Dark Queen Waiting

Margaret Beaufort Mystery #2

by Paul Doherty

Christopher Urswicke must unmask the traitor lurking amongst Margaret Beaufort’s supposedly loyal followers in this gripping medieval mystery.

October, 1471. Edward IV sits on the English throne; the House of York reigns supreme. With her young son, Henry Tudor, in exile in France, Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, shelters deep in the shadows, secretly plotting for the day when Henry can be crowned the rightful king.

But as her supporters are picked off one by one, it becomes clear that a traitor lurks within Margaret’s household. When one of her most loyal henchmen, Jacob Cromart, is murdered in St Michael’s Church, where he had claimed sanctuary, Margaret orders her sharp-witted clerk, Christopher Urswicke, to find out who has betrayed her.

How could a man be killed inside a church where the doors are all locked, with no sign of an intruder or weapon? If he is to protect Margaret’s remaining supporters from suffering a similar fate, Urswicke must solve a baffling mystery where nothing is as it first appears.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Tudor Period

336 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2019

About the author

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

He has been published under several pseudonyms: P.C. Doherty, Celia L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas, Vanessa Alexander, Michael Clynes and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name.

Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough (North-Eastern England) in 1946. He had the usual education before studying at Durham for three years for the Catholic priesthood but decided not to proceed. He went to Liverpool University where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History and won a state scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, whilst there he met his wife Carla Lynn Corbitt. He continued his studies but decided that the academic world was not for him and became a secondary school teacher.

Paul worked in Ascot, Nottingham and Crawley West Sussex before being appointed as Headmaster to Trinity Catholic School in September 1981. Trinity is a large comprehensive [1700 on roll] which teaches the full ability range, ages 11-18. The school has been described as one of the leading comprehensives in the U.K. In April, 2000 H. M. Inspectorate describe it as an 'Outstanding School', and it was given Beacon status as a Centre of Excellence whilst, in the Chief Inspector’s Report to the Secretary of State for January 2001, Trinity Catholic High School was singled out for praise and received a public accolade.

Paul’s other incarnation is as a novelist. He finished his doctorate on the reign of Edward II of England and, in 1987, began to publish a series of outstanding historical mysteries set in the Middle Age, Classical, Greek, Ancient Egypt and elsewhere. These have been published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press of New York, Edhasa in Spain, and Eichborn, Heyne, Knaur and others in Germany. They have also been published in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Romania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Portugal and China, as well as Argentina and Mexico.

He has been published under several pseudonyms (see the bibliography): C. L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name. He recently launched a very successful series based around the life of Alexander the Great, published by Constable & Robinson in the U.K., and Carroll and Graf in the U.S.A., whilst his novels set in Ancient Egypt have won critical acclaim. Paul has also written several non-fiction titles; A Life of Isabella the She-wolf of France, Wife of Edward II of England, as well as study of the possible murder of Tutankhamun, the boy Pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, and a study on the true fate of Alexander the Great.

Paul and Carla live on the borders of London and Essex, not far from Epping Forest and six of their children have been through his own school. His wife Carla currently owns two horses and is training, for showing and dressage, a beautiful Arab filly named Polly.

Paul lectures for a number of organisations, particularly on historical mysteries, many of which later feature in his writings. A born speaker and trained lecturer Paul Doherty can hold and entertain audiences.

His one great ambition is to petition the Privy Council of England to open the Purbeck marble tomb of Edward II in Gloucester Cathedral. Paul believes the tomb does not house the body

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very intriguing novel/mystery is the 2nd volume of a fascinating series which is called, the "Margaret Beaufort Mysteries" from the formidable author, Paul Doherty.

At the beginning of the book you'll find a Historical Note and a list of Historical Characters, while also at the beginning of each chapter there is a verse quote from the poem "Dies Irae" (the Day of Death) from the Franciscan Thomas di Celano.

At the back of the book you'll notice a very well documented and explained Author's Note, with descriptions of historical events and persons, and these are superbly implemented within this wonderful novel/mystery.

Once again the author has managed to use the historical details and implement them in a masterly fashion within this novel/mystery, along with story-telling of the highest calibre, and where all figures come superbly to life in an England, and especially London, in turmoil and with an atmosphere of danger and death.

The story is set in October/November, AD 1471, and starts off with the murder of Jacob Cromart, a retainer and skilled clerk of Margaret Beaufort, while being in sanctuary in the church of St Michael's, at the and of an unknown assassin.

