'The Square of Sevens' by Laura Shepherd-Robinson follows Red, a young girl who has the talent to read people's fortunes through the laying out of cards. We follow Red from her early childhood roaming the countryside with a Cornish cunning man, through to her late teens when she is imbued with the De Lacey family. The De Lacey's are in conflict with another branch of the family - the Seabrookes - over who should rightfully inherit Nicholas De Lacey's fortune. Red could be a help or a hinderance to either side.

Shepherd-Robinson is a fantastic story teller. Throughout I felt fully drawn into the story, as it is very well plotted and full of twists and turns. The dynamics between the characters was believable, as was its place in history. I would recommend this to readers of historical fiction and thrillers as a real page turner.

November 1730, Red a little girl on the road with her father, scraping a living. Her dad is known as a cunning man. Young Red makes Money by the means of Cartomancy, reading folk’s fortunes with a pack of playing cards, using an old version of doing the so called “The Square of Sevens”
This is a long paged book, lots of chapters.
I really enjoyed reading this, with its twists and turns.
I can’t go into it without spoiling the book for someone else, but it was just the type of book that I so like.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

I have waited for a few years for Laura to publish another historical fiction winner – and she has not disappointed me. Red travels with her father and makes a meagre living predicting fortunes using the Square of Sevens (believe me, you’ll be captivated). But when he died, leaving Red an orphan, she becomes the ward of a gentleman scholar. Life couldn’t be more different for the young woman – now she’s the delight of Georgian society. Fortune telling is a la mode, and there’s plenty of (mainly) women who want to know what lies ahead in their lives. For Red, she’s still got questions about her family, especially her mother and the circumstances surrounding her death. This has all the charm and intricate plotting that we expect from Laura’s books – it is exquisitely, meticulously plotted and you’ll want to curl up and absorb it all in as few readings as possible. For me, it’s reminiscent of Sarah Waters – praise that is richly deserved.

An intricate and impeccably plotted cracker of a novel about a young girl who is orphaned when her mysterious father dies unexpectedly whilst they live life as travellers telling fortunes to pay their way around the countryside. Red becomes the ward of a learned gentleman who relocates her to Bath, but tragedy is never far away. Obsessed with discovering more about her parents, she uses her card-reading gifts to charm her way into London society and opens a can of worms. A stunning read.

‘The Square of Sevens’ tells the story of Red – also known as Rachel – and the search for her true parentage. Believing her mother to be dead, and after an illness also takes her father, she is left with just a handful of items that might reveal clues to her family history. Her skills as a fortune teller find herself wrapped up in the world of the Georgian aristocracy, who also want to know who she is…

This is a long book, but I enjoyed every chapter. I found the pace of the first half of the book a little slow, which is reflected in my score, but the pace did pick up in the second half of the book and, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, events from earlier in the book were revisited, re-examined and slotted neatly into place. If you choose to read this on a Kindle, like I did, ignore the ‘percentage read’ – with a big book like this it will only frustrate you – simply immerse yourself in this great story.

Laura Shepherd-Robinson is extremely adept at descriptions of places and characters and her research into the period just shines through. From Cornish pubs to a fairground to the houses of Hanover Square and Piccadilly, I felt like I had visited them all. There were also characters I loved – particularly the household in Bath – characters I detested, and also characters that were ambiguous in their motives. That being said, I didn’t have a strong response either way to Red. I was keen to find out what happened to her, though, and was not disappointed by the spectacular conclusion.

Many thanks to the publishers and to NetGalley for the advance copy on which this review is based.

5 star read, reminiscent of a good Wilkie Collins or a Dickens novel. Loved the characters and storyline. It was a long book but didn't want it to end. Highly recommend to fans of Georgian era novels. Will wThanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Oh wow. The Square of Sevens is a tremendous work of fiction. [The author explains at the end where her ideas came from and how the story grew around some established and intriguing historical facts and documents; for once, the final notes were as interesting as the novel.]

Red is a fantastic character. The daughter of a 'cunning -man', she grew up roving the country with him and telling fortunes, using a unique method 'The Square of Sevens'. She is orphaned and raised by the kindly Mr Antrobus, and when he dies she is in peril, as Antrobus' crother steals her inheritance and wants her committed to an asylum to get rid of her.

