by Christopher Gortner (Hodder & Stoughton)
In 1547, after a reign littered with executions (from wives to close friends), at 55, Henry VIII finally met his death.
He left three legitimate children, Edward, Mary and Elizabeth, who all succeeded him as monarchs of England. At just 15, Edward VI died, having by-passed his sisters and named his young cousin, Lady Jane Grey, as his heir.
The decision was disputed, Jane, deposed by Mary, lasted a mere nine days. A year later, Jane was beheaded.
Christopher Gortner’s Tudor fictional thriller is an intriguing gallop through the historical period of these fascinating but perilous times.
On the throne is Mary I, the Catholic queen who soon earns the title “Bloody Mary”. To be a Protestant is to risk religious persecution. Mary is determined to return England to the Catholic faith. She is also determined to force her younger half-sister, Princess Elizabeth, the Protestant daughter of Anne Boleyn, back to “the true faith”.
Enter Brendan Prescott, former squire to Lord Robert Dudley, (a confidant of Elizabeth) and reluctantly assigned, by the shady “spymaster” William Cecil, as a court informant.
To ensure the safety of Elizabeth, he must play sister against sister. Duplicity seems to be the order of the day.
The author has a wonderfully descriptive bent. A real charmer. Sensually evocative it is not!