The Queen's Devil

William Constable #3

by Paul Walker

William Constable Spy Thriller series - Book 3 “Walker skilfully creates a treacherous world of half-truths, plots and duplicity... simmering with impending danger.” Michael Ward, author of Rags of Time. 1583. William Constable, recently married astrologer and mathematician, has settled into routine work as a physician when he is requested to attend two prisoners in the Tower of London. Both are accused of separate acts treason, but their backgrounds suggest there may be a connection. Sir Francis Walsingham and Lord Burghley urge William to discover further intelligence from the prisoners while tending their injuries from torture. The agent's investigations lead him to the French Embassy, which lies at the heart of a conspiracy which threatens the nation. Through his enquiries, an unsuspecting William becomes entangled in a perilous web of politicking and religious fervour. The threat comes from one the most powerful men in the English court – one referred to as the Queen’s Devil. William faces a race against time to unpick these ties, climaxing in a daring raid on the Embassy. Paul Walker is the author of the William Constable series of Elizabethan spy thrillers. He lives in London. Praise for Paul "A gripping and evocative page-turner that vibrantly brings Elizabeth's London to life." Steven Veerapen, author of A Dangerous Trade. "Full of convincing characters both historical and imagined." Peter Tonkin

Genres: Historical Fiction

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 27, 2020

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This, the third book in series I have read was enjoyed for its authentic characterizations and portrayal of the very real threats in those times when Elizabeth was 50 years old and feelings were strong against Catholic threats, plots by Scots Queen and the general fear of witchcraft as well as French plots. Unfortunately Dr. Constable was used to minister to traitors at The Tower and is falsely reported by another spy within those walls to be in possession of damning evidence against the Earl of Leicester. This makes for a complex plot, but never fear.
Friends eventually manage to assist Constable to get out of trouble, among them Giordano Bruno and John Foxe. Not until Constable is imprisoned in Newgate, horse stolen as well...and then his pregnant wife is stolen and imprisoned at Bridewell.
There are interesting discussions about the universe, math, etc.

Kindle Unlimited

[Paul Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLURB

1583.

William Constable, recently married astrologer and mathematician, has settled into routine work as a physician when he is requested to attend two prisoners in the Tower of London. Both are accused of separate acts treason, but their backgrounds suggest there may be a connection.

Sir Francis Walsingham and Lord Burghley urge William to discover further intelligence from the prisoners while tending their injuries from torture.

The agent's investigations lead him to the French Embassy, which lies at the heart of a conspiracy which threatens the nation.

Through his enquiries, an unsuspecting William becomes entangled in a perilous web of politicking and religious fervour.

The threat comes from one the most powerful men in the English court – one referred to as the Queen’s Devil.

William faces a race against time to unpick these ties, climaxing in a daring raid on the Embassy.

REVIEW

Let me start by saying that now that I have read The Queen's Devil, the third William Constable book, I will certainly be reading the first two. The Queen's Devil is a thrill ride of a mystery, full of interesting, well thought out characters, set in the period involving Elizabeth's issues with Mary Queen of Scots. Issues that threaten her reign, and which drag the protagonist back into the clutches of the kingdom's spymaster, Walsingham. The tale moves at a very satisfying page turning pace; deepening the plot as it progresses to an edge of the seat climax. One of the fascinating story lines involves the discussion of the nature of the universe; a discussion that has dire consequences for Constable, It may seem strange to us in the modern era, that there were segments of society in the 16th century who still subscribed to a Biblical model for the Solar System, i.e. the Sun revolves around the Earth, etc, etc. and that you could be tortured and executed for promoting a scientific explanation, i.e. the Copernican model. Then again, given the response to the current COVID-19 pandemic by some governments, maybe we're not so much more advanced than the clerics making martyrs out of Gio Bruno, et. al. 

