The Honey and the Sting

Name: The Honey and the Sting
Rating: 3.82 (771 reviews)

by Elizabeth Fremantle

First published 2020

Amazon

3.8(771)

England, 1628. Hester has raised her son Rafe in secrecy since George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, forced himself upon her and abandoned her. She lives with her sisters: Melis, whose visions would invite accusations of witchcraft, and the younger Hope, whose beauty attracts dangerous attention. Their fragile household is threatened when Buckingham discovers Rafe and decides to claim the boy.

The sisters flee with secrets and letters that may offer leverage against one of the most powerful men in the kingdom. Their pursuit unfolds during Buckingham’s final year, when royal favour, public resentment and political violence surround the duke. Originally published under the name E. C. Fremantle, the novel combines a family survival story with a historical thriller about how women without formal power turn knowledge, loyalty and one another into weapons.