The story is set in and around Rome during the late 16th century and based on the true and tragic story of Beatrice Cenci who, with the aid of her siblings and stepmother, bludgeoned her abusive father Francesco to death and then threw him off a balcony to make it look like an accident. The narrator is Beatrice herself which to me was a little bizarre considering the outcome! Sadly for me the tale lacked historical detail and became a little tedious lacking any real depth and emotion - I was skipping pages towards the conclusion. Sorry - not for me I’m afraid.

I have to say that I did not finish this novel by Elizabeth Fremantle. The premise of the story interested me but I was frustrated by the overblown descriptions of Olimpio. I felt there was too much emphasis on these interludes and it detrimental to the story.

A 16th century tale taken from life, about a young noble woman in a vulnerable situation with an abusive father, becoming part of something much darker. She has a much loved companion, who is replaced by a young girl who wishes to become a nun, and is seen as untrustworthy. They are uprooted to an inhospitable country house with her stepmother and half brother who is neurodivergent. There are, despite these circumstances, some beautiful passages of her love of nature and animals, when she gets to temporarily escape with horse and dog, and a burgeoning love for one of their party. I was totally engrossed in this beautiful story, and was surprised how close it came to the reality of those times. The author deals very sensitively with the language of Roman Italy, and I felt it evoked the spirit and injustices of that period.

A very different pick for me, I wouldn't normally lean into historical fiction but I'm so glad that I did.

Wonderfully written, it was easy to become engrossed in the story of Bea and her terrible father.

I would love to see this book made into a TV series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the privilege of reading this ARC, I am not sure I would have purchased it but I'm so glad I did.

A young noblewoman, poised and defiant, awaits her fate. Within the walls of the Corte Savella, she has stirred the hearts and captured the imaginations of all Rome…

This is the powerful and poignant story of Beatrice Cenci.

Too often history has flattened her—portraying her either as a fragile victim of cruelty or a cold architect of revenge. But this Beatrice is far more than the roles imposed upon her. A woman in love, imprisoned in a distant castle by a tyrannical father, she burns not with helplessness, but with unyielding spirit.

She is both light and shadow, innocence and defiance—a complex soul who dares to rise in a world ruled by violence and men.

And rise she will, with unshakable grace, no matter the price.

Stunning writing, description in detail on page after page. Page turner.

True story based in 16 century in Rome. The abuse a family all suffered at the hands of their father. Abuse that did not bode well for any of the family right to the end.

Thank you Net galley for letting me read this book.

I was on the edge of my seat for this entire book. The author really has a gift for making you feel the danger that the characters are in in every chapter. It is a tense, emotional roller coaster that will have you holding your breath and hoping that things will turn out okay. Beatrice was a brilliant, strong character and her love story was urgent and believable. All the characters were well written and well rounded, and Fremantle really does have a gift for writing a villain!

I just loved this. I hadn’t heard of the true story that this was based on and made a point to not do any research before finishing. The re-telling is written beautifully, bringing you through all of the emotions and frustration with the characters. I enjoyed the concept and felt like the modernisation dealt with difficult topics really well. I couldn’t put this book down, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend. I’ll be going to find other books by Elizabeth Fremantle and will keep an eye out for future books, too!

Sinners by Elizabeth Fremantle is a beautifully constructed historical novel, which tells the tale of Beatrice Cenci, a real woman in 16th Century Italy. I loved it - it was gripping and evocative, and richly imagined. I look forward to reading more of her work. It is always a joy to find a new author.

This story is very well written and well researched. It tells the tragic account of Beatrice Cenci life of abuse, rape and love. One of her brothers is killed by a rival family in revenge of the father’s behaviour and who is in prison. After the funeral and the father’s release from prison the family flee to a remote hunting lodge away from any future attacks. They settle in and Beatrice meets Olimpio the castle keeper and who has been ordered by her father to watch her and report her movements to him. Subsequently they fall in love and start an affair which inevitably she becomes pregnant. Meanwhile the father contiunes his violence towards his wife and daughter he finds out about the pregnancy and confines her to her room. The family conspire to kill him because of his abusive behaviour towards the whole family which culminates him falling to his death. An investigation follows and the investigation is elevated to a higher. Board of investigators by the church. I will leave you with the conundrum whether the proper verdict is reached at the trial. I recommend this book to you as it a very good read.

This is the first book by Elizabeth fremantle that I have read but will certainly not be my last. I had never heard of Beatrice Cenci prior to reading this novel but the authors descriptions bring her story to life to the point you feel the emotions that Beatrice is.

The novel is so well written that you can picture every scene. I highly recommend this to everyone.

Elizabeth Fremantle’s Sinners is a searing, gorgeously wrought reimagining of one of history’s most infamous women—Beatrice Cenci, the Roman noblewoman whose 1599 execution for patricide scandalized Europe. Fremantle strips away centuries of myth to reveal a Beatrice who is neither passive martyr nor scheming villain, but a fiercely complex woman blazing with defiance in a world designed to break her.

Set against the opulent brutality of Counter-Reformation Rome, Sinners opens with Beatrice imprisoned in the Corte Savella, awaiting death. From there, Fremantle unfurls a taut, incendiary narrative of abuse, rebellion, and survival. Beatrice is no ethereal victim: she’s pregnant by her lover, hardened by years of her father’s cruelty, and crackling with “white-hot rage” at the systems that enabled him. Fremantle’s Rome is a powder keg of corruption—where the Church’s moral posturing masks rampant misogyny, and wealth shields monsters.