As I said above, I will be adding the first two books to my ever growing 'To Be Read' pile, though they are all readable as stand alone novels, and I have a hunch that there may be more forthcoming. Good for us. 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 3 out of 5]

William Constable is a physician in late-Elizabethan London; he is Robert Cecil's physician, and has apparently worked for Sir Francis Walsinghan - the Queen's spymaster - in the past. Walsingham wants William to visit a prisoner in the tower, Somerville. (The book actually opens with Somerville's arrest, which was confusing.) William is to attend to his wounds and report back any interesting conversation.
The plot gets more convoluted from here. It eventually involves Giordano Bruno (an Italian priest who specializes in astronomy w/ heretical views, as well as himself possibly spying for Walsingham?), a Mr. Throckmorton, and the ambassadors to the Queen's court from France and Spain. William gets involved in helping Mr. Throckmorton's wife and mother, at the behest of HIS mother. William ends up thrown in Newgate for heresy over an astronomical discussion. What is happening to his wife and mother while he is imprisoned? Do they even know what happened to him?
The last 20%-25% of the plot was heart-in-my-mouth suspenseful; I couldn't wait to see if William and his loved ones would survive his being embroiled in Walsingham's plot against the Queen of Scots via Throckmorton. Other enjoyable points were the relationship between William and his wife, Helen - an excellent herbalist who helped William on his medical rounds - and little details about daily life for a middle-class person during the Elizabethan era. However, the book started too slowly: if it had started w/ William, and not the arrest of someone who turned out to be only a minor character, the book would have flowed better, IMHO. I also see that his is book #3 in a series, which explains my not understanding some references. This one can definitely be read as a stand-alone, but I might have benefited from having read the earlier ones.

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I am Sir Peter Gibbyn with a royal warrant for your arrest and examination.”

Those are the words that no man wanted to hear. Nor did they want to see the inside of the Tower. But when one conspires against her Majesty and is unfortunately caught...

Doctor William Constable is a scholar of astrology and physics, but in recent years he has settled down to the life of a physician. It seemed like another lifetime when he was last called into the service of spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham.

And yet, Sir Francis has not forgotten him. William is ordered to go to the Tower and attend to the medical needs of two of its prisoners, and by doing so, he is to gain their trust in the hope that kindness, after torture, will loosen their tongues.

What William learns from these men sets him on a collision course with the illustrious Earl of Leicester.

The Earl will stop at nothing to retain his position and ensure that the secrets of his past will stay in the past, forever...

The Queen's Devil: A William Constable Spy Thriller Book #3 by Paul Walker is as impressive as it is dramatic. With a keen sense of time and place, Walker has presented his readers with another emotionally enthralling thriller in A William Constable Spy Thriller series. Having enjoyed the first two books immensely, I was looking forward to catching up with my favourite scholar, physician and very reluctant spy! By the end of the first page, I was back in this astonishingly complicated world of Elizabethan politics and intrigue.

Doctor William Constable is a character that I have really come to care about, and he has gone through quite a lot for spymaster Walsingham. But in this novel, Walsingham's influence is failing, as is his health, and there is a new man who holds the attention of the Queen. William finds himself in the most perilous of situations, and there is more than his own life on the line. He has to find a solution to his predicament or those he loves will suffer most terribly. With careful use of foreshadowing, Walker prepares his readers for a thrilling romp around the streets of London. He introduces the highest in society and also the lowliest. Not forgetting of course, the Church, who was so intent upon its bloodlust that they were more than willing to listen and act upon slanderous lies. Likewise, if their patron was wealthy enough, then, the Church would forgo its teachings and accept those 30 pieces of silver with greedy, grabbing, grasping hands. Through his carefully crafted prose and an equally beguiling narrative, Walker has demonstrated most admirably the depth that some men were willing to go to in their desperate desire to keep their position and their good name.

The hero of this fabulous story, Doctor William Constable, is a man of honour but also understanding. He is a very loyal man who finds himself thrust in a situation that he would have, if he had been given the choice, avoided at all costs. His disgust at seeing the terrible plight of the prisoners who have been so brutally tortured is increased twofold by the realisation that they are going to be subjected to a cruel death despite his careful ministrations. His reluctance to spy is evident throughout this book, but he does not have a choice. He is as trapped as the prisoners are — his fate is no longer his own. I thought William's depiction was fabulous. Here is a character that a reader can really get behind and root for.

