Guest Post: “Excerpt from ‘The Witch of Godstow Abbey’ by Lady Harriet & Dr. Peter Stephenson”

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I am pleased to welcome Lady Harriet and Dr. Peter Stephenson to my blog to share an excerpt from their novel, The Witch of Godstow Abbey. I would like to thank Lady Harriet, Dr. Peter Stephenson, and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me participate in this blog tour.

Excerpt

From Chapter 2 – A Garden’s Secret

The abbess sat in her chambers, reviewing the abbey’s ledgers. Sister Agnes entered without waiting for the novice outside to announce her.

“My child! What urgency drives you to burst in so?”

“I must tell you what I’ve found, Mother. It is deeply troubling.”

“Then speak, Sister.”

“The piglets did not die by the blade alone. They were prepared first with a potion—I suspect monkshood, judging by the blue tint of their lips and tongues. Before death took them, the executioner drew their vital essence through a small puncture wound near one of the great vessels. Finally, he cut their throats — not as a killing blow, but to bleed them wholly, leaving not a drop of life-humour behind.”

“A sacrifice to the Devil, then?”

“Yes, Mother. I believe that this is the work of those who serve the Enemy.”

Blurb:

A widowed academic investigating strange historical practices gets drawn back in time and into the year 1299 in Oxford. Join a cast of compelling characters-nuns, novices, and outsiders-as they battle the forces of darkness. Enter their struggle against evil, clandestine organizations. Join their life-threatening fight to protect each other, be willing to die for each other, and occasionally fall in love.

Will heroic love and righteous pursuit of justice triumph? Will the horror-inducing villain be found out and overthrown? Or will the courageous troop of those fighting for what is good be overpowered and taken captive?

Set in Oxford, England, in the year 1299, a struggle takes place between the sisters of the local convent and a strange, terrifying local evil society. They discover a secret organization of men who perform unspeakable deeds. The lives of several sisters are in danger.

Join Mother Alice, Sister Agnes, and Isabel, along with Lady Beatrix and Lady Harriet, as they confront and do battle with an evil, secret society intent on attacking them, taking over the convent, and sacrificing a young woman.

If you love stories that keep you turning pages while imparting fascinating accounts of the past, this latest mystery in the “Murders in the Abbey” series will tingle your spine.

Praise for The Witch of Godstow Abbey:

‘Richly atmospheric and quietly gripping, “The Witch of Godstow Abbey” is a worthy addition to your bookshelf.’
~ Yarde Book Promotion, 5* Editorial Review

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/3ylMyB

Author Bios:

Lady Harriet holds the legal title “Lady of the Manor,” as defined under English law, and traces her ancestry to Charlemagne’s royal line.

A lifelong reader and devoted genealogist for nearly fifty years, Harriet has always had a passion for stories, whether they are buried in the past or found in the pages of a good book. She is the co-author of We Are Manx, a self-published family saga that explores her Manx heritage and the history of the Isle of Man in rich detail.

She’s also a photographer who prefers being behind the lens, a word lover addicted to word games, and a fan of wooden jigsaw puzzles. She has traveled extensively, with a deep appreciation for history, diverse cultures, and the unexpected joys that can be found away from home. Her career spanned volunteerism, real estate, and systems administration, but now she happily devotes her time to more creative pursuits.

As she puts it: “I’m old enough for Medicare, but not quite old enough to get a birthday card from King Charles—were I a Brit.”

The Witch of Godstow Abbey, written in partnership with Dr. Peter Stephenson, marks her first (but certainly not last) foray into historical fiction. With photography, she creates books of images; with storytelling, she creates images made of words.

Dr. Peter Stephenson has written or contributed to over twenty books, all but one of which are non-fiction technical books. He has published over 1,000 papers in technical journals, technical trade journals, and peer-reviewed legal journals. One of his peer-reviewed papers has over 15,400 downloads.

In addition to writing, Dr. Stephenson has been playing blues and Americana music for 70 years. It is through that performing, and after earning a PhD from Oxford Brookes University, that he was given the appellation “Doc” by the owner of one of his performance venues.

