The twilight queen

Henry VIII is increasingly unhappy with his marriage to Anne Boleyn, who's yet to give him a male heir. His moods are often dark, except when he's flirting or laughing at the vulgar jokes and ribald tricks of his court fool, Will Somers. Despite appearances, Will's clever enough to have solved a murder several years earlier. He receives an urgent summons from Queen Anne, and he finds her nearly hysterical with fear--the dead body of a court musician has been found in her chambers, and the discovery will give Henry one more reason to cast her aside--or worse. She begs Will to help. Then another musician is targeted, and Will begins to fear for his own life while negotiating his way through layers of deceit, revenge, violence, and dangerous political schemes. Westerson's second King's Fool mystery (after Courting Dragons, 2023) vividly evokes the bawdy, lusty, turbulent, highly politicized, favor-currying atmosphere of King Henry's court, and her vibrant characters, coupled with unexpected twists and a surprising conclusion, make this an entertaining read.

Being Henry VIII's fool is no sinecure. In fact, it's downright dangerous. It's lucky for Will Somers that the notoriously hot-tempered Henry favors and protects him, for Will knows plenty of secrets that could get him killed. Although he's happily married to Marion, the bastard daughter of Lord Robert Heyward, Will still has a taste for men. After a night of entertaining Henry and his court, Will, on his way back to his rooms, is approached by handsome courtier Nicholas Pachett for a night of dalliance. Upon leaving Pachett, Will is directed to the Queen's quarters, where Queen Anne begs him to remove a dead body left in her room by one of her many enemies. Henry famously cast off Queen Catherine to marry Anne Boleyn, but now that she's produced only another daughter, the king is already looking with favor on Jane Seymour, encouraged by Thomas Cromwell, who hates Anne. Recognizing the dead man as a musician newly arrived in court, Will drags his body through a secret passage to the gardens. Because he already solved a murder during the time of Queen Catherine, he knows that he has to find the real killer if everyone's to escape without losing their heads. He must be especially careful not to be caught with Pachett, even as he soothes the king's evil temper. Although several of the suspects are powerful men whom he'd be foolish to accuse, Will takes his own life in his hands with his bold questioning. Historical details mixed with a puzzling mystery make for a fine read, with several more wives to go. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.