Anne Easter Smith on Richard III

Today I am pleased to welcome Anne Easter Smith to Historical Tapestry as part of her Royal Mistress/Richard III blog tour that has been organised by Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours! 

I have had a soft spot for Richard III since I read Sharon Kay Penman's spectacular Sunne in Splendour, which then lead me on a journey to books I loved like Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey and Anne Easter Smith's A Rose for the Crown. It has been a while since I read a book about Richard III, but I do have a couple coming up soon!

With the news that Richard's body has been found and identified, I was happy to get the opportunity to ask Anne Easter Smith a few questions.

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M: It has been big news over the last week that the body of Richard III has been found. I had heard that Richard III was the last English king killed in battle and the only one since William the Conqueror who didn't have an official tomb. What difference do you think the fact that there is a body and that it will be buried at Leicester will make?

AES: Thanks for hosting me today! As far as this question is concerned, I think most Ricardians are just happy to be able to have a place to go and pay our respects. A plaque has been in place near the carpark in Leicester for quite some time (paid for by the Richard III Society), but it was a guess that his remains were still somewhere around there! The best part of all this excitement over the discovery is that it will revive interest in this much-maligned king, and perhaps new scholarship will help unblacken his name.

M: Do you think that Leicester is the right place for his tomb to be located?

AES: To be honest, I was not fanatical about one location over another. York certainly has every right to lobby for the burial there as Richard spent so much of his life in the north, but as it was the University of Leicester that worked so hard to uncover the bones, and somehow in all the redevelopment over the centuries the grave was still intact, I am quite happy for Leicester Cathedral to house Richard’s remains now. However, re-interment in another place is not unheard of in Richard’s family. His father, Richard duke of York and brother, Edmund, were removed from their original burial ground in Pontefract, near where they were killed in the battle of Wakefield in 1460, and moved with great pomp down to the York family seat of Fotheringhay and re-buried in July of 1476. I set a scene in “Queen By Right” during those elaborate ceremonies. I thought that if York and Leicester couldn’t come to terms, that perhaps Richard should be taken back to his birthplace and laid with his mum and dad and brother!

M: Richard III is a very divisive figure in history. There are lots of very passionate people who believe that he had bad PR at the hands of the Tudors and can not have been as bad as he has been portrayed and yet there are others who are equally as passionate that he was a murderer and all round bad guy. Why is he still so divisive all these years later?

AES: If you are a Tudor fan, you can’t love Richard! That’s a very simplistic answer to a very complex question. But from the media of the winner of the battle of Bosworth (and his descendants), i.e. Tudor chroniclers, historians and Mr. Shakespeare, a very black picture of Richard III was painted and people believed it. Shakespeare’s play, in particular, is all wrong chronologically and factually. We now know that Richard had scoliosis, but so does Usain Bolt. It looks as though Richard’s right shoulder was higher than his left because of it, but that does not make him a hideous hunchback with a withered arm (in fact the skeleton showed no abnormality to the arm). I would guess he had to compensate for the pain he must have had from his back by building up his sword arm, because we know he was a formidable soldier, and even the Tudors do not dispute, his prowess on the battlefield. The murders laid at his door by Shakespeare should mostly be laid at his brother Edward’s. And the playwright had Richard killing the duke of Somerset at the Battle of St. Alban’s when Richard was only two! I think that if the princes in the Tower had not disappeared so mysteriously, Richard would not have garnered such controversy over the centuries. People love a mystery--just look at the theories about Jack the Ripper!

M: How did you come to be fascinated by Richard III?

In my early 20s, my Ricardian godmother gave me a copy of Josephine Tey’s “The Daughter of Time,” and I have been obsessed by him since then! (My mother was relieved as the last obsession I’d had was in the my teens when I adored Ricky Nelson! “Much quieter, dear,” was her response to Richard. She had quite a sense of humor, my mum!)

Tour Details

Schedule
Anne Easter Smith's Website
Anne Easter Smith on Facebook


Articles on Richard III

BBC news: DNA confirms Richard III is found
New York Times: Bones under parking lot belonged to Richard III
Facial reconstruction: How Richard may have appeared, as reported by BBC

About the book

Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Touchstone
Hardcover; 512p

From the author of A Rose for the Crown and Daughter of York comes another engrossing historical novel of the York family in the Wars of the Roses, telling the fascinating story of the rise and fall of the final and favorite mistress of Edward IV.

Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore—but her heart belongs to another. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane Shore from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain and friend, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows his King will find her irresistible.

Edward IV has everything: power, majestic bearing, superior military leadership, a sensual nature, and charisma. And with Jane as his mistress, he also finds true happiness. But when his hedonistic tendencies get in the way of being the strong leader England needs, his life, as well as that of Jane Shore and Will Hastings, hang in the balance.

This dramatic tale has been an inspiration to poets and playwrights for 500 years, and told through the unique perspective of a woman plucked from obscurity and thrust into a life of notoriety, Royal Mistress is sure to enthrall today’s historical fiction lovers as well.

Queen by Right Anne Easter Smith includes giveaway

From the award-winning author of A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, and The King’s Grace comes another masterful historical novel—the story of Cecily of York, mother of two kings and the heroine of one of history’s greatest love stories.


Anne Easter Smith’s novels are beloved by readers for their ability “to grab you, sweep you along with the story, and make you fall in love with the characters.”


In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, she has found her most engrossing character yet. History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith’s greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour.

Back in my pre blogging days I read and loved Sharon Kay Penman's Sunne in Splendour which was predominantly about Richard III. Reading that book sent me on a journey through lots of Ricardian fiction and one of my favourite reads at that time was Anne Easter Smith's debut novel A Rose for the Crown. In the nearly five years since I read that book, I had intended to read more from this author. With this new book, Queen by Right, I finally got around to actually doing so.

There can be no doubting whether Anne Easter Smith is for York or Lancaster when it comes to deciding which side she would have backed had she had to pick side in the war of the Roses, or at least there isn't much doubt based on the two books I have read so far. That should be sufficient warning to expect that York is good and Lancastrian is pretty much not!

Having now read most of this book, I must say I am a little amazed that we haven't heard more about Cicely's life before now. She has always been mentioned in books about Edward and Richard, her two sons who both ruled England, but Anne Easter Smith manages to give Cicely's story depth and interest all of it's own.

The novel opens with the woman who has been known as the Rose of Raby due to her beauty and also as Proud Cis for her bearing, grace and dignity. Now though, she is deep in mourning. Her beloved husband is dead, as are several of her other family members, and now she must find a way to carry on and support her remaining children.

Looking back retrospectively we see her meet and fall in love with her husband Richard and follow their lives together through their time in France and Ireland, parenting their many children and then to the conflict that pitted the Yorks against the formidable and nasty Margaret of Anjou, known through history as a she-wolf. Whilst battling for the rewards due to a man of his stature, Richard walks a fine line between loyalty and treachery against King Henry.

Of Cicely personally we meet a devout woman who believes passionately in the Virgin Mary. Her spiritual development is affected pretty early on as a result of the interactions that the book suggests she had with Jeanne de Arc. I am not sure that there is much historical basis, but with the timing all fitting, this part of the narrative has made it possible for the reader to view some of the most famous events of the time through the eyes of Cicely. Coincidentally, today is the anniversary of the death of the saint known to most of us as Joan of Arc.

As much as I have enjoyed reading this book, there are a couple of small things that I feel that I should mention. The first relates to Cicely and Richard's sex life. Whilst the scenes are not overly graphic in nature, I am not sure that we needed to be present for the conception of practically every child she had (and there were a lot!).  The second thing was that there appeared to be times where the author lost track of some of the characters, particularly the children, and keeping all of the key players straight in the conflicts later in the book was some times a little difficult. These are minor complaints though.

For the most part, we are given a fascinating glimpse into the life of a woman who is ancestor to nearly every king or queen of England since her death, was mother to two kings, and who seems to have left more of an imprint in the pages of historical fiction than a lot of other women of her time.

Luckily for me, I have two more of Anne Easter Smith's books sitting on my shelf that I can go back and read!


Thanks to Amy from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for organising the blog tour that this post is part of and for arranging for me to receive an e ARC.

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Thanks to HF Virtual Blog Tours and  the publishers we have a copy of Queen by Right to give away! 