We meet many historical figures in this novel, but the antagonist of this story is one that spends the majority of the book hidden in the shadows. It is his men and his influence that causes a great deal of grief for our intrepid protagonist. Nevertheless, it is Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester that drives the narrative of this novel forward. The power and influence that Leicester had is portrayed brilliantly. This was a man that even Walsingham would not go up against. I thought Walker captured the reality of not only how much Leicester was despised because of his position, but also the length that Leicester was prepared to go to, to maintain his position as the Queen's favourite.

This is a period in history where religion and superstition clashed with science. And despite this being a period of great learning and understanding, there was a renewed belief in the supernatural and witchcraft. No longer were miracles seen as a gift from God, but a curse from the Devil. Walker has explored this era with a tenacious understanding of not only the power and corruption of the Church but also the complicated social structure of Elizabethan England. This was a time when men of science began to question the authority of the Church by their findings, and that could not be allowed. By introducing us to historical figures such as Giordano Bruno, Walker has brought vividly to life the fine line that men like Bruno trod between science and heresy, and he also demonstrates the duplicity of those who one might have considered as colleagues in this voracious quest for knowledge and understanding of the world and the universe. This was a dangerous time for philosophers and theorists who, by daring to discuss their discoveries, or even publish them now that the printing press made mass production possible, put their lives into the hands of those who would see them hang. This complex world of new ideas, and reawaken superstitions is portrayed with a dash of remarkable realism, which made this book tautly gripping.

The Queen's Devil is an absolutely riveting story that one would willingly forgo sleep to finish. As it sped headlong towards the climactic ending where glory and despair shared the same breath, Walker reminds his readers about the dangers of this era, but he also demonstrates the unfailing loyalty of a few good friends who willingly risk everything for a physician who was dragged into a complex and dangerous political game of power and wealth.

The Queen's Devil by Paul Walker is a work of flawless historical scholarship. It is also a thrilling read that keeps the reader turning those pages until that final full stop. This is the kind of book that deserves not only a place on your bookshelf, but it is also one that demands to be read again and again. It is an impressively dramatic story, and one that I cannot praise enough.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

[Jean Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Plot in Brief: It's the year 1683, Queen Elizabeth has been the throne for twenty five years. Despite her firm control on the reins of government, intrigue and plots swirl around the country. Elizabeth surrounds herself with a cadre of ruthless men, bent on protecting her and their families interest. William Constable is a well to do and well connected physician with a beautiful wife who is also a healer. Despite his best intentions he is drawn into a complicated plot that endangers not only his life but that of his beloved wife.

The Characters: It's not always easy to write about people who lived hundreds of years ago and make them seem believable. I think Paul Walker has done a wonderful job with William and Helen Constable, they are a young loving couple with busy lives. I connected with the pair immediately. The book is also full of the main movers and shakers of the period: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leiscester, William and Robert Cecil, Sir Francis Walsingham, and John Foxe. Each is uniquely drawn and fleshed out. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of the poet Sir Philip Sidney.

The history: The Tudors/Elizabethan era is one of my all time favorites so I was immediately drawn to this book. The author did not disappoint. I loved how he used known plots to knit together a tight but twisted thriller. I thought Walker did an excellent job of portraying medieval medicine, and the grizzly effects of the tower's torture chamber.

The Writing: The book is told in first person / present tense. While I don't mind first person, I really do not enjoy present tense. I took me a while to get into the rhythm of the story, a feeling I had to recapture each time I picked up the book. Otherwise the paced is quick, the prose is good, with just the right amount of description. There are a few minor typos that did not detract from the story.

Overall: In spite of the present tense I did like the book but it did hamper my enjoyment. I thought the mystery/thriller was well thought out and executed. I like the characters and the setting.

[Jenny Knipfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in the William Constable spy series, The Queen’s Devil follows the escapades of Dr. William Constable in 1583 under Queen Elizabeth’s reign.

Several men of high position ask William, trusted doctor, mathematician, and astrologer, to treat the wounds of several prisoners in the Tower of London. But all is not as it seems as those in authority leverage William to try to get the prisoners to spill forth what torture has not succeeded in revealing.

