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A trail of blood
Novel about the Princes in the Tower.
282 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 1971
About the author
Jeremy Potter
27 books8 followersJeremy Potter served the Richard III Society as Chairman from 1971-1989. During his chairmanship, the Society launched several important initiatives, including the commissioning of a heroic statue of Richard III (on display in Castle Gardens, Leicester), the securing of royal patronage from H.R.H. Richard Duke of Gloucester, and the broadcast of a trial of Richard III, with Lord Elwyn-Jones, former Lord Chancellor, presiding. During his tenure, the Society also became active in sponsoring the publication of fifteenth-century source documents and works of current scholarship on the period. It also created the Richard III and Yorkist History Trust, which provides financial support for graduate study and publishing. Potter was elected President of the Society at its Annual General Meeting in London, October 4, 1997.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 19, 2011
Dug up a review I'd written for this back in October '04 when I read it.
From the back cover: In 1536, the murder of the princes in the Tower is still within living memory
I have read this book once before 17 years ago now, when a friend brought it back from a visit to England. I remember that I enjoyed it greatly at the time, and that I wished I might own my own copy. Finally I got my wish.
The story starts in Croyland Abbey, where the Abbot is entertaining two dangerous guests. One is Chancellor John Rayne, who is in all probability an instrument of Thomas Cromwell in his crusade to suppress the monasteries. The other is Robert Aske, A pert lawyer from the north, who seeks a leader to whose banner those who wish to retain the old faith will flock. They come to Croyland for information secret records and histories from 50 years earlier concerning the end of the Plantagenets. Eventually the Abbot agrees to let the sharpest intellect in his community Brother Thomas investigate further than the Abbeys library to see if he can uncover the fate of the princes in the Tower, and find a living Plantagenet male who could supplant Henry VIII on the throne.
The first third of the book is mostly dialogue between the Abbot, the Prior, Rayne, Aske and Brother Thomas. I found it a bit arduous, but the purpose was to communicate the information surrounding the end of the Plantagenets as it was known at the time, and then contrast it with the information contained in Croylands library - in particular The Croyland Chronicle; a record of events written by a number of different anonymous authors though the years. Once Brother Thomas sets out on his quest I found my enjoyment of the book increased sharply.
About halfway through the book I remembered how the story climaxed, but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the tale. It is a welcome addition to my Yorkist library, and I happily recommend it, especially to those who like their fiction historical, or possibly their history fictionalised!
To close: a sentence from the Authors Note "All I claim for my version of events is that it is as plausible as the one circulated by three earlier practitioners of the art of crime fiction: H. Tudor, T. More and W. Shakespeare."
From the back cover: In 1536, the murder of the princes in the Tower is still within living memory
I have read this book once before 17 years ago now, when a friend brought it back from a visit to England. I remember that I enjoyed it greatly at the time, and that I wished I might own my own copy. Finally I got my wish.
The story starts in Croyland Abbey, where the Abbot is entertaining two dangerous guests. One is Chancellor John Rayne, who is in all probability an instrument of Thomas Cromwell in his crusade to suppress the monasteries. The other is Robert Aske, A pert lawyer from the north, who seeks a leader to whose banner those who wish to retain the old faith will flock. They come to Croyland for information secret records and histories from 50 years earlier concerning the end of the Plantagenets. Eventually the Abbot agrees to let the sharpest intellect in his community Brother Thomas investigate further than the Abbeys library to see if he can uncover the fate of the princes in the Tower, and find a living Plantagenet male who could supplant Henry VIII on the throne.
The first third of the book is mostly dialogue between the Abbot, the Prior, Rayne, Aske and Brother Thomas. I found it a bit arduous, but the purpose was to communicate the information surrounding the end of the Plantagenets as it was known at the time, and then contrast it with the information contained in Croylands library - in particular The Croyland Chronicle; a record of events written by a number of different anonymous authors though the years. Once Brother Thomas sets out on his quest I found my enjoyment of the book increased sharply.