- open to US residents
- leave a comment and don't forget your email address
- the contest closes June12 at midnight GMT

Why I think the Plantagenets Trump the Tudors by Anne Easter Smith

A bit of background before we get to the post proper! A few days ago, C W Gortner posted for us on Why We Love the Tudors. On Facebook, Anne Easter Smith mentioned that she would like to offer up an alternate view! Of course, having loved her first book, and having a really soft spot for the Plantagenets myself, I wasn't going to say no!

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Aren’t we sick of the Tudors yet? Of course, when I say that I run the risk of offending many readers and author colleagues, including my friend C.W. Gortner! But, let’s face it, how many versions of Henry VIII and his wives, beheadings and burning of the monasteries, or the Virgin Queen’s penchant for handsome young earls, naval heroes and white powder does it take to say “Enough, already!” I know I said it long before Philippa Gregory saw the error of her ways. Much to my dismay, she cast her eye upon the 15th century Plantagenets, whose crown the first Tudor king snatched from Richard III’s head, and when she got a contract to write about a series about “my” characters, including Queen Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort and Jacquetta of Bedford, I found myself whingeing: “What a cheek, she’s coming into my period.” When I complained to our mutual editor at Simon & Schuster, Trish Todd, she wisely admoninshed me: “A rising tide floats all boats, Anne. If Philippa’s readers fall in love with your period through her, they’ll find your books, too.” So, thank you Philippa for joining our 15th century ranks: Sandra Worth, Vanora Bennett, Susan Higginbotham take heart!

From the political machinations that made up Henry II’s reign (the first Plantagenet) and his life with his always readable Eleanor of Aquitaine (see Sharon Kay Penman’s masterful Time and Chance), to Edward II, whose fling with Piers Gaveston almost brought down the monarchy and did cause his untimely and rather grisly end (Susan Higgingbotham’s The Traitor’s Wife), and Edward III whose mistress, Alice Perrers, has been the subject of many a novel (Emma Campion’s comes to mind), and on to flamboyant Richard II, who almost went the same way as his ancestor Ted II, and not forgetting Harry V of Agincourt fame, and on to Richard III who did not murder those adorable little nephews in the Tower (IMHO--see my A Rose for the Crown), the Plantagenets have given us 330 years of fascinating stuff to write and read about. The Tudors? A paltry 118 (and really only 100, because who wants to read about boring Henry VII?)

When I set out to tell Richard III’s story, I thought it would be my one and only book, but once I began researching the Wars of the Roses (the cousins’ war between Lancaster and York, two branches of the Plantagenet family who each thought their claim to the throne better), I became totally engrossed in the period and knew I could not resist telling the whole of the York story once I got started.

My fourth book, which I hope you will consider, is Queen By Right and takes us back to the end of the Hundred Years War (don’t ask!) and right into the Wars of the Roses. Cecily Neville married Richard, duke of York, and bore thirteen children--two of whom became king: Edward IV and Richard III; and a daughter, Margaret, who became the most powerful woman in Europe at the time when she married the duke of Burgundy. One of the most compelling episodes in Cecily’s long life (she lived three weeks past her 80th birthday) was the trial and execution of Joan of Arc. Richard and Cecily of York were in Rouen with King Henry VI’s entourage during the four-month trial. It is probable that Cecily was one of the noble ladies present in the Old Market Place of the Norman capital on May 30, 1431, when Joan was burned at the stake. As the two women were housed in the same castle during the ordeal, I could not resist having them meet briefly. A little dramatic licence is allowed in fiction, isn’t it?

And we must not forget one of the most intriguing of all the Plantagenets: Richard the Lionheart, Henry II and Eleanor’s crusading son, and the subject of Sharon Penman’s next book. I can’t wait!

Have I convinced you to discover a world other than the Tudors’? I do hope so. Try the powerful, passionate world of the Plantagenets for a change; you won’t be sorry.

Anne Easter Smith is the author of four books about the York family during the Wars of the Roses. She is a native of England but makes her home in Newburyport, MA. She is proud to be the aunt of Nick Easter, No. 8 on the England rugby team.

