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Francis Bacon Mystery #3
The Widows Guild
In the summer of 1588, Europe waits with bated breath for King Philip of Spain to launch his mighty armada against England. Everyone except Lady Alice Trumpington, whose father wants her wed to the highest bidder. She doesn't want to be a wife, she wants to be widow; a rich one, and the sooner, the better. So she marries an elderly viscount, gives him a sleeping draught, and spends her wedding night with Thomas Clarady, her best friend and Francis Bacon's assistant. The next morning, they find the viscount murdered in his bed and they're both locked into the Tower. Lady Alice appeals to the Andromache Society, the widows’ guild led by Francis Bacon's formidable aunt, Lady Russell. They charge Bacon with getting the new widow out of prison and identifying the real murderer. He soon learns the viscount wasn’t an isolated case. Someone is murdering Catholics in London and taking advantage of armada fever to mask the crimes. The killer seems to have privy information — from someone close to the Privy Council? The investigation takes Francis from the mansions along the Strand to the rack room under the Tower. Pulled and pecked by a coven of demanding widows, Francis struggles to maintain his reason and his courage to see through the fog of war and catch the killer.
346 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2015
133 people are currently reading
858 people want to read
About the author
Anna Castle
37 books238 followersAnna Castle writes the Francis Bacon mysteries and the Professor & Mrs. Moriarty mysteries. She has earned a series of degrees -- BA in the Classics, MS in Computer Science, and a Ph.D in Linguistics -- and has had a corresponding series of careers -- waitressing, software engineering, grammar-writing, assistant professor, and archivist. Writing fiction combines her lifelong love of stories and learning. She physically resides in Austin, Texas and mentally counts herself a queen of infinite space.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
August 29, 2022
Another great entry in the series. After two books of being in Oxford investigating religious extremists trying to overthrow the country, Tom Clarady is out in London free to act on his own. And he gets arrested and jailed in Newgate almost immediately.
"Trumpet" aka Alice marries a very old man and he dies that very night, murdered with poison. Suspicion lands on Alice immediately, and Francis Bacon is called before a "Widows Guild" of noble and wealthy matrons who are trying to protect the rights and lands of women who become widows. There he is tasked to find out who the actual killer was.
But a twist develops: someone also robbed Alice's new husband. And it turns out that this has happened several times, someone robbing very wealthy people of their secret, hidden cache of Roman Catholic relics and paraphernalia and often killing the man of the house. The old trio of Tom, Ben and Alice set to work, first to free Tom and clear Alice, then to dig into this mystery.
This time around there is a lot more focus on Francis Bacon, as befits a series of Francis Bacon mysteries. The characters are distinct and well sketched out, with more focus on Bacon and his persona this time around. Tom continues being rash and overly confident, Alice continues being sweet, a bit innocent, but bright and again rash. Ben continues being staid and devoid of leadership.
I had this one narrowed down to three suspects (one was the villain) but the writing keeps you distracted and interested in isolated events, so you don't see clearly until the very end.
"Trumpet" aka Alice marries a very old man and he dies that very night, murdered with poison. Suspicion lands on Alice immediately, and Francis Bacon is called before a "Widows Guild" of noble and wealthy matrons who are trying to protect the rights and lands of women who become widows. There he is tasked to find out who the actual killer was.
But a twist develops: someone also robbed Alice's new husband. And it turns out that this has happened several times, someone robbing very wealthy people of their secret, hidden cache of Roman Catholic relics and paraphernalia and often killing the man of the house. The old trio of Tom, Ben and Alice set to work, first to free Tom and clear Alice, then to dig into this mystery.
This time around there is a lot more focus on Francis Bacon, as befits a series of Francis Bacon mysteries. The characters are distinct and well sketched out, with more focus on Bacon and his persona this time around. Tom continues being rash and overly confident, Alice continues being sweet, a bit innocent, but bright and again rash. Ben continues being staid and devoid of leadership.
I had this one narrowed down to three suspects (one was the villain) but the writing keeps you distracted and interested in isolated events, so you don't see clearly until the very end.
May 17, 2022
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
Francis Bacon is helping to purge the Catholics from England, while at the same time, some of his law students get into deep, deep, trouble. It seems one of them is a girl, disguising herself as a man. She engineers a wedding to an old geezer, and plans to have children with her commoner lover, also a student of Bacon's. Things fall apart, and the old geezer dies on her wedding night. Of course, they are the primary suspects. A guild of Widows commands Bacon to prove the widow innocent, and find the real killer.