Red escapes, and so begins her quest: to claim her true inheritance, the De Lacy fortune. It is an absolutely gripping tale, with twists and turns and danger at every turn. And a final twist that totally surprised me -- even though by that stage I knew that something was going to change the narrative yet again. Red is an intelligent, quick-witted girl, apt at reading people, manipulating them, and turning situations to her advantage.

The novel really reads like an 18th/early 19th C gothic novel, with mansions and secret passages and priest holes and hidden documents. It also has a touch of the Dickensian, with a stolen inheritance and the legal case that the family had been battling through for years. The scenes and conversations are vivid and engrossing. Not a dull moment throughout the book.

It's beautifully written, with wonderfully drawn and complex characters, a protagonist that you are rooting for right through to the very end.

This is an ideal book for anyone who enjoys well written historical fiction, set in England, especially if you love the original novels of the period.

Set in a bleak and misty Cornwall and then in Georgian Bath and London, Laura Shepherd-Robinson's The Square of Sevens is jam-packed with historical fact and juxtaposing splendour and squalor. Told through the eyes of the protagonist Red/Rachel – who reads cards using the titular Square of Sevens – she is fighting for her right as heir of the DeLacy Fortune.

With twists and turns from start to finish, this is a book that had me page-turning late into the night. Such a great read; Laura Shepherd-Robinson's best book yet!

Some of the layout (images etc.) in this particular advanced e-reader version made it more difficult to read, however, I am sure this will be fixed ahead of the publication and will make for a beautiful as well as well-written book to own.

Red grows up with her father, travelling the country and telling fortunes by the Seven of Squares method, that she has learned from an old manuscript. On the death of her father, Red finds herself a home with a gentleman guardian, and embraces a higher level of society, with her card skills seen as a novelty by society ladies.

More tragic events lead to danger, and Red finding herself alone and vulnerable on the road. Amidst the danger, her own history is slowly revealed to her - and it's a gripping one!

The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

In Georgian England Red is brought up by her 'cunning man' father and they wander the roads making money from fortune telling by reading cards - the square of sevens. When her father dies, Red is taken in by Mr Antrobus and as she grows up she tries to find out about her family and claim the legacy she is entitled to.

Wow what a book! Every time I thought I had nailed what was going on... bam, another twist! Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a genius - the historical detail. the characters, the plot... all fabulous! Loved every minute of it and couldn't put it down. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This is a richly, detailed historical drama. I loved it! Set between the west country and Bath, Laura Shepherd Robinson sets out to explore the world of fortune telling in the 18th century. The protagonist ,Red, is brought up by her father, a wandering "cunning man" who teaches her how to read the cards and the infamous "Square of Sevens" A series of . tragic events unfold which launch Red on a journey to find her true family as she avoids imprisonment for illegal fortune telling. This book cannot be rushed. There is a tapestry of well drawn places , characters to both love and hate and many relationships and intrigue which will propel the reader back to an era when science and magic were both revered and feared and where societal etiquette mattered above everything else. Highly recommended.

Rating: 3.2/5

"The Square of Sevens" is a meticulously planned historical mystery drama - a tale of fraud, excess, illusion, and the vagaries of fortune. I won't venture further into the outline of the plot as there is already sufficient information in the accompanying marketing blurb. That said, if you are the sort of person that likes a quick read, then this may not be the book for you. I would typically finish a novel over the course of 2-3 days, but this one took 6-7 days - which is certainly not to say that I didn't enjoy the experience.

Laura Shepherd-Robinson is clearly a writer who takes a great deal of care over the planning process and that is evidenced by how well the various strands of the plot hold together. That attention to detail can also be seen in the structure of the novel. The form of cartomancy featured in this story, the eponymous Square of Sevens, consists of twenty-one cards. The author has taken this element and built the structure of the book around it. The novel is divided into four parts, with each part consisting of twenty-one chapters. Each chapter is headed by a different playing card and the meaning of that card mirrors the events of that particular chapter. The four parts of the novel further correspond to the four different fortunes that the central protagonist, Red, tells during the course of the story. The skill required to achieve this is admirable and can, perhaps, only be truly appreciated in hindsight. On the downside, I can't help feeling that this devotion to the planned structure led to some pacing issues in the central body of the story.

Although set in the 18th century, this novel does have more of the feel of some 19th century fiction, such as that produced by Dickens, Thackeray and Hugo. The author has clearly carried out extensive research and mostly captures the essence of the featured period very well. I suspect there are a couple of references that may pre-date there first actual usage, but unless you are prone to occasional attacks of anal retentiveness (like me) then this is of little consequence.

Overall, this is an an enjoyable read that you should ideally take your time over and savour. Personally, I would have preferred a less pedestrian pace in the main body of the story, where I felt similar ground was retrodden unnecessarily, but as I indicated earlier, I suspect this may have been due in part to the adherence to the pre-planned structure. Nonetheless, an easy book to recommend and I will happily come back for more from Laura Shepherd-Robinson.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Having loved Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s previous books I was absolutely thrilled to receive an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

You are immediately drawn into the story. Red, the daughter of a Cornish fortune-teller & herself at seven, learning the trade using the Square of Sevens method. When she is dramatically left orphaned, she becomes the ward of a kindly gentleman, Mr Antrobus of Bath. She’s raised as a lady with the help of his housekeeper, who was the only mother figure she ever knew but she still cannot let go of her parents & why her father was so scared his enemies would find them. It niggles her and it has her travelling from Bath to London and Devon.

Through her card reading she meets the rich De Lacy’s whom she believes hold the secrets of her past. It’s an intricate tale with lots of very clever twists and you can’t really be sure who you can & can’t trust. I absolutely loved it & so highly recommend.

Although the Square of Sevens is a long read, I loved every minute of it. I’m a big fan of Laura Shepherd-Robinson and this novel is another great read. A riotous ride through the 1700’s, we follow narrator Red and her journey through the highs and lows of society, plying her trade as a cartomancer.

Previously travelling with her father, reading cards, Red becomes a ward of the wealthy Mr Antrobus after her father passes away. Red’s skills in cartomancy bring her to the high society of Bath, where she uncovers information about her family that starts her on a quest to uncover the truth. As I read on, I got the feeling that there was something else at play - things are not always as they seem! The story moves location often, covering Devon, Cornwall, London and Bath. As the layers of the characters were peeled back, the plot thickens and I found myself grasped by who, or what was going to surprise me next. A particular highlight were the characters and dark secrets of ‘Leighfindell’ - an endless trove of gossip and potentially ruinous family affairs - as events pick up pace, the huge manor house was an excellent backdrop for it all to play out.

I loved Red as a narrator and was truly invested in the journey - every chapter brings further levels to the story and there are both wonderful and odious characters galore, which I loved! I was gripped - it’s a real page-turner. The ending was an absolute surprise to me - I think I actually gasped out loud. Brilliantly researched and full of colour, vibrancy, twists and turns, I fully recommend this as a chunky holiday read or a book to fully escape into. Loved it!

This is the latest offering from Laura Shepherd-Robinson, a cracking, multilayered, gothic Georgian historical yarn, with a strong Dickensian feel, a family drama dripping with intrigue. It has 7 year old Red travelling from place to place with her fearful Cornish father, a 'cunning' man deploying cartomancy, telling fortunes using the ancient Square of the Sevens to make some kind of a living. This is a richly detailed and twisted narrative that shifts location from Cornwall, Bath, London and Devon. The structure itself is built around the Square of Sevens, with each chapter assigned a significant card. Be aware there is a huge, wide ranging and disparate cast of characters that incorporate the truly villainous to the good. with some turning out to be rather different from when we first encounter them.

When her father dies unexpectedly, Red's life changes dramatically as she becomes Rachel, the ward of a gentleman, Mr Antrobus, who lives in Bath, becoming a Georgian lady who herself tells fortunes of others, using the Square of Sevens. However, burning at the core of her being is her desperate need to know more about her identity and her mother, her family history and why her father believed they were under constant threat from dark forces. A flawed and complex character, Red sets out to discover her past, a path that is to bring danger, but she is resilient and not one to be put off by this, as she becomes aware of and immersed in her mother's family, the wealthy De Lacys and their fascinating home, Leighfindell.

In this thrilling tale, there are numerous misdirections, lies, deceptions, corruption, heavily disputed inheritances, and family secrets. Shepherd-Robinson skilfully plots a stylish, intricate, and gripping historical mystery that kept my interest from beginning to end, spanning the lowest and highest parts of Georgian society, providing a social and political commentary that highlights the inequalities of the time period. I think fans of the author are likely to enjoy this, as well as readers who like historical fiction or anyone else who just loves great storytelling. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

If Dickens, Du Maurier, and Austen had a story baby in 1700s upper, middle, and lower class England, this would be it. And while we’re at it, throw in a little Ann Radcliffe gothic je ne sais quoi for fun measure since there are spooky priest holes and superstitious red herrings all throughout.

