Genre Fiction
![Laura Shepherd-Robinson - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B07FD3Z7D2.jpg)
The Square of Sevens: A Novel
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
"A big, satisfying, and clever read." -The Times (London)
An orphaned fortune teller in 18th-century England searches for answers about her long-dead mother and uncovers shocking secrets in this immersive and atmospheric saga perfect for fans of Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry.
Cornwall, 1730: A young girl known only as Red travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient Cornish method of the Square of Sevens. Shortly before he dies, her father entrusts Red's care to a gentleman scholar, along with a document containing the secret of the Square of Sevens technique.
Raised as a lady amidst the Georgian splendor of Bath, Red's fortune-telling delights in 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?
The pursuit of these mysteries takes 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 to grave danger.
Laura Shepherd-Robinson, "the queen of modern Georgian literature" (Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora), has written a dazzling and Dickensian story of mystery and intrigue, with audacious twists and turns.
"A big, satisfying, and clever read." -The Times (London)
An orphaned fortune teller in 18th-century England searches for answers about her long-dead mother and uncovers shocking secrets in this immersive and atmospheric saga perfect for fans of Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry.
Cornwall, 1730: A young girl known only as Red travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient Cornish method of the Square of Sevens. Shortly before he dies, her father entrusts Red's care to a gentleman scholar, along with a document containing the secret of the Square of Sevens technique.
Raised as a lady amidst the Georgian splendor of Bath, Red's fortune-telling delights in 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?
The pursuit of these mysteries takes 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 to grave danger.
Laura Shepherd-Robinson, "the queen of modern Georgian literature" (Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora), has written a dazzling and Dickensian story of mystery and intrigue, with audacious twists and turns.
Editorial Reviews
"The Square of Sevens captured me from the opening lines to the breathtaking ending. With a mysterious heroine who is a sheer delight to follow through Georgian England, this is a story that will sweep you away. Secrets reveal themselves in a Gothic and suspenseful tale that will keep you guessing until the very end. Intricate, haunting and magical by turns, Laura Shepherd-Robinson's tale is an absolute immersive read you won't soon forget."
-Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea
"A reminder that Laura Shepherd-Robinson is riding high in the historical crime stakes....a sprawling epic novel."
-Financial Times
"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
"Bright, gripping, and brilliantly researched, The Square of Sevens is a masterful, Gothic read."
-Signe Pike, author of The Lost Queen series
"Laura Shepherd-Robinson's latest is a book to lose yourself in, so meticulously researched and filled with such vivid sensory detail that readers will swear they've actually journeyed through both the grand estates and seedy underbelly of Georgian England. A gripping, Gothic read that, like its mysterious heroine, lures you in from the first page and keeps you guessing until the very end."
-Molly Greeley, author of The Clergyman's Wife
"This rich, complex and haunting Dickensian epic is a triumph of the Gothic genre. A book that stays with you. Shepherd-Robinson is an exceptional writer and meticulous researcher. She creates an atmosphere so evocative of the 18th century I breathed the same air as the characters, wore their clothes, felt what they felt. The Square of Sevens is a masterpiece."
-Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of
-Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea
"A reminder that Laura Shepherd-Robinson is riding high in the historical crime stakes....a sprawling epic novel."
-Financial Times
"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
"Bright, gripping, and brilliantly researched, The Square of Sevens is a masterful, Gothic read."
-Signe Pike, author of The Lost Queen series
"Laura Shepherd-Robinson's latest is a book to lose yourself in, so meticulously researched and filled with such vivid sensory detail that readers will swear they've actually journeyed through both the grand estates and seedy underbelly of Georgian England. A gripping, Gothic read that, like its mysterious heroine, lures you in from the first page and keeps you guessing until the very end."
-Molly Greeley, author of The Clergyman's Wife
"This rich, complex and haunting Dickensian epic is a triumph of the Gothic genre. A book that stays with you. Shepherd-Robinson is an exceptional writer and meticulous researcher. She creates an atmosphere so evocative of the 18th century I breathed the same air as the characters, wore their clothes, felt what they felt. The Square of Sevens is a masterpiece."
-Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of
Readers Top Reviews
Allanon182
Great read, couldn't put it down. Well worth your time.
R H.Allanon182
This is a complex and intriguing tale of riches and badness running through one of the most respected families of the time (mid eighteenth century). Mixed in with the narrative are the ancient arts of card reading and astrology as our heroine tries to reclaim what she says is rightfully hers. Told from different POVs I found this to be equally as good as her first two books, if not better, with a fantastically colourful cast of characters. Definitely a story that would translate well to the screen. Just fantastic!
kittyreaderR H.Al
Having read her previous novels I have to say this was the best yet. What a yarn it was a great story hadme spellbound until the end and then the final twist. The best book I have read all year.
gerardpeterkittyr
This novel tells the story of a young fortune-teller in England in 1740. I confidently predict the reader will enjoy it immensely! Laura takes us on a rattling carriage-ride through high-life and low-life from London to Bath, taking in St Bartholomew’s Fair, Newgate Prison and the corrupt Prime Minister of that period, Robert Walpole. An orphan girl, a disputed inheritance, a cast of rogues and a dogged detective, Lazarus Darke. The author weaves the tale around the cards, as Red dishes out fortunes to all and gullible while seeking her own destiny. The book is long and the plot is complicated but it rewards close attention with jaw-dropping moments. The final action is a thrill a minute. It must be said that Rachel Antrobus alias Red is a highly unlikely creation, a more than smart adolescent who is a Freudian avant la lettre, but, as well as every character in the novel, she beguiled me too. Indeed a heroine to die for.
gerardpeterkit
Not once, twice but now three times Laura Shepherd-Robinson has conjured magic from her pen in this marvellous mystery tour of Georgian England. Red is a deliciously smart but often scheming fortune teller who's father she believes has left her hints towards an inherited wealthy family that could secure her future. Along the way we are graced at imposing Georgian family mansions set in massive gardens, alongside trips to Bath where Georgian life was at its zenith amidst gossip and scandal. From early childhood in Cornwall Red has had to have had her wits around her to seek out her birth mother and her need to pursue her true parent takes us from fairs to fancy balls. This is an unusual plot emphasised by packs of cards and the elusive Square of Sevens that Red has learnt to ply the fortunes of many a person - especially those she believes will be her own family. The ramifications of Georgian law and the politics of the time add an authentic note to the story. You'll need a sleight of hand to follow it but will be rewarded with the ace in this pack.
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