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The Square of Sevens

The Times and Sunday Times Best Historical Fiction of the Year

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The Square of Sevens

By: Laura Shepherd-Robinson
Narrated by: Imogen Wilde
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About this listen

‘A triumph’ — Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal

The Sunday Times Top Five Bestseller
A BBC Two Between the Covers Book Club Pick
A Guardian Best Crime and Thrillers of the Year Pick

An epic and sweeping mystery set in Georgian high society, Laura Shepherd-Robinson's The Square of Sevens is a dazzling story of intrigue, heartbreak, and audacious twists.

This is your story, Red. You must tell it well . . .

A girl known only as Red, the daughter of a Cornish fortune-teller, travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient method: the Square of Sevens. When her father suddenly dies, Red becomes the ward of a gentleman scholar.

Now raised as a lady amidst the Georgian splendour of Bath, her fortune-telling is a delight to high society. But she cannot ignore the questions that gnaw at her soul.

Who was her mother? How did she die?

And who are the mysterious enemies her father was always terrified would find him?

These mysteries take her from Cornwall and Bath to London and Devon, from the rough ribaldry of the Bartholomew Fair to the grand houses of two of the most powerful families in England. And while Red's quest brings her the possibility of great reward, it also leads her into grave danger . . .

‘Wonderfully inventive . . . one twist in her tale after another’ — The Times and Sunday Times, Best Historical Fiction of the Year

‘A sweeping Dickensian tour de force’ — Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora

‘One of the most intriguing books I have ever read’ – Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond

‘I doubt I’ll read a better book this year’ — Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colours of the Dark

 Coming of Age Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Mystery Women's Fiction Fiction England Exciting Heartfelt

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Critic reviews

[A] wonderfully inventive novel set in 18th-century England. As the heroine and narrator Red seeks the truth about her origins and possible connection to the wealthy De Lacy family, the reader’s expectations are constantly confounded with one twist in her tale after another (The Times and Sunday Times, Best Historical Fiction of 2023)
This rich, complex and haunting Dickensian epic is a triumph of the Gothic genre . . . a masterpiece (Janice Hallett, betselling author of The Appeal)
A sweeping Dickensian tour de force of a novel . . . cementing the author’s place as the queen of modern Georgian literature (Susan Stokes-Chapman, bestselling author of Pandora)
A sprawling, exquisite, outright triumph . . . I doubt I’ll read a better book this year (Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin At the End)
With its twists and turns and revelations of those lies that bind and truths that rend asunder, this story is a deep pleasure to read
This is an intricately plotted, epic book that delivers twist after twist in its 560 pages. A big, satisfying and clever read
A big, complex mystery: rich in memorable, scheming characters and vivid historical detail, full of daring twists. I was so immersed in its world. I didn't want it to end (S. J. Parris, bestselling author of the Giordano Bruno series)
This is a fabulously evocative novel, with a heroine who proves the most wonderful company, and a finely spun mystery which keeps you turning the pages. The Square of Sevens invites you into a magical world which you won't want to leave (Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den trilogy)
A fabulous historical novel that races along like a galloping pony (Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Ashes of London)
In The Square of Sevens, Laura Shepherd-Robinson excels at recreating the past - in this case, Georgian England - in an authentic way. She invites us to join fortune teller Red on an epic journey to unravel the secrets of her past and we cannot rest until we have answers. Dazzling (Fiona Cummins, author of When I Was Ten )
What a magnificent rollercoaster ride of a book . . . I am in awe (James Oswald, bestselling author of the Inspector McLean series)
This is a book to relish, not rush through. Rich in historical detail, it’s immersive, authoritative and Dickensian in scope. Fundamentally though it’s a damn good story, brilliantly told. I loved it (Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of Blood Orange and It Ends At Midnight)
Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this is one of the most intriguing books I have ever read (Liz Nugent, bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond)
Suspenseful and intricately planned, The Square of Sevens is a work where every page seems to hold the promise of a new thrilling secret. More than a mystery, it is a book that radiates a deep love of storytelling and the magic of a well-told tale (Katherine J. Chen, author of Joan)
All stars
Most relevant
I was hoping for a good listen when I used my credit on this, having read her last book and loved it. I wasn't disappointed. Imogen Wilde is a great narrator and the story is authentic-sounding (listen to the end for an insight into the author's research!) and complex. At 20hrs+ you might assume it could get slow in parts but the pacing was very well done & it kept me gripped - I whipped through it it over 4 days and some tedious Ikea flatpack-building (!). Although not really a thriller it can get quite tense in parts and there's a great twist or two thrown in. If you like a good historical novel, and are looking for something new with a compelling story, engaging heroine and a host of other intriguing characters, snap it up, I loved it and highly recommend it!

Fantastic story, brilliantly read!

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l really enjoyed this book, but l have reservations with an author who seems to rely on smoke and mirrors to bend plots and characters in the most bizarre ways. lt's pretty close to 'but just in the nick of time, a huge alien spaceship swooped down and rescued them all' her previous book was the same. l like plot lines that have more substance, but that said, it's very like a sixties tv show. The Prisoner, or Adam Adament. Escapism. But more like a series of whoppers than a book.

the Wild Mouse ride of books

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Loved this book .Very clever, full of intrigue and beautifully read. Top of my audible book list.

10/10

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Wow what a great storyline, full of twists and turns. There were times I had to pause to skip back a little in order to map down the characters for my understanding and to gain clarity on their positions/roles within families and society. But it mattered not, because it all fell into place by the end, even if it wasn't always what I imagined. Such a cleverly woven tale that was compelling and mysterious. Be mindful what you choose to believe as you listen, because so much of the unexpected lies within, it's a magical read.

Brilliant!!!

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Brilliantly woven story, full of rich detail and well developed characters. It was long (20 hours!) but I think this was needed to adequately cover its elaborate plot and provide enough detail on all the characters. I listened to the book on audible and the narrator was excellent.

Engossing tale

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