Mary Anne Yarde's Blog: The Coffee Pot Book Club , page 64
October 13, 2020
Book Review — The Cry of the Lake by Charlie Tyler — #Gothic #suspense @CharlieTyler17 @darkstrokedark
The Cry of the Lake
By Charlie Tyler
A gruesome discovery unravels a dark trail of murder and madness.
A six-year-old girl sneaks out of bed to capture a mermaid but instead discovers a dead body. Terrified and unable to make sense of what she sees, she locks the vision deep inside her mind.
Ten years later, Lily is introduced to the charismatic Flo and they become best friends. But Lily is guilt-ridden – she is hiding a terrible secret which has the power to destroy both their lives.
When Flo’s father is accused of killing a schoolgirl, the horrors of Lily’s past come bubbling to the surface. Lily knows that, whatever the consequences, she has to make things right. She must go back to the events of her childhood and face what happened at the boat house all those years ago.
Can Lily and Flo discover what is hiding in the murky waters of the lake before the killer strikes again?
“Once again, she was Emily and I was Cassie and, in that moment, I could hear my heart thudding. I didn’t want to go back there…”
Lilly had been a difficult child. A troubled child. A disruptive child. Now she survived on a concoction of medication to keep the dark thoughts away. But what no one knew was that Lilly was living in her own personal nightmare. It is a nightmare so unimaginable that it had robbed her of her voice.
The dream was always the same. It was always a mermaid — a beautiful face looking up at her from beneath the surface of the water. But there was something wrong with this mermaid. Something terribly wrong.
At least Lilly now had a friend in Flo. They had even made arrangements for the summer holidays. Lilly knew it was a ridiculous thing to do. She knew that by the summer everything would have changed and she would never see Flo again. For Grace, Lilly's sister, had plans of her own, and she would stop at nothing to see those plans through to the very bitter end…
From a horrific murder to the discovery of a terrifying truth, The Cry of the Lake is the chillingly gripping debut novel by Charlie Tyler.
Tyler certainly knows how to pen a tautly enthralling story. With a touch of the paranormal and a large helping of suspense, Tyler has presented her readers with a book that is next to impossible to put down.
Like a sophisticated drama, this novel envelops the reader into a world that is familiar and yet terribly foreign. The atrocious acts of mental and physical abuse that are played out in a theatre of horrors can, at times, make for some truly harrowing reading. But Tyler has a novelist’s intuition of when to draw back, when to give her readers a sense of normality. I felt that this back and forth between everyday activities and appalling acts of violence, gave this book authenticity. There are also moments of light-hearted humour, which reminds the reader of what is really at stake.
Tyler has decided to use three very different perspectives throughout this novel, which I thought was not only brilliantly planned but masterfully executed. It not only lets us get into the mind of a murderer and a victim of abuse, but it also allowed us to watch the events from an outsider's perspective. This approach makes the reader feel a part of the story.
Grace is a coldly calculating character, who hides her violent intentions behind a veil of middle-class sophistication. Her sly, manipulative nature conceals her murderous thoughts, and her intelligence makes her an incredibly dangerous woman. Grace is a very unsettling character who murders without empathy and who seemingly lacks all compassion. Her failure to control her fits of jealousy as an adolescent, and the consequences of that jealousy, give the reader an insight into a distraught and extremely troubled mind. Tyler further emphasises this by Grace’s inability to comprehend the damage she is doing, not only to herself but to her sister as well. Throughout this novel, Grace is the one in control, but she is so wrapped up in her need for revenge—a revenge that makes sense only to her—that she fails to see the truth. Tyler has presented her readers with a very frightening antagonist who is determined to achieve her aims no matter what the cost. I thought Grace’s depiction was unnervingly disturbing, and yet it is her obsession and her determination that drove this story forward.
