The Square of Sevens

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What to expect

‘A triumph’ — Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal

The Sunday Times Top Five Bestseller
A BBC Two Between the Covers Book Club Pick
A Guardian Best Crime and Thrillers of the Year Pick

An epic and sweeping mystery set in Georgian high society, Laura Shepherd-Robinson's The Square of Sevens is a dazzling story of intrigue, heartbreak, and audacious twists.

This is your story, Red. You must tell it well . . .

A girl known only as Red, the daughter of a Cornish fortune-teller, travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient method: the Square of Sevens. When her father suddenly dies, Red becomes the ward of a gentleman scholar.

Now raised as a lady amidst the Georgian splendour of Bath, her fortune-telling is a delight to high society. But she cannot ignore the questions that gnaw at her soul.

Who was her mother? How did she die?

And who are the mysterious enemies her father was always terrified would find him?

These mysteries take her from Cornwall and Bath to London and Devon, from the rough ribaldry of the Bartholomew Fair to the grand houses of two of the most powerful families in England. And while Red's quest brings her the possibility of great reward, it also leads her into grave danger . . .

‘Wonderfully inventive . . . one twist in her tale after another’ — The Times and Sunday Times, Best Historical Fiction of the Year

‘A sweeping Dickensian tour de force’ — Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora

‘One of the most intriguing books I have ever read’ – Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond

‘I doubt I’ll read a better book this year’ — Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colours of the Dark

Critics Review

[A] wonderfully inventive novel set in 18th-century England. As the heroine and narrator Red seeks the truth about her origins and possible connection to the wealthy De Lacy family, the reader’s expectations are constantly confounded with one twist in her tale after another
The Times and Sunday Times, Best Historical Fiction of 2023
This rich, complex and haunting Dickensian epic is a triumph of the Gothic genre . . . a masterpiece
Janice Hallett, betselling author of The Appeal
A sweeping Dickensian tour de force of a novel . . . cementing the author’s place as the queen of modern Georgian literature
Susan Stokes-Chapman, bestselling author of Pandora
A sprawling, exquisite, outright triumph . . . I doubt I’ll read a better book this year
Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin At the End
With its twists and turns and revelations of those lies that bind and truths that rend asunder, this story is a deep pleasure to read
Sunday Times
This is an intricately plotted, epic book that delivers twist after twist in its 560 pages. A big, satisfying and clever read
The Times
A big, complex mystery: rich in memorable, scheming characters and vivid historical detail, full of daring twists. I was so immersed in its world. I didn't want it to end
S. J. Parris, bestselling author of the Giordano Bruno series
This is a fabulously evocative novel, with a heroine who proves the most wonderful company, and a finely spun mystery which keeps you turning the pages. The Square of Sevens invites you into a magical world which you won't want to leave
Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den trilogy
A fabulous historical novel that races along like a galloping pony
Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Ashes of London
In The Square of Sevens, Laura Shepherd-Robinson excels at recreating the past - in this case, Georgian England - in an authentic way. She invites us to join fortune teller Red on an epic journey to unravel the secrets of her past and we cannot rest until we have answers. Dazzling
Fiona Cummins, author of When I Was Ten
What a magnificent rollercoaster ride of a book . . . I am in awe
James Oswald, bestselling author of the Inspector McLean series
This is a book to relish, not rush through. Rich in historical detail, it’s immersive, authoritative and Dickensian in scope. Fundamentally though it’s a damn good story, brilliantly told. I loved it
Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of Blood Orange and It Ends At Midnight
Meticulously researched and beautifully written, this is one of the most intriguing books I have ever read
Liz Nugent, bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond
Suspenseful and intricately planned, The Square of Sevens is a work where every page seems to hold the promise of a new thrilling secret. More than a mystery, it is a book that radiates a deep love of storytelling and the magic of a well-told tale
Katherine J. Chen, author of Joan
Laura Shepherd-Robinson is riding high in the historical crime stakes; this is a sprawling epic novel set in Georgian high society, with its lively fortune-telling heroine Red unearthing her own lethal legacy
Financial Times
The Square of Sevens shows a novelist approaching the peak of her powers. It's ingeniously plotted, panoramic and deeply satisfying. . . filled with period colour, clever twists and turns, and the best set of characters this side of Dickens. It will keep you guessing until the final pages.
Daily Express
This has all the charm and intricate plotting that we expect from Laura’s books – it is exquisitely, meticulously plotted and you’ll want to curl up and absorb it all in as few readings as possible. For me, it’s reminiscent of Sarah Waters – praise that is richly deserved.
Belfast Telegraph
'[A] clever story...its characters flit between London's slums and palatial estates where misdirection and conspiracies abound'
Washington Post

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