The Tudor Secret

The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles, Book 1

By: C. W. Gortner

Narrated by: Steve West

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and, above all, spies.

The summer of 1553 is a time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, has been reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the king’s brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeth’s protector, William Cecil, who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past.

A dark plot swirls around Elizabeth’s quest to discover the truth about the ominous disappearance of her seriously ill brother, King Edward VI. With only a bold stable boy and an audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths, lies, and murder.

Filled with the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, The Tudor Secret is the first book in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles.

©2011 C. W. Gortner (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gortner handles action with aplomb, adding a riveting, fast-paced thriller to the crowded genre of Tudor fiction." ( Publishers Weekly)

"An exciting, vividly rendered story of intrigue and espionage." ( Booklist)

English History

I've always been fascinated by Henry the 8th and the period after his death. The enmity between the church of England and the Catholics has been the subject of much writing and I've read some. If you are ignorant, this might not be the book for you. If, as I am, you're a history buff, go for it.
While reading, I learned quite a bit about this period since much of the book is based on fact, all but the main character. It's a wonderful story, if a bit confusing with all the Lords, Dutchesses etc. If you read it, I would use some reference material (I confess I used Wikipedia) to keep the folks straight.
Plots and counter plots abound and make for a really enjoyable narrative.

Not a big fan of fiction

I sure wish Audible would label each audiobook as fiction or nonfiction along with the author’s name, publication date, etc.

Though this book is well written very well performed, I’m just not that into fiction. But I did complete the book for comment’s sake.

Delightful

Great characters and dialogue. I enjoyed the narration and the twists this story took. Looking forward to the second book!

good story & well read.

the reader was excellent & the story mostly believable which is always a challenge with historical fiction. listening to 2nd in series immediately after finishing 1st!

Absolutely enjoyed!!

Having read books by other writers of this era, I started this knowing the factual events(because I read historical fiction without diving into the actual history) and the fictional representation by others, but also keeping an open mind for another version. I absolutely love that the author used a "lowborn" male perspective over the woman's. I am thoroughly excited to continue the series!

Great Audible Plus Find

This is a great listen! I love Tudor historical fiction, and this was a really interesting story with good writing and a perfect narrator. I loved the last chapter which was an author’s note explaining what was fiction what was creative license to support the story and what was believed to be accurate. All historical fiction should end with such a note.

Great Book! But Where's The Second Book Audible?

Where does The Tudor Secret rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Solid story that ranks in the top 40% of the 100's of books I have listened to.

Have you listened to any of Steve West’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to Steve West before but he did a great job.

Who was the most memorable character of The Tudor Secret and why?

Peregrine of course was the best character.

Any additional comments?

For the folks at Audible, if you offer a great price for "the first book of a series" make sure you have the rest of the books.

Amazing!

Love love loved this story. Kept my workdays entertaining and loved the narrator. I will be seeking out this author.

Was Unsure But Hey...

I really enjoyed this book very much. To me the given details made this story line made me question how much I'd like it. If not written well it could be really bad; have you been there too? It took a chapter or two before it had me intrigued.

Really enjoyed

This was the first time I had listened to the author, really enjoyed the plot. Very interesting and well written.