Based on a true story, the fascinating narrative is twined with fictional allusions and factual history that brings the story to life and embellishes the characters well. I found the amount of characters quite difficult to juggle but this complexity also highlighted the intricate care and detail to history. On an formatting note, I found the Kindle version of this ARC very challenging with odd words jumping all over, so would recommend a different platform if reviewing via ARC. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

A really enjoyable, intriguing read, full of historical depth and a fascinating depiction of the tumultuous workings of James I's court. Jago deeply knows the period and gives a sense of the insecurity of life as a courtier and the rivalries that disrupt its daily affairs. The historical detail, although there is great depth, is held very lightly, giving way to a stranger-than-fiction story that is bursting with vivid characters. It's a perfect nohivel for fans of historical fiction - particularly the Tudor and Stuart courts.

This is a true story of intrigue and murder at the court of King James the Sixth and First ,when Frances,Duchess of Essex ,helped by her friend Anne Turner , plotted to poison Sir Thomas Overbury ,the friend of the man she wanted to marry , because he opposed the marriage.Both women were found guilty of the murder ,but the outcome for each of them was very different.
It’s a fascinating story ,full of detail about life at the court of King James ,and also about life for ordinary people of the time. It’s shocking to read of the way women were treated and of the gap between rich and poor at the time.
The only thing that I found didn’t seem accurate was the way Frances was referred to throughout as ‘Frankie’ which somehow seemed to be too modern ; I didn’t feel a 17th century noblewoman would have been referred to in this way.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys history.Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

‘The risks we took will lead others to want what she has: freedom from cruel husbands and a say in who they marry.’ So says Anne Turner, companion to Frances Howard, wife of Robert Carr, James 1’s erstwhile favourite, in the final pages of ‘A Net for Small Fishes’. Whilst this novel is set in seventeenth century England, there is much to interest today’s reader. Lucy Jago explores domestic abuse, female solidarity, motherhood, class distinctions and the power of the patriarchy through her delineation of a Jacobean scandal.
Most fascinating is the strong friendship between Anne and Frances, notwithstanding that the latter is so very much more privileged than the former. The reader appreciates that Anne relies on Frances economically and, because of this, is put in an impossible position. Their mutual loyalty develops perhaps, in part, through a mutual recognition that both have been treated poorly by the men they should most trust.
As Weston, Anne’s servant, so shrewdly states when on trial for aiding and abetting a murder: ‘This be a net for small fishes, that the great ones swim away!’ How right that is, and how right it remains today. Just think of the many abuses of power reported on across the world in the past year! A novel about the past yet for our times too.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Based on a true story the author does an excellent job of mixing fact with fiction. Strong female characters and a real sense of time and place. Women/witchcraft seems to be a bit of a theme at the moment but this book is better than most.. Frankie- really?? Seems very modern,. Well written and great characterisation.

Oh, this is such joy. Strong female characters that are ahead of their times and who won't be broken, despite the shackles of 17th century court life. Based on true events of the Overbury poisoning, I felt the characters from history come alive and I loved Frankie, a truly modern woman, just as Anne Turner did. She is like sunshine. The tangled, manipulative, corrupt life of the Royal Courts is vividly portrayed and the men don't come out of it too well either. But I wasn't prepared for how upset I was by the final events of Anne's life, tears fell unexpectedly. A sumptuous read that I shall remember for some time.

“This be a net for small fishes, that the great ones swim away!”

Years ago I read and enjoyed the excellent Unnatural Murder by Anne Somerset; a finely researched non-fiction book about a great scandal at the court of James I. A Net for Small Fishes is a vividly wrought portrayal of the same fateful events told affectionately from the vantage point of Mistress Anne Turner - wife, mother, lover, entrepreneur, and unexpected confidante to a great lady.

This novel is so beautifully written and well-observed that I think people who usually eschew historical fiction would find much merit within. Vivid, tangible, evocative. It is as sumptuously rich as embroidered damask and as smooth as the silk derived from King James’ “worms”! The thoughts, feelings, and worries of the two women central to the story are convincingly described to us; we feel for them as they are so utterly denied agency in their lives and often failed by their family and friends. This story is a reminder of how far we have come and yet that some things never change.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and to the publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

A Net for Small Fishes vividly brings to life the terror of the witchcraft trials during the Jacobean era following the tragic story of condemned widow, Anne Turner. Based on factual events of the poisoning of Sir Thomas Overbury, the title encapsulates the plight of society’s poorest during a time when to be of the lowest social rank marked women and Catholics as subversive ‘witches’ and murderers. A must read for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir.