Having visited Oxford several times and being employed by a UK company in nearby Malvern, it was only natural that he would set his tales in Oxfordshire. His academic experience in Oxford town sealed the deal and resulted in his first historical novel, The Whispering Dead of Rewley Abbey—Book 1 in the “Murders in the Abbey” series—which reached the Amazon Kindle bestseller list and won a Pencraft award for literary excellence in the winter of 2025. He now writes with his collaborator and writing partner, Lady Harriet.

Dr. Stephenson lives with two Savannah cats on a pond in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Starting a “new” career at the age of 80, Doc reckons that he has only about the next 20 years to finish the series and retire – again – perhaps this time to Oxford.

Author Links:

Website: https://murdercanbefun.net/
Historium Press author pages:
Lady Harriet https://www.historiumpress.com/lady-harriet
Dr. Peter Stephenson https://www.historiumpress.com/peter-stephenson
Facebook: The Lady and The Doc https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577829971728
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theladyandthedoc/
Amazon Author Page: Lady Harriet: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lady-Harriet/author/B0FVTKJ8D2
Dr. Peter Stephenson: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Peter-Stephenson/author/B0B5LXPG15
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52609869.Peter_Stephenson

 

Book Review: “The Secret Courtesan” by Kerry Chaput

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A statue several centuries old has been discovered in Italy. The leading male art expert believes that it was created by a sculptor named Lucca Armani. He has asked Dr. Mia Harding to support his research, but Dr. Mia feels that something is amiss. Sofia Rossi is a courtesan living in Renaissance Venice who aspires to a life devoted to creating art. Sofia and Mia may be separated by centuries, but their lives and reputations are tied to this mysterious statue. Can Dr. Mia figure out the truth of the statue before her time runs out? Kerry Chaput tells the tale of these two remarkable women in her novel, “The Secret Courtesan.”

 

I would like to thank She Writes Press and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have been reading a lot more dual timeline novels and novels set in Renaissance Italy, so when I saw the description of this book, I knew I wanted to give it a try.

 

Chaput begins in the modern day with Dr. Mia Harding, a struggling woman art historian, who is trying to build her own reputation in the field. She has been asked by Dr. Byron, an expert on the art by Lucca Armani to verify his research on the statue entitled The Estasi. The problem is that Dr. Mia believes that the statue was created by someone else, perhaps a woman. No one else believes her except for a stranger named Dr. Noah Beckett, who wants to help bring down Dr. Byron. They decide to research a different lead on the statue, the idea that a woman created the piece of art. This single theory will send Mia and Noah on a wild goose chase to Venice, where they find the truth about a courtesan at the risk of being arrested and chased by the mafia. 

 

We also get to see how the statue was created in Venice in the year 1608. Sofia Rossi is a courtesan for Lord Marco, but all she wants to do is create art and sell her pieces as a woman artist, which would be an uphill battle. Her life changes when Lord Marco tells her that she has been sold to Lucca Armani. She believes that she will finally be able to live her dream, but it turns out to be a nightmare. Lucca’s wife, Caterina, is the one truly in control, and she manipulates every aspect of Sofia’s life. Sofia does find some solace in her art and in an art dealer, Antonio Bruni, but her life and her dreams come to a tragic end. 

 

This was a gripping novel that shows what it might have been like for a female artist to prove her worth in a world of male artists in Renaissance Italy. We also get a taste of what it might feel like to be a female art historian in the modern day. Chaput made these characters so believable that there were a few times that I had to make sure that the Renaissance figures were, in fact, fictional because they were written so well. If you want a thrilling dual timeline novel about Renaissance art, I recommend you read “The Secret Courtesan” by Kerry Chaput.

Book Review: “Templar Silks” by Elizabeth Chadwick

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One of the greatest knights in English history is lying on his deathbed. As his loved ones stay near his bedside, William Marshal remembers his time in the Outremer, where he is to perform a final duty to his lord. William and his companions soon realize that the Holy Land is more treacherous than they could ever imagine, and the most dangerous person for William is the concubine Paschia de Riveri. Elizabeth Chadwick concludes her William Marshal series with novel six in the series, “Templar Silks.”

I have enjoyed the previous novels that I have read by Elizabeth Chadwick, and I wanted to read more from her. I saw this book at a used book store, and I wanted to read it, even though I had not read the previous five books in the series.

We begin this final adventure with William Marshal in the year 1219. William is on death’s door and has asked his squire, Jean D’ Earley, to retrieve his burial silks from Wales. These were not just any burial silks, but the ones that he was given by the Templars when he was in Jerusalem. To understand why William went to Jerusalem, Chadwick goes back to 1183, when William was in the service of the Young King Harry, the son of Henry II and Alienor of Aquitaine. Harry decides that they would raid Rocamadour to pay for their endeavours, but this would be one of the last decisions he would ever make. On his deathbed, Harry asked William and his men to take his cloak to Jerusalem so that he could be forgiven for his sins of robbing the church.

William agrees, and so he, his brother Ancel, and a handful of others make their way to Jerusalem. Once they make it into the Outremer, they soon realize that they are in the midst of a fight for the throne. King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem is dying, and there is a fight within his court for the throne, primarily from Baldwin’s sister Sybilla and her husband Guy de Lusignan, William’s mortal enemy. To top it all off, William falls in love with the concubine of Heraclius, Paschia de Riveri. William and his men must survive the politics of the Outremer to return home to his beloved England.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, despite not having read the previous books in the series. Now, I want to read the rest of the series to see William Marhsal’s life through Chadwick’s eyes. If you have read the previous books in the William Marshal series, I would recommend that you read the final book in the series, “Templar Silks” by Elizabeth Chadwick.

Book Review: “The Tudor Theatre: 1576-1642” by Nicholas Fogg

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When we think about the world of the Tudor theatre, we often think about the greatest playwrights of the age. Kit Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Thomas Kyd, and of course, William Shakespeare. We think of the Globe Theatre and the grand plays and masques that were performed for the rich and the poor alike. But this is only a small glimpse into the world of the Tudor theatre scene. Nicholas Fogg explores the beginnings and the end of this period in theatrical history in his book, “The Tudor Theatre: 1576-1642.”

I would like to thank Pen & Sword Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I am not very well-versed in theatre history, so I was hoping for something that would be easy for me to follow along, yet also very informative.

Fogg begins in the year 1576 with the opening of The Theatre, which was a passion project of James Burbage. It was the first location dedicated solely to plays and acting, but it will not be the last. Over sixty years, we see the explosion of the theatrical arts from the great playwrights to lesser-known figures. Fogg takes the time to analyze the popular plays and those that don’t get enough attention. We also get to see how politics, the Puritans, and the plague affected the theatre scene. We witness the rise and fall of actors, playwrights, and theatres until the Puritans finally decided to close theatres for good in 1642, once the Stuarts fell for a time.

Fogg is an expert in this field of study, and he shows it on each page, but sometimes, as a novice, I felt a bit lost. The amount of information in this book was a bit overwhelming for someone like me, who is not too familiar with the theatre world. However, if you are someone who loves the Tudor theatre and wants an in-depth look at this period of theatrical history, you might enjoy “The Tudor Theatre: 1576-1642” by Nicholas Fogg.

Guest Post: “Excerpt from ‘Therein Lies the Pearl’ by Catherine Hughes”

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I am pleased to welcome Catherine Hughes to my blog today to share an excerpt from her latest novel, “Therein Lies the Pearl.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Catherine Hughes for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

Excerpt

Her voice lifted in confusion. “Father?” 

Margaret had been breathing in the musky smell of the woodlands and the flowering anemone that lined their path when she saw her father’s body, as it was positioned in the saddle, tilt further and further toward the side. 

That morning, the family had left the inn and began traveling toward Favreshant, following a path made fragrant by the flowers and plants newly opened for spring. The weather did much to improve Margaret’s spirits as the sun shone brightly upon them from a clear, blue-domed sky. An occasional puffy cloud floated across the heavens, but never did it linger long enough to diminish the warmth that embraced her. Walking with a bemused smile upon her face, Margaret surrendered to the charms of the countryside, relishing in the way the light accentuated the many shades of green that colored the leaves, the bushes, and the flower stems. A random look toward the front of the cavalcade snapped her pleasant daydream when she noticed the rider near the head of the train—her father—was about to fall. 

Abandoning her usual sauntering walk, she broke into enormous strides, trying to close the gap between her father and herself. The rapid turnover of her feet upon the soil alarmed the flock of yellowhammers who had been flitting about the blossoms. To escape the disruption, they rose higher and hovered above, waiting for the 

tumult to settle. 

“Father!” 

Her shout coincided with the loud thud of his body landing on solid ground, his head coming to rest in a patch of wildflowers. 

Before Margaret reached him, she could see Gerhard was already there. He had carefully removed young Edgar from the saddle and then ran toward Edward, dropping to his knees for closer inspection. 

Margaret skidded to a halt and took the same posture on the other side of her father’s fallen body. Hesitantly, she repeated again, “Father…?” 

His lips parted, but no sound issued forth. 

After a quick glance in her direction, Gerhard moved closer to Edward, placing one hand beneath his master’s neck and bringing his own closer. “Edward! Edward, can you hear me?” Nothing. “Blink your eyes if you can hear me.” Gerhard’s voice cracked with worry, his usual composure gone. Because Gerhard had leaned so closely over her father’s head, Margaret had to slide further up toward his shoulder to be able to see whether or not her father had comprehended Gerhard’s words. 

To her relief, she saw his eyelashes flutter—he understood! He was still there, he was still with them! 

Gerhard continued. “Can you move your legs, my lord? Your arms? Just blink to let me know if you still have some control over your limbs.” 

The words hung in the air as other people soon gathered around the group of three upon the ground. Margaret heard Edgar sniffling somewhere outside the circle and felt Harold, the priest, and his two brothers glaring down upon them from their seats. None of them had dismounted; instead, they surrounded the trio like a band of 

highwaymen waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting victim. To Margaret’s dismay, her father’s eyelids did not flicker. 

She studied Gerhard and watched the changing color of emotion move across his face—from confusion to concern, from fear to speculation, from suspicion to anger. When they both noticed the parting of her father’s lips, their hopes lifted. Together, she and Gerhard leaned in closer. 

Her father’s eyes remained open but unfocused, and he whispered gently, more so to the air than to them. “No … feeling …my legs. My feet… cannot feel them… cannot move them… nothing there.” 

Gerhard was about to respond, but stopped when he saw Edward gather his breath once more. Unable to inhale deeply, he spoke in shallow exchanges. “Dizzy … since morn…could not get… legs…to keep hold … of the horse… chest feels … full… crushed.” He paused here for a lengthier break.  

Margaret could feel her eyes welling up, her lashes wet with moisture.  

“Cannot… take …. in … air.” With his gaze still focused at some point in the far distance, he whispered in a hushed tone, “Twas… foul… play.” Silence, and he moved no more. 

Margaret felt tears stinging her eyes. They burned her skin as they tumbled down her face until they left small, individual droplets of water on her father’s tunic. She watched as Gerhard placed his hand over Edward’s face, his fingers gently extending to close each eyelid. 

Tiny bright-blue flowers with yellow centers formed a soft, decorative pillow where his sleeping head lay. Reminded of Jesus’ promise when he created these delicate blossoms, Margaret trusted that the Blessed Virgin would watch over her father’s soul. And she also knew that her father—like the flower itself—was urging her to “forget-me-not.”

Blurb: 

Normandy, 1064   

Celia Campion, a girl of humble background, finds herself caught in a web of intrigue when Duke William commands her to work as his spy, holding her younger sister hostage. Her mission: to sail across the sea to Wilton Abbey and convince Margaret, daughter of Edward the Exile, to take final vows rather than form a marriage alliance with the newly crowned king to the North, Malcolm III of Scotland. Preventing a union between the Saxons and Scots is critical to the success of the Duke’s plan to take England, and more importantly for Celia, it is the only way to keep her sister alive.   

In this sweeping epic that spans the years before and after the Conquest, two women from opposite sides of the English Channel whisper across the chasm of time to tell their story of the tumultuous days that eventually changed the course of history.  As they struggle to survive in a world marked by danger, loss, and betrayal, their lives intersect, and they soon come to realize they are both searching for the same thing–someone they can trust amidst the treachery that surrounds them.   

Together, their voices form a narrative never before told.  

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bolgZa  

Author Bio: 

Award-winning writer Catherine Hughes is a first-time author who, from her earliest years, immersed herself in reading. Historical fiction is her genre of choice, and her bookshelves are stocked with selections from ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Europe as well as those involving New England settlements and pioneer life in America. After double-majoring in English and business management on the undergraduate level, Catherine completed her Master’s degree in British literature at Drew University and then entered the classroom, where she has been teaching American, British, and World Literature at the high school level for the last thirty years. 

 

Aside from teaching and reading, Catherine can often be found outdoors, drawing beauty and inspiration from the world of nature. Taking the words of Thoreau to heart, “It is the marriage of the soul with nature that makes the intellect fruitful,” Catherine sets aside time every day to lace up her sneakers and run with her dog in pre-dawn or late afternoon hours on the beaches of Long Island. When her furry companion isn’t busy chasing seagulls or digging up remnants of dead fish, she soaks in the tranquility of the ocean setting, freeing her mind to tap into its deepest recesses where creativity and imagination preside. 

 

In Silence Cries the Heart, Hughes’s first book, received the Gold Medal in Romance for the Feathered Quill 2024 Book of the Year contest, the Gold Medal for Fiction in the 2024 Literary Titan competition, and the 2024 International Impact Book Award for Historical Fiction. In addition, the Historical Fiction Company gave it a five-star rating and a Silver Medal in the category of Historical Fiction Romance. The book was also featured in the February 2024 Issue 31 of the Historical Times magazine and was listed as one of the Best Historical Fiction Books of 2024 by the History Bards Podcast. Therein Lies the Pearl is her second venture into the world of historical fiction. 

 

Author Links: 

Website: www.catherinehughesauthor.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathy.hughes.5036 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathyhughes22/  

Amazon Author Page:    

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Catherine-Hughes/author/B0CJT8MXR6  

Goodreads: 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49501263.Catherine_Hughes 

Guest Post: “Spotlight for ‘The Relic Keeper’ by Heidi Eljarbo”

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I am pleased to welcome Heidi Eljarbo back to my blog to share a spotlight for her latest novel, “The Relic Keeper.” I would like to thank Heidi Eljarbo and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

Blurb: 

Inspired by Gerrit van Honthorst’s masterpiece, The Adoration of the Child, and the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. 

Italy, 1620. 

Angelo is an orphan, lonely and forgotten. Having been passed on from one family to the next, he ends up as a common thief, subject to and under the thumb of a ruthless robber called Tozzo. 

Angelo knows no other life and has lost hope that any chance of providence will ever replace his lonely, misfortunate existence. When he loses his master, his livelihood is shaken. Tozzo’s plunder is hidden in a safe place, but what will happen if someone comes after Angelo to get their hands on the stolen relics? More than that, he feels threatened by words he’s heard too many times; that he’ll always remain unforgiven and doomed. 

One day, a priest invites Angelo to help with chores around the church and rectory and, in exchange, offers him room and board. Padre Benedetto’s kindness and respect are unfamiliar and confusing, but Angelo’s safety is still a grave concern. Two older robbers have heard rumors about the hidden treasures and will stop at nothing to attain them. 

With literary depictions and imagery, Angelo’s story is a gripping and emotional journey of faint hope and truth in seventeenth-century Italy—an artistic and audacious tale that crosses paths with art collector Vincenzo Giustiniani and the powerful Medici family. 

Using invisible threads, Heidi Eljarbo weaves together her fictional stories with historical figures and real events. 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4j6zgl  

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

Author Bio: 

HEIDI ELJARBO grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history.

Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter.

