriller * Aspects of History *
A tense, pacey cat-and-mouse game set against a rich historical background * Herald *

Author Bio

Elizabeth Fremantle is the critically acclaimed author of four Tudor historical novels- Queen's Gambit, Sisters of Treason, Watch the Lady and The Girl in the Glass Tower. As E.C. Fremantle she has written two delicious historical thrillers- The Poison Bed and The Honey and the Sting. She lives in London.