Laura Shepherd-Robinson delivers yet another atmospheric triumph in The Art of a Lie—a richly layered historical mystery that grips from the first page and never lets go.

Set in 18th-century London, the novel hums with tension and texture. The writing is immersive, the characters complex, and the setting crackles with authenticity. Shepherd-Robinson has a gift for evoking time and place without ever slowing the momentum of the plot. The world she paints feels lived-in and alive, with secrets lurking behind every corner.

What makes this story especially enjoyable is its balance of elegance and grit. It’s the kind of book where you find yourself completely absorbed, turning pages late into the night, eager to piece together a mystery that’s as clever as it is chilling. There’s a constant sense of unease that makes the experience thrilling but never overwhelming.

Perfect for fans of historical fiction and twisty crime dramas, The Art of a Lie is suspenseful without relying on cheap thrills. It’s thoughtful, beautifully written, and emotionally resonant. If you’re in the mood for a smart, atmospheric mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end—this one’s well worth your time.

I’m just going to blurt it out: I LIKED this story.
Finally! A plot without to-ing and fro-ing between multiple time lines and without overly complicated characters, “just” a good honest yarn! Make no mistake, this is no simplistic pap - there are quite a few “I did not expect THAT” moments.

Hannah Cole, owner of a confectioner’s in Piccadilly, is in a bit of a pickle after the violent death of her husband. Georgian London does not treat a widow gently, especially one with mounting business debts. So it seems very fortunate when William Devereux, a former business associate of her husband reveals to her that a large sum of money had belonged to Hannah’s husband. However, Henry Fielding, the author and chief magistrate, puts a block on all of Hannah’s inheritance due to its unknown origins.

Surely with the help of the gallant, handsome William, Hannah will retrieve the money that is rightfully hers. Or will she? Or is there a back story to both Hannah and William?

A great portrayal of Georgian London with its cutpurses, ultra-rich people, corrupt justice system and the emergence of the new craze for “iced cream”.

Author Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a skilled writer and storyteller. Told from Hannah Cole, widow and owner of a confectioners in St.James, point of view I was astonished when the voice changes to William Devereux, seemingly elegant stockbroker and gallant love interest. This shift in perspective on what is reality is brilliant and unnerving, who do you believe? What does each know about the other? As reader, who are you rooting for? Each twist and turn surprises in this delectable Georgian London thriller, full of tricks, charm, manipulation, coercion and the art of lying. A Dazzling fourth novel.

A struggling shopkeeper learns there might be more to her husband’s death than a robbery gone awry, and a business acquaintance of her husband offers to help her investigate. With a moralistic Magistrate (Henry Fielding, no less) threatening her money when she needs it the most, Hannah is eager to take up William’s offer.

However…

Nothing is as it seems.

I thought this would be a historical murder mystery in the style of Shepherd-Robinson’s earlier works. In fact, I think it’s closer to a psychological thriller or a character study. There are a lot of twists that leave the reader on the back foot and questioning who knows what (and when!). Which was a slight disappointment, even if it worked as what it was. Compared to other protagonists, Hannah felt a bit of a tabula rasa: dismissed because of her gender and station, we don’t see much of her true personality, even when inside her head. But as plot went I found the story innovative. The 18th century confectionary was a personal highlight for me.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

The sights and sounds of Georgian London come alive in this brilliant historical thriller. The story shows how scams are not new - conman were alive and well in the eighteenth century. There are notes at the end of the book that detail the historical background. With vividly drawn characters and plenty of twists and turns this is Laura Shepherd-Robinson's best book yet. A real treat for fans of historical fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

An incredible and immersive novel in 18th C London. I felt like I could follow the walks that the characters took and felt totally transported. The characters were strong, and I was rooting for Hannah whilst craving sweets after reading about the confectionary shop.

A twisty and surprising tale, and one that kept me wanting to read on with a good pace and lots of turns to keep me invested.

A sharp ending to end what was a brilliant read overall.

What a book. What a writer. I have read all of Laura Sheperd-Robinson's novels, and I think this may be the best yet. I was transported to Georgian London and captivated by what I found there.
The characters are relatable and likeable. Hannah and William were both so well written. My opinions about them were twisting and turning as much as the plot. Clever and intriguing, this is a gem of a book and I highly recommend it to all. It would be a fabulous book club choice.
And oh my goodness - I really want to try some of those ice cream flavours...

5* The Art of a Lie - Laura Shepherd-Robinson. A game of Georgian cat and mouse.

The cat and mouse tale of Hannah, widowed in Georgian London and trying to keep her head above water running the family confectionery shop (much to the annoyance of Mrs Fortnum at the shop across the road) amidst rising debts. When William Deveraux, a friend of her late husband, shows up he offers a glimmer of hope that Hannah could obtain her inheritance and be happy once again.

