A thrilling and intricate tale set in the Elizabethan era. A gripping story filled with espionage,deceit, and danger. The plot twists and turns kept me engaged and the historical details added a rich layer of authenticity.
Many thanks to Atria and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was hard to follow due the plot and also how similar the characters names were. Some parts also didn't seem to be researched well. I won't be continuing the series.

This book was great. I have read all of Clements’ books in the Queen’s series and this was the best. Very well written, intelligently so, great historical characters and thrilling action. What more could you want from your tier one historical novel? The entire series is excellent. They need not be read in order but I think it best if they are. Highly recommended.

Things are looking up for John Dee, an alchemist and astronomer in Tudor England. The demonstration of a new cannon designed by his friend brings an order and a sizable advance along with a threat if their delivery is not made by their deadline. Returning to his home, however, the advance is stolen and his friend is killed. His sample cannon is also seized by a creditor. As he tries to find his friend’s plans for the cannon, his wife is sent on a mission for Queen Elizabeth. Mary, Queen of Scots has been held for a number of years and the Queen would like Jane to console her. She is accompanied by a maid provided by the Queen who has a mission of her own. Dee returns to find his wife gone and his son Arthur kidnapped by an enemy from his past. Madamoiselle Bathory has vowed to kill Dee and his family. She is pure evil and leaves a trail of bodies in her wake.

There are plans to assassinate Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne. Francis Walsingham, the Queen’s spymaster, wants proof that Mary is conspiring against Elizabeth so that she can be put on trial and face execution. Elizabeth wants Robert Beale, one of Walsingham’s agents, to stop his plan. To put a monarch on trial would set a precedent that she can not allow. After rescuing Arthur, Dee and his son join Jane in Mary’s place of exile. As they get to know Mary they come to respect her, but no place is safe as long as Bathory is on their trail.

Oliver Clements’ scenes at court, whether summoned by Elizabeth or in exile with Mary, have an authentic feel. While Mary’s fate is a matter of history, Clements adds a twist at the end of this historical fiction that comes as a surprise. The story moves at a steady pace to the end. This is the fourth entry in the Agents of the Crown series. While it can be enjoyed on its’ own, this is a wonderful series and I recommend beginning with the first volume, The Eyes of the Queen. I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this book.

The Queen's Lies is the 4th novel in Oliver Clements Agents of the Crown series. This novel is historical fiction, and the important word is fiction. I studied Elizabethan history in graduate school, and I can honestly say not a single professor of mine ever mentioned John Dee. In my own scholarship, I learned that Dee had a magnificent library. He was most interesting as a collector of books. Dee was also an astrologer and alchemist. Readers might want to remember that The Queen's Lies is a novel and that the real John Dee was not nearly as interesting as Clements makes him out to be. The real intelligence agent for Elizabeth I was Walsingham, not Dee.

Unlike some other readers, I do know the history of the Elizabethan age, and so I recognized names and personalities and could keep track of them without issue. I suspect some of those Elizabethan personages, if alive today, would not recognize themselves in The Queen's Lies. Historical fiction has an obligation to be honest about the history, even if some of the people are created out of the author's mind. There are 3 main plots in The Queen's Lies, and Clements is able to tie them together at the end. Readers should not believe the ending to this novel, since rather than historical fiction, it is fantasy.

Thank you to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. The review above is honest.

It’s nice to have a chance to catch up with John Dee again…

Having read and really liked the first book in Oliver Clements’ Agents of the Crown series, The Eyes of the Queen, I was happy to receive a review copy of the latest book in the series, The Queen’s Lies, which just recently came out. And I enjoyed it a lot as well. The extensive cast of historical characters is still much the same, including folks like Francis Walsingham, John Hawkins, Robert Beale, Queen Mary of Scotland, and of course, Queen Elizabeth herself. And although it’s now a few years later, not much has changed: there are still lots of plots to replace Elizabeth with Mary on the English throne; and Philip of Spain still wants to conquer England.

And of course, our protagonist, John Dee, is still smart, still broke, and still serving Queen Elizabeth – this time primarily as the promoter of a new type of extraordinarily powerful cannon. But although things seem to be looking up for Dee when he gets an order from Hawkins, the Treasurer of Her Majesty’s Navy, for 50 of the new weapons, they quickly head south again when the money he was advanced for the job is stolen on his way home. Even worse, his business partner and friend is killed during the robbery. And, to top it all off, while he has been gone, his wife has been made an offer she can’t refuse, since it was made by Elizabeth herself: Jane is to spend an uncomfortable winter with the imprisoned, but still troublesome, Queen Mary - ostensibly to offer her cheer and energy. All of which starts a tumultuous series of events – and some speculation - that end with a totally unexpected twist.

I particularly enjoyed Clements’ writing, with its occasional very apt observations, as when Robert Beale has an audience with Elizabeth, and is described as exhibiting “the particular stillness of a man trying to divine what is really being said by someone who is saying something else”. Or, as I might put it, much less elegantly, a man trying to see the sandbag he is sure is heading for his head. And the plot kept me reading late into the night.

As with The Eyes of the Queen, though, there were a few scenes that bounced me out of my traditional historical mystery mind-set, and whose graphic nature (to me, at least) didn’t really seem to be necessary to advance the plot. I do understand that mores were different and things were more brutal then. But I’m usually reading genre fiction primarily for pleasure, so personally, I would have appreciated fewer details. However, as I often do when romances have a bit too much steam, I mostly skimmed over those parts rather fast, reading just enough to be able to follow the story.

All-in-all, though, if you like historical mysteries, The Queen’s Lies is well worth a read. And I would like to thank Atria/Leopoldo & Co and NetGalley for the review copy!

Thank you to both Netgalley and the Publisher, for allowing me to read this ahead of publication.
I wish I could say that I enjoyed this book, but the truth is I did not. There where way to many characters and too many plots to kill the Scottish Queen Mary. I found that the story jumped all over the place and which made it difficult to keep follow. But I am not one to give up on a book, I persevered and did finish. I love historical fiction, but was disappointed with this book. I also wished that I had read the other books in the series before this one. With all of this being said I can only give this book 3 out of 5.

This is my 1st book by this author and it is 4th book of a series set in Tudor times under Elizabeth I and all the various intrigues she may have had to maneuver through to remain queen. I would recommend reading the series in order as there were parts I struggled a bit to understand the relationships and previous circumstances in prior books. This was a solid 3.5.
I enjoyed the book enough to go back and read the 1st 3 of the series. It was fascinating to read other reasons given for Elizabeth's reluctance to treat her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots ill, all plots and subplots that were orchestrated not only by Elizabeth, but other people as well, depending on their political views. The main characters of John Dee, a brilliant but absent minded professor type, his wife, Jane, an intelligent and strong woman and their son, along with many historical characters.
The book is complex, filled with lots of rich historical details, several subplots and a wide variety of different characters. It did bog down for me a bit and was a tad difficult to follow, but worth sticking with it. It has suspense, mystery, intrigue, war, romance, kidnapping and spies, surprising double crossing and lies. It is does contain some graphic violence in line with the times and plots, some sexual content and some crude language also aligned to the content.
Overall, an intriguing story with some thought provoking retelling of Elizabeth I. Mary Queen of Scots, and the Tudor era. A big thank you to Atria/Leopoldo & Co and NetGalley for the Arc, it was a pleasure. All the opinions expressed are my own.

i had a decent time reading this! it was definitely a bit difficult for me to follow and be interested in the beginning (partly my fault as i didn't know it was apart of a series). but after awhile things started to flow together. the pacing was okay, wasn't too connected to any of the characters.

thank you netgalley for the arc !!

I don't think this series was for me. While I generally enjoy historical fiction, and I enjoyed some parts of these books, overall I wasn't a huge fan. It was hard to stay engaged throughout, and I found my attention wandering more than once.

This being the fourth book in the series, if you haven't read the others you may find yourself lost with what is going on and who is who. There are the obvious characters, such as Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary, but plenty of others that you won't know unless you've read a lot on British history. This book starts with our main man, Doctor John Dee, and a new weapon that has been created which will help England with its battles, both present and future. This is only a minor plot point really, as most of the story revolves around Elizabeth Bathory and another plot to kill Queen Elizabeth and set Mary, Queen of Scots, on the throne. While I am admittedly not the most knowledgable on this part of history, there are a few big liberties the author takes for the plot. He does describe his decisions at the end of the book, but I wasn't really sure how I felt about the ending. While it would have been nice if that's how things had really turned out, it wasn't, and it's hard to put aside.

I will say that I do enjoy Dr. Dee for the most part, as well as his wife and Queen Mary. Most of the other characters are pretty forgettable, and I sometimes had to go back and read a part again to remember what significance a character had.

I think this series needs the right reader - one who enjoys history but also enjoys the author taking liberties on that history. I have enjoyed that at times, but it didn't quite work for me here.

The Queen's Lies is book two in the Agents of the Crown series by Oliver Clements.
This is a wonderful historical fiction story.
This is an un-put-downable story which will keep you up at night.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

"No man or woman, whoever they may be, is above the law. It trumps everything and everyone." (Something our Supreme Court needs to remember and take to heart. Thank you, Oliver Clements, for putting that truth so well!)

