Tuesday 15th July, 7pm. Rossiter Books, Ross on Wye. Ticket £7 (£3 off the book at the event)
That’s the trouble with stories, especially the ones you write for yourself. Sometimes you think they’ve ended, when they’ve barely begun…
Join bestselling author Laura Shepherd-Robinson for a talk on her fantastic new novel.
The Art of a Lie
Widowed confectioner Hannah Cole must prove the legitimacy of her late husband’s secret fortune with the help of his associate, William Devereux. But both are hiding secrets…
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, her suppliers conspiring to put her out of business because they don’t like women in trade. 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. And 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. He also tells her about an Italian delicacy called iced cream, an innovation she is convinced will transform the fortunes of her shop – if only she can learn how to make it. 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.
Laura Shepherd-Robinson worked in politics for nearly twenty years before re-entering normal life to complete an MA in Creative Writing. Her debut novel, Blood & Sugar, was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month and won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown and the CrimeFest/Specsavers Crime Fiction Debut Award. Her second novel, Daughters of Night, was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year Award, the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award and the HWA Gold Crown. Her third novel, The Square of Sevens, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller on publication. The Art of a Lie is her fourth novel.