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The Poison Bed

'Gone Girl meets The Miniaturist'

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The Poison Bed

By: Elizabeth Fremantle
Narrated by: Ross Anderson, Perdita Weeks
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Summary

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

 Crime Thrillers Historical Historical Fiction Mystery Renaissance Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Fiction Crime Murder Marriage
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Critic 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 (ONE OF THE BEST RECENT CRIME NOVELS)
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 (Karen Perry)
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 (Elizabeth Buchan)
All stars
Most relevant
Brilliantly told story with a neat twist. Performances convincing and made me want to keep listening.

Amazing story based in fact

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a beautiful story of love and deception. I enjoyed every part of the store. well written and had me hooked all throughout.

a lovely read.

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Had I not waited so long to listen to this, I would have returned it unfinished. It was hard work, and would have been better had it been maybe a third shorter. It was, in the end, an interesting take on the trials, imprisonment and eventual pardon of Robert Carr and Frances Howard; interesting but not gripping.

The narration was patchy too. Ross Anderson made a good fist of Robert Carr, but Perdita Weeks' performance was disappointing, for so clear a reader (her reading of 'Circe' was perfection). It was really annoying to have to replay bits with the volume turned up. I stopped doing that eventually. it made no difference to the story.

What a slog

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fab book, good twist, great character descriptions and personalities, well read, defo recommend this read

Poison Bed

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Finally I'm not sure I loved this book, but I did appreciate it. Little known historical characters find themselves in the Tower of London. A husband in one room and the wife in another. Him and Her. The story of how they got their unfolding from their two different perspectives. Who is doing what to whom? The author spins out this tale with a deftness akin to a stealthy spider. Suffice to say I liked it enough to have just started another of her books.

Interesting and Impressive

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