The Crimson Ribbon

Marrying the vibrancy of Sarah Dunant with a gothic touch, Katherine Clements conjures the extraordinary women you never knew about in the turbulent years of the English Civil War.

Based on the real figure of the fascinating Elizabeth Poole, this is the mesmerizing story of two women's obsessions, superstitions, and hopes.

May Day, 1646: Ruth Flowers finds herself suddenly, brutally, alone. Forced to flee the household of Oliver Cromwell, the only home she has ever known, Ruth takes the road to London, and there is given refuge by Lizzie Poole.

Beautiful and charismatic, Lizzie enthralls the vulnerable Ruth, who binds herself inextricably to her world. But Ruth is still haunted by fears of her past catching up with her. And as Lizzie's radical ideas escalate, Ruth finds herself carried to the heart of the country's conflict, to the trial of a king.