Winter King: Murder in Henry's Court

Tudor Crimes #1

by Anne Stevens

Thomas Cromwell's history begins. He waits at Austin Friars, for news of his master, Cardinal Wolsey. Henry Tudor is in the winter of his reign. He is without a male heir, and the future of the English throne hangs in the balance. Powerful men, such as Cromwell, Lord Percy and the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk vie for power. Into this world rides Captain Will Draper, a soldier fresh from the wars, and with an important message. Cardinal Wolsey is dead. Intrigue follows intrigue, and Will finds himself in a race to uncover a murderer. The politics and chicanery of court life threaten to ruin his investigation, and leave the way clear for the most heinous crime of all. This is the debut novel of Anne Stevens, and captures Tudor England in all its Palaces, fine houses, Bawds, rich nobles and the poorest, all mingle to create an atmospheric book that entwines historical fact with fast paced fiction. Winter King is a whodunnit not to be missed.

Genres: Historical, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Tudor Period

153 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 16, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Kavita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be loads better than most other historical fiction based during the Tudor era. Despite the Philippa Gregory and even worse authors littering this genre, there are a few good authors here and there. I liked Stevens' writing and I liked the premise. But I didn't really buy the story itself, and hence the two stars.

Will Draper is a bounty hunter in Ireland. He quickly grows tired of the harsh life and decides he wants to see England. Fate brings him to Thomas Cromwell, just as the man was on his way up. With Wolsey dead and the royal coffers empty, King Henry has no one to help him negotiate for a loan. Cromwell wants to step into this gap, but a Jewish moneylender gets there first. And then he is murdered - right in the privacy of the King's chambers! Who but Henry could have done it?

This kind of mystery story is bound to fail. One problem is that you really cannot make it as suspenseful as a regular mystery because you can't really make one of the historical characters the murderer. If Henry could have been taken as a real possibility for the murderer, then this would have been a really good book. But as it was, most of the characters were already ruled out because historically, they didn't murder anyone and the author obviously didn't want to take that liberty.

Another problem with this book was that the historical characters were too mouthy and shouted out loud about treason and religion for everyone to hear. At a time when even thinking about such things could lead you to the scaffold, it was rather unlikely to me. Draper was also instantly given huge powers and taken into both Henry's and Cromwell's confidence, something that would usually take years. I also couldn't buy the way he sorted out everyone's problems instantaneously and had the entire court indebted to him overnight! It was way overdone and Draper began to annoy me. If he could do everything, then why was Cromwell even needed? We might as well just have Draper become the King's minister! Another problem was the way in which random and unknown servants were allowed into the king's chambers without anyone knowing their complete background. This mystery just doesn't work.

Anne Stevens is no C.J. Sansom, but I feel she should have adopted his approach and stuck to more fictional characters and fewer overachieving heroes.

[Angie Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many things wrong with this book: the use of present tense is somewhat discordant, there are numerous grammar and punctuation errors and a few non-sequiturs in the plot - how, for instance, does the Duke of Suffolk ask a question having been ordered from the room two pages earlier? - not to mention the brain-dazzling speed with which a total unknown can enter the household of the ever wary Thomas Cromwell, rise to giddy heights of power and favour with both Cromwell and his hugely untrusting royal master, find and court a beautiful Jewish girl while somehow magically understanding the infernally complex intrigues of the Tudor court and catching a ruthless murderer and uncovering a foul plot. However, I do think the series has potential if we can just calm down the James Bond in Tudor livery imagery, slow the whole thing down a bit and get a half decent proof-reader. We'll try another volume and see how things develop.

[Bernard Borman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad English and unsubstantiated drivel.

Too many words are wasted in creating doubtful contribution to the storyline. It camouflaged the historical facts and introduces far too much personal fantasies. The storyline is like starting a car with a flat battery. Book and style not to be recommended.

[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story that’s let down by the author not revealing enough of the plot for the reader to work out the mystery until the ‘big reveal’ at the end. I guessed correctly, but that’s all it was - a guess. I enjoyed the writers style enough that I will give the next book a try to see if the series improves.

[Susan Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read indeed

An excellent mystery with a forthright main character who has intellect as well as fighting ability, solving the crime of murder in trying circumstances.

[Boffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. The history and the fiction blend beautifully, and the whole is shot through with humour. The author has a way with her that keeps the story bouncing along, Apart from the expected historical characters, she introduces an array of fictional people, who are well crafted. The fight scenes are brutal, and well written, and the interplay between Cromwell and the king is touching, and very human.
In a better time, Cromwell would have been a better man. Once started, it is almost impossible to put down before the end.