An interesting and informative novel. While I knew some of the history this was based on, this novel brought it to life and made me want to know more.

The Poison Bed is based on true events from the early seventeenth century and tells the story of Frances Howard and Robert Carr, the Count and Countess of Somerset, and the accusation of murder against them.  Each chapter is simply titled Him or Her as we read their differing stories from how they met until the murder accusation and the consequences  from that event.

The Jacobean Court of James I has so much intrigue and machinations that lends itself to brilliant historical fiction.  The Poison Bed has it all; politics, intrigue, love, secrets, lies, witchcraft and murder that weave together to make a rich tapestry of historical fiction. The characters are all flawed and have too many vices to mention, which makes for a wonderful read.  Frances Howard, from one of the big political families of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, is a pawn in the political machinations  of her family, however, she is not to be underestimated.  Frances is obviously well educated, confident, beautiful and has a mind of her own; she knows what she wants and will use her womanly  wiles to get it and to control others.  Considering women were seen as second class citizens, and only used to make political alliances, Frances has a strength of character and a confidence that was unusual in her day.  Having her first marriage to the Earl of Essex annulled after it was no longer proving useful to her family, it was decided she should marry Robert Carr, the favourite of the King and one whose star was rising at the court.  Robert Carr came from nothing, he was an orphan but had caught the King's eye, and it is said, as in this novel, that he became the James I lover.  It is a very strange affair, a Howard girl to an non titled homosexual lover of the King, but it makes for a brilliant novel.  The man they allegedly murdered, Sir  Thomas Overbury, a friend of Carr who tried to stop the marriage with blackmail, he was apparently in love with Carr himself. This was a time with warring families and changes in alliance that meant those who were favourites also had many enemies, who were willing to spread rumours and kill to try to bring those people down.

E.C.Fremantle puts a lot of detail and research into her books, and focuses on strong women of the period; I reviewed The Girl in the Glass Tower last year about Arbella Stuart.  She has a wonderful way of bringing the period and it's character's to life, immersing the reader in the Jacobean court, with all its intrigue, scandal and secrets. There are times it easy to forget that this is based on fact, and was one of the nails in the coffin of the Stuart dynasty.

The Poison Bed is a wonderfully engaging and thrilling read with love, intrigue, secrets and lies at its heart.  Enter the scandalous world of the Jacobean Court, and loose yourself in the wonderful characters, the political intrigue and the life and loves of Frances and Robert, Count and Countess of Somerset.  Simply a stunning read.

This is a complex and intriguing murder mystery set in the court of King James. I know little about the Jacobeans, but it felt realistic and full of period detail. The narrative switches between the two central characters, male and female and each is very different. I thought the plotting and reveals were skilled and I was hooked into the story immediately. The cover alone is intriguing and would prompt me to look inside. There's a loaf fact woven into the fiction which makes it a very convincing and satisfying read. Really enjoyed it and my thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Power, politics and poison at the court of King James 1.

I enjoy historical fiction and this was particularly interesting as it was set in the court of King James the First; a period of history that I had never really discovered before.

The author tells us that this is fiction but it is based on fact and could well have happened in the way it is described. The two main characters, Robert Carr and Frances Howard, were real; they did get married and they were involved in a plot to poison Thomas Overbury whilst he was imprisoned in the tower.

The book is written with alternate chapters entitled ‘Him’ and ‘Her’ so the story is told from both sides and although it starts in the middle of the tale it is very skilfully built up and explained. I really enjoyed reading it from both perspectives and in particular the twist at the end where we are kept guessing as to the eventual outcome.

Robert Carr rose from humble beginnings mainly due to his choosing the correct men to sleep with including, eventually, King James himself. However, he is portrayed as only doing this to further his own ends and when he meets Frances Howard he falls deeply in love with her. King James, himself anxious to keep his own homosexuality a secret, engineers the marriage between them, managing to get Frances’ marriage to the Earl of Essex annulled due to non-consummation.

