Friday 6 April 2012

Review: Keeper of the King's Secrets - Michelle Diener


A priceless jewel. A royal court rife with intrigue. A secret deal, where the price of truth could come too high .  The personal artist to King Henry Tudor, Susanna Horenbout is sought by the queen and ladies of the court for her delicate, skilled portraits. But now someone from her past is pulling her into a duplicitous game where the consequence of failure is war. Soon, Susanna and her betrothed, the King’s most dangerous courtier, are unraveling a plot that would shatter Europe. And at the heart of it is a magnificent missing diamond. With John Parker at her side, Susanna searches for the diamond and those responsible for its theft, their every step dogged by a lethal assassin. Finding the truth means plunging into the heart of the court’s most bitter infighting, surviving the harrowing labyrinth of Fleet Prison—and then coming face-to-face with the most dangerous enemy of all.

Series: Susanna Horenbout and John Parker #2, Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery, Pages: 304, Publisher: Gallery Books, Published: April 3, 2012, Source: For review

My thoughts:
This book is a mix of things, first we have historical fiction, and it feels to be on the lighter side, then we got a bit of romance. But most of the book is suspense/mystery. And it certainly works well, set in Tudor England as it is and filled with court intrigues. The book is part 2 of a series and sure it could work on its own, but still it would be better to read book 1 and see how they met. But yes I guess it could be read on its own too, they way its made up should make that possible.

In this book Susanna and Parker is resting after their ordeal in book 1. They are in love and hope to marry. Susanna still paints and Parker is snooping around keeping the king safe as always. I like how Susanna does not back down, she stands her ground, she is still very much a woman of her time, but just as some dared to do more so does she. And Parked does his best to keep his lady from harm as she made a few enemies (and so did he). So him I like.

The Duke of Norfolk is still a baddie but more in the background because this book belongs to Woolsey. A good fitting bad guy who is plotting for his own agenda. Just like they all are. And behind things we see more plots, The French, Norfolk, those irritating Boleyns. They will sure become a problem in later books as in this one Henry is still married to Katherine. And Susanna has already had her run-ins with them.

The suspense is high as an assassin is running around, as people try to hide what they are doing and there is danger and action plenty. The plot is well done and keeps the suspense high, along with the mystery.

I do think I liked this one even more than book 1, I can't say what made it so, it just was. I liked how things never slowed down, how light the book still was and how I practically read it in one sitting. 

Conclusion:
This one is for fans of historical fiction and for those who want mystery and suspense. The best of two worlds all in one. It's light and good. So easy to read and a book you can finish in one day. The plot will have you coming back for more.

Cover:
Gorgeous!



47 comments:

  1. maybe for me
    dunno lol
    gr8 review madame

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  2. This sounds fantastic! I love reading about this time period and anything Tudor related. Nice review. That cover is lovely! I want that dress...lol

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    1. You and me both :D Oh how I would love to get the chance to try a dress like that

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  3. Glad to see it's a standalone, especially since you liked it more than the first book.

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    1. Book 1 was good, but this was just better :) That does not always happen, it's usually the other way around

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  4. I love court intrigue and can't wait to read it!

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  5. I've heard mixed things about book 1 so I'm in two minds at starting this serie. Haven't read many mysteries so we'll see ;)

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    1. You can always wait and see until book 3 comes out ;)

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  6. You can't beat a book that has a little bit of everything! Glad you enjoyed it... I can't wait to do the same :)

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    1. I sure like a good mix of things and when an authors makes it work, the better

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  7. I agree, the cover is beautiful - that dress would be worth a lot and even a queen would put it on without any shame. I like mysteries and historical books so perhaps it is something for me.

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    1. Oh you ;) Maybe it's Boleyn on the cover then ;)

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    2. Might be. That fabric looks like something hand woven. Expensive because labour intensive.

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  8. First of all, I love this cover. It's gorgeous and regal and I covet it:) Second, I'm a huge fan of Tudor England, so I think this would be a good one for me!

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    1. It's truly stunning! Love love and want that dress

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  9. It's always good when the second book in a series is even better then the first!

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  10. Oh this sounds like such a good read. Plus, I'm with you... the cover is so gorgeous!

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  11. ooooh. Woolsey, no matter who you are, is a baddie I guess. Unless your Woolsey yourself. lol. Ooh, the Boleyns, gotta love them. :D

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    1. Lol, oh that Woolsey ;) In his eyes he is awesome

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  12. Nice review Blodeuedd, I have this series on my wishlist since your review of the first book. And I agree, the cover is very pretty.

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    1. Great to hear :)
      And yes I do love a good cover

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  13. By the sounds of your review this book's plot is multilayered... I like that in a book! :)

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    1. That is sure was :D I did not know who to trust

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  14. I love the cover and hitorical suspense rocks..added to my list!

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    1. +We sure all agree on that :)

      I do like it now too, it's a genre I would like to read more of

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  15. This sounds fascinating. Thanks for recommending.

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    Replies
    1. You're welcome :) And thanks for visiting

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  16. look at that awesome cover!! might not be enough romancey for me.

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    1. Well, it's not a romance, but it's not hardcore his fic with romance either. There is some

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  17. I'm with you on the cover...stunning! I like that the story is light but yet captivating enough to keep you turning the pages and reading it in one sitting!

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    1. Easy and light, and still non stop action, it was quite the ride

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  18. This sounds fantastic and definitely something I would like. That cover is gorgeous!

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  19. I never tire of the Tudor era, I think I'd like this one. Good to see it lives up to the gorgeous cover!

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    1. I am actually not a fan of the era, but here it works. Maybe cos lusty Henry and his wives are not in it much

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  20. Oh I want it! Light historical fiction with mystery/suspense. I'm sold.

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  21. This reminds me of another series I used to read. HF with mystery and suspense...I'm in! thanks Blodeuedd.

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    1. Took me a while but the author's name was Fiona Buckley. Here's a Goodreads link
      You should read the series from the beginning, as info builds over time. Tudor mystery series and enjoyed immensely.

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    2. Thanks Jenny :) I have not heard about her before :D

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