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Keeper of the King's Secrets
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Product Description
Product Description
A priceless jewel. A royal court rife with intrigue. A secret deal, where the price of truth could come too high . . .
The personal artist to King Henry Tudor, Susanna Horenbout is sought by the queen and ladies of the court for her delicate, skilled portraits. But now someone from her past is pulling her into a duplicitous game where the consequence of failure is war. Soon, Susanna and her betrothed, the King's most dangerous courtier, are unraveling a plot that would shatter Europe. And at the heart of it is a magnificent missing diamond. . . .
With John Parker at her side, Susanna searches for the diamond and those responsible for its theft, their every step dogged by a lethal assassin. Finding the truth means plunging into the heart of the court's most bitter infighting, surviving the harrowing labyrinth of Fleet Prison--and then coming face-to-face with the most dangerous enemy of all.
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7 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Still in a treacherous court..
3 April 2012
Format:Paperback
After thoroughly enjoying In a Treacherous Court, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Keeper of the King's Secrets. Picking up not longer after Treacherous Court left off, Keeper continues the adventures of the spirited artist Susanna Horenbout and her betrothed John Parker. This time, Susanna embarks on an intriguing mystery to discover who stole the Mirror of Naples. A priceless jewel in the king's treasury, the Mirror of Naples was rumored to have been given to Henry VIII by his sister Margaret to beg his forgiveness for her hasty -and unapproved -marriage to Charles Brandon. But now, it's gone missing, and someone is after Susanna's life.
Written in a straight forward hand, Keeper offers a compelling, page-turning mystery packed with unexpected twists and turns, solid prose, always-fascinating court intrigue, and a unique story that feels like a classic mystery wrapped in a Tudor setting. Thrown in a dash of sweet, but honest romance and sprinkle an intelligent, independent female protagonist on top and you can't go wrong. I particularly liked how Keeper worked so hard to stand on its own from Treacherous Court, as well as from every other Tudor period novel out there. This series focuses on lesser known figures from history who experienced the intrigues of the Tudor court, but somewhat at a distance, as well as a little-explored tale steeped in myth and legend.
Fans of the first book will welcome the sequel as a natural progression for the story and characters, while fans of Tudor-period novels and mysteries will also have plenty to be excited out. I would caution readers who are looking for period romance -while there is an obvious love between Susanna and John, don't expect any passionate romance scenes or lusty encounters. Author Michelle Diener prefers to keep her focus on the action, mystery and spirited nature of her heroine than on romance -this is really my kind of thing, but may not be appealing to other readers of Tudor-era novels.
Written in a straight forward hand, Keeper offers a compelling, page-turning mystery packed with unexpected twists and turns, solid prose, always-fascinating court intrigue, and a unique story that feels like a classic mystery wrapped in a Tudor setting. Thrown in a dash of sweet, but honest romance and sprinkle an intelligent, independent female protagonist on top and you can't go wrong. I particularly liked how Keeper worked so hard to stand on its own from Treacherous Court, as well as from every other Tudor period novel out there. This series focuses on lesser known figures from history who experienced the intrigues of the Tudor court, but somewhat at a distance, as well as a little-explored tale steeped in myth and legend.
Fans of the first book will welcome the sequel as a natural progression for the story and characters, while fans of Tudor-period novels and mysteries will also have plenty to be excited out. I would caution readers who are looking for period romance -while there is an obvious love between Susanna and John, don't expect any passionate romance scenes or lusty encounters. Author Michelle Diener prefers to keep her focus on the action, mystery and spirited nature of her heroine than on romance -this is really my kind of thing, but may not be appealing to other readers of Tudor-era novels.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Book 2 is even better!
18 April 2012
Format:Paperback
This second book about Tudor artist Susanna Horenbout and her betrothed, courtier John Parker, centres on the mysterious (and real) jewel called The Mirror of Naples. The Mirror of Naples was part of the French Crown Jewels, but Henry VIII's sister Mary took it with her after she was widow by the King of France and gave it to Henry. The French demanded it back, but Henry refused to give it to them. Now, with the jewel missing, Susanna and Parker are drawn into finding it before it's loss results in a war between England and France.
This book can be read on its own, but for even more enjoyment, read In a Treacherous Court first. This is first class historical suspense.
This book can be read on its own, but for even more enjoyment, read In a Treacherous Court first. This is first class historical suspense.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Mystery in the King's Court
9 April 2012
Format:Paperback
This is the second book about Susanna Horenbout by Ms. Diener. The first. In a Treacherous Court set up her story and had her meeting her betrothed, John Parker. In this installment Susanna sees an old family friend - a diamond cutter - and calls to him. Instead of being happy to see her, he tries to kill her. This sets off a series of events that has Susanna and John working to safeguard one of King Henry's most prized jewels - the Mirror of Naples. The book pulls in famous characters from the reign including the Duke of Norfolk and Cardinal Woolsey but they play somewhat supporting roles to Susanna and John.
This is a quick and easy read - a Tudor mystery if you will. The history is less important than the relationship between the two protagonists. I enjoyed having a light story with all of the heavy books I have been reading. I flew right through it and was quite entertained. I would certainly pick up another of Ms. Diener's books if given the chance.
The central group of characters are very engaging - Susanna, John and their "gang" if you will. They are very loyal to one another willing to do what needs doing to protect each other and get the job done. What the reader usually thinks of as larger than life historical figures (King Henry, Woolsey, Norfolk) seem to fade into the background; this is definitely Susanna and John's tale. And that was somewhat refreshing.
If you are looking for a book long on historical detail though, this would not be the book for you to read.
This is a quick and easy read - a Tudor mystery if you will. The history is less important than the relationship between the two protagonists. I enjoyed having a light story with all of the heavy books I have been reading. I flew right through it and was quite entertained. I would certainly pick up another of Ms. Diener's books if given the chance.
The central group of characters are very engaging - Susanna, John and their "gang" if you will. They are very loyal to one another willing to do what needs doing to protect each other and get the job done. What the reader usually thinks of as larger than life historical figures (King Henry, Woolsey, Norfolk) seem to fade into the background; this is definitely Susanna and John's tale. And that was somewhat refreshing.
If you are looking for a book long on historical detail though, this would not be the book for you to read.
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