Louisa Stuart Costello (1799–1870) was a poet and artist who supported her family with her paintings. As well as writing a number of historical novels, Costello researched and wrote the biographies of many prominent women, using their letters and diaries to tell their extraordinary stories. This second volume chronicles the lives of eight women including Lucy Harrington, a literary patron who was a friend of John Donne and a muse to Ben Jonson. Also featured is the life of Frances Howard, who was accused of the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury, who she saw as an obstacle to her marriage to Robert Carr, a favourite of King James. She was a public hate figure described as a 'murderous, syphilitic sorceress', and was found guilty of the killing and imprisoned. For more information on this author, see http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=costlo