"A Net for Small Fishes" by Lucy Jago is a captivating historical fiction that checks all the boxes: rich descriptions, meticulous period details, a gripping plot, and unforgettable characters.

At its core is the profound friendship between Anne and Frankie, which adds depth to the narrative and drives the story forward with its complexity. Jago's vivid imagery immerses readers in the sights, sounds, and smells of Jacobean England, creating a truly sensory experience.

With its blend of historical detail and gripping storytelling, "A Net for Small Fishes" is a testament to Jago's skill as a writer. This emotionally charged novel keeps readers invested in the characters' fates until the very end, leaving them eager for more from this talented author.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

I love good historical fiction, but feel that, perhaps, after Hilary Mantel, nothing else is ever going to match up. ‘A Net for Small Fishes’ comes close.

What really makes this book compelling for me is the way the author compares and contrasts life at court with its excesses and intrigues, its luxuries and scandals, its absolute abundance, with the poverty of the poor of London. Anne moves from one to the other, her life and all she has all on the brink of disaster, and despite the fact that she is clever, and funny, and capable, she can do nothing and be nothing without the support of a man.

The characters are portrayed very honestly, and I wanted to scream at Frankie for not helping Anne and her children more. But that’s reality, I suppose, something from which the author does not flinch. And Anne is also complicated – she can be selfish, and makes silly decisions – but they are both so human.

The first half of the book does drag a bit, which is why this isn’t a five star review. But the ending makes up for everything. It is so well done, just utterly breathtakingly good. So real, so poignant, just heartbreakingly sad.

Very definitely worth a read.

A riveting historical read based on a true scandal. I found this novel gripping and look forward to more from this author.

This was an unexpected little gem, based on a true story of the Overbury Scandal back in the Stuart era in England.

Anne Turner is the wife of a well respected doctor, raising her family and for the most part, not having a great deal to do with the Royal Court. And then she is summoned to visit the Countess Frances Howard and from there we embark on a rollercoaster of a story with love, intrigue, scandal and at the heart of it, a female friendship between two women with very different backgrounds.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and knowing it was a take on a true story made it all the more interesting. I don't want to give anything away but I found the dynamic between the two women fascinating. I feel like Frances (Frankie) underestimated the power that she had and how loyal Anne was to her throughout. On the flip side, Anne clearly stood to gain substantially from the friendship so it is not as straightforward as thinking she was naive and led astray.

This has definitely reminded me of my love for historical fiction. Thank you to @netgalley and @bloomsburypublishing for the opportunity to review.

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A really sumptuous and gorgeous piece of historical fiction. Beautiful and engaging from start to finish and such wonderful story telling

I’m not sure why this lingered so long on my shelf as it’s such a brilliant read. Rachael and myself have buddy read this all week and I’ve loved our chats about Anne and Frankie.
They are both such strong women and their friendship is one to celebrate and shout about - always there for one another even in such hard times and when women weren’t given any credit for themselves or allowed to be without a husband’s authority.
This story is brilliantly written and I felt the tension build as Anne and Frankie became more caught up in the drama and politics of court life.
Historical fiction is always my go to genre and this one ticks all the boxes. Lucy Jago describes life in the Jacobean court down to the minute detail and really brought alive the backstabbing and political climbing that went on. The hardship of living in the 17th century was described for both the rich and poor and the story made all the richer for it.

Anne Turner, the doctor’s wife, is called in to style young Frances Howard, to present her before court. Anne becomes a confidante to the young bride married to a cruel and impotent bully and they become close friends. This is their downfall and the resulting tragedy.

An interesting read. I rate this book 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC

Interesting characterss, firm friendships of women from different classes

I was intrigued by this book as it is based on a true story; the Thomas Overbury Murder scandal. I knew nothing about this event and was keen to read this story.

I was not disappointed! This is a slow burn of a read but I was so caught up in the glory of the court and the decadent lifestyles that I was swept along. I resisted looking up the history of the Overbury case so as to not spoil the journey. This is a story of two women whose friendship is deep and forgiving. Frankie needs to divorce from her husband, the Earl of Essex, and her friend Anne Turner is swept up in the impetuous drama of Frankie's life.

The contrast between the two women's way of life could not be more pronounced and I was captivated by their reliance on each other's friendships. As characters they were well developed and i felt quite authentically portrayed. Anne's life is tough. I had missed how young she was actually was at the start of the novel and felt immense sympathy for her life and the many events which she was powerless to prevent.

I thought the cover was a little bland, and it took me a while to actually start this book, but I really did enjoy the read. There were so many moments I wanted to intervene and will the characters to make a different choice. This book took twists which were totally unexpected with tragic consequences.

Historical fiction is my favourite genre and I really enjoyed this read. It placed me back in London of old, with earls, kings, queens and their courtiers. I felt as if I was transported back there able to identify the multiple smells and sounds. I loved Ms Turner and Frankie too who didn't like for the stereotypes of their times. The ever present pressure at the time to produce an heir raised its ugly head here and made for excellent reading. I loved it and would highly recommend.

3.5 stars.

This was a very interesting book to read, and is a perfect example of why I love historical fiction. Not only was this a gut-wrenching story full of intriguing characters, I learnt a lot about a time period I knew so little about. I feel like in literature Henry VIII and Elizabeth I make up most of the stories from this period. It was interesting to learn more about James I and this group of people alive during his reign.

