Shades of Death is the first book in a well written historical mystery series set during the Tudor period by Dr. Angela Ranson. Released 17th Nov 2023 by Sapere, it's 270 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The second book in the series is also currently available on KU.

Set in the pomp and glittering splendor of the court of Queen Elizabeth I, Catrin Surovell is a young lady in waiting with a complex background (her father declared a traitor, her mother vanished) who has to rely on her wits and resilience to keep herself out of danger as best she can. She's intelligent, practical, and appealing, in a dangerous Machiavellian setting where almost nobody can be truly trusted apart from her bosom friend and confidant Lucy.

The author is a historian, and it shows. The story is interwoven around a framework of real historical events and characters so skillfully that it's not always easy to see where fact shades into fiction. The plotting is tight and action driven, with an exciting denouement and resolution.

A second book in the series was released in Feb 2024 from the same author. It would make a good choice for a weekend mini-binge/buddy read.

Four stars. Well written, dense, and with historical verisimilitude. It's not at all derivative, but fans of Sharon Kay Penman, Candace Robb, and Susanna Gregory will likely enjoy this one as well.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

What a fascinating book set in the Tudor period that was interesting, exciting, intriguing and historical. The characters all fit well within the story and I loved the strength and courage of the women as well as the twist and mysteries surrounding the murder. This is a well written book and I had no trouble in immersing myself in this tale until I finished it.

A great read, highly enjoyed and would definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Sapere Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and demolished it in one day.

I love anything Tudor, and Ransom did a fantastic job of transporting the reader to an Elizabethan world of intrigue, politics and authenticity. From the court of Elizabeth 1st, to the home of Robert Dudley and to woods and countryside in between, the world is believable and has plenty of variety.

Catrin was such a great character: very relatable and humorous. She wasn’t a brash or loud heroine, but was quietly confident, powerful and smart. Lucy was also a vibrant and empathetic character. The story had other great characters, including Sir Nicholas who stirred a plethora of emotions, from good to bad and demonstrated some anti-hero qualities.

The plot was kept intriguing with twists and turns, and the true killer not revealed until a dramatic end.

Although the novel had plenty of blood and dark moments, it was a very readable and easy read - one of those books that is easy to get lost in.

It felt full of energy, it was interesting and it was just an overall great historical mystery. I will be reading more in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy.

This was a Catrin Surovell Tudor mystery, the first in a series. It was set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and I have always been interested in the time period, which is why I chose this book.

I found Catrin an interesting protagonist, and I would like to read more murder mysteries featuring her as the investigator. When I read historical fiction, I hope to escape and feel as though I'm somewhere else for a little while, and this book was written in such a way that helped me to escape. It was an intriguing murder mystery, and light enough to read in one sitting, if so desired.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Conspiracy and intrigue are a huge part of life at court in this Elizabethan adventure. The book is full of rich descriptions and is a thoroughly good read. I enjoyed it immensely.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me ARC of Shades of Death.

I requested a book because I enjoy reading about historical and royal concepts, which is why I also love reading historical manhwas. In the end, the book managed to capture my attention. However, it was difficult to concentrate at the beginning due to the complex writing style and the large number of characters introduced. It took me a week to finish reading it.

SPOILERS:
I love a golden retriever boyfriend with a black cat girlfriend but we couldn't have that. I am still devastated over Sir Nicholas, he was really sunshine and made me smile but then again it wasn't a romance genre.
Catrin was a strong character, despite her abusive stepfather. She was so strong and went through a lot without anyone's help.

Overall, It was a good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I wanna give it 3.5 stars but GoodReads doesn't have that option.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will make sure to catch the next in the series. The author is new to me and did a very good job mixing fiction and fact in this story. The characters were interesting and the plot is full of twist turns and intrigue. The book was an easy page turner that I read in one go. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The court of Elizabeth in 1560 was a hotbed of intrigue. The queen was very aware that despite her popularity there were strands of dissension, kept hidden for the most part but there were several attempts on the queen’s life throughout her reign.

Her relationship with Lord Dudley was not looked on favorably because there were many suitors for her hand and a married Lord was just not acceptable. WhenDudley’s wife is found dead in her castle the suspects are her husband and the Queen who supposedly wanted Dudley for herself.
Banishing Dudley from the Court, the Queen sets up a private investigation (which was not private at all) as every move seemed to be known to their enemies beforehand). Catrin and Lucy two ladies in waiting known for their loyalty and discretion are the Queen’s agents to find out what lies behind the Lady Amy’s murder.

A web of deceit, greed and a desire to get rid of Elizabeth hold a group of courtiers together and this is the group that has to be penetrated to get to the mastermind.

Descriptive both in background as well as characters, this was a good read not just of the detective genre but history as well.

Shades of Death by Angela Ranson was a solid medieval mystery that, despite a rather confusing beginning, kept me relatively engaged from start to finish. Ranson weaved a complex narrative filled with twists and turns, ensuring that the suspense was maintained throughout the story. However, at times, the pacing was a bit uneven, with certain sections feeling rushed while others linger too long. While the resolution was satisfying, some aspects of the conclusion left me with unanswered questions. Additionally, the writing style, while generally solid, could benefit from a bit more polish in certain areas as I found typos and grammatical errors. Despite a few minor flaws, Angela Ranson delivered a well written story with memorable characters and an engaging plot. I will likely read the sequel!