Lilly’s mental health issues make her especially vulnerable to her sister’s abuse. Lilly is a teenager trapped in a vicious circle of abuse, which she can see no way out of. The trauma of her childhood, the systematic abuse, both physically and mentally, is hidden under a mixture of drugs, which is something her sister uses to her advantage, especially if Lilly displeases her. Grace, who controls every aspect of Lilly’s life, withholds her medication, allowing the demons of her past to haunt her. Lilly knows that what Grace is doing is wrong, she knows that this isn’t how it is meant to be, but she is trapped, and because she has a history of psychological illness, thanks to Grace, Lilly believes that no professional would believe her story anyway. By refusing to speak, Lilly has found a way to ensure self-preservation, but she has also given Grace complete control. I thought Lilly’s portrayal was superb. The abuse Lilly has to go through, but the courage she finds from deep within her made this story utterly unforgettable.
The third character that takes up the story is Flo. Flo is in the unique position of looking in. Like everyone else, she is completely taken in by Grace, but as this novel progresses, she begins to realise that things are not as they seem. Flo’s journey towards discovering the truth is thwarted with obstacles and setbacks, but she is confident enough to listen to her intuition. Her persistent determination to clear her father’s name and to find the real culprit in this terrible crime makes her a protagonist that a reader can get behind and root for. I thought Flo’s depiction was absolutely fabulous. I was willing Flo on, waiting for the penny to drop, for Flo to realise exactly what was going on.
Tyler’s careful use of foreshadowing at the beginning of the book really helps to hook the reader. But why I think this novel is so wildly successful is not only in its delivery but also in its momentum. From the opening sentence the reader is thrown straight into the action and, instead of slowing down, the narrative seems to speed up. I could not read the words fast enough. I could not turn the pages quickly enough. This is a story that I could not leave—like an obsession, I had to know how it would end. If you love novels with enough suspense and tension to keep you reading all night, then this is the book for you.
I cannot even begin to describe how successful The Cry of the Lake by Charlie Tyler is. This is a novel that is an absolute delight for readers of quality fiction. It is beautifully written and wholly unforgettable. I cannot wait to read more books by this talented author.
I Highly Recommend
Review by Mary Anne Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club.
Pick up your copy of
The Cry of the Lake
Charlie Tyler
Charlie signed with Darkstroke in May 2020 and The Cry of the Lake is her debut novel.
Charlie is very much a morning person and likes nothing more than committing a fictional murder before her first coffee of the day. She studied Theology at Worcester College, Oxford and now lives in a Leicestershire village with her husband, three (almost grown-up) teenagers, golden retriever and tortoise.
Connect with Charlies: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram.
Book Title: The Cry of the Lake
Author: Charlie Tyler
Publication Date: 21st July 2020
Publisher: DarkStroke Books
Page Length: 263 Pages
Genre: Suspense
Review By: Mary Anne Yarde, The Coffee Pot Book Club
Welcome to Day #2 of the blog tour for His Castilian Hawk (The Castilian Saga, Book 1) by Anna Belfrage #BookReview #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @abelfrageauthor @gwendalyn_books
His Castilian Hawk
(The Castilian Saga, Book 1)
By Anna Belfrage
October 12th – October 23rd 2020
Publication Date: September 28, 2020
Publisher: Matador (paperback) & Timelight Press (ebook)
Page Length: 396 pages (paperback) 335 pages (ebook)
Genre: Historical Fiction
For bastard-born Robert FitzStephan, being given Eleanor d’Outremer in marriage is an honour. For Eleanor, this forced wedding is anything but a fairy tale.
Robert FitzStephan has served Edward Longshanks loyally since the age of twelve. Now he is riding with his king to once and for all bring Wales under English control.
Eleanor d’Outremer—Noor to family—lost her Castilian mother as a child and is left entirely alone when her father and brother are killed. When ordered to wed the unknown Robert FitzStephan, she has no choice but to comply.
Two strangers in a marriage bed is not easy. Things are further complicated by Noor’s blood-ties to the Welsh princes and by covetous Edith who has warmed Robert’s bed for years. Robert’s new wife may be young and innocent, but he is soon to discover that not only is she spirited and proud, she is also brave. Because when Wales lies gasping and Edward I exacts terrible justice on the last prince and his children, Noor is determined to save at least one member of the House of Aberffraw from the English king.