About halfway through the book I remembered how the story climaxed, but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the tale. It is a welcome addition to my Yorkist library, and I happily recommend it, especially to those who like their fiction historical, or possibly their history fictionalised!
To close: a sentence from the Authors Note "All I claim for my version of events is that it is as plausible as the one circulated by three earlier practitioners of the art of crime fiction: H. Tudor, T. More and W. Shakespeare."
December 21, 2008
This is an interesting speculation on what happened to the Princes in the Tower, the sons of Edward IV. All the usual suspects are mentioned and the case against each is faithfully laid out. Potter proposes a totally unique solution and one which requires more than a little suspension of disbelief. However, he earnestly presents and defends his proposal and I enjoyed the stretching of my mind his words demanded.
The late Mr. Potter was a mainstay of the Richard III Society and touches all the bases in the history of the turbulent time when the Tudors were attempting to make their position secure. The feeling of familiarity was comforting as I read. While he is no master of fiction, Potter does well enough and his story surges right along even though I have the distinct feeling he would be more at home in history rather than fancy.
The late Mr. Potter was a mainstay of the Richard III Society and touches all the bases in the history of the turbulent time when the Tudors were attempting to make their position secure. The feeling of familiarity was comforting as I read. While he is no master of fiction, Potter does well enough and his story surges right along even though I have the distinct feeling he would be more at home in history rather than fancy.
October 21, 2011
Simply brilliant adaptation of the facts, haunting as the places are so real, even today! read it and it is so believable, similar in style and development, as a story created around the facts, to the Eagle of The Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe.
August 13, 2012
This was my first introduction to medieval mystery books and I loved it! The story of the princes in the tower is fascinating so this was great, if a little unbelieveable!
December 10, 2020
This favorite book posits that perhaps The Princes of the Tower survived, since their uncle, Richard III, had no motive to kill them; and Henry Tudor did not announce their deaths till 1512! On the eve of the Pilgrimage of Grace, its leader, Robert Aske, arrives at Croyland Abbey, along with a high churchman, requesting information contained in their archives. Thus begin the adventures of Brother Thomas — adventures that will take him far from his fenland home and into danger. Highly recommended.
May 6, 2020
A seriously plausible reconstruction of the fates of the Princes in the Tower, and the search 50 years later for a surviving successor for the throne in an England that was racked by political instability, regal infighting and insurrections around the country. Although a fictional account of true events, the book offers fascinating insights into an England we would hardly recognise nowadays, identifying the difficult relationship between the nobility and the clergy, and the haphazard and opportunistic way in which the English Reformation came about.
October 19, 2020
A monk in 1536 looks into the ultimate cold case - what happened to the Princes in the Tower?
There is a LOT of talking and interviews - all events stay in the present, no flashbacks of what happened - leading up to a "twist" you see coming a mile off, and Tudor history, as we know, plays out without any changes.
April 13, 2024
It took me a while to get into this but I'm really glad I stuck with it. An intriguing read
December 19, 2010
Set during the reign of Henry VIII, this is a story that seeks to explain the mystery of the Princes in the Tower. The two princes, Edward and Richard, went to live in the Tower of London when their father, Edward IV, died. For whatever reason the crowning of their uncle as regent was postponed. Finally the uncle was crowned Richard III. His Tudor successors later claimed that he had murdered the princes in order to ascend to the throne. There has never been any conclusive proof regarding what happened to the two princes.
This novel claims that the reason the coronation of Richard as regent was postponed was because the two princes (and consequently their sister, the mother of Henry VIII) were found to be illegitimate. Richard III kept the boys in the Tower to protect them, as he had sworn to do. The story explains why they felt the need to escape and how Edward was killed in the attempt. The rest of the novel is spent uncovering the movement and final location (really quite obvious from the beginning) of Richard, Duke of York.
The aim of the protagonists is to unearth a Yorkist claimant to the throne, ostensibly to succeed Henry VIII (who had no son at the time) but really to put an end to the Reformation and what they saw as a corrupt regime with dubious claims to royalty. The aim of the author is to solve the mystery in as plausible a manner as possible. I think he succeeds, though some of the events and coincidences are a little far-fetched. I'm interested in finding more by the author, particularly the non-fiction related to this period.