This murder is followed with more murders, that of, Robert Vavasour, while hiding in a hostelry, and the betrayal and hanging of his brother, Guido Vavasour, both retainers and supporters of the House of Tudor, with now at their head the Countess of Richmond, Margaret Beaufort, and so its high time to see what needs to be done by her steward/henchman, Reginald Bray, and her personal clerk/spy/henchman, the cunning, Christopher Urswicke.

What is to follow is a novel/mystery full with political and personal intrigue, loyalty and betrayal, and with a society at knife-edge and where life and death go hand in hand, and all that between the factions of the House of York, with King Edward IV, his brothers George, Duke of Clarence and Richard, Duke of Gloucester, assisted by the Recorder of London, Thomas Urswicke, who happens to be Christopher's father, and several of their henchman, against those the House of Tudor, the House of Lancaster being annihilated, with as their guiding light the small and sharp-witted, Margaret Beaufort, all for her son Henry who's in exile in Brittany with his uncle Jasper Tudor, and with her are the formidable steward/henchman, Reginald Bray, and of course her personal clerk, but also her master of deception and intelligence, the cunning investigator, Christopher Urswicke, allegedly to (some) historians the "Founder of the British Secret Service".

Highly recommended, for this is a splendid historical novel/mystery filled with a lot of intrigue and death in a political world full with hate and grudges, and all this is brought to everyone with a keen sense for sharp-witted power mysteries, and with that note I would like to finish this review by calling this episode: "A Terrific Intriguing Mystery Sequel"!

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Kings and Royal ambitions!

Doherty continues his brilliant fictional treatise centered around Margaret of Beaufort, Henry Tudor's mother, and her deceptively focused fight to keep her son safe and bring him to the English throne. Standing with her are her redoubtable and loyal clerks Christopher Urswicke and Reginald Bray
The House of York is divided against itself, Edward is king. His Recorder, Sir Thomas Urswicke, Christopher's father, is cunning and vicious in his plans to bring Margaret and the Tudors to heel. Needless to say father and son are estranged, although it appears Thomas still hopes for Christopher's loyalty.
Trusted welshmen, part of the Red Dragon Battle Group are being hounded to death. Even claiming the church's sanctuary sees them mysteriously slain.
Margaret and her loyal supporters must come up with a plan to thwart the Recorder's intentions. And as plans take root, they come to an inescapable truth. There is a traitor working in their midst. The Recorder intends the sanctuary men to be escorted to the coast and exiled. Of course, much can happen on that long march. Margaret elects to accompany them.
Truly some of the descriptions Doherty gives of the conditions on the streets, of the merry making on the occasion of a public hanging, of conditions in jails, and in the dank alleyways are akin to descending into Dante's Inferno at the very worst and a Bruegel painting at the very best. These illuminating word pictures are not far from that!
Doherty's research is as always superb, his writing flawlessly incorporating facts into the narrative. I was taken by his comments about this period in his Author's Note.
"I have always believed that during the period 1471 to 1485 some dark nemesis stalked the House of York. I suspect this nemesis was the innocent-looking yet very shrewd Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond. Margaret was a truly brilliant strategist and a ‘master of politic’: a woman assisted by her two clerks, Reginald Bray and Christopher Urswicke, who themselves matched their mistress’s talents." I must say I found the accompanying reflection about Christopher Urswicke telling.
Master storyteller Doherty does indeed pen a fabulously twisty historical novel.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley

[Puzzle Doctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review at classicmystery.blog

[HalKid2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given a free advance copy of this manuscript in exchange for writing an impartial review. (Publication Date: 2/4/20) As a devotee of all kinds of historical fiction, as someone who has a particular passion for English history, and as someone who thinks Margaret Beaufort (mother to King Henry VII) is one of most fascinating and shrewd women in English history -- you can imagine how much I was looking forward to this book. And how much I wanted to enjoy it. Alas, it was not to be.

This VERY prolific author (of no less than 100 historical novels) has created a wildly convoluted mystery based around the rivalry and deception so central to the Wars of the Roses. So, let me begin by setting the scene.

King Edward IV, of the House of York, sits on the throne. But Lady Margaret Beaufort (mother of the rival House of Lancaster's surviving heir) still hopes to see HER son on the throne. Around her are a loyal band of retainers - Reginald Bray (real historical figure), Christopher Urswicke (real), and Gareth Morgan (fictional as best I can tell). That all sounds promising enough.

