Sinners

Paperback Published on: 06/08/2026
Price: £9.99
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Published 06/08/2026
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Coming soon
Published 06/08/2026
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Bookseller Reviews

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Sinners
Pass judgement for yourself...
This is the true and tragic tale of Beatrice Centi. A voice that has every right to be heard, to be understood, and to be judged? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Ro... READ MORE
Dan - Clifton, Bristol.
Sinners
Doomed by the narrative
Oh Beatrice, you were so doomed by the narrative. An intense look into an incredibly tragic young woman’s life. While this is a work of fiction, this book ... READ MORE
Lucy at Leeds

Synopsis

Pre-order the latest retelling from Elizabeth Fremantle, the electrifying tale of rage and resistance of young noblewoman Beatrice Cenci, now in paperback
__________

A young noblewoman accused of murder, awaits execution. Imprisoned in the Corte Savella, she has captured the hearts and sympathy of all Rome. . .

This is the true and tragic tale of Beatrice Cenci.

Murder most foul or vengeance most just?

Helpless victim or resolute heroine?

Rome, 1599.

Beatrice yearns to escape the clutches of her abusive father and determined to find a way back to Rome, enlists the help of Olimpio, the castle’s keeper. Soon the love that grows between them will transform Beatrice’s fortunes, for better and for worse. . .

History has sold her short. She is no doe-eyed victim of her father’s brutality, nor the cunning murderer who plotted her father’s demise. No, this Beatrice - a woman pregnant by her lover, incarcerated in a remote castle by her father, and brim-full of white-hot rage - is both innocent and guilty, saint and sinner.

And she will stand tall in the face of the violence of men, no matter the cost.
__________

Praise for Sinners:

An evocative tale of misplaced love and lust at a time when, saint or sinner, no one wins. A gripping read which gallops to a crescendo of an ending - Melanie Cantor

A sensationally powerful novel with a rollercoaster of a story that has the dark logic of Greek tragedy - Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Ashes of London

I was spellbound by this wonderful book and had to neglect everything else to finish it. Truly, it's one of the best historical novels I have read in a long time. Elizabeth Fremantle evokes so beautifully and convincingly the Italy of the late sixteenth century; her characters are compellingly drawn and her prose is magnificent. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough - Alison Weir, acclaimed historian and novelist

A dark and brilliant historical novel that reads like a cross between a murder mystery, a true crime drama, and a Jacobean tragedy. You can almost feel the heat and the horror of the sixteenth century. One of the best historical novels I have read in a very long time - Garth Russell, acclaimed historian of Queen James

A transporting historical thriller – 16th century Rome, a heroine (kind-of) and a murder trial - Erin Kelly, bestselling author of He Said, She Said

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
  • ISBN: 9781405967914
  • Number of pages: 416
  • Dimensions: 197 x 130 x 27 mm
  • Weight: 288g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Sinners
Gripping and evocative
Sinners by Elizabeth Fremantle is a beautifully constructed historical novel, which tells the tale of Beatrice Cenci, a real woman in 16th Century Italy. I... READ MORE
Sue Burnside
Sinners
A fantastic story.
This is the story of Beatrice Cenci. A woman who is accused of murder and awaits her execution. The year is 1599, and she is being held prisoner in a rem... READ MORE
Peter  Evans
Sinners
Sinners
This has everything you want in a historical novel set in italy, intrigue, murder, love, loss, suspense, strong characters and the setting so lively and de... READ MORE
Claire Flanagan
Sinners
Chilling historical tale that will haunt your dreams
Rome,1599 a true story of murder. But who did it and why. All attention has fallen on a young noble woman Beatrice Cenci. Is she a killer? If so, what drov... READ MORE
Suse
Sinners
Well written historical fiction
This is the first book by Elizabeth fremantle that I have read but will certainly not be my last. I had never heard of Beatrice Cenci prior to reading this... READ MORE
Klaire Sinclair
Sinners
A wonderful renaissance tale of a young woman of a high ranking family in Rome
A 16th century tale taken from life, about a young noble woman in a vulnerable situation with an abusive father, becoming part of something much darker. Sh... READ MORE
Sandra Morgan
Sinners
How different life was
Stunning writing, description in detail on page after page. Page turner. True story based in 16 century in Rome. The abuse a family all suffered at th... READ MORE
Julie Watt
Sinners
A gripping historical drama
A dark story from history but one with an addictive quality that pulls the reader into this beautifully fashioned world. Sinners tells the tale of Beatrice... READ MORE
KimG9
Sinners
White hot feminist rage
4.5 This is a tale of white hot female rage and the power and resilience of a remarkable woman who fought back against male violence in a deeply Patriarch... READ MORE
Silver Star Reads
Sinners
Historical fiction that is tragic and beautiful
In 1598 Italian noblewoman Beatrice Cenci has just discovered the body of her brother Rocco, collateral damage from one of her father's feuds. Francesco Ce... READ MORE
Romie Petronzi
Sinners
A masterpiece
A masterpiece. A dark, harrowing, and emotional read, that gives light to the darkness of the lives of this family and those of that period of history. It ... READ MORE
Chloe Slim
Verified Purchase
Sinners
Intriguing premise and interesting characters, however for me it didn’t hit the mark.
As someone who was not read much set in this time I liked the small glimpses of the world we got when the story unfolding in Rome, however the rets of the ... READ MORE
Kiera Cannon
Sinners
Sad tale
The Cenci family are notorious in Rome. Conte Cenci has had numerous feuds and two of his sons have been murdered in revenge so the family escapes to a mo... READ MORE
Jo-anne Atkinson
Sinners
Sinners
This has everything you want in a historical novel set in italy, intrigue, murder, love, loss, suspense, strong characters and the setting so lively and de... READ MORE
Claire Flanagan
Sinners
If you love historical fiction, read this!
Such a unique historical fiction that explores Beatrice Cenci's life and what happened to lead her to murder. The blend of history and fiction makes you be... READ MORE
Kimberley Whitehouse
Sinners
seriously impressive
This is my Elizabeth Fremantle book, and I was seriously impressed. Set in C16th Rome, it tells the real-life story of Beatrice Cenci. The book is very we... READ MORE
Debra Davidson-Smith