An incredibly tightly plotted game of cat and mouse, this is a fantastic book. The characters are complex, difficult to love or dislike and always doing things which surprise. The wider protagonists add a rich tapestry which truly transport the reader to the time and place of the story. This is a difficult book to second guess and it’s a true ‘strap yourself in for the ride’ thrill from start to finish. I genuinely didn’t know where we were going and couldn’t recommend it more highly.

The historical context is so richly imagined, not least the increasing desire for sugary treats and the novelty of ‘iced cream’. The explanatory notes at the end of the book (which do contain spoilers, so don’t start there) lend a great deal of depth to the book.

I have loved all of Laura’s books and The Art of a Lie absolutely sparkles. Even the cover is fantastic.

Thanks to Pan MacMillan and Netgalley for an ARC.

First of all, this has to be my favourite cover of Laura’s books so far - I love it! Thankfully it’s also another fiendishly clever story full of rich historical detail that I I found impossible to put down too!

Whilst this did feel a little different in plot style to Laura’s previous books, with the villains and their crimes being unmasked near the beginning rather than a big plot twist later on, I still found the characters compelling and the writing as wonderful as always. And the ending still managed to take me by surprise a bit!

This was not at all what I expected, but I enjoyed it very much. I planned to read just a few chapters last night before bed, but then I got to the last sentence of chapter 5, and from that point on I couldn’t put the book down until I was finished. (Who needs sleep?)

Set in London during the Georgian era, it starts like your typical historical mystery about a character – Hannah – whose life was upended by a crime (the murder of her husband), and who finds out her dead loved one kept quite a few secrets from her, so she starts investigating. But then it took a completely unexpected turn in a direction that gripped me even more. Battles of wit! Confidence schemes! (Though again, not in the way you would expect.) Sign me up!

It’s hard to say anything about this story without getting into spoiler territory, but I loved how it always kept you guessing who had the upper hand in the characters’ games of deception. You could never be completely sure who currently fell for (or didn’t fall for) whose lies and manipulations.

I loved Hannah, she was smart, resourceful and likeable. I was rooting for her the entire time. But I also enjoyed Billy’s POV. He was less likeable, but no less intriguing. And the inclusion of Henry Fielding as another major character in this cat-and-mouse game was also very interesting.

Fair warning about the male POV, which doesn’t appear until later in the book (about 70 pages in): It contains strong language and really is a shift in tone from Hannah’s narrative voice. If that sort of thing puts you off, maybe skip this book. But if you don’t mind strong language, I definitely recommend this. And I loved the ending, which was positively Shakespearean. (Karma? Irony? Tragedy?)

I’m also really craving ice cream now. 😉

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, Pan Macmillan, via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.

I loved this! Another brilliant twisty, turny historical thriller from Laura Shepherd-Robinson. While it's immersive and richly written, packed with accurate period knowledge, it’s also like a Netflix docudrama set in the 18th century - instantly relatable and proof that's there's no new confidence tricks! Without giving away any spoilers I loved Hannah and was rooting for her throughout. This is another novel which would make a fantastic tv series, I'd love to see Jonathan Bailey as William. I was entertained and gripped throughout and would highly recommend.

This is superb,I didn’t want it to end! Set in London in the 18th century this fourth novel by Laura Shepherd-Robinson combines a battle of wits between a con man and a widow set against a backdrop of middle class Georgian London. The plot twisted and turned and all too often took me by surprise with both protagonists being so likeable it was hard to know who to root for. As a huge fan of historical fiction,I so enjoyed reading and also learning about the shops and trades at this time. Placing the storyline in a confectioners added to an atmosphere of decadence that Hannah and William both sought in their lives, with the ending being bitter-sweet The explanatory afterword is equally fascinating. Truly,a fabulous read and highly recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

Loved this! I absolutely loved this! And I have to say this would make a great film! The Georgian streets came to life and Henry Fielding plays a prominent part. I learned quite a bit about him, let me tell you! It’s quite difficult to write much about the story without introducing spoilers- the two main characters were interestingly portrayed, with a certain amount of star-crossing. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

The Art of a Lie brings together Hannah Cole, recently widowed and the owner of a confectionary shop, William Deveroux, a handsome, charming stranger and Henry Fielding (based on the author of Tom Jones), the local magistrate investigating the murder of Jonas Cole, Hannah’s husband. The tale unfolds through first person narrative by Hannah and William and as the characters are developed it becomes clear that not all is as it seems (the clue is in the title). I warmed immediately to Hannah, I loved the detail of the confectioners and her little household, her determination to succeed and development of the ‘iced cream’ that took Georgian London by storm. William I liked less, in part due to the flurry of swear words that featured in his rather lengthy introduction, but this lessened considerably (and thankfully) as the story wore on and gained pace. The plot is detailed but the author explains through her narrators exactly what is going on – at times it might have been more subtle to keep the reader in the dark, letting the plot play out through the characters and action. Fielding is an admirable investigator, more devious than he seems and often underestimated. It is a clever story, very enjoyable and great fun to read although again the ending could have been managed with a slightly lighter touch. The history is very well researched and beautifully managed creating a realistic and lifelike setting moving from seedy gaming houses to the highest levels of aristocracy with ease.
Another terrific story from this author.

