The Tudor Secret

The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles, Book 1

By: C. W. Gortner

Narrated by: Steve West

The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and, above all, spies.

The summer of 1553 is 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, who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past.

A dark plot swirls around Elizabeth’s quest to discover the truth about the ominous disappearance of her seriously ill brother, King Edward VI. With only a bold stable boy and an audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths, lies, and murder.

Filled with the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, The Tudor Secret is the first book in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles.

©2011 C. W. Gortner (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gortner handles action with aplomb, adding a riveting, fast-paced thriller to the crowded genre of Tudor fiction." ( Publishers Weekly)

"An exciting, vividly rendered story of intrigue and espionage." ( Booklist)

English History

I've always been fascinated by Henry the 8th and the period after his death. The enmity between the church of England and the Catholics has been the subject of much writing and I've read some. If you are ignorant, this might not be the book for you. If, as I am, you're a history buff, go for it.
While reading, I learned quite a bit about this period since much of the book is based on fact, all but the main character. It's a wonderful story, if a bit confusing with all the Lords, Dutchesses etc. If you read it, I would use some reference material (I confess I used Wikipedia) to keep the folks straight.
Plots and counter plots abound and make for a really enjoyable narrative.

Not a big fan of fiction

I sure wish Audible would label each audiobook as fiction or nonfiction along with the author’s name, publication date, etc.

Though this book is well written very well performed, I’m just not that into fiction. But I did complete the book for comment’s sake.

Delightful

Great characters and dialogue. I enjoyed the narration and the twists this story took. Looking forward to the second book!

good story & well read.

the reader was excellent & the story mostly believable which is always a challenge with historical fiction. listening to 2nd in series immediately after finishing 1st!

Absolutely enjoyed!!

Having read books by other writers of this era, I started this knowing the factual events(because I read historical fiction without diving into the actual history) and the fictional representation by others, but also keeping an open mind for another version. I absolutely love that the author used a "lowborn" male perspective over the woman's. I am thoroughly excited to continue the series!