Set in 17th century Edinburgh and inspired by true events, The Maiden follows the trial of Lady Christian Nimmo, who is arrested and charged with the murder of her lover and uncle, local Laird James Forrester.

Her adulterous story, plus the nobility of their birth, makes Christian and James’ affair even more scandalous and every detail is splashed across Edinburgh’s broadsides to entertain the public. But while the headlines leave little room for doubt over her guilt, the real story isn’t quite so simple. Christian isn’t the only woman that James has seduced (or wronged) and she is certainly not the only one who might wish death upon him…

Will the Maiden claim her life in the end, and will the real truth ever be told?

✨My thoughts:

My gosh, this book is compelling as heck. I loved the dual narrative of Violet and Christian, interspersed with clippings from the sensationalist Edinburgh papers, and the whole book was an interesting exploration of the ways in which women from all classes and walks of life face control, misogyny and manipulation.

The writer grew up in Corstorphine, where much of this book is set, and was inspired by the local ghost story of the ‘white lady of Corstorphine.’ You can tell it is a love letter to her home (albeit a dark, murderous one), imagining the events that could have lead to the murder and giving the real figure of Christian the grace that perhaps her contemporaries did not. Fans of twisty historical fiction will definitely enjoy this one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc of this book! It’s out on April 27th.

This novel is so not my "normal" reads are but I am so glad that I got chance to read this novel, thanks to Netgalley. This novel amazed me and I think I have found a new favourite author.

The novel is set many years ago in 1679, and in Edinburgh, UK.. Author Kate Foster writes amazingly beautiful and I fell in love with this book so much, when I finished reading this novel, I was quite upset as it gripped me from page 1..

We meet Lady Christian and she is accused of murdering her lover. Wow, a novel has not moved me this much in years and I was hooked.

We delve into Lady Christian's world before this verdict and we really get to see who she is and she makes for a really wonderful and intriguing character. We also read about Violet, who is such another excellent and interesting character.

If you love historical fiction - or like me you have never really delved into this world before and quite nervous to...then take it from me, you will not regret it at all!

Thanks to Kate Foster, Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this literally beautiful novel in exchange for my honest review.

Edinburgh, 1679. Based on the real life story of Lady Christian Nimmo, who was charged with the murder of her lover, Lord James Forrester who also happened to be her uncle 😯

Adulteress. Whore. Murderess.

17th century Scotland was a tough place to be a woman, even with money and staus men could take full advantage of you, and servants were treated like property. In "lodging houses" young girls work to satisfy men from all levels of society, and when Violet is offered the chance to escape for a place at the Forrester's she isn't in a position to refuse any of his demands, but each of the women in his life has a reason to wish him dead before long..

I found this so enthralling, and knowing it was based in part in a real life story really added to the intrigue. All the characters felt very real to me, vividly depicted and you really want the women to triumph 🔥

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for approving me for an ARC of this book.

⌛Set in 17th Century Edinburgh we are transported to a time in history I was not familiar with. I loved the setting and learning the history of ‘the Maiden’. I also love that this is based on a true story, some creative license has been taken but the entire scenario does sound very plausible to me. If anything it will give others food for thought on what really happened to Lady Christian Nimmo.

👧🏻The story alternates between Christian’s and Violet’s POVs. I loved both characters equally and sympathised with them both at several points. Violet had been dealt a rough hand in life but her determination to survive and live the life she’d chosen was admirable. Christian may have been a little naïve but I could understand what had drawn her to Forrester.

📖 I found myself glued to the story, wanting to see how everything came together and to find out who did kill James. I had my suspicions but let’s just say there were a few surprises that I hadn’t foreseen. The fate of Lady Christian was a constant thread throughout the story, her time in prison, awaiting her execution was vividly described, and I could see the scenes playing out in my head.

🎵Kate Foster’s writing is simply beautiful and captivating. Her ability to draw you in and trap you within the pages is exceptional. I am very keen to see what she writes next.

Engaging and infuriating in its, accurate, portrayal of the way women were treated in the 1600s.

“Adulteress. Murderess. How similar they sound.”

Lady Christian Nimmo has spent her whole life being seen as less than her sister. Less beautiful, less marriageable, with less prospects.
Arrested for the murder of her Uncle-turned-lover, Christian faces death. Looking back across the year, she remembers how she got to where she is, and the other women who were involved along the way.

The characterisation in The Maiden was wonderful. I didn’t find any of the female main characters particularly likeable, but I could understand all of their motives, and seeing how they had been forced into their decisions was a stark look at how women were treated in the 1600s.

As someone who lives in Scotland, I loved the setting of Edinburgh and Corstorphine. I was really able to immerse myself in the characters’ worlds.

The plot unravelled in a way which was interesting and kept me guessing. Seeing each character’s motives and their part in the death of James Forrester made the story feel real and intriguing.

Based on a true story, The Maiden was a stark reminder of what women have faced in the past, and an engaging read about the lengths people will go to when they have few choices.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

This was so much better than I had expected. Not necessarily my usual reading matter but this had me hooked right from the start. A great narrative .

3.5 stars rounded up

The two narrators give different perspectives on 17th century life: Lady Christian’s family are down-on-their-luck after the death of their father but she’s still incredibly privileged, so she is mostly concerned with marrying well and protecting her reputation when she starts to make scandalous decisions; Violet is a sex worker with more immediate, material concerns who spots an opportunity when a wealthy man wants to take her to his castle for a lengthier sojourn. Their interactions with the justice system make the implications of wealth and class stark, though I felt this was occasionally handled in a clumsily obvious way.