The marriage is happy and passionate for some time but when they are both accused of poisoning one of Carr’s former lovers, things begin to fall apart. They are both kept under what we now call house arrest and we discover how Frances tries to manipulate the facts to incriminate her husband, whom she now finds boring and weak whilst Robert still madly in love, tries to prove their innocence.

Obviously, it cannot be proven how true this story is but the author has put together a very plausible tale of what might have happened. I really enjoyed the style of writing and would like to read more from this author.

Dexter

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

A Marriage. A Murder. In the autumn of 1615 scandal rocks the Court of King James when a celebrated couple are imprisoned on suspicion of murder. She is young, captivating and from a notorious family. He is one of the richest and most powerful men in the kingdom. Frances Howard, married to a man she despises, falls in love with the King's 'favourite', Robert Carr. Some believe she is innocent; others think her wicked or insane. He claims no knowledge of the murder. The king suspects them both, though it is his secret at stake.
This is based on a real-life murder. This was a well written engrossing read, I particularly liked the mix of facts & fiction. The characters were well fleshed & had plenty of depth. The story flowed really well & I was loathe to put the book down as there was lots of twists & turns. It also made me go & find out more about the actual murder. If you like your historical read to have lots of facts then this is for you.

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I have long been obsessed with the Howards and have read about them in various books over the years, and I had heard of infamous Frances Howard and the scandal that raged through the Jacobean court before picking up this book. It was essentially the reason to read this book. Now, I do think this is a very solid book and for fans of Phillipa Gregory and similar authors, this will be a fantastic read. I just wished I had not known the scandal and the outcome before reading this book, it spoilt it a bit. A lot. I liked Fremantle's assumptions though, the book may be based on fact, the novel is total fiction - naturally.

If you struggle with alternating viewpoints and jumps in timeline, be warned that this may be a bit tricky to follow at first. And it takes quite a while to wrap up, well that's how I felt anyway.

At the beginning, the changes between two narrators and first and third person are quite confusing but it is worth persevering as it all gradually falls into place.
This is a fascinating slice of Jacobean history, very well written and very intriguing..
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book is a fantastic imagining of the marriage between Robert Carr and Frances Howard set amidst the intrigue and political machinations of the court of King James. No dusty historical narrative hides between these pages though. This is a book full of manipulation, lies, lust and intrigue. The narrative is very cleverly plotted, with events seen from Robert's and Frances' view. But neither are wholly reliable narrators, and the reader is manipulated as much as any other naive courtier.

I found the character of Robert intriguing. He has clearly achieved his position as the kings favourite by the means of his pretty face, and he struggles to play the game that is required if he is to maintain his authority. I wavered between sympathy for him, and frustration at his fickle nature. Frances is by far the more interesting character though. She is labelled a whore and derided for taking on the attributes so prized by male courtiers. At times I admired her ambition and inner strength, then would read another chapter and be shocked at her machiavellian scheming. My opinions of both changed constantly throughout the book, and by the end I still wasn't sure who or what I trusted. I would now like to learn more about these people and see what happened to them both.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

The cover for this book is simply beautiful and I couldn't resist downloading it. It was only later I realised it had been written by the author of The Girl in the Glass Tower (using a slightly different name), which I read last year and thoroughly enjoyed.

The Poison Bed is set in the early 17th century, at the court of King James I, and is about a real-life murder. Frances Howard, married to a man she despises, falls in love with the King's 'favourite', Robert Carr. Promoted beyond his abilities, Robert depends heavily on his friend James Overbury's advice to keep his job and favour with King, but finds himself becoming increasingly obsessed with Frances. James Overbury will do anything to prevent his friend ruining himself over a woman - but will he go so far as to reveal the truth behind Robert's friendship with the King - and risk bringing down the entire monarchy?

The Poison Bed is a gripping story of lust and power and murder. I was completely enthralled by the story of Frances and Robert and couldn't put the book down, partly I think because their characters are so brilliantly written. The past was a terrible time to be an aristocratic woman - they were little more than pawns to consolidate the power of their family, and they'd need real strength to survive. The time period and life at the Court of King James is also beautifully realised. I think my only niggle would be the way the story switches between past and present, first person and third person, and I became bit confused at times. I loved the first part and I loved the second part, but I wasn't so keen on the twist in the middle!

