To celebrate the release tomorrow of the paperback of D. K. Wilson’s The Traitor’s Mark, Little Brown UK are offering three sets of books as giveaway prizes for Anne Boleyn Files followers.
The giveaway is open internationally and the sets consist of a copy each of The First Horseman and The Traitor’s Mark, both of which are Tudor thrillers based in the reign of Henry VIII. As Alison Weir says, “If you liked Shardlake, you will love this exciting new series”, and I completely agree. You can read my reviews over at our review site – click here.
Both books are inspired by real-life Tudor mysteries – the assassination of Robert Packington in 1536 and the disappearance of Hans Holbein in 1543 – and are gripping thrillers, I really couldn’t put them down. To be in with a chance of winning a set of books, simply comment below saying who or what you’d like to read a Tudor history thriller about. Comment before midnight (UK time) on Wednesday 18th March and three winners will be picked at random and contacted. Only one comment per person will be counted in the draw. Good luck!
The Traitor’s Mark
Due out tomorrow in paperback!
The Real Crime
Hans Holbein, King Henry VIII’s portrait painter, died in the autumn of 1543. A century later a chronicler reported that the artist had succumbed to plague, yet there is no contemporary evidence to support this. Suspicions have been raised over the centuries, but the mystery of what actually happened remains unsolved to this day.
Our Story
Young London goldsmith Thomas Treviot is awaiting a design for a very important jewellery commission from Hans Holbein. When the design fails to turn up, Thomas sends a servant to track Holbein down, only to discover that the painter has disappeared. In his hunt for Holbein and the lost design, Thomas is led into a morass of dangerous political intrigue, Spanish spies and courtiers that is more treacherous than he could ever have anticipated…
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Sphere (12 Mar. 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0751550388
ISBN-13: 978-0751550382
Available from Amazon.com, Amazon UK and your usual bookstore.
Here’s the cover of The First Horseman…
Would love to read more about Holbein. He got up close and personal with most of the great figures of the time. Bet he had some stories to tell .
Would love to read more about the Tudor era and what really went on behind palace walls 🙂 These books look amazing!!!
would love to rad about Hans Holbein, he would had seen a lot and heard a lot. and would love to know what happened to him
Would love to read something from the time Mary Tudor takes over the throne and her bloody reign. Similar type of stories like the Shardlake Series, CSI in Tudor times!!!!
I love anything Tudor and always looking for new reading material. And having just read the final Shardlake novel – Lamentation – which I consider his best – I’m very excited about this new series.
I would like to read from the servers and maids poiny of view.
Would love to read about Katherine of Aragon’s time in exile in damp, dark castles and the travails she had to endure caused by Henry VIII’s lust for Anne Boleyn and his desire for a living male heir. Also would love to read about how Mary I felt during this time being separated from and not allowed to see her mother. What were their real feelings? How did they suffer, and how did they cope?
I would love to read something around Thomas Culpepper. I’m curious to know what was his thinking when he had to have known where bedding the Queen would leave once they found out, which was inevitable seeing as though not much was secret.
Would love to see a book based around all the fact or fiction stories of elizabeth1 having given birth to a child and what happened to him or her.
Oh… I love to read and both of these books sound intriguing. Please add me to the contest for a chance to win.
I would like to read a story about the Bisley Boy legend. While most likely not true, it would be interesting to read about nonetheless.
I would love to read Robert Packington as this is a subject I know very little about. Reading a thriller, sounds thrilling!
Didn’t know that there were suspicions surrounding the death of Hans Holbein. Now I’m curious about his last years and his body of work.
I would love to read Tudor thrillers about any character from those times as I find the whole Tudor era fascinating!
I love reading Tudor novels, historical ones in particular. But I think I would really love to read a thriller about court intrigue that doesn’t necessarily focus on the monarch of the time, or I would love to read one that plays with history slightly and introduces a fantasy element into it somehow 🙂 fingers crossed for this giveaway I am thoroughly intrigued by these books too! jenny x
Hello,
I’m Willing to bet sir Walter Raleigh could tell a story or two. Now that is something I wou really like to read about. Just imagine the adventures of this pirate and explorer but as he was also a poet and a courtier the storytelling style could be magnificent!
//Freya
Assassination attempts on Elizabeth I and there were many.
Love anything Tudor. what about Owen Tudor and his marriage or Queen Elizabeth and the rumor she was replaced with a boy after her death or…. she was a woman and had a child!!!
Both books sound very interesting. Based on true unsolved crimes, I’m in. I would love to read these books. These will certainly be added to my reading list, which is getting very long. Thanks Claire.
I’d love to read Tudor thrillers about ordinary people, not rich or famous ones. I know very little about what the life of an ordinary Tudor person would have been, as all the books I read seem to be about people at, or connected with, court.
Both books sound aces. I would love to read a murder- mystery set on board Sir Francis Drakes ‘The Golden Hind’ during its circumnavigation of the globe in 1578, maybe seen from the point of view of a sailor, junior officer etc. The possibility’s are boundless, privateering, Inca gold, intrigue, Spanish-Anglo war. Let’s be honest you’re nearly as excited as I am, yes? 😉
The BBC made a documentary called Royal Heritage about the Kngs and Queens Of England and the palaces and art treasures in the late 1970s, the presenter Huw Wheldon featured Holbein and his paintings and sketches, I remember Huw saying Holbein walked out of his house one day caught the plague and died, I didn’t know there wasn’t any proof of this I took it for granted the BBC had done their research as they are very thorough when making history programmes, dramas etc, maybe he just decided to return home to Germany finding England a rather dangerous place to live, and his absence just wasn’t documented, but it’s goog to weave a story about him anyway, he was after all, Henry V111s favourite painter.
I love to read books which can conjure up(as much as is possible)the sights and sounds of everyday Tudor life and where the characters are portrayed in textured detail whether they be high or low born.To my mind it is important to include real characters and their lives as well as those who are drawn from the Writers imagination.
The overall picture should enable the reader to become part of the scenario and follow the lives and trials of all included within the pages of the novel
I would like to read about Francis Bryan or Henry VIIIs physician!
would love to read about either, the whole Tudor era is full of so many secrets! Haven’t heard much about Robert so that’d be interesting
I would like to read a mystery novel based around Nicholas Hilliard who painted many portraits of Elizabeth I. Perhaps integrating some of the iconography and symbols of the portraits with Elizabethan spy masters.
I love anything Tudor, but would like to read the social history, the ladies in waiting and ordinary staff!
i love to read anything Tudor related. I especially like reading about Anne and Mary Boleyn. It’s interesting reading about the woman of that time and how they survived at court.
I would love to read more about Mary Tudor. She’s very interesting.
Love to read about Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. Really interesting theories about him, and his connections with Cecil too. He had such an interesting past too.
I would love to see a book wrote of the life of mark smeaton and maybe from his viewpoint, it was only the other day I realised he started off in Cardinal Wolseys household. Also the kind of information like where did he sleep along with everyone else whilst ‘at court’. Thank you x
Sounds like these books would make a great addition to my ever growing Tudor book collection. I can’t wait to read them!
I am also very interested in finding out more on Holbein.
I think a thriller about Jane Seymour would be great Love tudor mysteries x
I would love to have a time machine so I could go back and “witness” all of the happenings in this era of time. Oh what a tangle web they did weave!!!
I would like to read about Cardinal Wolsey. Even though I don’t care for him, I think his story would make a great one. His personal agenda.
I would like to read about the relationships between the various children of King Henry VIII at the different stages of their lives.
Hans Holbein would be very interesting to know more about, he would most certainly have some juicy tidbits of information. I welcome all books of Tudor information and would love to read both of these interesting books.
Looking forward to adding these to my collection!
I’d love to read a novel about Robert Dudley and the women in his life (Amy Robsart, Lettice Knollys, Elizabeth I).
I would love one about Cromwell!
The dark squarlor ridden streets of Southwark; the streets of William Shakespeare and his plays; the knife edged murders and mysteries of those taverns and real life down to earth salt verses scum of the earth of the Tudor underground. The cut throat world of gambling and inns, black markets and cut purses, the under stage of the theatre were the odd body could be hidden and mystery lurks in the darkness. The world of plots and intrigue, the area were the worst gaols in England held a myraid of prisoners; where Will wrote his plays and lived and loved. Did his Dark lady find her place here in the courts of miracles? And best of all: here was a real life famous murder: Christopher Kit, killed with a knife, alleged after a fight in an inn, but could there be more to it? I would love to delve into the thrills and spills of the dark and yet liveliest parts of the Elizabethan not so glorious world.
I would love to read one about Katherine of Aragon and her relationship with Arthur. Full of mystery and intrigue and the subsequent plot to get her on the throne after her husbands death.
Love history AND mysteries. Heaven!
If these are as good as the Shardlake books, I’m in. I love those books.
My choice to read a mystery about would be Gregory Cromwell, Thomas Cromwell’s only son. How did he manage not to go down with his father on his execution?
I would love to read something that involves the lives of the common folk of the Tudor era. Most things that are written are about the court and the upper class. But very little is written about the “everyday” people of Tudor England.
Other than his artistic talents, I don’t know much about Holbein, so I would love to read this series. I would also be interested to read more about the life of other artisans of the Tudor era, as well as lives of the average people who might live near, or work at, one of the royal dwellings, but were not a part of the royal circle.
I can think of quite a few actually but will go with Lady Rochford, Katherine of Aragon and Mary I. What did Lady Rochford, Jane Boleyn really tell Cromwell? Was she a back stabbing wench or just a naive woman? Did she set up Katherine Howard? Encourage her clandestine meetings? Or was she again, just an innocent but naive woman? I think she is very interesting but I love anything Tudor!
If and when did Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Woodville conspire to place Henry Tudor on the throne.? Many plots, many characters, great possibilities.
id like to read more about the life of Katherine parr and her work as a reformer.
I think the ultimate thriller would be about Katherine Howard and her liaisons. Fingers crossed now as I’d really love to win the books.
I only know a little about Holbein and Packington but I would love to learn more about them. I have been exploring the Tudor and Elizabethan world for a few years now and there is so much more to explore. The Tudor period is full of intrigue, deception an power wars. I would love to read these books and add them to my collection. These books would be the first mystery thrillers in my collection of Tudor books. One mystery that has kept me intrigued is the missing York princes. It is wild that they just disappeared. I wish everyone the best of luck!
i’m so much interested to read this books..it would be very interesting to know more about such a great painter! i hold my finger crossed!!
I know it’s too late for entry but I would like to read more about Elizabeth I, Robert Dudley, and his wife Amy’s mysterious death.
Congratulations to Sponge, Eleanor and Norma for winning the book sets. I’ve emailed you three for your addresses.