This novel claims that the reason the coronation of Richard as regent was postponed was because the two princes (and consequently their sister, the mother of Henry VIII) were found to be illegitimate. Richard III kept the boys in the Tower to protect them, as he had sworn to do. The story explains why they felt the need to escape and how Edward was killed in the attempt. The rest of the novel is spent uncovering the movement and final location (really quite obvious from the beginning) of Richard, Duke of York.
The aim of the protagonists is to unearth a Yorkist claimant to the throne, ostensibly to succeed Henry VIII (who had no son at the time) but really to put an end to the Reformation and what they saw as a corrupt regime with dubious claims to royalty. The aim of the author is to solve the mystery in as plausible a manner as possible. I think he succeeds, though some of the events and coincidences are a little far-fetched. I'm interested in finding more by the author, particularly the non-fiction related to this period.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2024
Amid the turmoil of the dissolution of the monasteries, Brother Thomas, the archivist at Croyland Abbey, is asked to undertake a search to discover the fate of the princes in the tower. The request is made by two people: Robert Aske, who eventually becomes the leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace, hopes to find a Plantagenet prince who will lead the opposition to the dissolution. The other is the chancellor of the Bishop of Lincoln—king’s men who are ostensibly interested in finding a male with royal blood who can succeed if Fat Tudor has no male heirs. Croyland’s abbort reluctantly gives his consent to the search. The trail leads Brother Thomas from London, Bermondsley, across the Midlands to Bosworth, Newark, and finally back to Croyland. In the course of his search Brother Thome becomes a committed Yorkist, imaging what it must have been like to lead the charge at Bosworth and trying to escape across the Trent after the debacle of Stoke. There aresome surprising revelations along the way as well as dangers that the monk faces in an increasingly hostile environment. The result of his search is interesting and unexpected.
The reason for setting Brother Thomas on this search seems a bit implausible, especially the “alliance” of the people who demand it. However, the depiction of the various political and religious factions at war during this time makes the search more significant. The author deftly weaves into the story a stout defense of Richard III and a discussion of what makes a king a “good” king.
The reason for setting Brother Thomas on this search seems a bit implausible, especially the “alliance” of the people who demand it. However, the depiction of the various political and religious factions at war during this time makes the search more significant. The author deftly weaves into the story a stout defense of Richard III and a discussion of what makes a king a “good” king.
October 27, 2013
Very well written, and showing a learned approach to history. This novel represents the poignant situation of Catholics during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and reflects the culture of the monasteries in a creative way.
I read this book back in the 1980s - and recent obtained a ebook of it through Bookworld. I enjoyed rereading it, but I was disappointed that the ebook does not contain the author's afterwood, which is very important to understanding the background of the novel.
I read this book back in the 1980s - and recent obtained a ebook of it through Bookworld. I enjoyed rereading it, but I was disappointed that the ebook does not contain the author's afterwood, which is very important to understanding the background of the novel.
February 28, 2015
Although it starts a bit slowly, this historical mystery in which a monk (several years before the debut of Brother Cadfael), is dispatched by supporters of the pre-Reformation English church to discover the fate of the Princes in the Tower fifty years before, and if one of them is still alive, to convince him to lead their rebellion against "the fat Tudor," Henry VIII, holds up quite well. A thoughtful and intriguing look at what might have happened.
September 8, 2023
This is heavy reading at times, but it is an interesting historical mystery. Brother Thomas, the archivist at Croyland Abbey, is asked to undertake a search to discover the fate of the Princes in the Tower 50 years after their disappearance. This takes him on many adventures around the country and puts him in great danger. Many of the usual suspects are referenced and the case for and against them set out. The climax is original (if unconvincing in my view!)
January 24, 2016
This was ok, not as good as Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time and covers much of the same ground at the beginning. But was an interesting read neverless.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews