E C Fremantle

**PRE-ORDER THE STUNNING NEW NOVEL FROM ELIZABETH FREMANTLE NOW** I'll show you what a woman can do . . . 'An exhilarating read. Through effervescent prose, Elizabeth Fremantle brings the story of artist Artemisia Gentileschi to life. Gripping, captivating, and consistently enlightening, Disobedient firmly places Gentileschi as one of the greatest female heroines in history' KATY HESSEL __________ Rome 1611. A jewel-bright place of change, with sumptuous new palaces and lavish wealth on display. A city where women are seen but not heard. Artemisia Gentileschi dreams of becoming a great artist. Motherless, she grows up among a family of painters - men and boys. She knows she is more talented than her brothers, but she cannot choose her own future. She wants to experience the world, but she belongs to her father and will belong to a husband. As Artemisia patiently goes from lesson to lesson, perfecting her craft, she also paints in private, recreating the women who inspire her, away from her father's eyes. Until a mysterious tutor enters her life. Tassi is a dashing figure, handsome and worldly, and for a moment he represents everything that a life of freedom might offer. But then the unthinkable happens. In the eyes of her family, Artemisia should accept her fate. In the eyes of the law, she is the villain. But Artemisia is a survivor. And this is her story to tell.

The gripping feminist retelling of a seventeenth century heroine forging her own destiny

Disobedient

Free eBook only exclusive first chapter. For fans of Hilary Mantel, Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, Elizabeth Fremantle's first novel, Queen's Gambit, is a riveting account of Katherine Parr, the Tudor queen who married four men and outlived three of them - including Henry VIII. Widowed for the second time aged thirty-one, Katherine is obliged to return to court but, suspicious of the aging Henry and those who surround him, she does so with reluctance. Nevertheless when she finds herself caught up in a passionate affair with the dashing and seductive Thomas Seymour, she believes she might finally be able to marry for love. But her presence at court has attracted the attentions of another... Captivated by her honesty and intelligence, Henry Tudor has his own plans for Katherine and no one is in the position to refuse a proposal from the king. With her charismatic lover dispatched to the continent, Katherine becomes Henry's sixth wife. Passionate about religious reform, and ever aware of the fates of his previous queens, she must draw upon all her instincts and intellect to navigate the treachery of the court. With the Catholic faction once more in the ascendency, reformers burned for heresy and those around the dying king vying for position in the new regime, her survival seems unlikely - and yet she has still not quite given up on love... Rich in atmosphere and period detail, and told through the eyes of Katherine and her young maid Dot, Queen's Gambit is the story of two very different women during a terrifying and turbulent time. If you loved Wolf Hall, The Other Boleyn Girl or the BBC drama series The Tudors, then Elizabeth Fremantle's Queen's Gambit is the book for you. Elizabeth Fremantle holds a first in English and an MA in creative Writing from Birkbeck. As a Fashion Editor she has contributed to various publications including Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair and the Erotic Review and has had her fiction published in the Mechanic's Institute Review. Queen's Gambit is her first novel.

Queen's Gambit Free 1st Chapter

Lost in history . . . losing her self. Uncover Tudor heroine Arbella Stuart's incredible story, reimagined by Elizabeth Fremantle in this tense, historical thriller. Hardwick Hall, sixteenth-century England. Formerly a beacon of wealth and power. Now a gilded prison. Hidden away, forgotten, one young woman seeks escape. But to do so she must trust those on the outside. Those who have their own motives... Discovery means death. But what choice has any woman trapped in a man's world? Imprisoned by circumstance, Arbella Stuart is an unwilling contender for the throne. In a world where women are silenced, what chance does she have to take control of her destiny? Praise for The Girl in the Glass Tower: 'A top-notch literary thriller' Daily Telegraph 'Thrilling, clever and beautifully written' The Times, 'Books of the Year' 'Filled with dense, dark political and social intrigue' Daily Mail 'Shots are fired, troths are plighted, sea voyages taken, escapes dared and mysteries solved' Daily Telegraph 'Beautifully written, completely engrossing and a book that stays with you after the pages are closed' Historia

