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    The Tudor Vendetta: A Novel
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    The Tudor Vendetta: A Novel
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    The Tudor Vendetta: A Novel
    Ebook306 pages5 hours

    The Tudor Vendetta: A Novel

    By C. W. Gortner

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    London, 1558. Queen Mary is dead, and 25-year old Elizabeth ascends the throne. Summoned to court from exile abroad, Elizabeth's intimate spy, Brendan Prescott, is reunited with the young queen, as well as his beloved Kate, scheming William Cecil, and arch-rival, Robert Dudley. A poison attempt on Elizabeth soon overshadows her coronation, but before Brendan can investigate, Elizabeth summons him in private to dispatch him on a far more confidential mission: to find her favored lady in waiting, Lady Parry, who has disappeared during a visit to her family manor in Yorkshire.

    Upon his arrival at the desolate sea-side manor where Lady Parry was last seen, he encounters a strange, impoverished family beset by grief, as well as mounting evidence that they hide a secret from him. The mystery surrounding Lady Parry deepens as Brendan begins to realize there is far more going on at the manor than meets the eye, but the closer he gets to the heart of the mystery in Vaughn Hall, the more he learns that in his zeal to uncover the truth, he could be precipitating Elizabeth's destruction.

    From the intrigue-laden passages of Whitehall to a foreboding Catholic manor and the deadly underworld of London, Brendan must race against time to unravel a vendetta that will strike at the very core of his world—a vendetta that could expose a buried past and betray everything he has fought for, including his loyalty to his queen.

    The Tudor Vendetta is the third volume in the Spymaster Chronicles series by C.W. Gortner.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateOct 21, 2014
    ISBN9781466857872
    Unavailable
    The Tudor Vendetta: A Novel
    Author

    C. W. Gortner

    C. W. Gortner is the author of many bestselling historical novels—including Mademoiselle Chanel—which have been published in more than twenty countries. He lives in San Francisco.

    Read more from C. W. Gortner

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    Reviews for The Tudor Vendetta

    4/5

    31 ratings8 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This book is engrossing to the hilt. The story is action packed and dramatic. CW Gortner has a way with a story that is amazing; high court intrigue, an engrossing mystery, plot twists that keep me turning the pages, and a young man’s journey through danger to his ultimate desire. It’s the third book in a series but don’t let that hold you back as it stands on its own two feet as a fascinating Elizabethan spy thriller.I read the first book in this series ages ago so was vaguely familiar with the main players. Yet, this book was a wonderful reintroduction to them. I think many will agree with me that Brendan takes the cake. Loyal, intelligent, brave, and sometimes a bit dense, he quickly re-won my heart. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, mainly Elizabeth, Dudley, and Lord Vaughan. All had a lot less “screen time” than Brendan but shown as vivid characters in their own right. I was also very intrigued by the author’s incredible amount of detail on what life was like in Elizabethan England, with all its intrigue, danger, and shifting of fortunes. We got to see how the previous reigns of King Henry VIII and Mary still had impact of current affairs. Then there was also the lone manor house of the Vaughans. Deliciously Gothic and sad, the reader gets a real feel for how those previous reigns impacted this one family and how they struggle to survive in a reign that is against everything they support. All in all, CW Gortner has created a novel to dig into and eat up. It’s got it all, enthralling story, characters so vivid you’ll dream about them, and enough historical details to make one feel like they’re living the times. I adored this finale to the series and now definitely need to back track and read book 2 that somehow escaped my notice. Highly recommended!Note: Book received for free from the publisher via GoodReads FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Another great mystery from CW Gortner. Elizabeth I has finally gained the English throne in this installment, but her reign is threatened from multiple schemes and Brendan Prescott, her loyal spy, is called upon to investigate the disappearance of one of the queen's ladies, which may be connected to an attempt on Elizabeth's own life. Fun reading in the vain of Gortner's previous novels featuring Brendan Prescott.
    • 5/5
      In the final book of the Spymaster Chronicles trilogy, Elizabeth I has finally ascended to the throne. However, Brendan Prescott's job of protecting her is no less crucial at this stage in the game. As William Cecil states, "She's less safe now than she ever was."

      Gortner has a definite skill of bringing the reader right into the story. I felt like I was part of it, like I was seeing the action through Brendan's eyes. And I must touch on Robert Dudley in the context of this series. Never have I read him portrayed as such an utter miscreant. Oddly though, it fits. Perhaps it's because the reader can't help but adore Brendan and so, any enemy of his...well, you get the idea.

