Monday 30 April 2012

HISTORICAL THRILLER REVIEW: The Crown - Nancy Bilyeau

Release Date: 02/02/12

SYNOPSIS:

London, May 1537: When Joanna Stafford, a young novice, learns her cousin is about to be burned at the stake for rebelling against Henry VIII, she makes a decision that will change not only her life but quite possibly, the fate of a nation. Joanna breaks the sacred rule of enclosure and runs away from Dartford Priory. But when Joanna and her father are arrested and sent to the Tower of London, she finds herself a pawn in a deadly power struggle. Those closest to the throne are locked in a fierce fight against those desperate to save England's monasteries from destruction Charged with a mission to find a hidden relic believed to possess a mystical power that has slain three Englishmen of royal blood in the last 300 years, Joanna and a troubled young friar, Brother Edmund, must seek answers across England. Once she learns the true secret of her quest, one that traces all the way back to Golgotha and the Relics of the Passion, Joanna must finally determine who to trust and how far she is willing to go to protect her life, her family and everything she holds dear.


REVIEW:

Having recently read a thriller that great disappointed, I was more than satisfied when I picked up a Historical Fiction title that not only brought together the elements of the historical beautifully but also wove a mystery within that kept me glued from start to finish. The principle character was elegantly created with a personality that the reader can’t help but associate as well as route for, the setting was wonderfully descriptive and when filled with a cracking supporting cast it can’t help but enchant.

Add to this some decent twists, an author who has a wonderful idea for pace alongside outline and the reader is in for a real treat as the pages fly by. All in, this was a cracking read and one that means that I’ve noted Nancy’s name down for future reading. Great stuff.

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