The Girl in the Glass Tower

THE QUEEN'S GODDAUGHTER. HER MOST TRUSTED MAID. ADULTRESS. ENEMY OF THE STATE. WHO IS THE REAL PENELOPE DEVEREUX? Penelope Devereux is a legendary beauty in the court of Elizabeth I, with a smile that would light up the shadows of hell. But it's not just her looks which have won her favour with the Queen wing; her canny instinct for being in the right place at the right time, and her skilled political manoeuvrings under the guise of diplomacy, have rendered her a formidable adversary to anyone who stands in her path. Including Elizabeth. For Penelope must secure the future of the Devereux dynasty at whatever cost. Even treason. And the Queen, a woman she holds responsible for the death of her father, the exile of her mother and her failure to marry the one man she ever truly loved, is just one more pawn in a deadly game. Walking the knife-edge of court, whilst ensuring that her reckless brother Essex remains the only star in the Queen's firmament - and out of the Tower - Penelope must plan for the inevitable succession of an ailing monarch. But her secret letters of friendship to a foreign King - one who has a strong claim to the English throne - could see her illustrious family in the gutter and her own head on the block. It would only take a single mistake, a slip of the tongue, an intercepted message for Penelope to become the architect of her downfall. In a world where sister is turned against brother, husband against wife, courtier against queen, the rules of the game are forever changing. Praise for Watch the Lady 'The research and historical detail are impeccable . . . and fans will enjoy this evocation of Elizabeth's tumultuous court' Times 'A glamourous tale peopled by warrior poets, flamboyant courtiers and shameless loves, it is also sharp, perceptive and dramatic' Sunday Express 'Be transported to the court of Elizabeth I, where Penelope Devereux is prepared to do anything in the scramble for power. Watch The Lady by Elizabeth Fremantle combines fast-paced storytelling with rich period detail' Good Housekeeping 'If you want an immersive read then this is it. The remarkable story of the beautiful Penelope Devereux comes vividly alive, bursting with colour and detail. The reader is transported to the perilous Elizabethan court, with all its plots, treachery and heartbreak, and gains fascinating insights into some of the most important figures of the time. Yet again Elizabeth Fremantle has produced a pacey, powerful narrative that kept this reader riveted throughout' Jane Thynne 'Penelope Devereux, perspicacious, beautiful and muse of Sir Philip Sidney, will stop at nothing for the sake of her family. I was gripped by the tale of risky political and sexual shenanigans in the court of Elizabeth l' Woman and Home 'Penelope is a fascinating character and beautifully drawn in this enthralling, moving and immaculately written novel... Fremantle handles the intriguing with aplomb and it's impossible to read the books without feeling you are living events alongside the characters' Imogen Robertson, Historia 'Fascinating . . . it's a delight to keep Penelope company as she plunges into the intrigues of Elizabeth's court' The History Girls 'Ever since Queen's Gambit took the world of historical fiction by storm 3 years ago, Liz Fremantle's books have been the ones to watch in the world of Tudor fiction. The combination of depth, intelligence and real historical imagination that she brings to bear on the lesser-known (but immensely powerful) women of the Tudor era is unmatched in contemporary writing and gets better with each book. Not that either of the previous ones were sub par - far from it, they were exceptional - but, as with all good writers, the apprenticeship of each book sees its realisation in the one that comes after it and there's a steady rise in the textures and depths and many-layered plot threads. The Lady we watch here is Penelope, sister of the notorious Essex, wife of a man who doesn't want to bed her, lover of those who do - though never the most important one: that love is unrequited and all the more powerful for it. The machinations of Elizabeth's court were never easy, but became positively frenetic as she edged towards death and refused to name a successor and the way the ageing monarch plays Cecil against Essex, as seen through the eyes of the woman who has to navigate a clear path through the chaos is brilliant. In fact, the shift of viewpoint from Penelope to Cecil and back again is the core strength of this book. Neither is an entirely reliable narrator, even to themselves, but taken together, they mesh to make a hologram of a time in history that is endlessly fascinating, but never fully understood. This book is glorious. It will delight fans of Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory alike, but will also garner a whole new audience from those who just love good writing, whatever the genre, whatever the era' Manda Scott 'A wonderful, totally transporting novel that folds you into its world, word by word, page by page, and remains with you long after the last. I absolutely loved this book. Fremantle is a brilliant novelist' Eve Chase, author of Black Rabbit Hall

Watch the Lady

'A lush, thrilling page-turner humming with its own exquisite dark beauty. I loved it!' Eve Chase, author of The Glass House 'Fremantle builds the tension with delicious skill in this page-turning thriller' Times The compelling, transfixing novel about the bond between three sisters from the author of The Poison Bed _______ Three sisters. Three secrets. Three ways to fall . . . George Villiers is rich, powerful and has the King's ear. Doctor's daughter Hester is a mere servant - to be cast aside when he has done with her, especially since she is pregnant. Returning to her family, Hester vows that Villiers will never lay eyes on their son. She and her sisters Melis and Hope will protect the boy. But Villiers is a man who will not be defied. He will claim his son - and the secret letters he believes Hester has stolen. What can three defenceless women do against one very powerful man? Yet secret letters are a weakness - and, in the right hands, a weapon . . . _______ 'Rich and fascinating' Guardian 'Wonderfully inventive and darkly satisfying, this story of three sisters resonates with myth and mystery' Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Ashes of London 'Gripping and page-turning. Propels a trio of vivid women towards their complex destinies . . . Hugely enjoyable' V.B. Grey, author of the forthcoming Tell Me How It Ends

The Honey and the Sting

'The Miniaturist meets Gone Girl. Gripping and full of surprises' BBC History 'Books of the Year' A marriage. A murder. One of them will hang for it. _________ Autumn, 1615. Frances Carr is imprisoned in a cold, lightless room. She is accused of murder. In a cell nearby is her co-accused - her husband Robert. Kept apart and alone, Frances can only tell her side of the story. How did she come to be here? Can she somehow prove her innocence? And what lengths will she go to to save herself? __________ 'A gripping psychological thriller. Readers will be awake deep into the night, trying to untangle the truth' The Times 'Books of the Year' 'Engaging, vivid and revelling in historical detail' Sarah Perry, bestselling author of The Essex Serpent 'A tale of intrigue and ambition, this is a rich and fascinating book' Guardian 'Immaculately detailed, dark, clever and compulsive' Daily Mail

E C Fremantle

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