Frances Howard may have beauty and be part of a powerful family but what she needs is a good friend. She finds this in Anne Turner, from a lower class but strong in her own right. But women are not “rated” in the reign of James I and this novel gives a brilliant insight and is based on a scandal of the time. Great read, enjoy!

I have read this book described as Thelma and Louise for the seventeenth century and it is a good way of summarising the story between Frances Howard, a beautiful young woman with a powerful family and an unhappy marriage, and Anne Turner, poorer but with a talent that could make her famous. The two meet and form an unlikely but very deep friendship, one that sees them through the twists and turns of life under King James I. Frankie brings Anne ever closer into her intimate circle as both discuss – and experience – loss and love, as well as creating more than a few enemies. They want only the best for themselves but the lengths that they’re willing to go to achieve them will definitely attract some suspicion. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It’s about a period of history that I love, and the attention to detail is wonderful. A really, really great book so early in 2021.

A slow build historical read that stays with you long after turning the last page. Based on true facts and the story of friendship between Ann and Frances.
The characters are both adorable and ones I disliked which I think was the intention. The writing was immersive and if true to life there was a lot of backstabbing during those times.
If you enjoy historical fiction and a scandal this is definitely one to look out for when published next year.
Thank you Bloomsbury publishing and Netgalley for this book to read and review.

What an absolutely sumptuous read this was. Rich with vividly depicted character's set against the backdrop of the jacobean court , encapsulating all the pitfalls that come with gaining notice at the royal court, favour can be lost as easily as it is won in this corrupt place.
The female protagonists that the storyline revolves around were vibrantly portrayed and their situations ,though differing , were relatable and you easily found yourself empathising with each of them.
The amount of research that went into the book was obvious, the attention to detail brought the Stuart Court to life and it burst from the pages and enthralled at the same time. It incorporates real historical figures and a shocking murder that was all the more so as it involved the kings favourite and brought the court into turmoil.
This was such an immersive read, the historical detail was interesting and informative without reading like a textbook . The characters of Frances and Annie were so easy to connect with and you willed a happy outcome for both women .. The friendship and loyalty that developes between them is heartwarming , Frances has everything A young woman could want apart from love and tenderness . Her husband is abusive in every sense and she longs to be free of him. Annie on the other hand is near destitute but has a husband that is respected as a physician, who has sheltered her from the sordid goings on at court. She has talent as a fashionista but no patron to establish herself. Once the two meet they quickly become inseparable and gain the notice of both majesties.
The injustices that faced women during this period was depicted in a realistic and believable way. Frances Howard and Annie Turner were vilified for breaking free of the confines and convention expected of their gender. As the storyline progresses you are willing Frances to listen to the wise council of her friend but you can sense the impending doom on the horizon.
The ending was heart rending and I literally felt gutted. The loyalty of both women to each other was beautiful and heart breaking at the same time. The characters stay with you longer than after the last page has been turned . I thoroughly recommend this book.

Very enjoyable stuff.
Historical fiction set in the courts always has me amazed at the bed hopping and back stabbing that goes on,that put into a current day drama would just seem too far fetched.
Two very strong lead female characters here,that you can't help but root for a happy ending for.
Both strong willed,and independent,but easily put in their place by how women were treated back in the day

A sumptuously written historical fiction of the Stuart era. In places, particularly towards the start, very beautifully written and full of minute period detail which shows how well researched it is. A Net For Small Fishes recounts a real scandal that occurred during the reign of James I (of the combined Scottish and English crowns). This has to do with a catholic noblewoman who divorced her first husband in order to remarry, and the consequential events that shook the nation, and immortalised the characters forever. More importantly however, it is the story of two women struggling to influence the course of their own lives, within a society determined not to let them. The plot appears to stay close to historical record (from my limited research whilst reading) whilst also spinning historical bias on its head and viewing this scandal with a potential different perspective - and with modern eyes a very likely take on the real events. I thought this was really interesting and clever - without giving away any spoilers, I will just say that the point of view is really intriguing and well imagined, and the author note at the end was fantastic. The ambiguity of interpretation of certain characters too such as the king is interesting - the reader is prompted to make up their own mind about some of his motivations, much as historians have to with lack of evidence for any single truth.

The one thing I didn’t like was the fact that Frances was commonly referred to as ‘Frankie’ throughout - this felt like a modernisation but I have no idea if it would genuinely have been used or not.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Bloomsbury, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.