Unfortunately, despite the book's title, Margaret Beaufort is more of a secondary character. Primarily either as a figurehead that attracts loyal Lancaster followers or as a focal point for York hatred. Most of the action of the novel involves men, brutal murders, some torture, and the relationship between a father and son who are on opposite sides of the York-Lancaster rivalry.

But aside from feeling misled by the book's title, and turned off by the blasé violence, my chief criticisms are two-fold:

PROBLEM ONE. The story is slow partly because it is so over-burdened by the kind of description authors often insert when they have done TOO much research and feel the need to include everything.

Here, by way of example, is an excerpt when Reginald Bray is being followed in a marketplace:

"Bray moved purposefully. He fully acknowledged he was being followed, if not by some hooded figure then by one or two of the flocks of street sparrows who darted along the narrow gaps between the many stalls. Bray felt an acute sense of danger. He recalled the two murderous assaults on him and wondered if these were all part of a well-laid plot to dig up and destroy the very roots of all those who supported Countess Margaret and her exiled son. Bray then wondered how his mistress and Urswicke were faring. As he crossed Cheapside, Bray glimpsed a finely carved statue of Our Lady of Walsingham standing on its plinth. He murmured a swift prayer to the 'Fragrantly beautiful Queen of Heaven' for the safety of the countess and those who served her. Now and again Bray would pause, as if to buy from a stall or listen to a storyteller fresh from Outremer chanting a tale about a strange creature which had the head of a hare, the neck of an ox, the winds of a dragon, the feel of a camel and so on. On this occasion Bray glanced around and caught two men at a nearby stall; they were studying him closely then quickly looked away."

Really? While he's being followed, he considers street sparrows, Margaret Beaufort, Urswicke, a statue, and listens to a storyteller? After two attempts on his life, wasn't the adrenaline helping him focus exclusively on who might be following him? Or, perhaps I am being uncharitable and Bray was simply a victim of a Medieval case of ADHD.

PROBLEM TWO. Way too much of the plot is explained by characters sitting around a meal together. Long, and frankly unrealistic monologues that make sure every aspect of the relevant history of the Wars of the Roses is covered. Including an exceptionally long-winded final scene where Margaret Beaufort and her friends confront a traitor and painstakingly review all the evidence of his guilt. Assuming, I can only guess, that the reader needs to have everything explained in order to successfully tie up the mystery. Instead, it felt more like an Agatha Christie mystery where the reader can't possibly solve it alone and needs Miss Marple to point out unimportant but key details that the author intentionally meant readers to overlook.

Okay, I think you get the idea. If you are interested in the still-remarkable historical figure of Margaret Beaufort, there are better historical novels around than this one.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this pre-publication e-book from Severn House via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this, I really did. I love historical fiction, and Paul Doherty has certainly written a lot of it – I was looking forward to discovering a new author and a rich vein of books to work my way through. I even – and here’s how much I committed to this – bought the first book in this series, Dark Queen Rising, from Audible so I could listen to it in the car and give myself a head start on this one.

And to be fair, I did enjoy DQR – the storytelling style suits being read aloud, I think. This one, however, not so much. I found it slow and hard going, with pages and pages of interminable exposition, characters repeating facts and theories to each other just in case we (the readers) missed them the first (second, third, fourth) time, a villain who was largely absent from the action but referred to all the time (“your father, Sir Thomas Urswicke, the Recorder of London” – seriously, I think he probably know who his father is), and a level of detail and description that smacked of exhaustive historical research but in fact distracted from the important points of the story. It also left the characters feeling rather like cardboard cutouts, because we had much less access to what was going on inside their heads than what was going on around them.

Margaret Beaufort, the eponymous Dark Queen and the mother of the Tudor dynasty which rose from the ashes of the Wars of the Roses, is a fascinating figure, but in this book she is sidelined rather. She does appear, and discusses plots and plans with her henchmen (far too much use of this word, by the way), but all in rather vague terms and without much actual action; she was much more visible and active as a character in the first book in this series, and I missed her in this one.

The best section was the description of the battle between three ships off Walton on the Naze – this was well done, but even here the character at the heart of the action, Sir Reginald Bray, felt oddly emotionally displaced from the events. He did this, he did that, then this happened, but all apparently without much emotion or reaction – fear, panic, anger, SOMETHING.

The murder plot at the heart of the story did twist at the end, and did reach a satisfactory conclusion, but I’m afraid I had lost interest by that stage. All in all – less historical detail needed, more passion and more action.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Severn House/Crème de la Crime for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Dark Queen Waiting’ by Paul Doherty in exchange for an honest review.