The prose was smooth and the setting was incredibly evocative, Edinburgh especially, with lots of little details that really flesh out the historical setting. The story is structured in a non-linear way to release information in a way that heightens tension, however there were a couple of times when the changing timeline combined with the changing point of view threw me off a bit, eg. The flashbacks could be a bit disjointed, making it more difficult to follow any emotional arcs.

There was a heck ton of period typical acephobia that I wasn’t expecting, and while it’s understandable within the context of the story (both from the fact that it’s ultimately a story about sex, and not feeling sexual attraction is one facet of human sexual experience, but also because it gave Christian a way to defend the adultery to herself) it was still personally uncomfortable to read - and I think it potentially tempered empathy I had for Christian’s self-criticism, which was born of her otherwise loving husband’s lack of sexual attraction to her. (I don’t know if the acephobia was mentioned in content warnings, I wasn’t able to find any at the time of reading.)

Pick up this novel and you will find it hard to put it down again, and when you have read it, you will find it easy to believe that you have actually been there experiencing the story yourself.
Omg what a thrill of a read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Twisty and full of suspence. I was on the edge of my seat. Gripped from start to finish. Read in one sitting. Couldn't put it down. Definitely recommend.

Absolutely fantastic!

I literally could not put this book down and spent every spare minute I had over 48 hours reading it!
With a dual perspective and time shifts, I was waiting to get confused but I needn't have feared, it works so, so, well. I was gripped by the suspense, drawn to both Lady Christian and Violet's plights, and tense with anticipation right to the last page.

One of my top reads this year!

I could wax lyrical all day about this book.

The Tolbooth Jail, Edinburgh October 1679. Lady Christian Nimmo, she is fighting to save her name, and life.

I was absolutely hooked with this book from the opening chapters.
I totally enjoy reading historical novels, and I was even more intrigued after finding out this was loosely based on real historical people.
I am a Northern England person, my family history comes from Scotland in part, but I found myself researching some of the words in the story for their meaning. I like the use of the Scottish language, and old sayings.
I also enjoyed researching some of the characters after finishing the book to find out more facts.
The descriptions of the characters, and what they were wearing, totally come alive.
It’s sad what kind of lives some people had to endure to survive life.
All in all I found this book an absolutely amazing read. It’s fair to say I loved reading it.

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

Historical fiction set in a period which may be unfamiliar to many readers, The Maiden brings 17th-century Edinburgh to life, and the intriguing plot and well-depicted characters ensure that your attention is kept throughout the novel. The shifting prespectives mean that the truth is always being questioned, and I particularly liked the insertions from the Caledonia Broadside, which gave an objective (or is it?) twist to the characters’ own stories. Highly recommended.

5 star read. Beautifully written, well researched, great characters. A must read for historical true crime readers. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

In seventeenth century Edinburgh, Lady Christian Nimmo is sentenced to death for the murder of her lover James Forrester.
The maiden is the guillotine that was used to execute, at the time.
But what actually happened and how are the lives of a sex worker and a servant implicated?
This intriguing and well-written novel is told across time frames so we can see the before and after.
It’s essentially a feminist novel, telling the woman’s story in an age where women had few rights when they were exploited and abused.
But above all it’s a compelling and pacy read, that keeps you guessing until the last page.
I’d highly recommend it, even if you don’t normally read historical fiction.

Aptly named, The Maiden was a guillotine used to execute those of the upper class in the 17th century.

This historical fiction is set in Edinburgh and based on the story of the ghost of Corstorphine. I absolutely love books that breathe life into the real life events of the past so I knew The Maiden was right up my alley.

It begins with the sentencing of Lady Christian Nimmo for allegedly killing her uncle by marriage, James Forrester. Did she do it and if so, why?

We see the plot progress from various snippets of newspaper reports, Lady Christian and Violet's point of view. There's a build of tension as we know from the off that James isn't all he seems and we can only watch as it progresses.

I enjoyed The Maiden immensely and would recommend giving it a read if you're also a fan of historic fiction with a murderous plot.

"The Maiden" by Kate Foster is a great historical novel about Lady Christian Nimmo and her affair with her uncle James Forrester. There is murder, women accused and a potential beheading. This book has it all and shows that not all the best and gory stories have to happen in London. A really well-told story. Thoroughly recommend this to my friends.

Well written, addictive and unpredictable. This is a book I have really enjoyed and devoured. i definitely want to read more from this author. Full Review to follow.

An evocative and compelling historical fiction based on true events. Set in 17th Century Edinburgh, The Maiden reimagines the murder and subsequent trial of Lord James Forrester by his niece and lover Lady Christian Nimmo from the perspective of the novel’s female characters. With strong and authentic female narrative voices throughout, this is a gripping page turner which kept me hooked from start to finish.

The Maiden is a wonderful feminist historical novel and I enjoyed reading it so much I didn't want it to end. Inspired by a real-life case in the 17th century in which an aristocratic young woman, Lady Christian, is charged with the murder of her uncle, who is also her lover. But Uncle James had a number of other women he turned to for his carnal pleasures and, as was common with aristos, his servants were also fair game. It takes an expert writer to lead her readers into the life of her characters as well as Kate Foster does The ending should have come as no surprise but thanks to her superb writing, it still did. Thanks to Pan Macmillan/Mantle for the opportunity to read and review The Maiden.

A new take on a famous Edinburgh trial, with an acurate depiction of life and society in the 17th century. Love, poverty, revenge... It really is a thrilling tale.

Similar to: "The Confessions of Frannie Langton" by Sara Collins.