Will years of ingrained service have Robert standing with his king or will he follow his heart and protect his wife, his beautiful and fierce Castilian hawk?
Check out what Gwendalyn's Books has to say about His Castilian Hawk
Click HERE!
Welcome to Day #4 of the blog tour for The Sign of the Blood (A Dangerous Emperor, Book #1) by Laurence O'Bryan #BlogTour #BookReview @LPOBryan @jroberts1324
The Sign of the Blood
(A Dangerous Emperor, Book #1)
By Laurence O'Bryan
The first Christian emperor faces ruthless enemies on his journey to power.
Cool mist settles over the legion advancing toward the Persian army. Constantine, the son of an emperor, the Roman officer leading the attack, tells his men to halt - something is wrong.
Before long, the battle rages. He frees a slave named Juliana. She is half Persian and half Roman. As they are pursued to Britannia over land and sea, he learns that she can see the future - his future.
It is 306A.D., long before Constantine the Great converted to Christianity and became the first Christian emperor.
To ensure he survives, he must eliminate his enemies. But who must die first? The priestess, Sybellina, who joined them in Rome and practices dark and seductive magic? Or the brutal legion commanders who surround his father? Or, as Juliana suspects, are those who want him dead even closer?
A gripping historical novel about Constantine’s bloody rise to power, the woman who helped him, and the real reason he supported a persecuted Christian minority, a decision which changed the world into the one we know.
Today we are stopping over on The Books Delight for a fabulous spotlight.
Click HERE!
Welcome to Day #2 of the blog tour for A Feigned Madness by Tonya Mitchell #HistoricalFiction #BookReview #CoffeePotBookClub @tremmitchell @jroberts1324
A Feigned Madness
By Tonya Mitchell
The insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island is a human rat trap. It is easy to get in, but once there it is impossible to get out. —Nellie Bly
Elizabeth Cochrane has a secret.
She isn’t the madwoman with amnesia the doctors and inmates at Blackwell’s Asylum think she is.
In truth, she’s working undercover for the New York World. When the managing editor refuses to hire her because she’s a woman, Elizabeth strikes a deal: in exchange for a job, she’ll impersonate a lunatic to expose a local asylum’s abuses.
When she arrives at the asylum, Elizabeth realizes she must make a decision—is she there merely to bear witness, or to intervene on behalf of the abused inmates? Can she interfere without blowing her cover? As the superintendent of the asylum grows increasingly suspicious, Elizabeth knows her scheme—and her dream of becoming a journalist in New York—is in jeopardy.
A Feigned Madness is a meticulously researched, fictionalized account of the woman who would come to be known as daredevil reporter Nellie Bly. At a time of cutthroat journalism, when newspapers battled for readers at any cost, Bly emerged as one of the first to break through the gender barrier—a woman who would, through her daring exploits, forge a trail for women fighting for their place in the world.
We are stopping over on The Books Delight for a fabulous review.
Click HERE!
Welcome to Day#2 of the blog tour for The Queen's Almoner by Tonya Ulynn Brown #HistoricalFiction #TheQueensAlmoner #BlogTour @MrsBrownee2U @wendyjdunn
The Queen's Almoner
By Tonya Ulynn Brown
Sometimes loyalty to the queen comes at a cost.
Thomas Broune is a Reformer and childhood friend of the young queen, Mary Stuart. When Mary embarks on a new life in her estranged homeland of Scotland, Thomas is there to greet her and offer his renewed friendship. But the long-time friends grow closer, and Thomas realizes his innocent friendship has grown into something more. Yet he is a man of the cloth. Mary is the queen of the Scots. Both of them have obligations of an overwhelming magnitude: he to his conscience and she to her throne.
