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The Poison Bed by Elizabeth Fremantle
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The Poison Bed

'Gone Girl meets The Miniaturist'
Due to publisher restrictions, this audiobook is unavailable for purchase in your selected country.
Length 13 hours 8 minutes
Language English
Narrators Ross Anderson & Perdita Weeks

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Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Poison Bed by E C Fremantle, read by Ross Anderson and Perdita Weeks.

A Marriage. A Murder. One of them did it. Which of them will die for it?

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?


'A Jacobean GONE GIRL Dark and deeply satisfying, THE POISON BED is a tale of monstrous intrigue and murder' M J Carter

'Deliciously sinister. A toxic blend of glamour, intrigue and ambition' Andrew Taylor

'A thoroughly compelling tale of sexually-charged intrigue and murder. Once started, impossible to put down' Minette Walters

Elizabeth Fremantle is the critically acclaimed author of four Tudor historical novels: Queen's Gambit (soon to be the feature film, Firebrand), Sisters of Treason, Watch the Lady and The Girl in the Glass Tower. As E.C. Fremantle she has written two gripping historical thrillers: The Poison Bed and The Honey and the Sting. Her most recent novel, Disobedient, is a gripping feminist retelling of the life of seventeenth-century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi. She lives in London.

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Reviews

Engaging, vivid and revelling in historical detail, this thriller delves into a notorious murder. The reversal comes in a double blow, the first of which is so cunningly done I found myself pausing, frowning and riffling back through the pages to confirm that I had, indeed, been thoroughly stitched up A twisting psychological thriller based on a real Jacobean murder. Unputdownable A gripping historical thriller. Think Gone Girl with bodices. Brilliant A tale of intrigue and ambition, this is a rich and fascinating book A gripping page-turner that will have you awake long into the night. Ingenious An intoxicating blend of intrigue, seduction, witchcraft and murder. The Poison Bed is beautifully told and impossible to put down An electrifying, brilliantly executed thriller Gripping and fascinating. Fremantle is a master Who is to blame? And will they get away with it? A rollicking read Immaculately detailed and atmospheric, this Jacobean mystery borrows from both the revenge tragedies and contemporary noir thriller to manipulate the reader. It is dark, clever and compulsive A novel set in the court of James I that reopens the case of Robert and Frances Carr, aristocrats charged with killing a man who opposed their marriage. With skill and delicacy, Fremantle presents the period as a cabinet of curiosities Exquisite. The reveal is terrifying A Jacobean Gone Girl! Dark and deeply satisfying, The Poison Bed is a tale of monstrous intrigue and murder A riveting tale that kept me reading into the night. Beautifully written and realised A thoroughly compelling tale of sexually-charged intrigue and murder. Once started, impossible to put down A twisting tale of power, poison and intrigue. Historical fiction with the pull of a psychological thriller Flawless. A sharp, well-constructed thriller, this is a book that will keep you on your toes A toxic blend of glamour, intrigue and ambition A seductive historical thriller. The Jacobean world leaps off the page in all its vivid, visceral glory Brilliant. Gripping and sexy and wholly transporting. Highly recommended. A riveting tale. I cannot recommend this highly enough A great summer read. Fremantle weaves together documented fact with sensitively imagined fiction to create a novel that helps us understand a time and place better A creepy and powerfully immersive retelling of one of the greatest scandals of the Jacobean court . . . The Poison Bed is unerringly addictive. Fremantle's writing has a dynamic quality and an immediacy that draws readers in, whether or not they're familiar with the material of the story Praise for 'Fascinating and vividly drawn' 'A top-notch literary thriller' 'Sharp, perceptive and dramatic' 'Beautifully written and completely engrossing' Expand reviews
Celebrate indie bookstores with our limited-time sale! Shop the sale