The Queen's Secret
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Trade in The Queen's Secret for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Plus, get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
A gripping historical novel set in Tudor England during the reign of Elizabeth I.
Product Description
July 1575
Elizabeth I, Queen of England, arrives at Kenilworth Castle amid pomp, fanfare and a wealth of lavish festivities, laid on by the Earl of Leicester. The hopeful Earl knows this is his very last chance to persuade the Queen to marry him.
But despite his attachment to the Queen and his driving ambition to be her King, Leicester is unable to resist the seductive wiles of Lettice, wife of the Earl of Essex. And soon whispers of their relationship start spreading through the court.
Enraged by the adulterous lovers growing intimacy, Elizabeth employs Lucy Morgan, a young black singer and court entertainer, to spy on the couple. But Lucy, who was raised by a spy in London, uncovers far more than she bargains for.
For someone at Kenilworth that summer is plotting to kill the queen. No longer able to tell friend from foe, it is soon not only the queen who is in mortal danger - but Lucy herself.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A really entertaining historical novel with a gripping plot, 'The Queen's Secret' transports you back in time and puts you at the heart of the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to Kenilworth Castle in 1575. There is much pomp and ceremony as the Queen and her entourage arrives, with Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, having spared no expense to lay on a host of festivities for her majesty's visit to his home. Robert is a trusted ally of the Queen: 'With his innate intelligence and quick grasp of any political situation, Robert...was the man she turned to first in a crisis. Or when she needed a little wit and light relief...Robert had always made her laugh when no one else could.' Further, she loves him, would like to marry him, and yet she has refused his offers of marriage, as she fears how much power he would want, and take, if he were on the throne:
'Clever, clever. She could not help but admire his daring, the sheer audacity of a man who would take every opportunity to push himself forward, however many times he was rebuked and rejected...Yet how to restrain a man like Robert once he was on the throne? His charming audacity could only grow, given power and influence on that scale, until her own power became diminished.'
Although Robert desires this position greatly, he nevertheless persists in his illicit adulterous assignations with Lettice, wife of the Earl of Essex, and also the Queen's cousin; passionate meetings which the Queen is all too aware of, and which will not remain a secret amongst the gossiping court for long.
Lucy Morgan is merely a young black court entertainer when we first meet her, viewed with suspicion by some, but she is destined to become close to the Queen herself as she is singled out to sing for the Queen, and subsequently entrusted to spy for her, leaving Lucy in an awkward situation, having been asked by another in court to spy for them! Underlying all of this is the suspicion of a hidden potential assassin and a serious threat to the Queen's life, with Walsingham, the Queen's spymaster, trying to stay one step ahead of them all, ably assisted by the inimitable Master Goodluck, who is also Lucy's guardian.
I loved this novel. I really enjoyed reading it, and I felt that the intrigue and pace of the story was sustained throughout the whole book. There are some very amiable and entertaining characters, none more so than Master Goodluck with his many disguises and his band of accomplices; also young Lucy Morgan and her beautiful voice. The Queen herself is a fascinating character with so many side to her, the public and private face, the longing for a lover and a child, the fear of relinquishing power and of being thought of as like her father. The storyline has many interesting and engaging strands, and secrets abound, including the secret that the Queen hides.
It is only recently that I have begun reading more historical fiction, and I felt like I was in the very safe hands of a gifted storyteller whilst reading this thoroughly researched, compelling, and convincing debut novel.
'Clever, clever. She could not help but admire his daring, the sheer audacity of a man who would take every opportunity to push himself forward, however many times he was rebuked and rejected...Yet how to restrain a man like Robert once he was on the throne? His charming audacity could only grow, given power and influence on that scale, until her own power became diminished.'
Although Robert desires this position greatly, he nevertheless persists in his illicit adulterous assignations with Lettice, wife of the Earl of Essex, and also the Queen's cousin; passionate meetings which the Queen is all too aware of, and which will not remain a secret amongst the gossiping court for long.
Lucy Morgan is merely a young black court entertainer when we first meet her, viewed with suspicion by some, but she is destined to become close to the Queen herself as she is singled out to sing for the Queen, and subsequently entrusted to spy for her, leaving Lucy in an awkward situation, having been asked by another in court to spy for them! Underlying all of this is the suspicion of a hidden potential assassin and a serious threat to the Queen's life, with Walsingham, the Queen's spymaster, trying to stay one step ahead of them all, ably assisted by the inimitable Master Goodluck, who is also Lucy's guardian.
I loved this novel. I really enjoyed reading it, and I felt that the intrigue and pace of the story was sustained throughout the whole book. There are some very amiable and entertaining characters, none more so than Master Goodluck with his many disguises and his band of accomplices; also young Lucy Morgan and her beautiful voice. The Queen herself is a fascinating character with so many side to her, the public and private face, the longing for a lover and a child, the fear of relinquishing power and of being thought of as like her father. The storyline has many interesting and engaging strands, and secrets abound, including the secret that the Queen hides.
It is only recently that I have begun reading more historical fiction, and I felt like I was in the very safe hands of a gifted storyteller whilst reading this thoroughly researched, compelling, and convincing debut novel.
Format:Hardcover
I have spent a couple of days journeying through the summer of 1575. The majority of the story is set at Kenilworth Castle and I just loved the descriptions of the different parts of the castle. The author creates this world in such a way that it's easy to be there alongside the characters. When Lettice looks out of the apartment window to see the time on the clock - I looked out with her and remembered Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, had stopped it so that the Queen's time there was symbolic of living outside of time itself.
The entertainment that the Earl of Leicester lays on from the very beginning has a purpose behind it - symbols of his desire to marry Elizabeth. These are all so very cleverly crafted and all relevant to the time in which they're set. He is so devious I was never quite sure where his heart truly lay although of course the ultimate prize would be to rule beside Elizabeth, which may not have anything to do with love at all! I did feel extremely sorry for Lettice. At one point it is so clear how frustrating it was at that time in history to have your own home and children but having to please the Queen and her whims instead of living your life.
Elizabeth herself was a character I believed in. As a reader I could feel her wavering thoughts about whether she should accept the Earl's proposal or not - being swayed by her feelings one moment and then at other times total refusal when her thoughts turned to how safe her crown would be. The perceptions of herself as having to be careful not to be seen as having the same predisposition as her father is also a part of her character. It is easy to identify with her as a woman as well as a ruler.
Lucy Morgan is a brilliant character. Used by the Queen and the Earl as a spy, her anxieties could be clearly felt. She is a heroine that acts without thinking. In the Author's Note at the end of the book we find out that Lucy Morgan did exist and as part of the Queen's attendants. I think there is more to `tell' about Lucy's life and would love the author to write another story that includes her!
The plotting and espionage intrigued me and I enjoyed how everything tied up, despite the sadness I felt for one of the characters.
It was great to see Will Shakespeare make an appearance and also John Dee mentioned.
And what about the Queen's secret? It does have a bearing on her decision. You'll have to read the book to find out what it is ...
This is a story about Elizabeth's `progress' away from court for the summer of 1575. There is familial love, romance, deceit, espionage, intrigue and mortal danger.
Victoria Lamb has researched extensively which is very obvious to the reader.
Thank you to the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
The entertainment that the Earl of Leicester lays on from the very beginning has a purpose behind it - symbols of his desire to marry Elizabeth. These are all so very cleverly crafted and all relevant to the time in which they're set. He is so devious I was never quite sure where his heart truly lay although of course the ultimate prize would be to rule beside Elizabeth, which may not have anything to do with love at all! I did feel extremely sorry for Lettice. At one point it is so clear how frustrating it was at that time in history to have your own home and children but having to please the Queen and her whims instead of living your life.
Elizabeth herself was a character I believed in. As a reader I could feel her wavering thoughts about whether she should accept the Earl's proposal or not - being swayed by her feelings one moment and then at other times total refusal when her thoughts turned to how safe her crown would be. The perceptions of herself as having to be careful not to be seen as having the same predisposition as her father is also a part of her character. It is easy to identify with her as a woman as well as a ruler.
Lucy Morgan is a brilliant character. Used by the Queen and the Earl as a spy, her anxieties could be clearly felt. She is a heroine that acts without thinking. In the Author's Note at the end of the book we find out that Lucy Morgan did exist and as part of the Queen's attendants. I think there is more to `tell' about Lucy's life and would love the author to write another story that includes her!
The plotting and espionage intrigued me and I enjoyed how everything tied up, despite the sadness I felt for one of the characters.
It was great to see Will Shakespeare make an appearance and also John Dee mentioned.
And what about the Queen's secret? It does have a bearing on her decision. You'll have to read the book to find out what it is ...
This is a story about Elizabeth's `progress' away from court for the summer of 1575. There is familial love, romance, deceit, espionage, intrigue and mortal danger.
Victoria Lamb has researched extensively which is very obvious to the reader.
Thank you to the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Fiction > Historical
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