Upcoming Release: Daughter of York by Anne Easter Smith

Daughter of York re-visits many of the characters from "A Rose for the Crown," as we follow Margaret, sister of Edward IV and Richard III, from the court of England where, as a pawn in Edward's political schemes, she is kept single until she is 22, when a Burgundian alliance is forged through her marriage to Charles the Bold, the new Duke of Burgundy.

Despite fulfilling her duty to her new country with intelligence and aplomb, Margaret never forgets she is an English princess and a daughter of the House of York. Her homesickness is exacerbated by having to leave behind the love of her life. Fate brings them together rarely after she becomes duchess to a man she only met a week before her marriage, and whom she discovers suffers from such a grandiose view of his place in history that he is capable of great cruelty towards anyone who stands in his way. He also prefers spending time on a battlefield than at home with his wife. She finds solace in the bond she forges with her new young stepdaughter, her friendship with William Caxton, learning to rule her new country, and her unusual confidante, a dwarf named Fortunata. But once in a while, she breaks the rules in the arms of her one true love...

Kailana has talked before about how much she is looking forward to this book, and I am in complete agreement with her! A Rose from the Crown was one of my favourite reads from a couple of years ago, and I remember being surprised at how well written it was for a first book!

There is also quite an interesting video of Anne up on BookVideos.TV, where she talks about how she researches her characters and how she keeps her fictional and factual characters straight!

This book is released in the US and the UK on 12 February 2008. Unfortunately it's not listed on the major Australian bookstore sites yet, so I might have to wait a bit longer! Disappointing, but not all that unusual unfortunately.

A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith

AN UNFORGETTABLE HEROINE,

A KING MISUNDERSTOOD BY HISTORY,

A LOVE STORY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN TOLD

In A Rose for the Crown, we meet one of history's alleged villains through the eyes of a captivating new heroine -- the woman who was the mother of his illegitimate children, a woman who loved him for who he really was, no matter what the cost to herself.

As Kate Haute moves from her peasant roots to the luxurious palaces of England, her path is inextricably intertwined with that of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III. Although they could never marry, their young passion grows into a love that sustains them through war, personal tragedy, and the dangerous heights of political triumph.

Anne Easter Smith's impeccable research provides the backbone of an engrossing and vibrant debut from a major new historical novelist.

Marg says:

Richard III is known as one of the most villainous kings of England, mainly because whilst in his care the two princes in the Tower, his nephews, disappeared without a trace. He was the last Plantagenet king, and had his throne taken from him by the first of the Tudor kings, Henry VII. He was portrayed in a negative way ever since the time of the Tudors, with Shakespeare especially getting in on the act. There are quite a few people out there who believe that this reputation is undeserved, and that he is a king that has had bad PR over the years. The author of this book is a member of the Richard III society and it is therefore inevitable that she would portray him in a mostly positive light, but hers is not the only one out there that portrays him in this way. One of the best books I have read with Richard III as subject is Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman...awesome book!

Before we come to know Richard, we firstly meet a young lady by the name of Kate Bywood, who is a lovely looking country lass, with the very bad habits of telling everyone what she thinks, and asking too many questions. We follow Kate for many years, getting to know her as she lives both at her family home, and then when she is given the opportunity to travel to Ightham Mote to become companion to a member of her family. She is married at quite a young age to a much older man, and widowed a short time later, making her an independent woman, with a regular income. Along the way we also meet some of the people that will become incredibly important to her, including Margaret Howard, wife of John Howard...a man on the rise within royal circles, and who eventually played a huge role in the reign of Richard III.

When it comes to be time for Kate to marry again she is delighted when she is to be married to George Haute, a very handsome young man, who is in service with the Howards. However, it becomes very clear early on that whilst Kate thinks she loves George, George's reasons for marriage are less honourable. Kate is resigned to another marriage that is less than fulfilling. Into her unhappy life comes the youngest brother of Edward IV, Richard of Gloucester, and there is an instant connection between them. As their paths occasionally cross, everything is building up to their inevitable relationship.

Young Richard of Gloucester is portrayed as a man who values loyalty more than anything, and who is valued for his own loyalty by his brother, something that is not always forthcoming in royal families (their brother, Duke of Clarence was executed for treason against Edward IV). For Richard and Kate, they cannot often be together, but when they are the time spent is precious, and even more so when Kate bears him two children. Richard is, however, a man of honour, and so when the time comes for him to marry for duty, they agree that their time as lovers has to end, but not before Kate once again finds herself with child.