When he must choose between loyalty to his queen or his quiet life away from her court, he finds that the choice comes at a high price. Driven by a sense of obligation to protect those he loves, and crippled by his inability to do so, Thomas must come to terms with the choices he has made and find a peace that will finally lay his failures to rest.
We are stopping over on the fabulous Wendy J Dunn's Official Blog today for a sneak-peek between the covers of The Queen's Almoner!
Click HERE!
October 12, 2020
Have a sneak-peek between the covers of M. Sheehan's fabulous book — SkyView: Lord of the Wills #HistoricalFantasy #scific @skyviewseries
SkyView
Lord of the Wills
By M. Sheehan
Guided by his uncle and protected by the six others with claims to the fortune, he embarks on a geographical and historical journey that reveals secrets, manipulations, and unbelievable connections. From the vantage point of SkyView, a jet with an Augmented Reality window and the capacity to digitally project history onto the landscape as it happened, William and his team desperately try to follow the fortune.
A brilliant combination of science fiction, historical fiction, and mystery, SkyView is a unique reading experience that will keep readers turning the pages.
Praise for SkyView
“This has been comprehensively thought out. The author brings an almost Tolkien-like diligence...a wealth of intriguing ideas... An ambitious SF mystery…"
Kirkus Reviews
“Overall, I would recommend SkyView for fans of science fiction and historical crossovers, as this is a brilliantly conceptualized novel that doesn’t disappoint in its delivery.”
K.C. Finn - Readers' Favorite
Excerpt
The ultimate realization is that if one holds the world’s knowledge, then one can shape its reality. You only need to see what others choose to ignore. There’s a very simple explanation to the history of this world and how we ended up here, a simplicity to all our triumphs and our malice. The truth to every major event, war, plague, famine, economic collapse, revolt, conspiracy is, well…simple. To bring this truth to light, first you must look at reality not as fact but as designed, as if somebody is shaping it, and then you will see that everything has gone as planned.
William didn’t set out to rule the world—the Spaniard did. The very idea of it never crossed his mind, but events seven hundred years in the making unfolded exactly as designed, which paved the way for the greatest of all feats. But as you will see, it ended up being quite brief, because as we all know, the world has a will of its own and is the greatest rebel of all!
CHAPTER 1
A VERY OLD RELATIVE
The company William worked for, The Interlaken Beer Company, was having a party to celebrate seven hundred years of business. William had been working there in the summers since high school, when his father, Bill, offered him a student job. After graduating from college, he’d secured a full-time position with the company and had been working there for just over a year.
The party was quite the spectacle. Seven hundred years was an insane amount of time for a company to be around. After about an hour or so of mingling, all but the stage lights were dimmed, and the CEO, Jim Parkins, got up to speak.
“Good evening, friends. This is a wonderful night, and I’m honoured and delighted to be the CEO for this monumental achievement. As you know, we’re celebrating seven hundred years of successful business! From our humble beginnings as a brewery to our investments in various industries such as hotels, aerospace, oil and gas, renewables, health, and space exploration, we have always strived to be the best at whatever we do. And it’s all thanks to you, our loyal, devoted, hard-working team. Here’s to another seven hundred years!”
Jim raised his glass, looked into the eyes of as many employees as he could, and said, “Cheers! Enjoy your party.”
Throughout the evening, William talked with many of his co-workers. He was popular and treated well for his age. Although his father had helped him get the job, William was well qualified for it in his own right. In the background, a short film about the history of the company was playing on a loop, but the sound was off due to the music and dancing. In the middle of a conversation with Freddie, his research partner and friend, something on the screen caught William’s eye.
“William? William? Wakey wakey” said Freddie. “Are you okay?”
William was staring at the screen. “Sorry, Freddie, I could have sworn I saw my name as a founding member of Interlaken, the original name of the company.”
“That’s odd. Well, William Ward is a common name, or maybe he’s a very old relative. Has your dad ever mentioned him?”