Many thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for an opportunity to read this ARC.

It is a good novel with a few nice surprises. However, I found that too many descriptions about how they dealt with their lies felt rather flat and too predictable. The conclusion was intriguing and fitted ...
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

Hannah Cole, a confectioner in the St James area near Piccadilly, London in 1749 is struggling to keep her shop open. Her missing husband Jonas is found murdered, his body found in the Thames. Now a widow, Helen believes she has little income until it appears that Jonas had made an investment with a man called William Devereux and in addition has much more money in the bank that she was unaware of. Her priorities are to find her husband’s murderer and to prove that the money was legitimately obtained. Henry Fielding, novelist and chief investigator believes Jonas had got it by criminal means and refuses to grant probate until proven otherwise.
Devereux suggests that Hannah makes iced cream to entice more customers and she relies on him more and more to help her whilst trying to behave with propriety as a new widow.
The novel is structured in four parts with the narrative shared between Hannah and William so we see their thinking. Shepherd-Robinson has written an ingenious story full of twists and turns, lies and deceit, whilst letting us know some of the scheming so that we can be anxious as to how events will play out. As usual her descriptions of London and its citizens give a wonderful picture of the lives of the highest to the lowest members of society. She shows what it was like to be alive at that time and in particular the problems facing single women. This is so much more than a historical mystery; it continues to surprise right to the last page.

Highly recommended and thank you to the publishers for the ARC.

After her husband is murdered, Hannah Cole struggles to make ends meet and keep her confectionery shop open. As Henry Fielding investigates, Hannah turns to new acquaintance William Devereux for support.

However, neither Hannah nor William are entirely what they seem and what follows is an artfully crafted game of cat and mouse set against the highs and lows of eighteenth century London.

A clever historical thriller with fascinating characters. Her best novel yet.

Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a favourite author of mine and this novel demonstrates exactly why. She writes historical thrillers which are witty and compelling with a great deal of historical detail and fully formed characters. There is intrigue, plot twists and romance and a lot of ice cream. Hannah and William were a fantastic fictional couple and I was really rooting for them both. It struck me that not a lot has changed in politics over the years! Having Henry Fielding as the magistrate was a deft touch and I enjoyed the scenes he was in. All in all a brilliant novel and right up there for me alongside 'blood and sugar' , my favourite

Clear your diaries because once you start this deliciously layered and clever historical thriller you will not want to put it down, as the bags under my eyes prove.
Newly widowed Hannah is struggling to keep her father's confectionary shop going as bills increase and her inheritance is bound up in probate (no matter the shop belonged to her father - 18th century law meant once she married it belonged to her now dead husband. Just one of the many jaw dropping details of the plight of women in 18th Century England woven in lightly but impactfully). So meeting William, an unknown friend of her husband who comes with news of investment income she can claim is welcome indeed. Also welcome is his suggestion she add an Italian delicacy to her shop, an iced cream his mother used to make. And that's literally all I can say... It is impossible to give any detailed review of this book without spoilers and so I am going to have to keep this brief because I want every reader to enjoy the non stop twists and turns as much as I did.
What I can say is that once again Laura Shepherd-Robinson employs her research richlyand expertly, every detail authentic, adding texture to the world she conjures up as opposed to showing how much she knows, making this an immersive novel historically and as a thriller. Utterly absorbing, highly recommended.

Another colourful and riveting tale of lies and deceit.

"The Art of a Lie" opens in London, 1749. Widow Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her confectionery shop The Punchbowl and Pineapple, afloat. Since the death of her husband, money has been short, and she has been unable to access his bank account. When Henry Fielding, famous author and new magistrate, appears. claiming her husband was murdered, and that the money in the bank is from the proceeds of crime, things look to get worse. Only when an old friend of her husband's, William Devereux appears, promising to help, do things start to look up. He even suggests to her that she could improve her shop takings by introducing iced cream.

Soon Hannah is drawn into a world of lies, deceit and corruption, not knowing who she can trust. Life for a widow in the 18th century is hard enough, but when certain people start to move in, she realises that there's more at stake then just her shop. As usual, the author tells her story against a colourful and fully rendered background. In this case, 18th century London, with its fine shops, its upper-class gentry and lower class rascals, and readers might very well recognise several famous names. We get to see the light and the dark places, the safe places and the bad, and all populated with characters straight from a Dickens or Hardy novel. Along the way we also learn of some delicious confecti0nery treats.

This book contains several surprises, most of which are revealed to the reader early on, which makes the story all that much more enticing. Knowing certain things brings a different perspective to situations and people. Hannah, Fielding, Deveraux, and others each hides their secrets, and even when they share information, the recipient never know if it's the truth or more lies.

Readers of the authors previous books will love this one, as will fans of Andrew Taylor, Natasha Pulley and Stacey Halls. Thoroughly recommended.