Forced by Sir Robert Walpole into a distasteful marriage and then ruined by her husband, Lady Cecily Fitzhenry vows revenge on the Prime Minister and the creaking Hanoverian court.

Lady Cecily turns her hand to highway robbery and spying for the Old Pretender while transforming her sole remaining asset, a ruinous tavern on the Great North Road, into a great coaching inn. But in trying to save her people from the notorious Black Acts and encroaching slavery laws, Cecily finds a new cause to fight for and she begins to doubt if the restoration of the Stuarts is really the answer.

And eventually, Cecily saves her country and herself in ways she had never imagined...

This gripping historical saga of intrigue and bravery is perfect for fans of Elizabeth Chadwick and Kate Mosse.

'Diana Norman always strikes gold' The Times