The Herb Knot

By: Jane Loftus

Narrated by: Matt Addis

'An impressive unputdownable debut' The Historical Novel Society

The Hundred Years' War comes to life in this spellbinding tale of love, betrayal and conspiracy …

A quest born on the battlefield will change a young boy’s destiny…

Rafi Dubois is five years old when his mother is murdered after the Battle of Crecy in 1346. Alone and lost, Rafi is given a token by the dying Englishman who tried to save his mother’s life: a half-broken family seal which he urges Rafi to return one day to Winchester.

Years later, when Rafi saves a wealthy merchant’s wife from a brutal robbery, he is rewarded with the chance to travel to England, taking the seal with him.

But when he reaches Winchester, Rafi finds himself in a turbulent world full of long-held allegiances, secrets and treachery. His path is fraught with danger and with powerful enemies working against him, Rafi falls in love with Edith, a market apothecary. But in doing so, Rafi unleashes a deadly chain of events which threatens to overwhelm them both…

The Herb Knot is a sweeping and passionate novel set in one of the most tumultuous times in English history, from a powerful new voice.

Readers give The Herb Knot five stars!

'A superb debut novel, with a story that grips you from beginning to end'

'The amount of research that has so obviously been undertaken is quite phenomenal. I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book so absorbing'

'Plenty of twists to the tale to keep you guessing'

'A fascinating glimpse into a medieval world filled with intrigue and danger … a compelling story which lingers long after the last page is turned'

©2025 Jane Loftus (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

Readers are captivated by The Herb Knot!

'Plenty of twists to the tale to keep you guessing' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A fascinating glimpse into a medieval world filled with intrigue and danger … a compelling story which lingers long after the last page is turned' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