US Publication Date: July 16, 2013
5 Stars
My Review:
I loved this book. I was transported by C.W. Gortner’s historical novels, THE LAST QUEEN, THE CONFESSION OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI, and  THE QUEEN’S VOW and I adored the first of his spy thrillers, THE TUDOR SECRET which introduces us to Brendan Prescott and his shadowy world of intrigue. So I was not surprised when I loved THE TUDOR CONSPIRACY.
The novel opens with the Princess Elizabeth a virtual prisoner at her sister’s court, unable to know whom to trust, cut adrift among enemies both for her precarious position so close to the throne and for her religious beliefs. When her trusted advisor, Robert Cecil, is banished, he sends the loyal Brendan Prescott to slip into the court of Queen Mary I, to spy for Elizabeth, and if possible, to get her to safety.
When Brendan arrives he finds that nothing is what it seems. When his trusted friend and squire is murdered by poison, he realizes that it is not only the Princess Elizabeth whose life is in jeopardy. This book does a wonderful job of bringing the court of Bloody Mary to life.
Of course, the book takes place before Mary begins burning Protestants, but the threat of what is to come looms on the horizon. Through Brendan, CW Gortner does a marvelous job of making history fresh and vivid. As much as I have read about Elizabeth I’s arduous climb to the throne, CW Gortner made me forget what I already knew, and immerse myself in his novel. I watched the Wyatt rebellion unfold on his pages all over again, and I was on the edge of my seat. CW Gortner asks the question that historians are still asking: Was Elizabeth involved in the Wyatt Rebellion and its efforts to overthrow her sister’s reign? When you read this page turner you may be surprised by the answer he finds.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Amazon, B&N and Goodreads limit me to 5 stars, but if I could, I would give this fabulous novel of intrigue, danger and unshakable loyalty a 6.
 UK Publication Date: July 18, 2013
Haunted by his past, Brendan Prescott lives far from the intrigues of court. But his time of refuge comes to an end when his foe and mentor, the spymaster Cecil, brings him disquieting news that sends him on a dangerous mission. Elizabeth is held captive at court, the target of the Spanish ambassador, who seeks her demise. Obliged to return to the palace where he almost lost his life, Brendan finds himself working as a double-agent for Queen Mary herself, who orders Brendan to secure proof that will be his cherished Elizabeth’s undoing.
Plunged into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a mysterious opponent who hides a terrifying secret, Brendan races against time to retrieve a cache of the princess’s private letters, even as he begins to realize that in this dark world of betrayal and deceit, where power is supreme and sister can turn against sister, nothing—and no one—is what it seems.