I really enjoyed The Poison Bed and can thoroughly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction. It was lovely to read about the Stuarts and James I (even if he was horrible!) about whom I know very little. A five star read, especially if you're a fan of authors who mix fact and fiction (such as Philippa Gregory).


Thank you to E.C. Fremantle, Michael Joseph (Penguin), and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance review copy of The Poison Bed, which will be published in the UK on 14 June 2018.

I don't read historical novels often but I was drawn to the premise of The Poison Bed as it was set in Jacobean England. I really like E. C. Fremantle's style of writing, making the reader feel the events are current while not losing sight of the atmosphere of the royal court in the early 17th century.

Scandal hits when one of King James's favourites and his wife are tried for murder. James is suspicious of them both but he is aware that behind the mysterious death lies a secret he dare not have the world learn. It is intrigue at its best and I shall be reading more of E.C. Fremantle's work. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK/Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read and review The Poison Bed.

This is told from Robert's and Frances' viewpoint and is based on real historical facts. The story is intriguing and is great for fans of historical fiction. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book.

I did enjoy this but the ending, which could have been so delicious was a little rushed. Frances who has been reduced to an amoral creature by the Howards, but in particular by her monstrous, inappropriate Great Uncle has squashed any kindness or empathy out of her character, in order to carry out her families wishes. Her beauty. and wiles are so great that she manages to seduce Robert Carr - James 1st's lover and favourite and possibly, James himself.

The novel is very well researched and the fictional parts are well done and entirely credible. Freemantle paints a vivid and disturbing view of a Stewart court with its factions, partisan politics & religion causing bloodshed & suspicion.

I would definitely recommend this to any fans of Alison Weir or Phillipa Gregory.

It was the cover art that drew me to The Poison Bed I decided to request it as a bit of a genre challenge, it was described murder mystery set in the 1600's so I thought it I would be a bit different to things I would normally pick up.

What I didn't realise is that this is historical fiction and based on actual events/people from the time of the Stewart monarchy; Frances Howard, Countess of Somerset who was arrested alongside her husband in relation to the poisoning of a key figure at court who opposed her proposed second marriage. The book switches between Him and Her perspectives which focus on Robert Carr, a supposed favourite of King James I and Frances Howard; this split kept it quite interesting as you're continually switching between sides and between different groups on characters.

I gave this 3 stars because it took me about 40% of the book to really get interested in it; I used to read a lot of historical fiction and would have enjoyed more details around the time period in general as this was very character-centric. I'd recommend this if you're a fan of authors like Phillipa Gregory.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this fascinating book

this is a totally different genre that i am use...but i have to say i thoroughly enjoyed it...an historical novel based somewhat on fact...though at the authors discretion...

having said that it gives an ideal of the life and times back then and how women were exploited...this books is written with his and her viewpoints and makes for very interesting reading...

would really recommend this book to anyone that loves reading historical novels

This story is told by alternating the narrative between him (Robert Carr) and her (Frances Howard) and between the events leading up to and including their incarceration in The Tower of London.

Robert notices the demure Frances when she is attending court at an event held by Henry Stuart and is enraptured by her, despite her being married to Earl of Essex and him being King James' favourite.  Her uncle, Northampton, arranges for her marriage to Essex to be annulled so she can marry Robert as she too is keen on him, plus being married should quash gossip of the favouritism shown to Robert by the King.

Even though Robert is now married to Frances, he still visits the King in his bedchambers, where one day he is found by his friend Thomas Overbury, who threatens to divulge the information and also has an intense dislike of Frances. In a move by the King to stop this information coming out he offers Overbury a job as an envoy in Moscow, which he turns down even after Robert suggests he takes the post, so the King has no alternative but to send Overbury to the Tower.

