C. W Gortner

When Mary Tudor's unpopular betrothal to the Catholic prince of Spain sparks rumors that her half-sister, Princess Elizabeth, is plotting to depose her, Brendan Prescott is thrust into a deadly cat-and-mouse game in London's treacherous underworld.

The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and, above all, spies. Summer 1553 was a time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, has been reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the king's brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeth's protector, William Cecil,...

"For fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, bestselling author C.W. Gortner effortlessly weaves history and drama in this captivating novel about one of the world's most notorious families. Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias fascinated and terrorized fifteenth-century Renaissance Italy, and Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty's ambitions. Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom,...

"Daughter of New York financier Leonard Jerome, Jennie was born into wealth - and scandal. Upon her parents' separation, her mother took Jennie and her sisters to Paris, where Mrs. Jerome was determined to marry her daughters into the most elite families. The glamorous city became the girls' tumultuous finishing school until it fell to revolt. After fleeing to Queen Victoria's England, Jennie soon caught the eye of aristocrat Randolph Spencer-Churchill,...

"Marlene reveals the inner life of a woman of grit, glamour, and ambition who defied convention, seduced the world, and forged her own path on her own terms."--Provided by publisher.