Fiction & Poetry, Modern & Contemporary Fiction
The Players

The Players

Paperback Published on: 04/09/2025
£9.99
12 reviews
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Synopsis

Readers love THE PLAYERS
'Totally riveting... Perfect.
'I was transported every time I picked up this highly imaginative story'
'Everything I love about historical fiction'
'This is historical fiction at its best'
'Good to see female characters having strong roles'
'I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys history, literature and a "jolly good read"'

Who will save them from the gallows?
England, 1685. Decades after the end of the civil war, the country is once again divided when a pretender to the throne incites rebellion against King James II. Angered, the king orders every captured rebel to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
As the country braces for carnage, the formidable Lady Jayne Harrier and her enigmatic son, assisted by the reclusive daughter of a local magistrate, contrive ways to save men from the gallows.
Secrets are kept and surprising friendships formed during the dark days of the Bloody Assizes, in a dangerous gamble to thwart a brutal king's thirst for vengeance...
'Fascinating ... told with the masterful skill of a true storyteller' Anne O'Brien
'An immersive joy that will stand the test of time' Elizabeth Chadwick

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Atlantic Books
  • ISBN: 9781805463184
  • Number of pages: 496
  • Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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The Players
Excellent historical fiction
Minette Walters has a real gift for historical fiction, always making the period feel very alive and the characters believable in their actions. The period... READ MORE
Rachel
The Players
Wonderful
The Players by Minette Walters England, 1685. Decades after the end of the civil war, the country is once again divided when an illegitimate son and p... READ MORE
Angela Thompson
The Players
First Class historical fiction
Minette Walters never fails to deliver. A clever meld of fact and fiction, her books are packed with detail and she brings the period to vivid life. This i... READ MORE
Anita Wallas
The Players
Enthralling historical fiction.
The Players is a historical novel by award-winning British author, Minette Walters, and is the sequel to The Swift and The Harrier. On a covert visit to Th... READ MORE
Marianne Vincent
The Players
Superbly researched and a characterised - a work of great distinction.
Another fabulous historical novel from Minette Walters. This is a sequel to The Swift and the Harrier but it stands perfectly brilliantly on its own. The b... READ MORE
Kaye Fraser
The Players
Great sequel to The Swift and The Harrier
Set from the reign of the Catholic James II to the Glorious Revolution, when William and Mary came to power. The story centres on the infamous Judge Jeffri... READ MORE
Jenny Hill
The Players
Minette knows how to write exciting history
Its more than 30 years since England fought her bloody civil war, conspiracy is the spectre that still casts is shadow over the country. The late Kings bas... READ MORE
Suse
The Players
Terrific historical fiction
This is the sequel to The Swift and the Harrier but it can definitely be read as a standalone. England’s turbulent path to democracy is told via Lady Ja... READ MORE
Celia Short
The Players
Superb historical fiction
After the accession of James II the country is concerned that he will wish to convert them to Catholicism. The illegitimate son of Charles II, the Duke of... READ MORE
Jo-anne Atkinson
The Players
Spectacular sweeping history with deliciously clever leads
Minette Walters does it again, with a historical novel that also stirs in romance, thriller and mystery, and starring two delicious protagonists: the debon... READ MORE
Huttson Lo
The Players
Judge Jeffreys
The Players by Minette Walters This book follows on from The Swift and the Harrier. It can be read as a standalone but I would thoroughly recommend The S... READ MORE
Teresa Cornelius
The Players
A brilliant novel set around the Bloody Assizes in the West Country
Four and a half stars. England, 1685, the scars and division between Catholics and Protestants still run deep after the Civil War, neighbour informing o... READ MORE
Alison Robinson