The Art of a Lie

The instant Sunday Times bestseller

A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick of the Summer (2025)

'Astonishing. A rare and wonderful story' - Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colours of the Dark

'Fiendishly clever and completely gripping' - Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

'Laura Shepherd-Robinson takes delight in pulling the rug out from under her readers' feet . . . in this cleverly structured and consistently enjoyable novel' - The Times

London, 1749.

Hannah Cole's world shatters with her husband's brutal murder. Her confectionery shop, the Punchbowl and Pineapple, teeters on the brink of ruin.

Just as she uncovers a hidden fortune—money her husband secretly possessed—a new nightmare begins.

Magistrate Henry Fielding, the renowned author, suspects illicit gains. To save her inheritance, her shop, and her very reputation, Hannah must delve into her late husband's secret life. But, as she unearths a labyrinth of lies and deceit, she finds herself entangled in a battle of wits far more dangerous than she could ever have imagined.

From Sunday Times bestselling author Laura Shepherd-Robinson comes a twisty, immersive thriller where the truth is a luxury that Hannah Cole can't afford and every secret is a step closer to her own undoing.

Praise for The Art of a Lie:

'A twisty confection as subtle and delicious as one of Hannah's iced creams. I loved it' - Ruth Ware, author of The Woman in Cabin 10

'An absolute treat of a historical crime novel. Sheer perfection' - Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal

'[Laura Shepherd-Robinson's] best yet, and I don't say that lightly' - Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of Blood Orange