Following the death of Edward, Richard is first appointed as regent to the young King Edward V, and then eventually is declared King in his own right. Kate's two older children are acknowledged by Richard and even taken into his own household by him and his wife Queen Anne, and Kate is separated by the social chasm between them as they begin their lives as young royals. She is not however ever separated from them emotionally.

The connection between Kate and Richard is a strong and loving one, and as Richard deals with the difficulties of being king, Kate is able to provide him with support in a way that no one else can, especially when his two young nephews are taken care of! She is also able to help out some of her closer friends and relatives as a result of her own influence with him.

So, what basis in fact is there? What is known is that Richard has at least two illegitimate children before his marriage that he acknowledged and had living in his own household. On the eve of his death it is thought that he acknowledged a third child as well. As to the identity of the mother(s), that is not known, so the author has taken some information found in the history records and woven her story around them. She suppposes that given that Richard was quite unusual in that he was completely faithful to his wife (quite the opposite of his older brother!), that it was likely that Richard had had such a loving relationship with someone that he was fulfilled in a way that no mistresses could compete with. How true that supposition is .... who knows, but it does make for a very solid and compelling read.

The author takes the facts that are known, along with details of daily lives across a cross section of society, and weaves them into a narrative that is compelling without being dry as some historical fiction can occasionally be.

An extremely satisfying and enjoyable read, and a recommended read to anyone interested in reading about the English royal history before Tudor times.

Rating 4.5/5


Kailana says:


The advantage of having exchange students is lots of trips to the airport. The book store housed there has many staff members that read historical fiction, so there are always displays of them and more often than not, they are books I haven't seen anywhere else. This is where I found A Rose for the Crown. I ended up buying it from amazon, but I might never have done that if it wasn't for the bookstore.

I was very excited to read this novel. I had planned to start it a while ago, but something always came up and I never got around to it. I was worried that this book would destroy Richard for me. I know that he was supposed to be this vile man, but history is told through the eyes of the winners, and that makes me think the Tudors just destroyed his name when they came into power. I like to think that he was a good guy, and since I will never meet him, it is not something that can ever be fully proved.

This book starts when Kate Haue is very young and still living with her parents. We get a good idea of what she is like before Richard even enters the novel. He is shown in some background scenes, like when his brother is crowned king, but he never becomes a main character until Kate is in her teens. Kate has a slightly lower class early life. Her father is a farmer, and they live very basically. Then, one day a friend of Kate's mother comes to the farm house and her life is changed forever. She is taken to the house to be a playmate and sister to their daughter, and while she never essentially changes her place in society, more oppurtunities are open to her.

By the time she meets Richard she has been married to a man that is a considerable amount older to her, he has died, and she has moved on to a man that she thinks she loves. Until she gets to know him better. When Richard comes along, she is very unhappy in her marriage, and if it wasn't for the love that she feels for her husband George's family, life would be very bad indeed. She longs to feel love and be the mother of a child, but George would have that denied to her. It is one day when she is wandering in the woods that her life is changed forever.

So much happens in the book. It is not just about Richard and Kate, it is not just a romance novel. Kate's life is explained in detail to the backdrop of Edward, Richard's brother, and then Richard himself. You enjoy the moments where Richard and Kate are in love, but you also enjoy all the friends that Kate picks up along the way. The ways that Smith has taken historical characters and intertwined their lives with Kate. You can really believe that Richard loved her and that he enjoyed his time with her.

I loved this book, when I finished it I was sad because there is not any more to the story. You really get into the story, feeling the emotions that Kate feels and being saddened by the events in the novel. It is at its core a forbidden love story, and when Richard has to marry Anne Neville it is a very sad goodbye. This book is up there with Penman. Penman concentrates on the professional side of being a king, while Smith concentrates on the lower classes and the personal life of a king. You will fall in love with Kate and your heart will go out to Richard.

I am very excited to say: 5/5

Happy New Year!

Or at least, I wish the new year would hurry up and get here! Once the fall gets over I find myself in a 'lull' period, impatiently awaiting the books that I am looking forward to in the New Year. I find that more often than not I suffer from 'feast or famine' periods with my book purchases. I know that the book publishers do this on purpose, but it does not mean it is enjoyable!

So, what am I looking forward to in the New Year, you might be asking? The new Sandra Gulland book, the new Anne Easter Smith book, and the new Conn Iggulden book to name a few. Not to mention the next book in Ariana Franklin's series! Sandra Gullan keeps rereleasing the same books over and over again with different covers and styles, so it is about time that she came out with a new book. I think anyways!

Her new book is titled Mistress of the Sun. I wonder if she is nervous. The first three books she wrote were highly successful, but will this one match up is the question...

The author of the internationally acclaimed Josephine B. trilogy returns with another deeply enchanting historical novel, this one based on the life of an extraordinary horsewoman, Louise de la Vallière, the brave and spirited child of minor nobility who, against all odds, grows up to become one of the most mysterious consorts of France's King Louis XIV, the charismatic Sun King.

Set against the magnificent decadence of the 17th-century court of the Sun King, Mistress of the Sun begins when the eccentric young Louise falls in love with a wild white stallion and uses ancient magic to tame him. This one desperate action of youth shadows her throughout her life, changing it in ways she could never imagine.

Unmarriageable and too poor to join a convent, she enters the court of the Sun King as a maid of honour, where she captures - and then tragically loses - the King's heart. Mistress of the Sun illuminates, through the resurrection of a fascinating female figure from the dark corners of history, both the power of true love and the rash actions we take to capture and tame it.

Sandra Gulland's previous work brought Josephine Bonaparte magnificently to life in three immediately addictive bestselling novels. Beginning with The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., Gulland established an entirely new gold standard for the art of historical fiction. Mistress of the Sun - a riveting love story with a captivating mystery at its centre - is a welcome reward for all those who have waited so patiently for its arrival.

Then, FINALLY, I get a new book from Anne Easter Smith. Her first novel, A Rose for the Crown, was one of my favourite reads of 2006, so I am so excited to see her next effort. It is called Daughter of York.

Following A Rose for the Crown, Anne's new book, Daughter of York, tells the compelling story of Margaret, Plantagenet princess and sister of Edward IV and Richard III. Daughter of York also re-visits some of the characters from "A ROSE FOR THE CROWN," as we follow Margaret from the court of England where, as a pawn in Edward's political schemes, she is kept single until she is 22, when a Burgundian alliance is forged through her marriage to Charles the Bold, the new Duke of Burgundy.

Recently, I became a bit of a Conn Iggulden fangirl. I am just not always very interested in 'female' literature. Conn Iggulden is more compelling with his novel about Genghis Khan. I do not mind a bit of battle and bloodshed in my novels. I am so thrilled that he has a new book out so soon after I read the last one. I just hope that it does not suffer from second book problems!
I have not been able to find a description, though. This one comes out pretty soon into the New Year, so it will be a Christmas present for myself, that is for sure!

Lastly, I will mention Ariana Franklin. Her previous novel, Mistress of the Art of Death, surprised me because I did not think it would be my sort of novel. I loved it, though, and I cannot wait to revisit the characters!

Ariana Franklin combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the drama of historical fiction in the enthralling second novel in the Mistress of the Art of Death series, featuring medieval heroine Adelia Aguilar.

Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poison-and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is probably the first move in Eleanor's long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.

Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter, Allie. But Henry's summons cannot be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king's trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of St. Albans, who is also her baby's father.

Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan's home, in a tower within a walled labyrinth-a strange and sinister place from the outside, but far more so on the inside, where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia's investigation is cut short by the appearance of Rosamund's rival: Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken captive by Eleanor's henchmen and held in the nunnery of Godstow, where Eleanor is holed up for the winter with her band of mercenaries, awaiting the right moment to launch their rebellion.

Isolated and trapped inside the nunnery by the snow and cold, Adelia and Rowley watch as dead bodies begin piling up. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war . . .

All I can say is

Dear Santa,

It would be most wonderful if you could hurry up the next book release period because I would very much like to find out what happened next and I am not enjoying this whole 'waiting thing'! And, that is not even all the books I am looking forward to next year. If it could come just a little quicker I would be most happy!

Sincerely,

A Very Impatient Book Worm!