Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2023
In the end,it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me.
Edinburgh,October 1679. Lady Christian Nimmo is arrested and charged with the murder of her lover,James Forrester. News of her imprisonment and subsequent trial is splashed across the broadsides,with headlines that leave little room for doubt: Adulteress. Whore. Murderess.
Only a year before,Christian was leading a life of privilege and respectability. So what led her to risk everything for an affair And does that make her guilty of murder She wasn't the only woman in Forrester's life,and certainly not the only one who might have had cause to wish him dead...
Inspired by a real life case,The Maiden gives a voice to women otherwise silenced by history. Told through chapters narrated alternately by Christian and Violet,the prostitute Forrester kept as a mistress,it's a remarkable story,and clearly marks Kate Foster as a name to watch.
Publisher: Pan MacmillanISBN: 9781529091724Number of pages: 384Weight: 492 gDimensions: 216 x 135 x 32 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'The Maiden is a masterpiece. A thrilling historical murder tale but so much more. Vivid,evocative and full of humanity. I took each and every character to my heart. The fact this is inspired by a true story makes it all the more chilling and relevant. I was transported to 17th Century Edinburgh so completely,I'm sure a part of me is still there.'- Janice Hallett,bestselling author of The Appeal
'A gripping read with strong,compelling and unusual female characters - and a twisty plot that keeps the reader guessing. It cast a fresh light on a period of history when women have too often been seen merely as victims and brought them to life as protagonists in their own right.'- Sally Hinchcliffe,author of Hare House
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