Brendan Prescott is contacted by Elizabeth's spymaster Sir William Cecil and asked to resume his undercover personae of Daniel Beecham, to infiltrate the murky corridors of power and determine the exact nature of peril aimed at Elizabeth and to rescue her from a fate worse than death. There is danger around every corner and the discovery of a cache of the Princess's private letters pulls Brendan, and the heir to the throne, into mortal danger once again. In a palace where no one can be trusted and everyone seems to be a double agent, Prescott must once again use all his wits and intelligence to keep England's future monarch safe.
Review
Once again Christopher Gortner has delivered what I would most definitely describe as an almost perfect historical novel. Fictitious, yet utterly convincing, characters are interwoven seamlessly with real life people and the inventiveness of his plot is truly enthralling.
For those of you who enjoy fast paced, cleverly constructed novels of any genre, this one should be on your "to be read pile" and put as close to the top as possible. Gortner is a master story-teller, his passion for history is obvious in his work and his research is flawless. You realise you are being given an education in the Tudor period and the way people lived their lives in a time when being born into the "wrong" religion could be a death sentence. He brings the past to life in a way only a few writers can.
The principal character, Brendan Prescott, is one you side with right from the very off & you root for him and his success. There are times I did feel the danger was a bit too much, turning him into a Tudor James Bond, but it is a small criticism because this is a magnificent story.
I give "The Tudor Conspiracy" 5 Crosses!!
I am also awarding Christopher the prestigious "Golden Hammer and Anvil Shield Award" for this superbly entertaining and well written book.
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