The book does not flinch away from Bacon's homosexuality, but does not make it the focus of the book either. I think Castle doubts that Bacon wrote Shakespeare's plays, because she does give Bacon had a poor sense of humor. To be honest, the widows' guild was the most interesting part of the book, and I wish they had received more page time. There are a number of clever red herrings, and the puzzle maintains fair play.
An enjoyable bit of historical mystery.
Francis Bacon is helping to purge the Catholics from England, while at the same time, some of his law students get into deep, deep, trouble. It seems one of them is a girl, disguising herself as a man. She engineers a wedding to an old geezer, and plans to have children with her commoner lover, also a student of Bacon's. Things fall apart, and the old geezer dies on her wedding night. Of course, they are the primary suspects. A guild of Widows commands Bacon to prove the widow innocent, and find the real killer.
The book does not flinch away from Bacon's homosexuality, but does not make it the focus of the book either. I think Castle doubts that Bacon wrote Shakespeare's plays, because she does give Bacon had a poor sense of humor. To be honest, the widows' guild was the most interesting part of the book, and I wish they had received more page time. There are a number of clever red herrings, and the puzzle maintains fair play.
An enjoyable bit of historical mystery.
February 21, 2021
Rated 4 stars. Definitely faster paced then #2. Enjoyed this as much as #1. Lots of witty dialog and fascinating descriptions of life during the late 16th century. Am grateful to not be living in the past as it was difficult for most and especially difficult if you were a woman. The investigation into 3 murders did seem to take a back seat to the historical details although I've become emotionally invested with Francis Bacon and friends. A warning: This episode does dwell on the religious persecution of Catholics which some readers may find disturbing.
February 26, 2017
Francis Bacon is appointed to a disturbing and unwelcome job, as a member of a commission involved in the interrogation of Catholics. This is regarded as service to his country, with Catholic Spain being England’s enemy and religion and politics being intertwined. Meanwhile, Lady Alice Trumpington, looking forward to the eventual privileges and property of widowhood, marries a very old man. The book opens with her wedding night—both a comedy scene and a love scene—and then a murder. Someone kills her husband while she is not in bed with him. This plot thread weaves into Francis’s unpleasant assignment when the murder is connected to others—all the victims men suspected of Catholic sympathies.
A group of intelligent, purposeful widows engage Francis to investigate and become Lady Alice’s advisors in her new role. The complexity of the law as it applied to women and religion is integrated into the story without the slightest hitch in the action. (Should anyone need a reminder why the separation of church and state was a wise innovation in the development of democratic government, or why women’s rights have been such a long work in progress, a trip back in time to Elizabethan England will provide it.) There’s a delightfully Shakespearean flavor to Lady Alice’s and her maidservant’s adventures in disguise, as well as an illustration of the limits on a woman’s freedom. Castle's writing style is polished, her research thorough, her mastery of the idiom of the times excellent, and her characters are irresistible. The relationships established in the previous books continue to develop, especially the connection between Tom Clarady and Trumpet (Lady Alice).
A sailor from Tom’s father’s ship is an original new character, and I liked seeing England through his eyes. However, he delivers a plot turn so strong its emotional impact overshadows everything else. I never guessed whodunit, but I was so taken up with the new events that I forgot to try to figure it out. There is also a bit of wordplay-based misunderstanding relating to this sailor that I found somewhat stretched. Until this point, the balance between serious and comic material felt exactly right, and I was thinking that the book was the best in the series. After that, however, the transitions seemed too close together, so the impact of each was, to my mind, blunted. I would have preferred to have the new story line come at the beginning of the next book. And I will read the next book. Though I didn’t find this one to be quite perfect, I most definitely enjoyed it.
A group of intelligent, purposeful widows engage Francis to investigate and become Lady Alice’s advisors in her new role. The complexity of the law as it applied to women and religion is integrated into the story without the slightest hitch in the action. (Should anyone need a reminder why the separation of church and state was a wise innovation in the development of democratic government, or why women’s rights have been such a long work in progress, a trip back in time to Elizabethan England will provide it.) There’s a delightfully Shakespearean flavor to Lady Alice’s and her maidservant’s adventures in disguise, as well as an illustration of the limits on a woman’s freedom. Castle's writing style is polished, her research thorough, her mastery of the idiom of the times excellent, and her characters are irresistible. The relationships established in the previous books continue to develop, especially the connection between Tom Clarady and Trumpet (Lady Alice).