Suspicions run high, and an adversary warps William’s religious and medical theologies to their own ends. He must rely upon friends to help flush out The Queen’s Devil.

An ever increasing depth of espionage entrenches William to seek for answers that will convict those guilty of treason but also free someone whom he holds most dear.

Based upon the lives of real people, this hearty, spy drama will satisfy those who relish a meaty novel. I recommend The Queen’s Devil to those who enjoy historical, literary, and spy fiction.

My reasons for four stars instead of five:

I found the story and characters a bit hard to track with at first. I kept having to turn back to try to get an understanding who the side characters were.
The long paragraphs made it difficult to be easily read; I had to pay careful attention to stay with the story and understand who was speaking.
I disliked the use of single quotation marks for dialogue instead of the traditional double quotes.

But all in all, I enjoyed the book and am happy to recommend to other readers.

[Mercedes Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Constable seemed to me an unlikely spy, which I guess is why he was so good at it. He was a moral man, in some ways almost an innocent, and seemed quite vulnerable to evil forces that stopped at nothing to get their way. One wonders who was more degenerate in this Elizabethan Game of Thrones. Were they the villains who mistakenly thought he harbored damning letters against the Earl of Leicester and were quite willing to ruin his life if he didn’t turn them over? Or did the men who hired him to spy on damned and tortured prisoners—while tending to their injuries—show even fewer scruples? Either way, William was an unwilling participant in these unsavory schemes. Or maybe not. He certainly allowed himself to be dragged into the prisoner scam and he did seem to enjoy the stimulation associated with danger. That is, until he was himself thrown into Newgate while his wife was dragged to prison under an accusation of witchcraft. His powerful employers—the queen’s men—didn’t seem all that concerned that he and his wife were in mortal danger. He was pretty much on his own, and resorted to his own set of questionable activities to save his wife’s life. I think this combination of circumstances would deter any sane person from playing in these troubled waters.

"Why should a brief mention of a conspiracy have affected me in this way? Am I so faint-hearted that thoughts of strong questioning on an unknown man pester my sleep? After all, such matters are commonplace enough in these times. And Walsingham? Do I dread his call, or have I missed the grip of peril and excitement experienced as one of his intelligencers? Reasoning tells me I am content with the routine of a physician and doting husband. Yet, I cannot discount there may be a yearning for a sharper edge to my life. These matters are unresolved in my mind as we turn from Ludgate Hill into Shoe Lane."

Oh well, the good doctor could be his own worst enemy. This is the first William Constable book I read; yes, it is a stand-alone and with my working knowledge of Elizabethan England, I had no trouble following it. Though this is the first time I encountered the Earl of Leicester as a total scoundrel; maybe that’s how other people saw him—all but the queen, of course. We don’t meet Elizabeth in this story, so we don’t get her point of view. There were a lot of characters and subplots in this novel and I had a hard time reconciling the two major threads (the prisoners in the Tower and Earl’s wife who sought the missing letters). The total disregard for the law among the ruling class was very hard for me to stomach and I admit to a lot of squeamishness while reading about the hopelessness of poor souls caught in webs of courtly intrigues. I raced through to the end, which may be why I missed some connections; it could well be my fault as an incautious reader. I will say the prose is seamless and flowed very well. There’s enough movement to keep the story from ever slowing down.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

If the book is written in the same fashion as books of that time, fine. However, the style didn’t do much for me.

All but the prologue is written in the first person (Doctor Constable), and arguable or not, I felt it was a book that showed me little and told me (dictated to me) almost everything.

Set in 1583 (the reign of Elizabeth 1), it does give a gist of life in those times. The constant fear of being denounced as a witch, a heretic, simply by falling out of favour with someone that has more influence than oneself. Once arrested and imprisoned, torture was the best way to get to the truth. This I found revealing and found myself drawing parallels with the fear culture endured by those that ‘lived’ under Stalin’s rule.

I found it difficult to enjoy and had to push myself to the finish line. Although, I will say, I’m not that fussed with fiction. I do try, but little I’ve finished grabs me.