      The great thing about the Spymaster Chronicles is we get the perfect combination of thoroughly researched historical fiction and intriguing historical mystery. The treacherous times of Tudor/Elizabethan England are brought to the page palpably. The effect for the reader is exciting, edge-of-the-seat reading.

      I have said this before and I'll say it again. Gortner should be one of your go-to authors for historical fiction. If you have not read his books, you really must...and soon. I recommend you start where I did, with his incomparable novel about Juana the Mad, The Last Queen. And then, don't stop there.
    • 4/5
      This is the third book in Mr. Gortner’s Spymaster series starring his hero, Brendan Prescott. I’ve been fortunate enough to have read all three of the books and I must admit I’m sorry to see the tales at their end. Brendan is a very engaging fictional Tudor and his charm and wit have gotten him out of many a tight place. He is often used for his loyalty to his queen and not well at that but he remains stalwart in the face of often glaring evidence of her perfidy. (See that – my vocabulary is all caught up in the era as well.)In this last chapter we find Brendan in exile due to his actions from the last book, Mary was on the throne at that point and his identity was a threat to her – I’m not going to spoil anything for those who haven’t read the first two books. He found safe harbor with Walsingham thanks to Cecil’s intervention and the two await word for when they can return home. They soon learn that Elizabeth is queen and they are on their way. The England they find is not secondarily the country of their dreams as there are many who still wish for a Catholic ruler. Elizabeth is not firm in her rule – and she has not even been crowned yet. There are many plots to see her dead or ruined and it’s one of these that almost cost Brendan his life.Elizabeth sends him out on a most secret mission but as he learns the full details of what he is doing he is shocked and angry that she put him out there without full knowledge. It’s a magnificent bit of history twisting on Mr. Gortner’s part and it made the book quite interesting. Elizabeth has been known to history as one with a mercurial temper and that is on display in this novel. Her attentive courtier, Dudley is portrayed in a manner I had not seen before and I’m still decided whether it suited in my Tudor world. He was young and he was full of himself so anything is possible. It’s certainly refreshing to see such well known characters written in new and dynamic ways. It is certainly a well trod period in history for books so that is why I have enjoyed these novels – they have been entertaining, exciting and different. Only so much can be read over and over again about these people so when a novelist adds a “what if” that could have been and runs with it in a well written book it adds a bit of fun to one’s reading.
    • 5/5
      Christopher Gortner is the author of various historical novels including The Last Queen, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and The Queens Vow. The Tudor Vendetta however is the third novel in the Spymaster Chronicles. Brendan Prescott is back after years in exile and returns to London after Queen Mary is dead and Elizabeth I is the new queen. This story takes place prior to Elizabeth being crowned queen,Brendan is reconciled with Elizabeth and his love, Kate, and is tasked with finding Lady Parry who has disappeared after visiting the Vaughan Hall, along with the school master. His love for Kate has never died but circumstances were such that he had to leave London to protect her. Robert Dudley, the queens favorite, despises Brendan and is not thrilled with his return to court. He makes things very difficult for Brendan. That aside, Brendan must find Lady Parry at all costs. While at Vaughan Hall he finds that things are not what they should be and that there are secrets that if they were to get out could ruin many life's including the queens. It is a race against the clock for Brendan to keep Elizabeth safe and protect his own secret. If his secret is divulged it could be very dangerous for him. I have read all of Mr. Gortner's books and have loved them all. I especially love this series. Mr.Gortner's research is impeccable and his writing, while descriptive does not bog down in historical detail as some historical fiction writers tend to do. This book is historical fiction but in my opinion more of a mystery that takes place during the Tudor era. I found the book to be suspenseful and exciting. I highly recommend The Tudor Vendetta and all of the other books Mr.Gortner has written.
    • 4/5
      I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review. I received no additional compensation for my opinion of the reading material provided.A fan of British history, especially history tied to their colorful kings, I choose to read and review The Tudor Vendetta by C.W. Gortner, even though I had not read the first two books in the trilogy. Fortunately I was able to read and enjoy this book on its own, though I did have a bit of a learning curve when it came to the some of the characters. Filled with the pageantry of the past, a mystery that needs to be solved while keeping Queen Elizabeth I safe, and a touch of romance, Mr. Gortner’s book kept me turning the page from start to finish.A secret agent for Princess Elizabeth, Brendon Prescott has just returned from exile with Sir Francis Wallsingham. Now that Elizabeth will be Queen, Brendon plans to continue keeping the Elizabeth safe and keeping the truth about his birth secret. He also hopes to reconcile with Lady Kate, one of Elizabeth’s ladies in waiting. Only nothing goes according to his plans and Brendon soon finds himself sent on a secret assignment to locate Lady Parry, Elizabeth’s most trusted and favorite lady in waiting. He also finds himself having to contend with the hatred and suspicion of people in Elizabeth’s inner circle, and Sir Robert Dudley in particular. Mr. Gortner does a good job developing Brendon’s character, though I have to admit that there were a few times when I felt he was whinny and when he did things that were extremely naïve for a spy. Overall Brendon is a man devoted to serving his Queen and his country – and it’s based on more than just duty and honor. Brendon does grow as a character, and as a spy, throughout the book and the man he is at the end is not the man he was at the beginning. The pace is fairly even throughout the book, though it does start out rather slowly. The action definitely picks up mid-way through the book and we get to see Brendon at his best. Mr. Gortner also does a good job developing the secondary characters and incorporating the mystery of why Lady Parry has gone missing into the story. He lets us know from the start it’s tied to some of the intrigue taking place at court and a whopper of a secret Elizabeth herself has. I especially enjoyed getting to know Shelton, a man from Brendon’s past who becomes Brendon’s “employee” when Brendon is sent to Vaughn Hall to try to locate Lady Parry. I also liked Nan, Shelton’s girlfriend/lover, a young boy named Raff, who is tied to the mystery, and Lady Kate, who is a very forgiving woman. Will Brendon be able to carry out Elizabeth’s task in time? Will he and Kate ever be able to leave court and have a regular life? You’ll have to read The Tudor Vendetta to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Mr. Gortner’s work.
    • 5/5
      Queen Mary has died and the time has finally come for Elizabeth to take the throne. However, her ascension comes with much turmoil with yet another change in religious views and many subjects who do not believe that Elizabeth is the rightful heir. With her rise, Elizabeth's loyal spy, Brendan Prescott has also been summoned out of exile and back into Elizabeth's service. An early attempt on Elizabeth's life along with the disappearance of Elizabeth's favored lady-in-waiting, Lady Parry, spurs Elizabeth to send Brendan on another life-threatening mission to a secluded estate in Yorkshire. Brendan will have to uncover a secret of the Queen's as she finds the truth about Brendan.A perfect Tudor intrigue plot with mysteries within mysteries. I loved the view into Elizabeth's first days on the throne and her relationship with Robert Dudley. Brendan is the perfect character to carry out Elizabeth's missions, he is well trained with a secret of his own that will keep him loyal to Elizabeth. There were many plots and conspiracies that were artfully brought together in The Tudor Vendetta that made this a fast-paced, entertaining read. I just had to know what happened to Lady Parry?, who is the hidden boy?, is Brendan's nemesis still alive? When I first picked up this book I didn't know it was part of a trilogy and I hate reading books out of order, but I did not feel lost at all, enough background information was given throughout the story and it did not feel like a huge info-dump. I have already picked up the first two books from the library to see where the story begins!This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      This is the third book in Mr. Gortner’s Spymaster series starring his hero, Brendan Prescott. I’ve been fortunate enough to have read all three of the books and I must admit I’m sorry to see the tales at their end. Brendan is a very engaging fictional Tudor and his charm and wit have gotten him out of many a tight place. He is often used for his loyalty to his queen and not well at that but he remains stalwart in the face of often glaring evidence of her perfidy. (See that – my vocabulary is all caught up in the era as well.)In this last chapter we find Brendan in exile due to his actions from the last book, Mary was on the throne at that point and his identity was a threat to her – I’m not going to spoil anything for those who haven’t read the first two books. He found safe harbor with Walsingham thanks to Cecil’s intervention and the two await word for when they can return home. They soon learn that Elizabeth is queen and they are on their way. The England they find is not secondarily the country of their dreams as there are many who still wish for a Catholic ruler. Elizabeth is not firm in her rule – and she has not even been crowned yet. There are many plots to see her dead or ruined and it’s one of these that almost cost Brendan his life.Elizabeth sends him out on a most secret mission but as he learns the full details of what he is doing he is shocked and angry that she put him out there without full knowledge. It’s a magnificent bit of history twisting on Mr. Gortner’s part and it made the book quite interesting. Elizabeth has been known to history as one with a mercurial temper and that is on display in this novel. Her attentive courtier, Dudley is portrayed in a manner I had not seen before and I’m still decided whether it suited in my Tudor world. He was young and he was full of himself so anything is possible. It’s certainly refreshing to see such well known characters written in new and dynamic ways. It is certainly a well trod period in history for books so that is why I have enjoyed these novels – they have been entertaining, exciting and different. Only so much can be read over and over again about these people so when a novelist adds a “what if” that could have been and runs with it in a well written book it adds a bit of fun to one’s reading.