Laura Shepherd-Robinson is the award-winning, Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling author of four historical novels. Her books have been featured on BBC 2’s Between the Covers and Radio 4’s Front Row and Open Book. Her fourth novel, The Art of a Lie, will be published in Summer 2025.
Laura was born in Bristol in 1976. She has a BSc in Politics from the University of Bristol and an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics. She worked in politics for nearly twenty years before re-entering normal life to complete an MA in Creative Writing at City University. She lives in London with her husband, Adrian.
The Art of a Lie – Pre-order now
‘That’s the trouble with stories, especially the ones you write for yourself. Sometimes you think they’ve ended, when they’ve barely begun . . .’
London, 1749. Following the murder of her husband in a violent street robbery, Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her head above water. The Punchbowl and Pineapple, her confectionary shop on Piccadilly, is barely turning a profit, and her suppliers are conspiring to put her out of business. So when she learns that her husband had a large sum of money in his bank account that she knew nothing about, the surprise is extremely welcome. And when William Devereux, a friend of her late husband, tells her about a new Italian delicacy called “iced cream”, Hannah believes it might transform the fortunes of her shop.
But her husband’s unexpected windfall attracts the attention of author-turned-magistrate Henry Fielding, who suspects the money was illicitly acquired. Unless Hannah can prove otherwise, her inheritance will be confiscated. As she and Devereux work to uncover the secrets of her husband’s double life, their friendship opens Hannah to speculation and gossip, locking her into a battle of wits more devastating than anything, even her husband’s murder.
How I long to visit the Punchbowl and Pineapple on Piccadilly . . . I simply couldn’t look away from The Art Of a Lie. A story as sweet as ‘iced cream’, as tense as spun sugar, as clever as a trickster and as beautifully written and masterful as everything by the wonderful Laura Shepherd-Robinson. An absolute treat of an historical crime novel. Sheer perfection
Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal
Astonishing. The Art of a Lie is Laura Shepherd-Robinson at the height of her considerable powers. Of course it’s beautifully written and richly detailed, but it’s also fiendishly twisting and properly thrilling. A rare and wonderful story.
Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colours of the Dark
Laura Shepherd-Robinson takes delight in pulling the rug out from under her readers’ feet and the revelation of the identity of Jonas’s murderer is only the first in a number of narrative surprises she springs on us in this cleverly structured and consistently enjoyable novel
The Times
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
Pre-order The Art of a Lie: Waterstones | Hive | Amazon
US Readers: Pre-order The Art of a Lie: Barnes & Noble | Amazon
The Square of Sevens – out now in paperback
‘My father had spelt it out to me. Choice was a luxury I couldn’t afford. This is your story, Red. You must tell it well …’
From the debauchery of Bartholomew Fair to the grandest estates in Georgian London, this page-turning slice of period crime follows a fortune teller on a perilous quest to discover the truth about her late mother.
A richly immersive panorama. . . With its twists and turns and revelations of those lies that bind and truths that rend asunder, this story is a deep pleasure to read
Sunday Times
Buy The Square of Sevens: Waterstones | Hive | Amazon
Daughters of Night – out now in paperback
Lucia’s fingers found her own. She gazed at Caro as if from a distance. Her lips parted, her words a whisper: ‘He knows.’
From the brothels and gin-shops of Covent Garden to the elegant townhouses of Mayfair, Daughters of Night follows Caroline Corsham, as she seeks justice for a murdered woman whom London society would rather forget . . .
I would gamble what’s left of my virtue on Daughters of Night being the best historical crime novel I will read this year.
The Times
Buy Daughters of Night: Amazon | Waterstones
Blood & Sugar – out now in paperback
London, 1781. An investigation into a gruesome murder on the Deptford Docks leads to a dark secret that could change the very core of British society…
A page-turner of a crime thriller . . . This is a world conveyed with convincing, terrible clarity.
C. J. Sansom
Buy Blood & Sugar: Amazon | Waterstones
Short Stories
“Inferno” featured in The Winter Spirits
The tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. These twelve stories – authored by some of today’s most loved and lauded writers of historical and gothic fiction – are all centred around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience.
Taking you from a haunted Italian villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for frosty nights.
Buy Winter Spirits now: Amazon | Waterstones
Newsletter
Join the newsletter and get the latest updates, chances to enter competitions, and sneak previews of upcoming publications.