The Poison Bed

Author Elizabeth Fremantle
Narrator Ross Anderson, Perdita Weeks
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Run Time 13 hours and 9 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Crime and mystery fiction, Historical crime and mysteries, Historical fiction, Thriller / suspense fiction.

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What to expect

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

Critics Review

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
Sarah Perry, bestselling author of The Essex Serpent
A twisting psychological thriller based on a real Jacobean murder. Unputdownable
The Times
A gripping historical thriller. Think Gone Girl with bodices. Brilliant
Glamour
A tale of intrigue and ambition, this is a rich and fascinating book
The Guardian
A gripping page-turner that will have you awake long into the night. Ingenious
The Times
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
Woman & Home
Gripping and fascinating. Fremantle is a master
Santa Montefiore
Who is to blame? And will they get away with it? A rollicking read
Heat
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
Daily Mail
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
New York Times
Exquisite. The reveal is terrifying
Toby Clements
A Jacobean Gone Girl! Dark and deeply satisfying, The Poison Bed is a tale of monstrous intrigue and murder
M J Carter
A riveting tale that kept me reading into the night. Beautifully written and realised
Costa shortlisted Kate Hammer
A thoroughly compelling tale of sexually-charged intrigue and murder. Once started, impossible to put down
Minette Walters
A twisting tale of power, poison and intrigue. Historical fiction with the pull of a psychological thriller
Anna Mazzola
Flawless. A sharp, well-constructed thriller, this is a book that will keep you on your toes
Bookbag
A toxic blend of glamour, intrigue and ambition
The Ashes of London
A seductive historical thriller. The Jacobean world leaps off the page in all its vivid, visceral glory
Kate Riordan
Brilliant. Gripping and sexy and wholly transporting. Highly recommended.
Eve Chase
A riveting tale. I cannot recommend this highly enough
Alison Weir
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
National Public Radio
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
Marylebone Journal
Praise for
The Girl in the Glass Tower
‘Fascinating and vividly drawn’
The Times 'Book of the Month'
‘A top-notch literary thriller’
Daily Telegraph
‘Sharp, perceptive and dramatic’
Sunday Express
‘Beautifully written and completely engrossing’
Historia

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