The Art of a Lie

'[Laura Shepherd-Robinson is] the queen of modern Georgian literature' – Susan Stokes-Chapman, bestselling author of Pandora

The Art of a Lie is a beguiling cat-and-mouse thriller played across the streets of Georgian London. From The Sunday Times bestselling author of The Square of Sevens, Laura Shepherd-Robinson.

That’s the trouble with stories, especially the ones you write for yourself. Sometimes you think they've ended, when they've barely begun . . .

London, 1749. Following the murder of her husband in what looks like a violent street robbery, Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her head above water. Her confectionery shop on Piccadilly is barely turning a profit and Henry Fielding, the famous author and new magistrate, is threatening to confiscate the money in her husband’s bank account, because he believes it might be illicitly acquired. Even those who claim to be Hannah’s friends have darker intent.

Only William Devereux seems different. A friend of her late husband, Devereux helps Hannah unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his death. But their friendship opens Hannah to speculation and gossip, and draws Henry Fielding’s attention her way, locking her into a battle of wits more devastating than anything, even her husband’s murder . . .

Praise for Laura Shepherd-Robinson:

'This rich, complex and haunting Dickensian epic is a triumph of the Gothic genre' – Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal, on The Square of Sevens

'The best historical crime novel I will read this year' – The Times on Daughters of Night

‘A page-turner of a crime thriller . . . This is a world conveyed with convincing, terrible clarity’ – C. J. Sansom, bestselling author of Tombland, on Blood & Sugar