In the final book of the Spymaster Chronicles trilogy, Elizabeth I has finally ascended to the throne. However, Brendan Prescott's job of protecting her is no less crucial at this stage in the game. As William Cecil states, "She's less safe now than she ever was."

Gortner has a definite skill of bringing the reader right into the story. I felt like I was part of it, like I was seeing the action through Brendan's eyes. And I must touch on Robert Dudley in the context of this series. Never have I read him portrayed as such an utter miscreant. Oddly though, it fits. Perhaps it's because the reader can't help but adore Brendan and so, any enemy of his...well, you get the idea.

The great thing about the Spymaster Chronicles is we get the perfect combination of thoroughly researched historical fiction and intriguing historical mystery. The treacherous times of Tudor/Elizabethan England are brought to the page palpably. The effect for the reader is exciting, edge-of-the-seat reading.

I have said this before and I'll say it again. Gortner should be one of your go-to authors for historical fiction. If you have not read his books, you really must...and soon. I recommend you start where I did, with his incomparable novel about Juana the Mad, The Last Queen. And then, don't stop there.
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Brendan Prescott is languishing in exile in Switzerland until he hears that Queen Mary is dead and Elizabeth has ascended the throne. Returning to England he is asked to undertake a personal and private mission for the Queen which leads him to the wilds of East Yorkshire.

Having read the first of Gortner's books but not the second, I found it relatively easy to pick up some of the plot lines which was no mean feat as a character from the second tale plays a large role in this story. The detail of Tudor life is impressive and the plot races along. OK, it's complete hokum from start to finish but it's a fun journey. ( )

This book is engrossing to the hilt. The story is action packed and dramatic. CW Gortner has a way with a story that is amazing; high court intrigue, an engrossing mystery, plot twists that keep me turning the pages, and a young man’s journey through danger to his ultimate desire. It’s the third book in a series but don’t let that hold you back as it stands on its own two feet as a fascinating Elizabethan spy thriller.

I read the first book in this series ages ago so was vaguely familiar with the main players. Yet, this book was a wonderful reintroduction to them. I think many will agree with me that Brendan takes the cake. Loyal, intelligent, brave, and sometimes a bit dense, he quickly re-won my heart. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, mainly Elizabeth, Dudley, and Lord Vaughan. All had a lot less “screen time” than Brendan but shown as vivid characters in their own right.

I was also very intrigued by the author’s incredible amount of detail on what life was like in Elizabethan England, with all its intrigue, danger, and shifting of fortunes. We got to see how the previous reigns of King Henry VIII and Mary still had impact of current affairs. Then there was also the lone manor house of the Vaughans. Deliciously Gothic and sad, the reader gets a real feel for how those previous reigns impacted this one family and how they struggle to survive in a reign that is against everything they support.

All in all, CW Gortner has created a novel to dig into and eat up. It’s got it all, enthralling story, characters so vivid you’ll dream about them, and enough historical details to make one feel like they’re living the times. I adored this finale to the series and now definitely need to back track and read book 2 that somehow escaped my notice. Highly recommended!

Note: Book received for free from the publisher via GoodReads FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Another great mystery from CW Gortner. Elizabeth I has finally gained the English throne in this installment, but her reign is threatened from multiple schemes and Brendan Prescott, her loyal spy, is called upon to investigate the disappearance of one of the queen's ladies, which may be connected to an attempt on Elizabeth's own life. Fun reading in the vain of Gortner's previous novels featuring Brendan Prescott. ( )

This is the third book in Mr. Gortner’s Spymaster series starring his hero, Brendan Prescott. I’ve been fortunate enough to have read all three of the books and I must admit I’m sorry to see the tales at their end. Brendan is a very engaging fictional Tudor and his charm and wit have gotten him out of many a tight place. He is often used for his loyalty to his queen and not well at that but he remains stalwart in the face of often glaring evidence of her perfidy. (See that – my vocabulary is all caught up in the era as well.)

In this last chapter we find Brendan in exile due to his actions from the last book, Mary was on the throne at that point and his identity was a threat to her – I’m not going to spoil anything for those who haven’t read the first two books. He found safe harbor with Walsingham thanks to Cecil’s intervention and the two await word for when they can return home. They soon learn that Elizabeth is queen and they are on their way. The England they find is not secondarily the country of their dreams as there are many who still wish for a Catholic ruler. Elizabeth is not firm in her rule – and she has not even been crowned yet. There are many plots to see her dead or ruined and it’s one of these that almost cost Brendan his life.

Elizabeth sends him out on a most secret mission but as he learns the full details of what he is doing he is shocked and angry that she put him out there without full knowledge. It’s a magnificent bit of history twisting on Mr. Gortner’s part and it made the book quite interesting. Elizabeth has been known to history as one with a mercurial temper and that is on display in this novel. Her attentive courtier, Dudley is portrayed in a manner I had not seen before and I’m still decided whether it suited in my Tudor world. He was young and he was full of himself so anything is possible. It’s certainly refreshing to see such well known characters written in new and dynamic ways. It is certainly a well trod period in history for books so that is why I have enjoyed these novels – they have been entertaining, exciting and different. Only so much can be read over and over again about these people so when a novelist adds a “what if” that could have been and runs with it in a well written book it adds a bit of fun to one’s reading. ( )