A sailor from Tom’s father’s ship is an original new character, and I liked seeing England through his eyes. However, he delivers a plot turn so strong its emotional impact overshadows everything else. I never guessed whodunit, but I was so taken up with the new events that I forgot to try to figure it out. There is also a bit of wordplay-based misunderstanding relating to this sailor that I found somewhat stretched. Until this point, the balance between serious and comic material felt exactly right, and I was thinking that the book was the best in the series. After that, however, the transitions seemed too close together, so the impact of each was, to my mind, blunted. I would have preferred to have the new story line come at the beginning of the next book. And I will read the next book. Though I didn’t find this one to be quite perfect, I most definitely enjoyed it.
March 29, 2020
I really enjoyed this installment in the Francis Bacon series. Trumpet has chosen a husband, a sickly, older man; she has hopes of giving him a son and heir, and then becoming a young widow. However, her plan requires special cooperation from Tom: he will be the biological father of her children. She asks Tom to stay on after the wedding ceremony and he does. However, he refuses to cuckold Lord Surdeval.
Tom and Trumpet keep each other company on the wedding night. Early in the morning, Catalina, Trumpet’s maid, reports she believes the bridegroom is dead. Tom and Trumpet hurry to the bedchamber; Lord Surdeval is still alive but just barely. His cousin accuses Tom and Trumpet of murder and has them arrested.
Francis, Ben, Tom and Trumpet have to find the murderer, as well as thieves who are stealing Catholic relics.
Tom and Trumpet keep each other company on the wedding night. Early in the morning, Catalina, Trumpet’s maid, reports she believes the bridegroom is dead. Tom and Trumpet hurry to the bedchamber; Lord Surdeval is still alive but just barely. His cousin accuses Tom and Trumpet of murder and has them arrested.
Francis, Ben, Tom and Trumpet have to find the murderer, as well as thieves who are stealing Catholic relics.
July 5, 2021
Not sure if I want to continue now.
Generally I loved this series. I loved the historical description of the lives of residents of one of the most prestigious legal communities in Elizabethan England. While I appreciate the author taking much care with the historical accuracy of the time I am beginning to wonder if she’s confused her main character, Sir Francis Bacon, with the 20th century’s Francis Bacon the artist. The latter was indeed a known homosexual, the former was not. And in this book the author kept suggesting he was.
Oh well, it’s historical fiction but I prefer my historical fictions be just as accurate.
Generally I loved this series. I loved the historical description of the lives of residents of one of the most prestigious legal communities in Elizabethan England. While I appreciate the author taking much care with the historical accuracy of the time I am beginning to wonder if she’s confused her main character, Sir Francis Bacon, with the 20th century’s Francis Bacon the artist. The latter was indeed a known homosexual, the former was not. And in this book the author kept suggesting he was.
Oh well, it’s historical fiction but I prefer my historical fictions be just as accurate.
November 4, 2019
Trumpet, now in her true identity as Lady Alice, has been wed to a wizened old noble for financial gain, but on her wedding night while he is sleeping after taking some lightly drugged wine and she is tryin g to get Tom to seduce her in another room, someone comes in and murders him, leaving a mysterious marl on his chest. At the same time his family chapel, at the other end of the manse, is robbed of all its valuable family religious heirlooms and artifacts. Ben and Francis Bacon have to figure out who did it before Tom and Trumpet are held accountable. This installment looks into widows' and women's general rights for nobility im Elizabethan England. I found the legal history not dry but interesting thanks to how the author integrated it into the tale,
December 26, 2015
This is the third book in the series. As the previous ones it is possible to read it as a stand-alone. BUT that would be only half of the fun because you would miss the development of the characters and their relationships.
Again Anna Castle delivered an amazing mystery with twists and turns set in the summer of 1588.
Again Anna Castle delivered an amazing mystery with twists and turns set in the summer of 1588.
January 9, 2020
Another in the Francis Bacon series. Bacon's student Trumpet, in her true self as Lady Alice, is getting married, much to Tom's dismay, to an old sick, rich man - part of her plan. Of course she would much rather marry Tom, but he refuses to cooperate. Tom is staying with her, waiting until her husband shows up for the wedding night (not their best idea.) When her servant finds the bridegroom expiring in his bed, they realize he has been murdered, and his rosary stolen. The would-be heir finds them there and accuses them of the murder, and Tom and Trumpet are thrown in the Tower. This occurs at the height of anti-Catholic sentiment during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Trumpet is thus brought into the Widows' Guild, a group of widows who support each other and fight for the right to control their own property. The Guild is run by Francis's mother and aunt, so of course he unwillingly gets dragged in to help get Tom and Trumpet out of jail, find the true murderer and/or thief, and scotch the scandal that threatens the new widow - and Tom. Tom's life also takes a major turn when his father comes to visit. A lot happens in this book! Looking forward to the next one.
