by Walter Scott
First published 1821
Robert Dudley stands at the pinnacle of Elizabethan court life. The Earl of Leicester enjoys the Queen's favor above every other nobleman in England. Elizabeth herself considers him as a potential husband. But Dudley harbors a dangerous secret that could destroy his position and his life. He has already married Amy Robsart, a beautiful young woman he now keeps hidden away in a remote country house. Amy lives as a prisoner, cut off from the world while her husband maintains his charade at court. Dudley's servant Varney sees opportunity in this deception. He develops his own wicked plans for Amy and recruits an alchemist to help execute his schemes. As the web of lies grows more complex, the stakes rise higher. One revelation could topple everything Dudley has built. Scott places his characters among the glittering pageantry of Elizabeth's England, weaving together the personal costs of ambition with the brutal realities of Tudor politics.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: deception, secrets
Setting: England
Period: Elizabethan Era
528 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics