I am pleased to welcome Mary Lawrence to my blog today to share a snippet from her latest novel, “Fool.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Mary Lawrence for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

Snippet

I expected to be an object of curiosity—what dwarf leading a costumed goat into town wouldn’t be? Plenty of townsfolk stopped in their steps to gawp. Women stared, kept a wide berth, while children laughed and pointed. Men, however… 

As if my size were a challenge to their manhood. But as I thought more on it later, I believe I was a challenge to their sense of convention. Most had probably never seen a smidge of a human. I think some considered me an insult, a queeb, Satan’s fart. I led Hazel to the conduit and stood by while she drank. One child was attracted to Hazel’s colourful harness and approached to stroke her back. 

“She likes to be scratched here,” I said, showing him the spot between her shoulder blades.  

“I like your goat,” he said. He concentrated on rubbing Hazel, then looked at me and tilted his head. “You look strange,” he said.  

“I am a dwarf,” I answered. “I’m not strange, I’m just built differently from you.”  

Blurb:  

Betrayal. Power. Perception. The most dangerous mind at court belongs to a fool.  

From the author of The Alchemist’s Daughter comes a dark tale of ambition and survival. 

“One of the most vibrant characters I’ve encountered in years.“–Goodreads Ecostell 

Kronos is a fool–mocked for his dwarfism, prized for his juggling, and underestimated by everyone who matters. But in a court ruled by paranoia and whispers, invisibility is its own kind of power. 

When Kronos overhears a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard, he becomes a liability the crown cannot afford. Silenced, mutilated, and left for dead, he survives–barely. 

Rescued by an ambitious apothecary, Kronos soon realizes he has not escaped danger–he has merely changed masters. His secret is worth a fortune…and powerful men are willing to kill to control it. 

But Kronos has spent his life being overlooked, and he’s ready to use that to his advantage. 

As rival factions circle and scheme, Kronos sets a plan in motion–one that could topple the mighty, rewrite his fate, and force his foes to reconsider which of them is truly…the fool. 

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and Philippa Gregory 

 

Praise for Fool: 

“Vividly written and grounded in scrupulous research, Fool captures both the dark comedy and lethal danger of Henry VIII’s court.” 

~ Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown and The Blue 

“A masterclass in immersive storytelling.” 

~ Tony Riches, author of the best-selling Tudor Trilogy 

 

“A thoughtful and unsparing Tudor novel that reframes the court jester not as comic ornament but as a precarious witness to power.” 

~ Megan Parker for IndieReader 

Buy Links: 

Author’s Universal Buy Link: https://www.marylawrencebooks.com/linktree  

Amazon Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/479KQ8  

Author Bio: 

Mary Lawrence is the author of the Bianca Goddard mysteries, a 5-book series that takes place in the slums of Tudor London, featuring the daughter of an infamous alchemist. Suspense Magazine named The Alchemist’s Daughter and The Alchemist of Lost Souls best historical mysteries of 2015 and 2017. 

Her writing has been published in several journals, including The Daily Beast. When she is not writing, she tends a small berry farm in Maine with her husband and creates artisanal jams for sale at market. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://www.marylawrencebooks.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marylawrence.author/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marylawrence.author  

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/marylawrence.bsky.social  

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mel59lawrence  

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-lawrence  

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mary-Lawrence/author/B00N7JSO5Y  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/84420.Mary_Lawrence