This historical mystery is the second in Doherty’s Margaret Beaufort Mysteries set during the reign of Edward IV after the House of York has prevailed over the House of Lancaster. Margaret Beaufort, the Countess of Richmond, was the mother of Henry Tudor, who at the time of this novel (1471) is living in exile in France.

Margaret continues to quietly plot for the day that Henry can return and claim the throne. When one of her closest supporters is murdered while claiming sanctuary in a London church she calls on her trusted clerk, Christopher Urswicke, to discover the identity of the murderer.

This is literally a locked room mystery as the man was killed in a room with all doors locked from inside. His is the first in a number of deaths that Christopher and his companions investigate.

I was not previously aware of Paul Doherty’s work and was impressed by the number of titles that he has written since the late 1980s (well over 100!). He is also a historian and educator.

As I would expect with this background his work is meticulously researched. I was only aware when I read his Author’s Note that Christopher Urswicke and Margaret‘s other clerk, Reginald Bray, were historical figures. He also gives an account of the historical facts behind the fiction.

I certainly admire this as I can be quite pedantic about accuracy in historical fiction. However, it was quite a slow burn, which may not suit everyone. I also found Margaret a little hard to relate to as I am a Yorkist at heart.

Still, this is a solid historical mystery that kept me guessing as to whodunnit. I may well be looking at his other titles including ‘Dark Queen Rising’, the first in this series.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[Joanna Arman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second novel in the Margaret Beaufort mysteries is a lot more complex than the first, which lined up more with historical events. This one has twists, turns and red herrings aplenty, and the killer was somebody nobody suspected.

I could not help but feel sorry for Margaret throughout this. She was a woman in man's world who would be entirely at the mercy of her enemies and adversaries. The only way to avoid this was to learn to play the political "game", to become politically savvy, deceptive and duplicitous. This is often used against her, but really I think Margaret had no choice.

Christopher Urstwicke and Reginald Bray, Margaret's two erstwhile retainers came into their own once again. Christopher's internal monologues provided an interesting and intriguing background to the story without giving too much away. His tensions between his family and his mistress came out more here, and honestly you could not blame him for the choices he made.

Although the villains were rather one dimensional and cartoonish. Perhaps another author could have made Christopher's internal choice and conflict more tense and emotive. I could certainly "buy" Urstwicke as a spymaster though and would be interested to read more in this series.

Thanks to Severn House for approving my request for this title. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Liz V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anya Seton's Katherine gave a romantic gloss to the beginning of the Beaufort line, which contributed to untold misery for hundreds of years. Unlike Doherty, I subscribe to Josephine Tey's indictment in The Daughter of Time of the Tudors for the deaths of the princes and can well believe that Henry VII's mother was as calculating and ambitious as presented in this novel.

[Kitty Pollock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Tudor historical fiction and i couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Like many others i have been sucked into the Tudor historical fiction/history for the last 10ish years. Having read so much already these books should start to become stale but they are not and this one defiantly was not! Margaret Beaufort is always an interesting character and actions of being strong and determined leds authors into writing her as a champion or a villain. This telling has a lot of research put into it perhaps a little too much for a historical fiction but i'm happy i have read it and would happily recommend it to other Tudor lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Beaufort, mother to Henry Tudor, is in hiding while the York monarch sits the Throne of England. When she finds out that one of her supporters has been killed in a locked church where he sought sanctuary, she sends Christopher Urswicke to try to make heads or tails of the mystery. Is someone in her employ a traitor? If so, who?

I found the long chapters a bit troublesome, making it tough to find a decent spot to stop when I needed to put the book down for a time. That being said, the story line was excellent, characters are well developed and I enjoyed the book. I have read other books by Mr. Doherty and do like his writing style. I will be looking for more in this series.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

1471. Edward IV is King of England, with the Lancaster fraction vanquished. But Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor, and the Lancasterian hope continues to plot. But as one by one her loyal men are killed, she with Reginald Bray and Christopher Urswicke believe that there is a traitor in their midst.
Overall I enjoyed the story, which could have been improved with less description of the various surroundings, and repetition of retelling of events which slowed the pace of the story.
A NetGalley Book

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a lover of Medieval History and the yarns that can be spun from them, this is a great series. I enjoy all of the books PD has written. This is no exception. The characters are well thought out and continue to grow and be developed. Make sure you read the first book Dark Queen Rising as it is the story of the Tudors and their history. Cant wait for the next book. Check out his other work as well. I've read all 20 of the Sir Hugh Corbet mysteries as well. I like to set an ambience while reading these. Fireplace, beer, steak...oh yeah and the book. Enjoy.