Heidi’s favorites are her family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://www.heidieljarbo.com/ 

Twitter / X: https://x.com/HeidiEljarbo  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorheidieljarbo/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorheidieljarbo/ 

Pinterest: https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/ 

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heidi-eljarbo 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Heidi-Eljarbo/author/B073D852VG 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16984270.Heidi_Eljarbo 

 

Book Review: “The Secret of Saint Olaf’s Church” by Indrek Hargla

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15th-century Estonia was at the edge of Christendom. It also just finished facing off against the notable Victual Brothers, a band of brigands and pirates who wreaked havoc across the land. In the town of Tallinn, St. Olaf’s Church is being constructed, but nefarious dealings are coming to the surface. A serial killer is turning this once peaceful town, which is finding its identity on its head. Now, an apothecary named Melchior Wakenstede must help the magistrate solve the case before anyone else is killed. This is the premise for the first Apothecary Melchior Mystery by Indrek Hargla, entitled “The Secret of Saint Olaf’s Church.”

I would like to thank Pushkin Vertigo and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I am not familiar with Indrek Hargla’s works, nor was I familiar with medieval Estonian history, so I was excited to learn more in this novel. 

We begin with a bit of background information about Estonia and Tallinn during this period. The Victual Brothers, a band of pirates loosely joined together, have just been defeated by the Teutonic Order. One of the former commanders of the Teutonic Order,  Henning von Clingenstain, is found murdered, he is beheaded, and a coin is stuck in his mouth. This mystery novel is based on the true case of Henning von Clingenstain, with liberties obviously taken where the written record falls short. 

Hargla has chosen to focus on the stories of those who live in the town of Tallinn, primarily the apothecary Melchior Wakenstede. We also get to see the stories of his wife Keterlyn, Magistrate Dorn, Mertin Tweffell, Kilian Rechpergerin, Burckhart Casendorpe, Prior Eckell, and Brother Wunbaldus. For a small town that is growing, it holds many secrets, including deadly ones. One murder turned into multiple dead bodies. It is up to Melchior to solve the murders and make sure the murderers are brought to justice. 

I will be honest. It took me a while to get used to this book as I am not familiar with this author or Estonian history and culture, which is a bit different than other medieval stories I have read, but I am glad I read it. Hargla showed his audience what life was like in medieval Estonia with a thrilling tale full of twists, turns, and secrets. If you want a medieval murder mystery but you want something different, I suggest you give “The Secret of Saint Olaf’s Church” by Indrek Hargla a try.

Book Review: “Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty” by Dan Jones

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When we think about significant law documents from medieval England, we think about the Doomsday Book, the Assize of Clarendon, and the Statutes of Westminster. These documents would remain significant to England, but there is only one that would transcend its original purpose: the Magna Carta. To many nations, it is the foundation of liberty and justice for all. But, if we take away all the sparkling praise of the present day for the document, what can we discover about the Magna Carta? What was the Magna Carta truly at its heart, and why was it written? Dan Jones examines this document and the circumstances behind its creation in his book, “Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty.”

I have been wanting to read and review all of the books Dan Jones has published currently, so when I saw this book, I knew I wanted to read it. The Magna Carta and its creation have been an area of interest for me for a while, so I wanted to see what new information Jones could provide to this field.

So how did the Magna Carta gain such a lofty reputation for a document written and sealed over 800 years ago? To understand this question, we need to go back to the reigns of Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, and the infamous King John, the king who was behind the reason why the Magna Carta was necessary. It is by understanding the reigns of his father and brother that we can tell, as an audience, how different John was compared to his Plantagenet ancestors.

John wanted to have a stronger hold on his English subjects, but the barons would not have it. They decided to rebel against John with his high taxes, his stringent laws, and his endless wars. The Magna Carta was a result of discussions and a few drafts, but it was this document that set the guidelines for peace, which lasted for a while. The Magna Carta was reissued a few times after John’s death, but it became an antique lost to time thanks to the Tudors. It was revived during the reign of the Stuarts, and its champion was Sir Edward Coke, who helped draft the Petition of Rights. From this moment on, the Magna Carta grew to become a document of liberty that would be a foundation for nations like the United States of America.

It is quite extraordinary how a document sealed at Runnymede over 800 years ago as a peace agreement between King John and his barons would turn into a symbol of liberty for the Western world. While this is not my favorite book by Dan Jones, as I found it a tad dry, I did find it informative and easy to follow. If you want a book about this remarkable document and its legacy, I recommend you read “Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty” by Dan Jones.