Anyone who knows anything about the Georgian era will immediately see that Laura Shepherd-Robinson has meticulously researched for “Square of Sevens.” The writing and care for this twisty-turn read are impeccable right down to the history bits woven into the fictional plot.

It is a slow burner and a long read, so buckle up. You’re in for a real literary treat of intrigue that takes you to Cornwall, Bath, London, and back. The conclusion is satisfying; you won’t be disappointed!

I did get lost at times with the fortunes and keeping up with the family drama, but it does all make sense in the end. Just don’t blink as revelations are made in the span of single sentences.

The diverse cast of characters means everyone will find someone to doubt, adore, despise, and cheer for. I personally appreciated Tamson (kind, savvy, loyal, and a realist) and Septimus (sardonic, witty, devilish but not enough to hate him especially since he married someone far beneath his station - and for love no less!) the most and was glad they weren’t blips in the book. Our main character Red/Rachel is a strong female character and humanly flawed while her narration keeps you guessing at everyone’s motives and trustworthiness.

Through his own narrative perspective, Lazarus Darke initially gives off creepy “Credence Barebone” vibes but it turns out he’s more of a Sirius Black type.

It’s been a long while since I’ve read such a unique book, and it’s very deserving of all the great reviews it’s getting before its release.

Bonus: the author was very engaged with in-progress shares on Instagram which was a pleasant surprise!

I have had other books by Shepherd-Robinson on my To Read shelf for a couple of years now, so once I’ve recovered from this one, I will definitely be looking at getting them off that shelf.

// Thank you so much to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! //

The Square of Sevens is an audacious historical thriller set in Georgian England. Loosely inspired by the nineteenth-century cartomancy hoax of the same name, Shepherd-Robinson tells an ambitious tale of fortune and forgery in this sweeping Dickensian pageturner.

I love an unreliable narrator, and I fell under Red's spell from the start. With delightfully flawed characters, ingenious storytelling and more twists and turns than you can shake a stick at, her story kept me guessing until the very end. Shepherd-Robinson's prose sparkles with wit and vigour, and considering its length, it's a surprisingly pacey read.

Bold and inventive, The Square of Sevens is everything I could've hoped for and more. My only regret is that I won't be able to read it for the first time again!

“For now have you before you the very Square of Sevens…”

The third novel by Laura Shepherd-Robinson is the perfect cabinet of curiosities, stuffed with all you need for a fantastic Regency read.

There’s an orphan searching for her family, fortune-telling and fairground attractions, cards, charms and Catholic priest holes. There are rich and poor, criminals and lawyers, doctors and maids, all mixed up in a mystery inside an enigma.

This book is whiplash smart and highly entertaining. Make sure it’s in your future!

Thanks to @NetGalley for this early copy to review in my on words. It’s available to buy from 22 June 2023.

This book is a wonderfully dramatic tale. Shepherd-Robinson creates a complex Gothic narrative: cartomancy, isolated locations, mysterious origins and family secrets abound as Red tries to discover the true story of her parents.

Set in the first half of the eighteenth century in Bath, Devon, Cornwall and London, this twisty narrative involves a broad array of characters. When Red’s itinerant father dies when she is seven, she becomes the ward of a gentleman in Bath. There she grows into a fine young lady … but the hidden questions remain: who is she really?

One thing is guaranteed when you read this book … you won’t guess. The plot is laden with handbrake turns! If you loved ‘Blood and Suger’ and ‘Daughters of Night’ then you won’t be disappointed with this very entertaining epic.

A superb stand alone novel from Laura Shepherd-Robinson. Set in 1740, the story is mostly narrated by Red, a young girl who has never known her mother and, when her father dies, is adopted by a gentleman who turns her into a lady. Eager to find out the truth about her parents, Red's investigations take her from Cornwall, to Bath, to London and to Devon. As she becomes embroiled with the De Lacy family, she finds herself threatened and having to use all her ingenuity to succeed.
This is a sweeping tale about truth and lies, about family conflicts and greed. The interesting cast of characters are well-drawn and inspire a mix of emotions, easily deceiving the reader into trusting them. It is a well-researched book, full of flavour of the Georgian era. There are plenty of surprises along the way and the ending twist is superb. A tightly plotted story, that is such an entertaining read. Highly recommended.