The fourth book in the Agents of the Crown series set in the court of Queen Elizabeth I has moved along to 1585-1587. Dr John Dee, a natural philosopher of uncertain means, has created a powerful new weapon for England and received a contract for 50 of them from John Hawkins, Her majesty's Treasurer of the Navy. Unfortunately plans go awry right from the start: Dee is robbed on the road home; an evil assassin plots to kidnap his young son Arthur; and his wife Jane is sent by Queen Elizabeth to console her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots in her captivity. The mood is that Mary may be entering her last days. Court advisors are working hard to find evidence of treason for which Mary will be executed, while others may have a different end in mind.

I received all four of the novels in the series from the author and publisher via NetGalley to celebrate the publishing of this fourth book. I have grown increasing fond of these characters whose lives are subject to the whims and machinations of the English court. Although John Dee and his family are the main characters, I have to say Robert Beale, Clerk of the Privy Council, is my favorite. He is bawdy and brave and gets himself in and out of some crazy situations. Mary comes across as a much more likable person in these last months of her life and both John and Jane grow to feel genuine sympathy for her. Oliver Clements comes up with a clever plot twist to end the story. Who knows? "In my end is my beginning," Mary cryptically says.

Admittedly, this complex and highly entertaining novel will be most appreciated by those who have read at least one book in the series but if you haven't-you are still in for a treat. Jonathan Dee, an alchemist and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I finds himself scrambling when his son is kidnapped by the evil Mlle. Bathory as payback for the fact that he stopped her effort to depose Elizabeth. That's not all because there's an effort afoot to put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. There's a vast cast of characters (I once again found myself doing a bit of side research on them) and the plot might seem to be getting away but that's life, especially during the Tudor years. While it's zipping along Clements never loses his characters, their humanity, and Dee's sense of humor. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A great series and or standalone for fans of historical fiction.

While working on a powerful new weapon for England, the country’s first secret agent John Dee finds himself threatened from all sides. First, his secret plans are stolen, then his son is kidnapped by a vengeful enemy from his past. At the same time, Dee’s wife, Jane, is sent by Queen Elizabeth I to console her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, whom court advisors are determined to try for treason. But Jane suspects her assignment is much more than a visit from a sympathetic cousin. Is it possible that Elizabeth sent her to speed Mary to her death without the public trial that she knows will forever define the limits of royal power? Together, John and Jane begin to feel genuine sympathy for the Scottish queen and work to finish his invention, protect their son, and save Mary from the scaffold. But can they do that while still remaining loyal to the English crown?

This is a very interesting series set in an era that I don't usually read. Because of loading difficulties with the four Kindle volumes offered by the publisher on NetGalley, I started on the 3rd in the series and then moved to this one. I really like the author's description of the characters and the era in which they live. It would probably help to read them in order from the first as the stories do build on each other, but the author offered enough backstory so I don't feel I missed anything. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for introducing me to an unfamiliar author. (BTW, I did discover that all four volumes has downloaded to the NetGalley App so will try to go back and read them if time does not run out).

"The latest in the thrilling and "lively" (The New York Times) Agents of the Crown series follows John Dee and his wife working together in an act of espionage that may turn out to be treason.

While working on a powerful new weapon for England, the country's first secret agent John Dee finds himself threatened from all sides. First, his secret plans are stolen, then his son is kidnapped by a vengeful enemy from his past. At the same time, Dee's wife, Jane, is sent by Queen Elizabeth I to console her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, whom court advisors are determined to try for treason.

But Jane suspects her assignment is much more than a visit from a sympathetic cousin. Is it possible that Elizabeth sent her to speed Mary to her death without the public trial that she knows will forever define the limits of royal power? Together, John and Jane begin to feel genuine sympathy for the Scottish queen and work to finish his invention, protect their son, and save Mary from the scaffold. But can they do that while still remaining loyal to the English crown?"

I am SUCH a sucker for John Dee!

I was given an advance reading copy (arc) of this book by NetGalley.com and the publisher in exchange for a fair review. I have read all of the books in the 'Agents of the Crown' series by author Oliver Clements and have enjoyed each and every one. John Dee is one of my favorite literary characters. He is flawed, funny, and very clever--all things that make a good 'hero'. In this particular book, Dee and his wife, Jane Frommond, have a lot to deal with. Jane is sent by Queen Elizabeth I to wait on Mary, Queen of Scots, who is a prisoner. His son, Aurthur, is kidnapped by a vicious woman from Dee's past, and debt collectors are after Dee himself. It's all very intriguing, as well as entertaining. Clements is an excellent writer who provides many snarky, yet funny, comments aside from the main plot. You can expect at least a good chuckle at every turn. This is what I like best about these books--the author's sense of humor. You can't help, but root for Dee and hope he can make his family whole again. Mary, Queen of Scots, is also a sympathetic character who finds herself in the middle of political intrigue. Clements paints a good picture of the era (1500s) and the people who lived during that time in England and Scotland. I recommend the entire series if historical fiction is one of your preferred genres.