Freddie had experienced a different up bringing than William…let’s just say it was a little rougher, and he left when he was eighteen. His father had tried to push him into being a policeman, but Freddie hated guns and violence and didn’t want to be around them all day.
“Not that I remember. I’m going to find him and ask. It would be cool if our family had been part of the company when it started,” William said, thoroughly intrigued.
William walked away before Freddie could say anything and went searching for his father. He spotted him on the balcony, enjoying the warm California air and talking with Ethan Ronald, the chairman of the board of directors. Ethan and William’s dad were friends who golfed together and socialized in each other’s homes, so William felt comfortable approaching them. William looked out at the ocean and politely waited for a break in the conversation. The water always put a smile on his face.
“Dad, did you know there was a William Ward who founded the original company back in 1318? Are we related to him in any way?”
“No, but the Ward name was quite common back then,” replied Bill unconvincingly.
“Are you sure, Bill?” Ethan quickly asked with a disappointed look.
The film was playing on random TVs throughout the room, and just after Bill gave Ethan a dirty look, they both looked at the window, where the film was being reflected. It had started over and began with a scene in modern-day Interlaken with a painting of eight men standing around barrels surrounded by mountains. The word annui, was engraved in the barrels. The film then dramatically zoomed in on each founder. William was third to the left.
With Ethan, Bill, and William staring at the reflection in the window, each member’s portrait popped up with their name and place of birth: Alvero Losada from Montesa, Spain; Huc del Verdier from Le Verdier, France; William Ward from London, England; who looked exactly like Bill; Finghin O’Sullivan from Cork, Ireland; Baernt Wassemoet from Alkmaar, Netherlands; Bligger von Steinach from Colonge, Germany; Hynek Kadaně from Kadan, Bohemia; and finally Eleutherios Thess from Thessalonica, Greece.
The paintings were of the men in there later years, likely when the company had found success. William’s dad was now forty-eight and looked just like William Ward in the painting. William had seen pictures of Bill when he was twenty-two, and he was startled to see how much William looked like the younger version of his dad. We must be related, William thought. Same name, similar look.
William began to feel connected, and this was the moment his life started to change. He’d seen all those portraits before near the main boardroom, but there had only been seven of them. No William Ward I.
Pick up your copy of
SkyView
Amazon UK • Amazon US • Barnes and Noble • FriesenPress
Add SkyView to your 'to-read' list on
M. Sheehan
Murray Sheehan loves to tell a good story. In his first book, SkyView: Lord of the Wills he displays his storytelling abilities with creativity and flair.
Murray is married to Jennifer and has two children, Colten and Landen. He lives in Port Perry, Ontario, Canada.
Connect with M. Sheehan:
Website • Twitter • Goodreads.
Publication Date: July 30th 2020
Publisher: FriesenPress
Page Length: 396 Pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Welcome to Day #1 of the blog tour for The Last Blast of the Trumpet (Book 3 of the Knox Trilogy) by Marie Macpherson #HistoricalFiction #CoffeePotBookClub @ADarnGoodRead @Scotscrieve @PenmorePress1
The Last Blast of the Trumpet
(Book 3 of the Knox Trilogy)
By Marie Macpherson
October 12th – December 14th 2020
Amazon UK • Amazon US • Barnes and Noble
Publication Date: 24 August 2020
Publisher: Penmore Press
Series: The Knox Trilogy
Print Length: 409 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction / Biographical Fiction
Conflict, Chaos and Corruption in Reformation Scotland.
He wants to reform Scotland, but his enemies will stop at nothing to prevent him.
Scotland 1559: Fiery reformer John Knox returns to a Scotland on the brink of civil war. Victorious, he feels confident of his place leading the reform until the charismatic young widow, Mary Queen of Scots returns to claim her throne. She challenges his position and initiates a ferocious battle of wills as they strive to win the hearts and minds of the Scots. But the treachery and jealousy that surrounds them both as they make critical choices in their public and private lives has dangerous consequences that neither of them can imagine.
