A Net for Small Fishes

'Sumptuous . . . If you're feeling bereft after finishing The Mirror and the Light, let Jago transport you to the Jacobean court' - Telegraph * 'A bravura historical debut . . . a gloriously immersive escape' - Guardian

Frances Howard has beauty and a powerful family - and is the most unhappy creature in the world. Anne Turner has wit and talent - but no stage on which to display them. Little stands between her and the abyss of destitution. When these two very different women meet in the strangest of circumstances, a powerful friendship is sparked.

Frankie sweeps Anne into a world of splendour that exceeds all she imagined: a Court whose foreign king is a stranger to his own subjects; where ancient families fight for power, and where the sovereign's favourite may rise and rise - so long as he remains in favour. With the marriage of their talents, Anne and Frankie enter this extravagant, savage hunting ground, seeking a little happiness for themselves. But as they gain notice, they also gain enemies; what began as a search for love and safety leads to desperate acts that could cost them everything.

Based on the true scandal that rocked the court of James I, A Net for Small Fishes is the most gripping novel you'll read this year: an exhilarating dive into the pitch-dark waters of the Jacobean court.

'Full of colour and intrigue . . . Historical fiction at its scintillating best and most filmic' - Susan Elderkin * 'The Thelma and Louise of the seventeenth century . . . Gut-wrenching' - Lawrence Norfolk * 'Terrific, rich in colour, character, place and time' - Sarah Dunant * 'A fabulous book. Frankie and Anne's world is not just brilliantly evoked but brilliantly sustained' - Andrew Miller * 'Dazzling' - Sunday Independent