December 2, 2019
Third in a series that I can't get enough of. In this story, Francis serves on Elizabeth I's recusancy commission. Recusants are being murdered, with a small cross cut into their chests, and their private chapels are being plundered. It's an ideal crime because the constables don't care much about former Catholics, and no one is going to report the theft of Catholic baubles that they aren't supposed to have anyway. However, Lady Alice's aged husband is killed pre-consumation on their wedding night and Bacon's sidekick, Thomas Clarady, is jailed on suspicion of his murder. Francis gets Tom sprung so he can help in the investigation to free his name and stop the murders. Jolly good fun with delightful characters. This would make such a good series on BBC. I'm already casting it in my head.
March 10, 2022
Another fun romp in 1588 with Sir Francis and his crew. Great mystery but the history is outstanding. The religious frenzy of killing is scary as hell and religion continues to be a divisive issue to this very day. An important point to consider. Anna Castle does her homework and I will continue to purchase and read the series. There is a total of 8.
A Francis Bacon Mystery (8 book series) by Anna Castle (Author)
Philosopher Francis Bacon reluctantly puts down his books to solve crimes in Elizabethan London, aided by Thomas Clarady, a privateer’s son who will do anything to climb into the ranks of the gentry. From prisons to the royal court, every suspect has something up their pinked and padded sleeve. Travel back in time with this award-winning series!
A Francis Bacon Mystery (8 book series) by Anna Castle (Author)
Philosopher Francis Bacon reluctantly puts down his books to solve crimes in Elizabethan London, aided by Thomas Clarady, a privateer’s son who will do anything to climb into the ranks of the gentry. From prisons to the royal court, every suspect has something up their pinked and padded sleeve. Travel back in time with this award-winning series!
March 3, 2025
A Fine Elizabethan Mystery
Anna Castle weaves a vivid image of the period and the life styles in London. There’s a small hint of Agatha Christie’s penchant for withholding a tiny clue to hide the murderer until the end, but Castle’s stories are so engaging I don’t mind. This one involves the seemingly unrelated murders of wealthy Catholic men. At the time, the Queen is interested in uncovering secret Catholics, so their deaths aren’t particularly lamented. Francis Bacon and his “students” discover robberies of the victims private chapels on the same nights of the murders, but are the robbers also the murderers? Bacon is determined to find out and solve both series of crimes.
Anna Castle weaves a vivid image of the period and the life styles in London. There’s a small hint of Agatha Christie’s penchant for withholding a tiny clue to hide the murderer until the end, but Castle’s stories are so engaging I don’t mind. This one involves the seemingly unrelated murders of wealthy Catholic men. At the time, the Queen is interested in uncovering secret Catholics, so their deaths aren’t particularly lamented. Francis Bacon and his “students” discover robberies of the victims private chapels on the same nights of the murders, but are the robbers also the murderers? Bacon is determined to find out and solve both series of crimes.
April 23, 2024
The rakish gang of Tom, Ben and Trumpet get into all kinds of trouble around Gray's Inn while Frances Bacon once again must solve the mystery of who is stealing Catholic relics and murdering their owners. In her struggles to have as much freedom of choice and independence as a young Tudor lady can aspire too, Trumpet aka Lady Alice, ends up a memory of the Widows Guild when she faces the reality of reaching too far. Still her irrepressible spirit lifts her up, as does Tom's charm, Ben's loyalty and Frances's brilliance, but I would love to see more of Bacon's mother and aunt, the leaders of the Guild and the canniest survivors of them all.
October 7, 2017
tom and Francis Bacon are on the case again. Lady Alice marries an old man and on her wedding night he is murdered. Tom and Alice are imprisoned. The mystery deepens as it is realized other nobles have been murdered and their chapels of Catholic items are stolen. Ben has been helping Lady Alice. A look at the customs of marriage and property and money in Elisabeth I's England. Bits of history blend well into the tale. A when the murderer is caught it is a surprise. A look at the hatred over religion. Alice Castle continues the story in The Widows Guild which Alice joins.
January 29, 2020
I read this for the Popsugar Challenge 2020 prompt "book with a pink cover" (a lucky find already on my Kindle). This is third in the Francis Bacon Mystery series and I am continuing to enjoy this group of friends in Elizabethan England trying to become lawyers and get along within the world of Queen Elizabeth, where Catholics are tortured and their property seized. There are several entertaining characters, with the possible exception of talented but tortured soul Francis Bacon himself, and the mysteries are pleasantly convoluted. I will continue to follow this series.