In this final instalment of the trilogy of the fiery reformer John Knox, Macpherson tells the story of a man and a queen at one of the most critical phases of Scottish history.
Scottish writer Marie Macpherson grew up in Musselburgh on the site of the Battle of Pinkie and within sight of Fa’side Castle where tales and legends haunted her imagination. She left the Honest Toun to study Russian at Strathclyde University and spent a year in the former Soviet Union to research her PhD thesis on the 19th century Russian writer Mikhail Lermontov, said to be descended from the Scottish poet and seer, Thomas the Rhymer. Though travelled widely, teaching languages and literature from Madrid to Moscow, she has never lost her enthusiasm for the rich history and culture of her native Scotland.
Writing historical fiction combines her academic’s love of research with a passion for storytelling. Exploring the personal relationships and often hidden motivations of historical characters drives her curiosity.
The Knox Trilogy is a fictional biography of the fiery reformer, John Knox, set during the 16th century Scottish Reformation. Prizes and awards include the Martha Hamilton Prize for Creative Writing from Edinburgh University and Writer of the Year 2011 awarded by Tyne & Esk Writers. She is a member of the Historical Writers’ Association (HWA), the Historical Novel Society (HNS) and the Society of Authors (SoA).
Head over to A Darn Good Read where Marie is exploring the inspiration behind The Last Blast of the Trumpet.
Click HERE!
Welcome to Day #1 of the blog tour for His Castilian Hawk (The Castilian Saga, Book 1) by Anna Belfrage #BookReview #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub
His Castilian Hawk
(The Castilian Saga, Book 1)
By Anna Belfrage
October 12th – October 23rd 2020
Publication Date: September 28, 2020
Publisher: Matador (paperback) & Timelight Press (ebook)
Page Length: 396 pages (paperback) 335 pages (ebook)
Genre: Historical Fiction
For bastard-born Robert FitzStephan, being given Eleanor d’Outremer in marriage is an honour. For Eleanor, this forced wedding is anything but a fairy tale.
Robert FitzStephan has served Edward Longshanks loyally since the age of twelve. Now he is riding with his king to once and for all bring Wales under English control.
Eleanor d’Outremer—Noor to family—lost her Castilian mother as a child and is left entirely alone when her father and brother are killed. When ordered to wed the unknown Robert FitzStephan, she has no choice but to comply.
Two strangers in a marriage bed is not easy. Things are further complicated by Noor’s blood-ties to the Welsh princes and by covetous Edith who has warmed Robert’s bed for years. Robert’s new wife may be young and innocent, but he is soon to discover that not only is she spirited and proud, she is also brave. Because when Wales lies gasping and Edward I exacts terrible justice on the last prince and his children, Noor is determined to save at least one member of the House of Aberffraw from the English king.
Will years of ingrained service have Robert standing with his king or will he follow his heart and protect his wife, his beautiful and fierce Castilian hawk?
Check out what The Historical Fiction Blog has to say about His Castilian Hawk
Click HERE!
October 11, 2020
Have you heard? The Falcon's Rise by Natalia Richards is now available on #audible #HistoricalFiction #Tudors @nat_wieczorek
The Falcon's Rise
By Natalia Richards
The day before her execution, Anne Boleyn’s mind wanders back to the journey that changed her life…
Born into the Boleyn family in rural Norfolk, obscurity looms, but when Anne's father, Thomas, moves the family to Hever Castle, in Kent, to further his own interests, the family’s fortunes take a turn for the better. Thomas secures a place for Anne’s sister, Mary, at the prestigious court of Margaret of Austria, but fate has other plans, and Anne ends up taking her place.
At thirteen, Anne yearns for adventure. However, unused to curbing her outspoken tongue and youthful curiosity, she discovers that life at Margaret’s court is not quite how she’d imagined. Experiencing love, loss, jealousy and fear, she soon realises that her future happiness lies in her own hands - and that she must shape her own destiny...
Start your listening adventure
today!
