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Based on the true story of the unsolved disappearance of Hans Holbein—famed portrait-painter of Henry VIII—this atmospheric historical novel plunges into an underworld of Tudor politics and intrigue.
465 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2014
I understand that historical novels are going to showcase some views that aren't thought highly of today, especially when it comes to women. And I can usually get past that, if the book is written well. But The Traitor's Mark had one really awful plot device that I can't brush off as just "being historically accurate". That plot device was
Other than that, the book was alright. The writing style was decent, the mystery was suspenseful, and I liked the side plot of the main character dealing with his feelings about the state's interference in religion. I found the pacing to be frustratingly slow, but I guess that's to be expected when the characters have to communicate by mail instead of telephone and email. Over all, it wasn't bad. Nothing special, but not awful either. If it hadn't been for the thing I mentioned in the spoiler tags, I'd probably have rated the book 3 stars. But that whole plotline just killed most of the enjoyment I had for the book. I really think it would have been better without it.