January 11, 2025
Francis Bacon returns to a more prominent character in this book after taking most of the second book off. Lady Alice Trumpington's plan to marry a rich old man and then inherit his wealth moves much faster than she expected. He dies on their wedding night in their bed, while she is trying to seduce Tom Clarady at the other end of the house. She joins the Widows Guild and learns of other widows and thievery. Francis, Tom, and Ben jump on the case to find out who is murdering Britain's nobles and cleaning out their secret Catholic chapels. I think you'll enjoy this one.
October 29, 2016
It's England August 1588 and the Lady Alice Trumpington (aka Trumpet) has arranged her marriage to an old Viscount Surdeval. After their wedding night he is found dead -murdered? But what if the Viscount is not the first recusant Catholic that has been killed.
Bacon and his students investigate.
Very enjoyable, love the characters and the style of writing, and hoping that there is another in the series.
Bacon and his students investigate.
Very enjoyable, love the characters and the style of writing, and hoping that there is another in the series.
November 2, 2017
Trumpet and company
I've read the first books I this series and this one doesn't disappoint. Trumpet who attended Greg's Inn dresses as a young man, has gotten married to a much older nobleman. After he is murdered, Trumpet fights for her window's portion with the help of The Widows Club. But was the marriage consummated? Her friends from the Inn and Francis Bacon take on a murderer who's killing Catholic husbands.
I've read the first books I this series and this one doesn't disappoint. Trumpet who attended Greg's Inn dresses as a young man, has gotten married to a much older nobleman. After he is murdered, Trumpet fights for her window's portion with the help of The Widows Club. But was the marriage consummated? Her friends from the Inn and Francis Bacon take on a murderer who's killing Catholic husbands.
November 6, 2017
There's a lot to like in this third installment of the Francis Bacon series. I liked that all of our friends were back in Grey's Inn and interacting with one another. Good relationship development and, as usual, some fun humor thrown in. I felt that the resolution to the crime was a bit rushed at the end, but otherwise a solid addition to the series. The author has left several paths open to follow for future books and I look forward to the next one.
September 4, 2018
Love the intrigue and the obvious conflicts between loyalty to family and loyalty to the Crown. Anna Castle does a great job balancing the politics of Elizabethan England with good mystery. Three cheers for Tom, Ben and Trumpet as Frances Bacon once again keeps his rag tag merry crew out of too much trouble.
February 2, 2022
As with the precious books, lots going on behind the scenes, and everyone has a different agenda. Tom and Alice are the main focus of this one, trying to clear themselves of murder charges while searching for the real culprits. Acting, disguises, duplicity and general sneakiness are called for, with plenty of fun interactions between the main characters. In an age in which women were property and had little control over their lives, the widows guild, a group of women who have attained some power by virtue of being widows, has an important role to play. This could work as a stand-alone, although you'd miss a lot of details. I bought the next book as soon as I finished this one.
June 29, 2022
Clever, funny and really rather good
A cleverly plotted story that keeps you guessing to the end (or almost the end). I guessed who the killer was just before the reveal, only because of one small hint. I love reading books set in the past, but heavens what must it have been like living in those days? I shudder to think.
A cleverly plotted story that keeps you guessing to the end (or almost the end). I guessed who the killer was just before the reveal, only because of one small hint. I love reading books set in the past, but heavens what must it have been like living in those days? I shudder to think.
June 21, 2020
Enjoyable
Main characters are a good mixture and with the background of Grays Inn a different aspect of the 'Intelligence ' adventures by other well known authors of that period. Sorry to lose Tom's dad!
Main characters are a good mixture and with the background of Grays Inn a different aspect of the 'Intelligence ' adventures by other well known authors of that period. Sorry to lose Tom's dad!
August 4, 2022
I really enjoyed this. I’ve read the books in the order they were written, I would strongly advise others to do the same.
A fast paced whodunnit set at the end of Tudor England. Well written with well rounded characters, I can see these being turned into wonderful series on TV.
A fast paced whodunnit set at the end of Tudor England. Well written with well rounded characters, I can see these being turned into wonderful series on TV.
July 28, 2017
Interesting about the guild and the power some women held. Interesting mystery, but not a very satisfying ending.
April 1, 2018
I enjoyed the 3 book series. Excellent caricature development and continuity. I am waiting for future books in the series.
April 27, 2019
I really enjoyed this one. The end completely surprised me and I was definitely hooked after the first few chapters.
February 1, 2020
The third book in a series that caught me in. Trumpet and Clarady’s pas de deux and a guild of lady widows that build in power. On to the next one!
April 6, 2020
First Frances Bacon mystery and won't be my last. Well written characters. Enjoyable read.
January 29, 2021
Entertaining! I skipped this and read later books in series and missed few important updates on the characters circumstances. Would be interesting to learn more of these formidable Cooke sisters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews