Sisters of Treason

Most historical fiction fans are familiar with the story of Lady Jane Grey, the Tudor pawn who spent nine days on the English throne before being usurped by Mary I, but few know what became of her two sisters, Catherine and Mary, in the tumult of royal succession after Edward VI's death. Fremantle (Queen's Gambit) offers her own interpretation. After Mary Tudor executes Jane, the Grey family falls out of favor, but the sisters' Tudor blood means the monarchy must keep them close. Catherine, impetuous and beautiful, is constantly falling in love regardless of the consequences. Born with a crooked spine, younger sister Mary is treated in turns as a favorite pet or a pariah. Levina Teerlinc, a Bruges-born court artist famous for her miniature portraits, promises herself to watch out for these girls in the dangerous dance of court intrigue. Told from the perspectives of these three women, the novel presents a picture of court life full of secret affairs, treasonous plots, and very real dangers.