{"title":"Lesley McDowell","description":"\u003cp\u003eLesley McDowell's novels weave rich tapestries of \u003cem\u003ehistorical fiction\u003c\/em\u003e, drawing readers into immersive worlds where complex characters navigate love, loyalty, and the turbulent forces of their times. Her storytelling balances evocative detail with compelling emotional depth, inviting readers to explore both the grandeur and the intimate moments of history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the haunting atmospheres of \u003cem\u003eClairmont\u003c\/em\u003e to the passionate entanglements in \u003cem\u003eLove and Other Poisons\u003c\/em\u003e, McDowell’s writing captures the delicate tension between past and present, bringing history vividly to life through memorable prose and nuanced narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"love-and-other-poisons-by-lesley-mcdowell-9781035411702","title":"Love and Other Poisons","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA fascinating, forensic deep-dive\u003c\/strong\u003e - DENISE MINA\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeautifully written, richly evoked and utterly gripping\u003c\/strong\u003e - EVA DOLAN\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA seductive tale of sex and death\u003c\/strong\u003e - SARA SHERIDAN\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e*\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1857, Glasgow.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA young socialite named Madeleine Smith stands accused of murdering her lover. Thousands wait outside the court to hear the result. The scandalous nature of the affair, detailed explicitly in letters published in newspapers across the world, has made her case a worldwide sensation. But when the jury find themselves unable to decide whether she is guilty, they render a verdict of \"Not Proven\" - and Madeleine is freed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1927, New York.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHarry Townsend, a handsome Hollywood film scout, believes he has found the woman once known as Madeleine Smith. He wants to tell her story on film for the new 'talkie' generation. Since her trial, she has lived under many names, as a glamorous society hostess in bohemian Bloomsbury to the likes of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, George Bernard Shaw, and William Morris. Until suddenly, in 1890, when she disappeared off the face of the earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCould this quiet, secretive widow of an Irish labourer be the same Madeleine Smith who once stood trial for murder and escaped?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShe has one last secret to reveal. Will Harry persuade her to tell it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e*\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMore praise for Lesley McDowell:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRiveting - a clever portrait of a fascinating, flawed heroine. \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHE TIMES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAn intimate and enlightening tale of one of Romanticism's forsaken muses. \u003cstrong\u003eSUSAN STOKES-CHAPMAN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAn absorbing, intoxicating page-turner about a woman who deserves to be remembered. \u003cstrong\u003eJENNIFER SAINT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA must-read. McDowell brings to vivid, embodied life; a flirtatious, flawed woman fighting for her place in a man's world. \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHE HERALD\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47424963444972,"sku":"9781035411702","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781035411702.jpg?v=1774768284"},{"product_id":"clairmont-by-lesley-mcdowell-9781035400263","title":"Clairmont","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe spellbinding, bold new retelling of the story of Lord Byron and the Shelleys, from the perspective of Claire Clairmont, the incredible woman that history tried to forget.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeautifully written, \u003ci\u003eClairmont\u003c\/i\u003e tells the sensuous hidden story of an influential historic woman.\u003c\/strong\u003e Sara Sheridan, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Fair Botanists\u003c\/i\u003e, Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn absorbing, intoxicating page-turner about a woman who deserves to be remembered.\u003c\/strong\u003e Jennifer Saint, author of \u003ci\u003eAriadne\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAtalanta\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRiveting - a clever portrait of a fascinating, flawed heroine.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn intimate and enlightening tale of one of Romanticism's forsaken muses - an artfully told story that lingers in the mind far beyond the last page.\u003c\/strong\u003e Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of \u003ci\u003ePandora\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e1816. A massive volcanic eruption has caused the worst storms that Europe has seen in decades, yet Percy and Mary Shelley have chosen to visit the infamous Lord Byron at his villa on Lake Geneva. It wasn't their idea: Mary's eighteen-year-old step-sister, Claire Clairmont, insisted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut the reason for Claire's visit is more pressing than a summer escape with the most famous writers in the world. She's pregnant with Byron's child - a child Byron doesn't want, and scarcely believes is his own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eClaire has the world in her grasp. This trip should have given her everything she ever dreamed of. But within days, her life will be in ruins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHistory has all but forgotten her story - but she will not be silenced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47430287753452,"sku":"9781035400263","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781035400263.jpg?v=1774559258"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/lesley-mcdowell.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}