'In the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me' . . . A gripping and haunting historical novel for fans of Stacey Halls and Sara Collins.
Kate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. The Maiden won the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect 2020 prize for new writers. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.
The Maiden is a masterpiece. A thrilling historical murder tale but
so much more. Vivid, evocative and full of humanity.
*Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal and The
Twyford Code*
This riveting debut novel by Kate Foster takes the true story of
the murder [of James Forrester] and spins it into a mystery full of
twists . . . The tension persists until the last page.
*The Times*
Kate Foster expands the slender facts of the case into something
exceptional — a tense, thrilling investigation, with a decidedly
feminist slant.
*Daily Mail*
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*
The language and pace of The Maiden is fluent and driving . . . I
was quickly gripped. Offers to film Foster’s novel should follow if
there’s any sense in this world . . . This is an extremely
promising debut by Foster.
*The National*
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*
Inspired by a real-life case, this historical murder mystery
fictionalises an infamous crime of passion. Kate Foster reimagines
the lives of the women at the centre of the story and paints a
vivid and fascinating picture of 17th century Edinburgh
*Yours magazine*
Page-turning, transportive, funny, and tremendously moving, The
Maiden is a book to lose yourself in - just make sure you don't
have any plans, because once you start reading, you won't want to
stop
*Jenny Ashcroft, author of Under the Golden Sun and The
Echoes of Love*
Brave, bold and at times deliciously indecent with vivid characters
that leap from the page and demand attention. Kate Foster has such
a fresh, exhilarating voice
*Lizzie Pook, author of Moonlight and the Pearler's
Daughter*
The Maiden is historical fiction at its finest. A true-life murder
tale told thrilingly through the eyes of two very different women,
yet both are fighting for their futures in a patriarchal world
riven by hypocrisy
*D. V. Bishop, author of City of Vengeance*
A fabulous book . . . The writing is exquisite and it felt like a
rare treat – a story totally rooted in its time and place, but that
speaks across the generations
*Claire Evans, author of The Fourteenth Letter and The
Graves of Whitechapel*
An engrossing, sometimes chilling, read as Kate Foster's
imaginative retelling of an old tale takes her colourful characters
on a complex ride through the intrigues and prejudices of
seventeenth century Scotland
*Sarah Maine, author of The House Between Tides and The
Awakenings*
A pleasingly female-led re-imagining of true historical events, The
Maiden brings 17th century Edinburgh vividly to life in all its
colour and stink
*Mary Paulson-Ellis, author of The Other Mrs Walker and
Emily Noble's Disgrace*
A brilliantly bawdy, fabulously feminist take on a real life
tragedy. A beautifully written thriller full of all too human
characters. I loved it!
*Tina Baker, author of Call Me Mummy and Nasty Little
Cuts*
Hugely compelling and completely unputdownable. Every time you
think you know where the book is going, Kate Foster surprises you.
The characterisation and the narrative voice are both so
assured
*Katie Lumsden, author of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall*
An unforgettably vivid and very human story that had me glued to
its twists and turns from the very first page. A strong contender
for my top reads of 2023 already. A must read slice of historical
fiction
*17 Degrees Magazine*
This is a thrilling revenge tragedy, atmospheric, compelling and
delivering everything a good historical novel should
*Historical Novel Society*
The Maiden triumphs in its portrayal of the fight to overcome not
just class, gender, and society, but the wayward, and often
dubious, inclinations of the heart.
*The Saltire Society*
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