[Linda Humberstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good conspiracy adventure during the 16th century and therefore, Sir Francis Walsingham and Lord Burghley are involved investigating plots against Queen Elizabeth. The fear of Catholic spies and schemes to dethrone Elizabeth and replace her with Mary Queen of Scots is a threat. The story centres around a popular doctor who has to administer medical help to two men who are suspects and have been tortured but he has been informed that his main objective must be to gain information about the conspirators. Lots of historical facts and events are incorporated into this story featuring big names like, Sir Philip Sidney, Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester and John Foxe. I enjoyed Paul Walker's concise writing style, descriptive but never too flowery and this made it a very enjoyable read.

[Fiona Forsyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent intrigue-filled novel

Unusually for me, I did not start with the first in a series, but it did not matter as this story stands well on its own legs.
I am fond of Elizabethan plots and spy-craft, as exemplified in writers like S.J. Parrish, and here we see them in cleverly-honed action and affecting a sympathetic hero, an Everyman, Doctor William Constable.
The author’s knowledge of Elizabethan learning is clear and the ever-present worries over science as heresy are well-drawn. Characters such as Philip Sydney, John Foxe and Giordano Bruno make their contributions as an ordinary man is caught up in the schemes of the great men of Elizabeth’s court.

[Moona · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Queen's Devil" by Paul Walker is the third book in the William Constable Spy Thriller series. Set in 1583, it follows William Constable, an astrologer, mathematician, and physician, who is called to attend to two prisoners accused of treason in the Tower of London. Urged by Sir Francis Walsingham and Lord Burghley, William investigates the prisoners, uncovering connections that lead him to the French Embassy and a dangerous conspiracy. As he delves deeper, William finds himself entangled in a web of political and religious intrigue, racing against time to thwart a powerful adversary known as the Queen’s Devil.

[Steve Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Tudor Historical Fuction

Mr Walker writes well researched novels about the Elizabethan period of history mixing true life characters with his fictional hero Dr William Constable.

This book has The Throckmorton plot as its backdrop and the tension builds as Dr Constable and his family and friends become embroiled in the political machinations of the nobles and religious parties vying for the queen’s favour and prestige.

I feel this is the best of these novels so far and well worth a read if you enjoy Tudor Historical fiction.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loveing this set of books

Well that’s the last of this set of books I think about the last 10 books I have read are historical miss torts don’t know what I was doing not finding them before now you get everything I like in one book thriller murder history and wonderful really well developed caricaturist well they have to be as most are real people can’t wait for more from our good doctor and his lovely wife

[Patricia Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! The best book of the trilogy. The characters were painstakingly drawn and the descriptions of the day-to-day life in Elizabethan England (London specifically) held my interest throughout. There was much more action and adventure in this book and that, for me, made it the best. More books by this author, please!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1583 Doctor William Constable is 'requested' to attend to the wounds of two prisoners in the Tower, while questioning them for further information concerning their treason. But his actions bring trouble to him and his family. He seems to be too gullible for these treasonous times.
An entertaining histotical mystery though written in the present tense.

[Keith Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable thriller with a good protagonist

I've read the others in the series. Like them the plot is fast paced and rooted in the political strife of the period. I recommend the series to fans of CJ Sansom, and SJ Parris.

[stephen armitage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting tale in the series. The descriptions of characters, places and the way of life in Elizabethan England are excellent. A rollercoaster of events which keeps the readers interest to the end.

[John Henshaw Sadlers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced intrigue set in Elizabethan England

Third in the series we see the hero in fire straights.. Using logic and cunning the book continues to give a feeling of life in those times as well as dramatic insists into the complex and dangerous political setting.

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 3 out of 5]

More sordid machinations in Tudor London, with the protagonist being (more or less) the sole honest man. Having read three pretty much back to back, I've pretty much had my fill of the series for a while.

[Carmelita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little series, easy and enjoyable reading set in an interesting time in history

[Haydn Pope · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting novel.

A little bit confusing to begin with but it soon settled into quite an exciting novel with an ending I hoped for and had anticipated.