Also available on #Kindle and
Paperback
Add The Falcon's Flight to your 'to-read' list on
Natalia Richards
As a curator and historian for over 30 years, Natalia have worked in many museums in Derbyshire and later in London. She also worked free-lance for the History Channel USA as a researcher, co-ordinator, and interviewer on the award-winning production 'Secrets of War.' However, her passion since a very early age has been the study of the Tudors, particularly Anne Boleyn and the court of King Henry VIII.
She did not begin writing seriously until around 2008 and originally planned to write about Anne Boleyn at the English court. However, a great deal had already been written about this period, and she began to look at Anne’s earlier life from the period 1500 to 1514. Since research as a curator has always been Natalia’s passion, she wanted to write as factual a novel as possible and spent years visiting sites such as Blickling in Norfolk, Hever Castle, Rochford Manor, and the palace of Margaret of Austria, in Mechelen, just outside Brussels. It was here that Anne was sent as a young maid-of-honour, and Natalia was honoured to gain access to rooms not normally open to the public. The result of her research was The Falcon's Rise, her first book. She has followed it up with part two The Falcon's Flight, covering the period 1514-1521, which will be published on 19 May 2020. She had a wonderful time in France researching this book and visiting the château Anne herself knew. She hopes you enjoy reading about these places as much as she enjoyed writing about them.
In her spare time, Natalia loves travelling, rambling, and visiting historic houses, as well as constantly reading and researching the Tudor period.
Connect with Natalia: Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram.
The Falcon's Rise
A Novel of Anne Boleyn
By: Natalia Richards
Narrated by: Beverley Matthew
Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
Release date: 08-10-20
Language: English
#BookReview — The Queen's Devil (A William Constable Spy Thriller Book #3) By Paul Walker #Historical Fiction #Tudors @PWalkerauthor
The Queen's Devil
A William Constable Spy Thriller Book #3
By Paul Walker
1583.
William Constable, recently married astrologer and mathematician, has settled into routine work as a physician when he is requested to attend two prisoners in the Tower of London. Both are accused of separate acts treason, but their backgrounds suggest there may be a connection.
Sir Francis Walsingham and Lord Burghley urge William to discover further intelligence from the prisoners while tending their injuries from torture.
The agent's investigations lead him to the French Embassy, which lies at the heart of a conspiracy which threatens the nation.
Through his enquiries, an unsuspecting William becomes entangled in a perilous web of politicking and religious fervour.
The threat comes from one the most powerful men in the English court – one referred to as the Queen’s Devil.
William faces a race against time to unpick these ties, climaxing in a daring raid on the Embassy.
“I am Sir Peter Gibbyn with a royal warrant for your arrest and examination.”
Those are the words that no man wanted to hear. Nor did they want to see the inside of the Tower. But when one conspires against her Majesty and is unfortunately caught...
Doctor William Constable is a scholar of astrology and physics, but in recent years he has settled down to the life of a physician. It seemed like another lifetime when he was last called into the service of spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham.
And yet, Sir Francis has not forgotten him. William is ordered to go to the Tower and attend to the medical needs of two of its prisoners, and by doing so, he is to gain their trust in the hope that kindness, after torture, will loosen their tongues.
What William learns from these men sets him on a collision course with the illustrious Earl of Leicester.
The Earl will stop at nothing to retain his position and ensure that the secrets of his past will stay in the past, forever...
The Queen's Devil: A William Constable Spy Thriller Book #3 by Paul Walker is as impressive as it is dramatic. With a keen sense of time and place, Walker has presented his readers with another emotionally enthralling thriller in A William Constable Spy Thriller series. Having enjoyed the first two books immensely, I was looking forward to catching up with my favourite scholar, physician and very reluctant spy! By the end of the first page, I was back in this astonishingly complicated world of Elizabethan politics and intrigue.