It does go a bit too far down the road of being over written. It feels like it's trying to hard to sound like other books it's inevitably compared to like Wolf Hall, but it doesn't work as well.

The fact this is based on fact kept me hooked. For a first novel, this was solid. I can't wait to see what Lucy Jago does next.

In the court of King James 1, Anne Turner is told to befriend the young Frances Howard to needs help styling herself in a court that knows how much her husband despises her and her family. Stuck in an unhappy marriage, Frances latches onto the older, wiser Anne, and the two become fierce friends, sticking to each other during grief, annulments and poverty. As Anne uses Frances's connections to help keep her family afloat, Frances uses Anne as a confidante which eventually leads to a true scandal when they are accused of murder.

I enjoyed this historical fiction book set in a court that I have yet to read a lot of books from. While I've read books focusing on the witchcraft trials during James's reign, this is one of the first I've read set within his court and with characters who lived very closely with him. It was fun to learn more about the king's 'favourites' and reading more that it appears he was most likely bisexual and took lovers of both genders.

There was a strong strand of female friendship in this book, not only between Frances and Anne but also Anne and Mistress Bowdery. How people lived in the court such as the wealthy spending money the didn't have and living in debt because that's how the King liked it to be (and therefore these people not being able to pay the lower classes for work done like Frances and Richard Weston).

This book felt well written and really well researched and I'd like to read more from Lucy Jago. I didn't know anything about this true murder scandal before, and it was fun to learn about all the things leading up to it even if it had a tragic ending. I thought the epilogue between the daughters was also really well and touching, and it was nice that a story of female friendship still ended with the blossoming of a new one.

A Net for Small Fishes is a slow burn novel that novelises real historical events. I'm honestly quite glad that I had no knowledge of the historical facts before walking into this, as it meant that every twist and turn was a surprise. Two women from very different socio-economic classes are brought together in an unlikely friendship; Frankie the Countess of Essex and Anne, a physician's wife, a tailor and fashion artist seeking to make her way in court.

From one, almost chance, meeting, a friendship blossoms and grows, surviving all of the hell seventeenth century England has to throw at it. And seventeenth century England has it's fair share of hell. From Frankie's disastrous marriage to an abusive and impotent Earl, her courting of the King's favourite whilst still legally married and the scandal that results to Anne's more mundane but no less consuming problems of becoming a widower without prospects.

Jago writes a riveting historical narrative, slowly drawing out the details of these two very different women's lives. It's partly a very personal tale, focussing on the trials and tribulations of the two women. And yet it is also a testimony to court life of the seventeenth century, displaying the extravagant and gratuitous nature of being close to the King. It dissects the political manoeuvring of the time from a slight distance, understanding that both women are fiercely intelligent and yet separated from the 'male' domain of court by their gender and, in Anne's case, class.

A Net For Small Fishes is a tale of two women trying to take the course of their own lives into their own hands... in a time where this was not necessarily possible. It's a tale of love and of friendship, of subterfuge and of intrigue and one where both the time period and the characters seem to come to life around you. It's a slow burn of a novel and there are some clunky passages, but it's well worth investing your time into regardless.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

This was a well written account of an event in history that had catastrophic consequences. I liked the writing style, the emphasis on feminism and a tale of an unlikely friendship. Whilst it is doubtful whether it is factually accurate, it was nontheless an enjoyable read.

This was a really good read. It was well written with a compelling sotryline and well developed characters that were relatable and likeable - well some of them anyway - all wrapped up in a sumptuous setting. The book was full of vivid descriptions that made me feel like I was right there in amongst the court on the pages.
there were some truly heart wrenching monents in this book that I wasn't prepared for, I didn't expect it to be so emotive. I really liked this book and will think about it for a long time,. I will definitely be reading more by the author.

Absolutely loved this book.
It's a period of history I enjoy reading about anyway but this blew me away.
The descriptions are wonderful, dark, secretive, quite chilling themes.
By the end though I was fond for Anne and Frances, sympathetic and very grateful not to live in their world.
Tears were shed at the end. Read it, a brilliant, wonderful book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for alloeing me to read and review.

Based on a true story from the court of James I's Jacobean court, A Net for Small Fishes follows Frances Howard and Anne Turner— the latter beautiful with powerful family, the former talented but without reach, on the edge of destitution.

When Frankie and Anne meet against all odds, they form a firm friendship. Frankie pulls Anne into the Court of a strange king, where politics and gossip is key to rising high— and Frankie and Anne set out to rise as high as they can.

It's a slow burn, loaded with rich detail, complex characters and a larger than life Court to play in. I absolutely devoured this and wish I could go back again in ignorance to start over.

This was a Jacobean Historical fiction story. There were some interesting characters and storyline but it was very slow moving. There were some parts which piqued my interest. but not a top story for me.

A brilliant imagined depiction of the real life friendship between Frances Howard and Anne Turner at the Stuart Court. The political and religious turmoil of the early 1600’s provides the backdrop to this relationship between Anne Turner (middle class, then widowed into a precarious financial situation), and Frances Howard (born into one of the most powerful families in England but married to a brute for political reasons). The relative powerlessness of women is magnified the further down the social scale you go, ending in destitution for widows without family or connection. Anne’s potentially desperate situation combined with Frankie’s misery and caprice lead to choices by both women that drive a narrative that is both thrilling unexpectedly moving.