Robert pleads with the King for his friends release, and when it is not forthcoming Overbury pleads for powders to be sent, though Robert is unsure and sends chalk instead. Despite Overburys dislike of Frances, she helps too and sends comfortable bedding and makes tarts for him to eat.  Overbury dies, a coroner is called and says its a natural death.  Eventually his death is investigated when someone comes forward with fresh information, so Robert and Frances are blamed and sent to the Tower to await their trial and fate.

To begin with the narrative swaps made the story a little hard to read until I got into the flow of it. Plus at first I got the impression that I should know my history and who all these names being banded about were: Southampton, Prince Henry, Princess Elizabeth, Essex, Northampton, Pembroke, etc,  so this made the story slow to begin with setting the scene.

Once the story took an interesting turn with a character revealing their true self, I thoroughly enjoyed it from this point and I raced through the story to find out more.  By the end of the story, despite their schemes, this character gets a comeuppance that could be considered worse than death itself in their eyes and the other character has married someone who isn't all they portrayed when they captured their heart.

Loved this book. It was a period in history I knew nothing about and thus continuously prompted me to investigate the actual history of that time and the main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed her interpretation of events., this author had certainly done her homework and it worked beautifully to her advantage. The characters remained true to themselves all the way through though of course we had the twist in Frances’s character which certainly paid off. The pictures she painted of this time in history were vivid and her writing kept me riveted from start to finish. A job well done!

I was sent a copy of The Poison Bed by E C Fremantle to read and review by NetGalley.
Love, Lust, Betrayal, Treachery, and Murder in the court of King James I.
The novel is written in separate chapters marked Her and Him and within these are sections each written in the third then the first person. This method works rather well allowing the reader to both know outwardly what is happening and also what the two protagonists, Frances and Robert, are actually thinking and feeling. The author manages to capture a sense of time and place and adds plenty of twists and turns. I recommend The Poison Bed for any reader who enjoys the genre of historical fiction with a basis in truth without wanting to be bogged down with reams of historical facts, as this is an entertaining and easy read.

An intriguing read,set in the court of King James I. The lead character is Lady Frances Howard,and the book opens with her journey to the Tower of London, via Traitors Gate. The story then alternates between Frances and her husband Robert Carr,who is one of James I,circle of 'Pretty boys' ,who share his bed.
I started this novel,feeling sorry for Frances Howard. She appeared to be ruled by the stronger male family members,who were only concerned to marry her off to their advantage. Her first husband was a disaster,or was he?
By the middle,I was pleased she had confidently married for love,by making friends with enemies of her family to get the man and title that she craved.
The end of the book is brilliant!! Such scheming and connivance ,the lies and betrayals of those who loved her,the cruel treatment of her husband,child and nurse,she appears to have fooled everyone!
The story is written from the viewpoint of imprisonment in the Tower and her struggle to save herself and her reputation . The second aspect of this tale concerns her husband,Robert Carr. He is one of many lovers of the King,and is party to a secret that could bring down the Monarchy.
The startling part of this novel,is how Frances has planned all these events to her own advantage! This is a stunning story of love,betrayal and revenge. It was so exciting and bold in its audacity,and I loved the descriptions of life at the Royal Court with all its political machinations . The details of life in the Tower of London,and the hardships they suffered, you had to be possessed of money and friends to be comfortable there.
I didn't anticipate how this story would end. As her plotting gradually fell into place,I felt so sorry for her husband Robert. He was well and truly duped! The conclusion was one that Frances had not foreseen and it was chilling! You were left wondering who would survive!! The one thing that wasn't explained,was, why was she afraid of water?
She really earned her title of The Wicked Frances Howard,and did she get what she deserved? I have posted this review to Goodreads today.

Brilliant historical novel. Based on actual historical facts with the author cleverly weaving in a novel to fill the gaps.

I really enjoyed this book continuing on the theme of the Howard's and Stuart's but without revolving around Henry VIII.

I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

This was based on a true crime. I love historical fiction and this is set in between monarchs and the periods I know about so was interesting from that point of view. The story was told from two points of view. I enjoy character led stories but I never really felt strongly about either of the characters.