[Sarah Hearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I was reading this book for a long time. I kept getting lured by other books. I’m a bit ambivalent about the subject of the book because I am not/not a fan of Lady Margaret Beaufort so although the plot was reasonably compelling, the author’s obvious admiration for someone so obviously devious and manipulative put me off really getting into the story line. Nevertheless, Doherty’s writing is so good, and his historical attention to detail is so careful, I sort of enjoyed the book despite my distaste for the Lady herself.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luscious and evocative, the second book in the Margaret Beaufort series is a delight.

Christopher Unswicke and Reginald Bray once again assist their mistress to uncover a dreadful crime: the murder in sanctuary of supporters of the House of Lancaster. With a side plot being the historical disappearance of Lady Ann Neville.

Five stars for the solution to the Lady Anne Neville disappearance alone.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to see what the Doherty series is all about. This one (#2) was a fairly standard thriller/mystery. The unique aspect -- as in all of the series -- is that they are set in ancient England. This used the backdrop of the Tudors living in exile and the efforts to oust the Lancasters and get back to the throne. Gives a nice flavor of medieval England, plus a well-plotted mystery. If you like mysteries, this one at least offers the scent of history.

[Polly Krize · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Long a Tudor fan, I was enthralled with this perceptive look at Margaret of Beaufort, mother of Henry VIII. Her long fight to keep her son safe and to ultimately place him on the throne made her a strong, cunning, intelligent woman wrangling her way into the lofty rooms power. An amazing woman and a very worthwhile read.

[Annarella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love Paul Doherty's books but this one failed to keep my attention and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[nikkia neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley and Severn House for this ARC.

This is a bloody, exciting, and ruthless maze of loyalties, betrayal, and history. Its not easy to keep all the different factions up the in air. It takes a talented author to write about this time period.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. I figured out who the mole was early on in the book. Not bad but not one of his best. I do like the author, I think he has written 80+ books and Inhave probably read at least 60 of them. The Canterbury Tales books are likely my favorite series of his.

[kerrycat · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a really entertaining series that I hope continues - my interest in mysteries is very limited, but this time period with these families is impossible for me to resist.

[Laura Bray · Rating 3 out of 5]

(see review of "Dark Queen Rising;" same criticisms)

[Heather Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dark Queen Waiting has a interesting premise,but the storyline falls a bit flat because it is a slow read throughout the book. The conversations through the meals is a bit unrealistic and boring.

[Anne Szlachcic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been a fan of the previous books by the Author in this series I was looking forward to reading this latest offering .
However this book was not of the same standard as those previously - much of the book revolves around meal time discussions , a character ( recently experiencing 2 murder attempts on his life ) managing to notice sparrows , listen to a story teller - would he not be fully aware of his surroundings , full of adrenalin ? a contradiction perhaps ?
The character of Christopher Urswicke - "the founder of the British Secret Service". should perhaps have been introduced earlier in the book - it would have given the book much more pace and interest . That being said I find the Politics of the time between the Houses of York and Lancaster and Margaret Beaufort 's place in the scheme of things interesting .
If the writer continuous with this series I will be very happy to read whatever he produces with the note that I hope the next book would flow faster , with more interesting characters .

I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Melisende · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historical mystery fiction set in the time of the wars of the Roses. This time, from the POV of Margaret Beaufort, mother of the future Henry VII - which makes a nice change.

However, this story was slow going and again characters pop in who you are never too sure are there simply to fill the page or are actually relevant to the story. Another annoying thing is the repetition of story-telling, first by one character and then another all in the space of a few pages.

I lost interest to be quite honest, and skipped through to the end - where I finally found something of interest - the character of Christopher Urswicke - or as Doherty calls him - "the founder of the British Secret Service". Now had that been at the start .......

The second start is because of this last remark which has sent me off on the trail of Urwicke.

[Kate Eminhizer · Rating 2 out of 5]

With such an abundance of material on Margaret Beaufort I expected much from this book. It does provide a glimpse as to the hardships Beaufort had to endure while plotting for her exiled son's return. It didn't really capture my interest though as the characters were flat and the story moved at a snail's pace.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

[Rebecca Batley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book like all from this author was a great mystery. Somewhat predictable in places, but fun non the less.

[Pauline Chamberlain · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good murder mystery set during the war of the Roses in London