It is 1688 and James ll is on the throne of England. But James is not popular – and he is a Catholic. The situation is dangerously volatile. Although Duke of Monmouth’s rebellion has failed, with bloody consequences, there are still many who desire to replace James with a Protestant monarch.
Among these are Philip Devalle, who has been James’ open enemy in the past, and Philip’s brother-in-law. Giles Fairfield, who fought in Monmouth’s doomed uprising. Neither will prosper in a country ruled by King James.
However, there is an alternative. For Philip, virtually a prisoner on his estate, and Giles, an exile from his native land, it would mean taking great risks. Failure would be disastrous for them both…but success could bring great rewards!
The Orange Autumn is an inspired retelling of a particularly turbulent period of English history. A tale of political unrest, intrigue, scandal and plots, it will equally appeal to those with an interest in the era, as well as those looking to expand upon their own historical knowledge.
''I try to take my readers on a journey to this exciting era, travelling back to the 17th century!''
Having written stories since she was a little girl, Judith never liked history at school but she always enjoyed historical novels. Judith became inspired to write her books when visiting Versailles, the palace of the magnificent Sun King, Louis X1V. As she wandered around the sumptuous rooms in his chateau and walked in the very gardens he created there, King Louis came to life for her.
''Louis was real, he was there – I could almost see him admiring the fountains, surrounded by his finely-dressed courtiers. I felt I had been transported back in time!''
Judith has written several stories based around the actual events of the period such as the Popish Plot, the Fire of London, the Plague, the Rye House Plot and the Glorious Revolution, set in both England and France, and following the lives of some of the same characters.
Judith has 6 novels in the Philip Devalle set:
- Designs of a Gentleman - The Early Years - Designs of a Gentleman - The Darker Years - High Heatherton - The Orange Autumn - The Distant Hills - Flowers Of Languedoc
I enjoyed this novel, as it is partly set in France, seventeenth century, and had some of my favourite characters in it, notably Monsieur, the Sun King's brother. It was, also, a book that I found hard to put down, because the characters had a number of issues that needed solving, and that kept me reading, late into the night, to see what would happen. So it was a good page turner. The characters were well drawn, and the research underpinning the novel is accurate. A good read.
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review: Helen Hollick founder #DDRevs "A well paced novel, with some interesting cameos from Samuel Pepys and Judge Jeffreys amongst others"