The Queen's Lies is the latest in Oliver Clements four part series Agents of the Crown. This is not my favorite novel of the series as the characterization felt a bit repetitive to me from previous novels, however the fictionalization of John Dee is always engaging and keeps the reader wanting to see where the novel takes them. I did still enjoy it, but would like to see some more character exploration.

The 4th book in the series improved concerning the writing and the characters in my view and it’s a good 3.5-4⭐️ book for me. I read book 1 & 2 prior and I see a step up from that. The story was interesting but again I feel as if too many plot strings where happening in order to keep one engaged and invested. Although I have to say I’ve read the book in 2 sittings nonetheless. I would have appreciated if the timeline of the book was slightly more connected, as quite often it jumped a few months forward from chapter to chapter.

Concerning the characters, John Dee is again a smart and inventive fellow. He stands up for his family and goes above and beyond for his son Arthur. Jane Frommond is Dee’s wife in this book and I liked her as a character just like in the previous books. She is very smart and that makes her interesting. Mademoiselle Báthory is an interesting villain but she doesn’t get as much stage time as I would have liked.

All in all still I think this is an interesting series especially if you are into spy stories from the 16th century!

I have a lot of "favorite" historical mystery series. There's my favorite humorous one, my favorite with queer characters, my favorite Victorian, my favorite Restoration, and so it goes. But I have two favorite-favorites that are good enough that I would qualify them as not just excellent genre fiction (and I love the genre!), but as literary fiction. One of those is S.J. Parris' Giordano Bruno series; the other is Oliver Clements' Agents of the Crown series, which features (among others) John Dee, who lived during the time of Elizabeth I and was an odd combination of scientist, alchemist, and frequent gull of those selling "magical" apparatuses. (I also acknowledge a fondness for another character, Francis Walsingham, who more or less created and ran Elizabeth I's secret service equivalent.)

What I love about both series is that the writers take their time telling stories, focusing on characterization as much as on clever plotting. These books tend to be long and somewhat slow-paced—and I love the luxury of sinking into one and knowing I'll be able to stay there for a bit.

The Queen's Lies is the 4th Agents of the Crown mystery, and you could probably pick it up and make your way through it without too much difficulty (and a great deal of enjoyment)—but I urge you to read the novels in order. First, because doing this makes it easier to follow the history of the time and the many conflicting loyalties and agendas involved. Clements plays a bit with history, but is always honest about his choices in an afterword, and will give you a sense of the key themes/issues of Elizabeth I's lengthy reign. Second because the characters develop over the series, and getting to know them and watching the become more and more who they are is a genuine pleasure.

The Queen's Lies focuses on a difficult and delicate situation that Elizabeth I and those working for her had to wrestle with for almost two decades: Mary Queen of Scot's flight into England and her status, both as a fellow royal and as one of Elizabeth's next-of-kin. Mary's status required that she be treated with respect, but she also represented a real threat to Elizabeth because Catholics both in England and across Europe believed that bringing Mary to the throne would put an end to England's Protestant experiment. And bringing Mary to the throne necessitated killing Elizabeth.

The Queen's Lies takes place near the end of Mary's life. Walshingham has been wanting Mary executed for years, both because of the threat she presents to Elizabeth and because of the threat she represents to the English Church. Walsingham was a committed Protestant and believed in the power of the individual conscience. He wants Mary to be tried for and convicted of treason, with her execution following. Elizabeth wants the "problem" of Mary solved in some way, but not via trial and execution. Elizabeth and her England may have left Catholicism behind, but Elizabeth still insists that she rules by divine right—and to execute any ruler would be to set a precedent that might put Elizabeth's own life at further risk.

There are a number of sub-plots involved in The Queen's Lies, some historically documented, others Clements' inventions. Clements imagines what might have happened if Jane Dee had been obliged to play a role in the Elizabeth-Mary conflict. He has Elizabeth send Jane to observe life at the castle at which Mary is imprisoned—and also provides Jane with a "servant" who is clearly not a servant and has her own agenda. There's also a bloodthirsty noblewoman from France who is determined to destroy John Dee. Death isn't enough. She first wants him to lose every one of the individuals he most loves and wants to ruin his reputation leaving him with no place in history. These two threads coil about each other in ominous ways.

So, my advice: if you're not familiar with this series, hunt it down and work your way through it in order. If you're familiar with this series, you don't need me to tell you anything; you've already got an eye out for volume four.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

This book has a very interesting storyline, with intriguing characters. The setting is well done and it really pulls you into the story. It is sometimes hard to keep track of what's going on. Overall a good book!