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The Maiden

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The Maiden

By: Kate Foster
Narrated by: Paula Masterton, Samara MacLaren, Angus King
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About this listen

This audio edition includes an exclusive conversation between narrator Paula Masterton and author Kate Foster.

Inspired by a real-life case and winner of the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect Award, Kate Foster's The Maiden is a remarkable story with a feminist revisionist twist, giving a voice to women otherwise silenced by history.

"In the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me."

Edinburgh, October 1679. Lady Christian 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, Lady Christian was newly married, 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 . . .

©2023 Kate Foster (P)2023 Macmillan Publishers International Limited Crime Fiction Historical Fiction Mystery Scotland

Critic 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 and The Twyford Code)
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)
Threat hangs over every page like the awaiting guillotine, but the women in this book gleam sharper. Witty, gritty and full of heart, their voices rise through the brutality and hardship of 17th century Edinburgh, battling to be heard (Cari Thomas, bestselling author of Threadneedle)

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The characters are believable and charming for their time in history

Could not put this book down I would lay awake in the early mornings wanting to see the next outcome riveting

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