'A masterpiece' – Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal, on The MaidenThe King’s Witches by Kate Foster is a gripping and beautiful historical novel, giving an unforgettable voice to the women at the heart of the real-life witch trials in sixteenth-century Scotland.Women whisper secrets to each other; it is how we survive.1589. Princess Anna of Denmark is betrothed to King James VI of Scotland – a royal union designed to forever unite the two countries. But first, she must pass the trial period: one year of marriage to prove herself worthy of being Scotland's new Queen. Determined to fulfil her duties to King and country, Anna resolves to be the perfect royal bride. Until she meets Lord Henry . . .By her side is Kirsten Sorenson, her loyal and pious lady-in-waiting. But, whilst tending to Anna's every need, Kirsten has her own secret motives for the royal marriage to be a success . . .Meanwhile, in North Berwick, young housemaid Jura practises the healing charms taught to her by her mother. When she realises she is no longer safe under her master’s roof, she escapes to Edinburgh, only to find herself caught up in the witchcraft mania that has gripped not just the capital, but the new queen . . .Will Anna, Kirsten and Jura be able to save each other and, in doing so, save themselves?*The Maiden was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction on 05/03/2024

Beautiful and brutal . . . a terrifyingly real story of how men control and fear us, and the extraordinary lengths some women have to go to in order to survive., A rich, compelling story of three women and their intersecting lives . . . I loved the combination of court intrigue and the Scottish witch trials, and how Foster skilfully uses both to explore the position of women at this point in time, [R]iveting . . . The tension persists until the last page, The Maiden is a masterpiece. A thrilling historical murder tale but so much more. Vivid, evocative and full of humanity, Kate Foster expands the slender facts of the case into something exceptional — a tense, thrilling investigation, with a decidedly feminist slant

Kate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. Her debut novel, The Maiden, won the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect competition in 2020, the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year in 2023 and was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2024. The King's Witches is her second novel. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.