Keeper of the King’s Secrets

Keeper of the King’s Secrets (2012) Michelle Diener

Set in England in 1525

Susanna Horenbout and John Parker believe that things have settled down, now that the king has agreed to allow them to marry, however, intrigue spawns in the court of Henry the VIII, and Susanna’s life is one again in danger.

Parker knew the King did nothing to stop the vicious rivalry in his court, thinking it provided him with a self-sustaining system of checks and balances, but sometimes the bitterness between the power factions was not to his advantage.

The Mirror–originally belonging to the French–has disappeared, and one of Susanna’s countrymen seems to be involved in the theft.

The bits starting the chapters this time are Machiavelli’s, the Prince, and are somewhat horrifying to me (no, I managed to avoid reading The Prince in school).

(M)en ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot;

As with the previous book, I enjoy both the bits about illumination, and the bits about London, which was horribly dirty and dangerous.
Rating: 7.5/10

Published by Gallery Books

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