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The Honey and the Sting

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

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 . . .

© E C Fremantle2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Crime Thrillers Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Fiction Renaissance Suspense Magic Users

Critic 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
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)
A lush, thrilling page-turner humming with its own exquisite dark beauty. I loved it! (Eve Chase)
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
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
We follow three sisters in a maze of twists and turns in 1628 England. Grabs your attention
Pacey, immersive, and beautifully written. Takes women at the margins of history and makes us care about their stories
One of Britain's foremost writers of historical fiction . . . a masterful Hitchcockian thriller
A tense, pacey cat-and-mouse game set against a rich historical background
All stars
Most relevant
This really drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Excellent, clear narration, well drawn characters and a believable plot. The phrase 'Girl Power springs to mind .

Highly recommend.

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loved this book,
shall be looking at more books by this author
narrated beautifully

Great story

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I thoroughly enjoyed this! Haunting and rich in historical detail, I wanted it to be true!!

An absorbing listen!

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The narration is clear and calm, I liked the voices she chose for the individual characters and the story is written with incredible attention to detail. A very interesting historical fiction novel. Definitely recommend.

Beautifully told, relevant and unpredictable

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I loved this book. A real page turner. Would highly recommend. I could not wait to find out what happens next and loved the characters

brilliant and enthralling

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