Book Review: “Devil’s Gambit” by Jeri Westerson

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The year is 1540, and King Henry VIII is looking for a wife. He has been a widower for over three years, and his councilor Thomas Cromwell believes that a foreign alliance will be the best path forward for England, so he arranges a marriage between Henry and Anne of Cleves. In theory, it should be a good match, but it falls apart quickly. To top it all off, one of Anne of Cleves’ Maid of Honour brought her own drama to court that ended with a murder. Can Will Somers, the King’s Fool, navigate the drama at court while dealing with his own love life, or will the mystery of the missing body prove too much for him to handle? This is the premise of the next book in the King’s Fool Mysteries series called “Devil’s Gambit.”

I would like to thank Old London Press and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I enjoyed the previous books in this series that I have read, so I wanted to see what would happen next for Will Somers.

We begin with the disastrous first meeting between Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves before their wedding. Since Anne did not understand English or English customs, she was confused. Henry wanted to send her away immediately, but Will convinced Henry to become friends with Anne. At the same time, Will is introduced to Anne’s Maid of Honour, Margaret Loy, a German woman who has fallen in love with an English gentleman. However, the gentleman’s father does not approve of the match.

Things take a drastic turn when Lord Humphrey, the gentleman’s father, is found dead in Margaret’s chamber. The only person for the case is, of course, Henry’s jester Will Somers, but as soon as he starts the case, the body goes missing. To top it all off, Will is dealing with his relationships with his wife Marion and his lover Sir Nicholas Pachett Lord Hammond. Sir Nicholas has recently gotten married and is now asking Will for help in his marriage. Talk about an awkward situation. Will must choose who he truly loves, while giving relationship advice to the King, helping Anne navigate the English court, and solving a murder mystery.

While I did think the relationship exploits of Will Somers did take up a bit too much of this book and took away from the mystery itself, I think it was a decent novel. If you are a fan of the previous novels in the King’s Fool Mysteries, you will enjoy “Devil’s Gambit” by Jeri Westerson.

Book Review: “The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens” by Nicola Clark

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When we think about queens of the Tudor dynasties, we often think about films and dramas that show the queen with a gaggle of girls following behind, gossiping, and just being best friends with their queen. However, things on TV and on the screen are not always truthful. The ladies-in-waiting during the Tudor dynasty lived on a tightrope on whether to live their truths or to stay neutral and silent. For centuries, these women tended to be in the shadows of those whom they served, until now. Nicola Clark, in her debut book, “The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens,” tells the stories of these hidden figures of Tudor history.

I have been following Nicola Clark on social media and her research. When I heard that she was writing a book about the ladies-in-waiting for the Tudor queens, I was intrigued. I wanted to see what new information Clark could provide to the study of the Tudor court.

Clark has decided to focus on the ladies-in-waiting during the reign of the six wives of Henry VIII. While there were numerous ladies-in-waiting during Henry’s 36-year reign, Clark has made a conscious decision to focus on a select few of the women who served. She has chosen seven women to highlight: Maria de Salinas, Lady Willoughby, Elizabeth Stafford, Duchess of Norfolk, Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond, Gertrude Blount, Marchioness of Exeter, Jane Parker, Viscountess Rochford, Anne Basset, and Katherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk. Some of these figures, such as Maria de Salinas, Jane Parker, and Katherine Willoughby, are relatively familiar to average Tudor fans; however, including other women from different levels of service, from novices to more experienced ladies, adds depth to this area of study.

Clark shows us as readers what life was like for a lady-in-waiting, what they would deal with daily at court, and how, after they got married, home life was like. We get to see how they navigated an ever-changing world, from switching between queens quickly to figuring out what they were willing to sacrifice for their position and their families, as well as discovering whether their faith was strong enough to survive the dynasty. It was all a matter of time and patience.

 I found this an enjoyable read with stories about women who were often on the sidelines. Clark shed light on more obscure Tudors, and I think it gave more dimension to the tumultuous Tudor court. I am curious what Clark will write about next. If you want to learn more about the ladies-in-waiting for the wives of Henry VIII, I recommend you read “The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens” by Nicola Clark.