The Players

A gripping tale of compassion, imposture, trickery and surprising alliances set against the backdrop of The Bloody Assizes, from the bestselling author of The Last Hours and The Swift and the Harrier.

The much-anticipated sequel to The Swift and The Harrier

England, 1685. Decades after the end of the civil war, the country is once again divided when Charles II's illegitimate son, the Protestant Duke of Monmouth, arrives in Dorset to incite rebellion against his Catholic uncle.

Armed only with pitchforks, Monmouth's army is quickly defeated by King James II's superior forces and charged with high treason. Those found guilty will be hanged, drawn and quartered.

As Dorset braces for carnage, Lady Jayne Harrier and her enigmatic son, assisted by the reclusive daughter of a local magistrate, contrive ways to save men from the gallows.

Compelling and powerful, The Players is a story of guile, deceit and compassion during the dark days of The Bloody Assizes. Secrets are kept and surprising friendships formed in a dangerous gamble to thwart a brutal king's thirst for vengeance ...

'Minette Walters has again crafted historical fiction which stands as both an accurate representation of a dark time in English history and romance infused with wit and intelligence.' Queensland Reveiwers Collective

About the Author

Author Biography: Minette Walters was one of the most successful crime fiction writers in the world. Published to critical acclaim in over 34 countries, each new novel reached the top of the Australian bestseller lists. Her last crime novel was The Chameleon's Shadow in 2007.

The Last Hours (2017) saw Minette moving in an exciting direction with an extraordinary historical novel set in 1348, the year the Black Death came to England. The story is brought to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion in The Turn of Midnight (2018). Set three centuries later, The Swift and the Harrier (2021) is an unforgettable novel of England's Civil War. The Players is Minette's newest historical novel set against the backdrop of The Bloody Assizes.

Minette lives in Dorset with her husband.