After being accused of being a witch and being in plots to return England back to Catholocism, all Frances Gorges is looking forward to is having a quiet life at the side of her husband Sir Thomas Tyringham at the court of King James. But one night a handsome courtier appears at one of the King's revels, George Villiers and all hell breaks loose. He is an evil, power hungry, manipulative schemer who King James becomes besott with to the exclusion of all former favorites and former loyal servants such as his master of the buckhounds, Sir Tom. While pretending to be a Catholic who seeks a future alliance between Prince Charles and the Infanta of Spain he doggedly pushes an English/Spanish alliance while all the while it is only Spanish gold for himself that he is after. When this falls through, he then seeks an English/French alliance, promising King Louis of France all of Prince Charles inherited jewels from his late mother, Queen Anne for marriage between his sister and Charles. This plan is foiled thanks to Frances and although the marriage takes place, the jewels stay with the no King Charles after King James death. Not only that but they help to buy back Tyringham Hall which was lost to the evel George Villiers or Duke of Buckingham. An excellent novel. Thanks Net Galley and Hodder and most especiall, the fantastic author Tracy Borman.

An accomplished novel, where the main character is Lady Frances Tyringham, who in a previous novel in the trilogy was accused of witchcraft by King James, and imprisoned in the Tower. In this novel, the final one in the series, she has an enemy who grows more powerful every day, thanks to James's favour, he becomes a duke eventually. She struggles with him, and his mother, and the story concerns those struggles mainly. A broad sweep of historical research, which is really detailed.