The novel’s brilliance lies in its moral ambiguity. Fremantle refuses to sanitize Beatrice or simplify her crime. Was her father’s murder an act of self-defence? Righteous vengeance? A desperate bid for autonomy? The answer is all and none, and the tension between innocence and guilt thrums on every page. Supporting characters—from Beatrice’s tormented family to the artists and radicals drawn to her cause—are rendered with equal depth, their loyalties and betrayals mirroring the era’s ideological fractures.

Fremantle’s prose is lush yet precise, evoking Caravaggio’s chiaroscuro: light and shadow duel in every scene. The pacing is relentless, hurtling toward the inevitable with tragic momentum, yet Fremantle finds moments of startling tenderness—Beatrice’s love for her unborn child, her fleeting joy in rebellion—that make her fate all the more devastating.

I absolutely loved Elizabeth Fremantles last book Disobedient and this one follows in a similar vain. A little know story of a real scorned woman, set during the Renaissance.

Much like Disobedient this book had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I was nervous the entire time, every decision had me totally on edge and waiting for the penny to drop.

The only improvement I would have liked is the justification of our main characters choices. For example why would someone who's living with a complete tyrant risk everything for a romance. But at the same time, you can fill in the blanks.

Recommend for any historical fiction buff!

This has everything you want in a historical novel set in italy, intrigue, murder, love, loss, suspense, strong characters and the setting so lively and descriptive. The story carries along beautifully and I found myself warmed to bea the main character and all she lives.

What a fascinating account of life in late sixteenth century Rome, with a retelling of a true story but from the point of view of Beatrice. It was so well written it was like being there and experiencing the brutality of the regime, where torture was a normal procedure for the Church to indulge in. You can't help sympathising with Beatrice although she wasn't exactly all innocence herself.

Sinners is an absolute triumph. I’m new to the work of Elizabeth Fremantle and had never heard of Beatrice Cenci, so this has been a true delight for me. There are author notes which explain extensive research and the meld of fact and fiction, but this is basically a true story brought to life in this work of fiction. It’s a powerful tale of corruption, hypocrisy, religious fervour. There are those who have sinned and those who are sinned against and it makes for a truly gripping read. Beatrice is no angel, but with deft hand, she leaps out as a person. Flawed, maybe, but inherently human and one who finds herself in an impossible situation. Set in Rome of the 1500s, I felt that period really came to life and there’s great attention to historical detail which takes the reader to a different time and place, Totally immersive, with so many themes explored, this is one of the best fiction titles I’ve read this year. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley fir an early review copy.

A great look into morality and religion. Elizabeth Fremantle has created such deep, nuanced characters with such different reactions to the situations they find themselves in. Bea, the protagonist, is fantastically thoughtful and lyrical. Her story is so tragic and we are allowed to live it with her through her fear, love, hatred, hopes and ultimately her loss.

I will definitely seek out more works by Elizabeth Fremantle as I thoroughly enjoyed her style of writing and how it makes you think and feel for the characters.

An excellent read ...a story based on the bones of a true historical story of the Cenci family in Rome during the 1500's. Well written and constructed with a build up to the climax which I found gripping. The author's notes based on extensive research gives a balanced review of "actual" facts.

Elizabeth Fremantle’s Sinners is a searing and unforgettable reimagining of one of history’s most haunting figures. Set against the grandeur and brutality of 16th-century Rome, this book reclaims the voice of Beatrice Cenci, a woman history has so often simplified or silenced.

Fremantle gives us a Beatrice who is not merely a passive victim, nor a calculating murderer, but something far more human and compelling. She is furious, flawed, and full of fire. In this version of events, she is a woman who has known violence, betrayal and confinement, yet remains defiantly herself even in the face of death.

The setting is vividly drawn—the rot of political corruption and religious hypocrisy seeps through every corner of Rome, from the oppressive Corte Savella prison to the cold splendour of the Cenci estates. The writing is visceral and atmospheric, with moments of striking beauty and crushing intensity.

What sets Sinners apart is its refusal to give easy answers. Fremantle doesn’t offer a neat, sanitised version of Beatrice. Instead, she presents her in all her contradictions: innocent and guilty, victim and agent, saint and sinner. It is a bold, unflinching portrait that demands the reader reckon with uncomfortable truths about power, justice, and the way history is written.

This is not a book that sets out to comfort—it provokes, challenges, and lingers long after the final page. For those familiar with the myth or the Shelley poem, this is a powerful reframing that dares to ask what happens when we truly look at the woman behind the legend.

A triumph of historical fiction and a reminder that every myth deserves a second telling.

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Rome,1599 a true story of murder. But who did it and why. All attention has fallen on a young noble woman Beatrice Cenci. Is she a killer? If so, what drove her to this terrible crime the consequences that will lead to her execution?
From the beginning, there were whispers about the unnatural behaviour of Beatrice's father. You feel he may be a man of violence, arrogance, a man of storms and thunder. A man you run from, if you can. Already lost, a son from his feuding with the other leading families of Rome. He is such a fearful giant of a man, every time the pages talk of him, I am afraid for her... for them all..
Over time, treatment he meets out get worse. How much can Beatrice be expected to take. Following a particularly nasty encounter with her father, and fearing reprisals, the family flee Rome to their fortress in the country. For Beatrice, it's a prison giving the tale an even more ominous and eerie feel...
The one glimmer of hope in this dark and violent place is the handsome Olimpio.

Be prepared, it will challenge you. I cried tears of loathing and disgust, I cried tears of pity and fear.
Sumptuously atmospheric. Disturbing, shocking and troubling. And brilliant!

Thank you so very much to netgalley Penguinr Random House and Liz Fremantle for allowing me to read this wonderful book ahead of publication on 3rd July 2025

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