Coffee Pot Blog Tour: The Queen's Devil by Paul Walker

 

Welcome to THE BOOK'S DELIGHT and the Coffee Pot Blog Tour! Today's featured book is The Queen's Devil by Paul Walker, an Elizabethan Thriller! 

About the book:

The Queen’s Devil (William Constable Spy Thriller) By Paul Walker

Publication date: 27 July 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Thriller

Publisher: Sharpe’s Books

Print Length: 274 pages

Series: Yes, this is book #3

Sex: 💗none

Violence: 😨 minimal

About the Author

Paul is married and lives in a village 30 miles north of London. Having worked in universities and run his own business, he is now a full-time writer of fiction and part-time director of an education trust. His writing in a garden shed is regularly disrupted by children and a growing number of grandchildren and dogs.

Paul writes historical fiction. He inherited his love of British history and historical fiction from his mother, who was an avid member of Richard III Society. The William Constable series of historical thrillers is based around real characters and events in the late sixteenth century. The first two books in the series - State of Treason and A Necessary Killing - were published in 2019. The third book, titled The Queen's Devil, was published in the summer of 2020.

Praise for Paul Walker: 

“Walker skillfully creates a treacherous world of half-truths, plots and duplicity... simmering with impending danger.” Michael Ward, author of Rags of Time. 

"A gripping and evocative page-turner that vibrantly brings Elizabeth's London to life." Steven Veerapen, author of A Dangerous Trade. 

"Full of convincing characters both historical and imagined." Peter Tonkin

Follow Paul Walker:

Twitter • Facebook • Amazon Author Page.

Book Blurb:

1583.

William Constable, recently married astrologer and mathematician, has settled into routine work as a physician when he is requested to attend two prisoners in the Tower of London. Both are accused of separate acts treason, but their backgrounds suggest there may be a connection.

Sir Francis Walsingham and Lord Burghley urge William to discover further intelligence from the prisoners while tending their injuries from torture.

The agent's investigations lead him to the French Embassy, which lies at the heart of a conspiracy which threatens the nation.

Through his enquiries, an unsuspecting William becomes entangled in a perilous web of politicking and religious fervour.

The threat comes from one the most powerful men in the English court – one referred to as the Queen’s Devil.

William faces a race against time to unpick these ties, climaxing in a daring raid on the Embassy.

My Review

The Plot in Brief: It's the year 1683, Queen Elizabeth has been the throne for twenty five years. Despite her firm control on the reins of government, intrigue and plots swirl around the country. Elizabeth surrounds herself with a cadre of ruthless men, bent on protecting her and their families interest. William Constable is a well to do and well connected physician with a beautiful wife who is also a healer. Despite his best intentions he is drawn into a complicated plot that endangers not only his life but that of his beloved wife. 

The Characters: It's not always easy to write about people who lived hundreds of years ago and make them seem believable. I think Paul Walker has done a wonderful job with William and Helen Constable, they are a young loving couple with busy lives. I connected with the pair immediately. The book is also full of the main movers and shakers of the period: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leiscester, William and Robert Cecil, Sir Francis Walsingham, and John Foxe. Each is uniquely drawn and fleshed out. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of the poet Sir Philip Sidney. 

The history: The Tudors/Elizabethan era is one of my all time favorites so I was immediately drawn to this book. The author did not disappoint. I loved how he used known plots to knit together a tight but twisted thriller. I thought Walker did an excellent job of portraying medieval medicine, and the grizzly effects of the tower's torture chamber.  

The Writing: The book is told in first person / present tense. While I don't mind first person, I really do not enjoy present tense. I took me a while to get into the rhythm of the story, a feeling I had to recapture each time I picked up the book. Otherwise the paced is quick, the prose is good, with just the right amount of description. There are a few minor typos that did not detract from the story.

Overall: In spite of the present tense I did like the book but it did hamper my enjoyment. I thought the mystery/thriller was well thought out and executed. I like the characters and the setting. 

Recommendation: I would highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction especially those who enjoy historical thrillers. 

I give this book 4 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

READERS DON'T MISS A SINGLE REVIEW, INTERVIEW, ARTICLE OF BOOK SPOTLIGHT

SUBSCRIBE TODAY