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Traitor'sGate: The Flanders Mare
Thomas Cromwell, now the 1st Earl of Essex, Knight of the Garter, and leader of the Privy Council, is, after the king, the most powerful man in England. His thoughts on how the English economy, and the new English Church should be run, have come to full fruition, relations with the Holy Roman Empire are the best they have been for years, the Scots are quiet, and the royal treasury is full to overflowing.
Yet disaster waits just around the corner. The king finds himself trapped in a loveless marriage to a woman he cannot desire, and he casts about for someone to blame. The Duke of Norfolk sees his chance, and sets into motion a plot that will bring England to the brink of disaster. Cromwell is his enemy, and the duke will stop at nothing to bring him down... no matter what the consequences.
Thomas Cromwell finds himself being out manoeuvred, for the first time in his life, and he struggles to see the very real danger he is in. He has made a good match for the king, and thinks that Henry will realise this, and accept the marriage. The king is physically repulsed by a woman who is known as the Flanders Mare, and listens to Norfolk's whispers.
Rupert Donne is Norfolk's new creature... and he has the power to bring Austin Friars down. The aptly named Judas Plank has found his way into Donne's custody, and repeats all he has heard, whilst eavesdropping on Cromwell, and it is enough to plant the seeds of doubt in Henry's suspicious mind.
Will Draper is away, investigating witchcraft allegations against a friend of Miriam's, and he is unaware of the trouble brewing back in London. Richard Cromwell and Mush are enmeshed in an adventure, fabricated by Donne, and away from Austin Friars. The time is ripe for Donne to strike, and he primes Norfolk with enough information to set Cromwell teetering on the cliff edge.
Thomas Cromwell has made a terrible mistake in wedding Henry to the Flanders Mare.... and it seems that his days might well end, passing through the Traitor's Gate.
All the usual characters are here, peopling Anne Stevens' Tudor landscape. This, the fourteenth part of the Tudor Crimes cycle, hums with deceit, falsehood and betrayal. The political scene is well drawn, the humour is black, and the outcome is as terrible as can be, as Thomas Cromwell's world begins to crumble about him.
'The Star Chamber scene is as stark and realistic a piece of historical writing as I have ever read' ..... 'Quirky, heart stopping story telling' .... '...building to a crescendo of epic proportions.'
WINTER ... 'Could not put it down...' 'Page turning excitement...'
The 15th instalment of Tudor Crimes.... MERCY OF KINGS, is due out in Spring 2017, and able to pre-order from February.
Yet disaster waits just around the corner. The king finds himself trapped in a loveless marriage to a woman he cannot desire, and he casts about for someone to blame. The Duke of Norfolk sees his chance, and sets into motion a plot that will bring England to the brink of disaster. Cromwell is his enemy, and the duke will stop at nothing to bring him down... no matter what the consequences.
Thomas Cromwell finds himself being out manoeuvred, for the first time in his life, and he struggles to see the very real danger he is in. He has made a good match for the king, and thinks that Henry will realise this, and accept the marriage. The king is physically repulsed by a woman who is known as the Flanders Mare, and listens to Norfolk's whispers.
Rupert Donne is Norfolk's new creature... and he has the power to bring Austin Friars down. The aptly named Judas Plank has found his way into Donne's custody, and repeats all he has heard, whilst eavesdropping on Cromwell, and it is enough to plant the seeds of doubt in Henry's suspicious mind.
Will Draper is away, investigating witchcraft allegations against a friend of Miriam's, and he is unaware of the trouble brewing back in London. Richard Cromwell and Mush are enmeshed in an adventure, fabricated by Donne, and away from Austin Friars. The time is ripe for Donne to strike, and he primes Norfolk with enough information to set Cromwell teetering on the cliff edge.
Thomas Cromwell has made a terrible mistake in wedding Henry to the Flanders Mare.... and it seems that his days might well end, passing through the Traitor's Gate.
All the usual characters are here, peopling Anne Stevens' Tudor landscape. This, the fourteenth part of the Tudor Crimes cycle, hums with deceit, falsehood and betrayal. The political scene is well drawn, the humour is black, and the outcome is as terrible as can be, as Thomas Cromwell's world begins to crumble about him.
'The Star Chamber scene is as stark and realistic a piece of historical writing as I have ever read' ..... 'Quirky, heart stopping story telling' .... '...building to a crescendo of epic proportions.'
WINTER ... 'Could not put it down...' 'Page turning excitement...'
The 15th instalment of Tudor Crimes.... MERCY OF KINGS, is due out in Spring 2017, and able to pre-order from February.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2017
17 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Anne Stevens
60 books10 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 15, 2017
Excellent
Each book has been as full of intrigue as the previous. The gradual downfall of Thomas was a shame but true. Hopefully all our other cast members keep up with their adventures and interesting private lives?
Each book has been as full of intrigue as the previous. The gradual downfall of Thomas was a shame but true. Hopefully all our other cast members keep up with their adventures and interesting private lives?
August 22, 2021
Could have been 5
I enjoyed the stories, but the horrible lack of proofreading is distracting. The lack of consistent and correct quotation marks, spelling errors is just lazy.
I enjoyed the stories, but the horrible lack of proofreading is distracting. The lack of consistent and correct quotation marks, spelling errors is just lazy.
February 19, 2017
I bought this book as I love to read about Anne of Cleves, whether it's her life in Cleves before she arrived to marry Henry VIIIth - say no more! - to the life she had after the divorce/annulment and was living as "the King's most beloved Sister"... BUT was slightly disappointed as there wasn't too much about her, but concentrated on Thomas Cranmer and his life and work after Jane Seymour died right up to his execution. While I did feel quite a lot of sympathy for him the book shows how he would (probably) have made so many enemies that Henry had no choice but to have him executed. It is a well written and researched book and I did read it in one day, but knocked off a point simply because I felt the title was slightly misleading. I shall be buying more from Anne Stevens, and if you like historical - and Tudor historical fiction, I would definitely recommend her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews