C. W. Gortner: The Tudor Conspiracy

[bibliogramma]

Second in a series of novels by Gortner set in Tudor England. The protagonist is a completely invented character, Brendan Prescott, an unlikely (but just barely plausible) bastard son of Mary, duchess of Suffolk and younger sister of Henry VIII. Prescott, raised in ignorance of his pedigree, becomes a protegee of William Cecil in the first volume, The Tudor Secret, in which he plays a significant if behind-the-scenes role in Mary Tudor's ascension to the throne. In this installment, he has become the sworn man of Elizabeth Tudor, who is unaware of the fact that he is her cousin - a secret which he has uncovered.

The novel is set just prior to Mary's marriage to Philip of Spain. The country is in a state of unrest, sparked by Mary's restoration of the Roman Catholic faith and fear of the consequences of marriage to a foreign prince. Plots abound. Tasked by Cecil to help protect Elizabeth from Mary's suspicions of his mistress' involvement in conspiracies against her, Prescott insinuates himself into Mary's court and finds himself seving multiple masters while investigating the designs of Edward Courtenay, another Tudor cousin, on Mary's throne and life.

A fun read, and the events of the novel are compatible with what is known about Courtenay's plots.