Description
‘Sumptuous … If you’re feeling bereft after finishing The Mirror and the Light, let Jago transport you to the Jacobean court’ – Telegraph
‘A bravura historical debut … a gloriously immersive escape’ – Guardian
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Frances Howard has beauty and a powerful family – and is the most unhappy creature in the world. Anne Turner has wit and talent – but no stage on which to display them. Little stands between her and the abyss of destitution. When these two very different women meet in the strangest of circumstances, a powerful friendship is sparked.
Frankie sweeps Anne into a world of splendour that exceeds all she imagined: a Court whose foreign king is a stranger to his own subjects; where ancient families fight for power, and where the sovereign’s favourite may rise and rise – so long as he remains in favour. With the marriage of their talents, Anne and Frankie enter this extravagant, savage hunting ground, seeking a little happiness for themselves. But as they gain notice, they also gain enemies; what began as a search for love and safety leads to desperate acts that could cost them everything.
Based on the true scandal that rocked the court of James I, A Net for Small Fishes is the most gripping novel you’ll read this year: an exhilarating dive into the pitch-dark waters of the Jacobean court.
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‘Full of colour and intrigue … Historical fiction at its scintillating best and most filmic’ – Susan Elderkin
‘The Thelma and Louise of the seventeenth century …
Gut-wrenching’ – Lawrence Norfolk
‘Terrific, rich in colour, character, place and time’ – Sarah Dunant
‘A fabulous book. Frankie and Anne’s world is not just brilliantly evoked but brilliantly sustained’ – Andrew Miller
‘Dazzling’ – Sunday Independent