Doctor William Constable is a character that I have really come to care about, and he has gone through quite a lot for spymaster Walsingham. But in this novel, Walsingham's influence is failing, as is his health, and there is a new man who holds the attention of the Queen. William finds himself in the most perilous of situations, and there is more than his own life on the line. He has to find a solution to his predicament or those he loves will suffer most terribly. With careful use of foreshadowing, Walker prepares his readers for a thrilling romp around the streets of London. He introduces the highest in society and also the lowliest. Not forgetting of course, the Church, who was so intent upon its bloodlust that they were more than willing to listen and act upon slanderous lies. Likewise, if their patron was wealthy enough, then, the Church would forgo its teachings and accept those 30 pieces of silver with greedy, grabbing, grasping hands. Through his carefully crafted prose and an equally beguiling narrative, Walker has demonstrated most admirably the depth that some men were willing to go to in their desperate desire to keep their position and their good name.
The hero of this fabulous story, Doctor William Constable, is a man of honour but also understanding. He is a very loyal man who finds himself thrust in a situation that he would have, if he had been given the choice, avoided at all costs. His disgust at seeing the terrible plight of the prisoners who have been so brutally tortured is increased twofold by the realisation that they are going to be subjected to a cruel death despite his careful ministrations. His reluctance to spy is evident throughout this book, but he does not have a choice. He is as trapped as the prisoners are — his fate is no longer his own. I thought William's depiction was fabulous. Here is a character that a reader can really get behind and root for.
We meet many historical figures in this novel, but the antagonist of this story is one that spends the majority of the book hidden in the shadows. It is his men and his influence that causes a great deal of grief for our intrepid protagonist. Nevertheless, it is Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester that drives the narrative of this novel forward. The power and influence that Leicester had is portrayed brilliantly. This was a man that even Walsingham would not go up against. I thought Walker captured the reality of not only how much Leicester was despised because of his position, but also the length that Leicester was prepared to go to, to maintain his position as the Queen's favourite.
This is a period in history where religion and superstition clashed with science. And despite this being a period of great learning and understanding, there was a renewed belief in the supernatural and witchcraft. No longer were miracles seen as a gift from God, but a curse from the Devil. Walker has explored this era with a tenacious understanding of not only the power and corruption of the Church but also the complicated social structure of Elizabethan England. This was a time when men of science began to question the authority of the Church by their findings, and that could not be allowed. By introducing us to historical figures such as Giordano Bruno, Walker has brought vividly to life the fine line that men like Bruno trod between science and heresy, and he also demonstrates the duplicity of those who one might have considered as colleagues in this voracious quest for knowledge and understanding of the world and the universe. This was a dangerous time for philosophers and theorists who, by daring to discuss their discoveries, or even publish them now that the printing press made mass production possible, put their lives into the hands of those who would see them hang. This complex world of new ideas, and reawaken superstitions is portrayed with a dash of remarkable realism, which made this book tautly gripping.
The Queen's Devil is an absolutely riveting story that one would willingly forgo sleep to finish. As it sped headlong towards the climactic ending where glory and despair shared the same breath, Walker reminds his readers about the dangers of this era, but he also demonstrates the unfailing loyalty of a few good friends who willingly risk everything for a physician who was dragged into a complex and dangerous political game of power and wealth.
The Queen's Devil by Paul Walker is a work of flawless historical scholarship. It is also a thrilling read that keeps the reader turning those pages until that final full stop. This is the kind of book that deserves not only a place on your bookshelf, but it is also one that demands to be read again and again. It is an impressively dramatic story, and one that I cannot praise enough.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.
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Paul Walker
Paul is married and lives in a village 30 miles north of London. Having worked in universities and run his own business, he is now a full-time writer of fiction and part-time director of an education trust. His writing in a garden shed is regularly disrupted by children and a growing number of grandchildren and dogs.
Paul writes historical fiction. He inherited his love of British history and historical fiction from his mother, who was an avid member of Richard III Society. The William Constable series of historical thrillers is based around real characters and events in the late sixteenth century. The first two books in the series - State of Treason and A Necessary Killing - were published in 2019. The third book, titled The Queen's Devil, was published in the summer of 2020.
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