Fiction

Her Highness, the Traitor

Name: Her Highness, the Traitor
Author: Susan Higginbotham
ISBN: 9781402265587

by Susan Higginbotham

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Overview

When Henry VIII dies, leaving behind his nine-year-old son as his heir, a deadly series of power struggles begins, transforming the lives of two women. Jane Dudley's husband, the Duke of Northumberland, becomes the most powerful man in England, while Frances Grey perches with her daughter Jane dangerously close to the throne. But when Mary Tudor asserts her own right to the crown, Frances and Jane Dudley find that the lives of their husbands and children are in mortal danger. The never-before-told story of the women behind the crowning of Jane Grey, this novel is an illuminating tale of ambition gone awry.

Praise for Susan Higginbotham's novels:

"Following in the footsteps of Jean Plaidy and Norah Lofts..." — Dear Author

"Higginbotham makes history come alive" —BookPleasures

"Beautifully researched and incredibly captivating." Michelle Moran, bestselling author of The Heretic Queen

About the Author, Susan Higginbotham

Susan Higginbotham is the author of four historical novels, including The Stolen Crown, The Queen of Last Hopes, and Hugh and Bess. The Traitor's Wife, her first novel, is the winner of ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Silver Award for historical fiction and is a Gold Medalist, Historical/Military Fiction, 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards. She writes her own historical fiction blog and is a contributor to the blog Yesterday Revisited. Higginbotham has worked as an editor and an attorney, and lives in North Carolina with her family.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

Through women’s eyes, Higginbotham (The Queen of Last Hopes) attempts to bring to life England’s interregnal period between the death of Henry VIII and the ascension of Elizabeth I in this dull Tudor historical. Edward succeeds his late father, but given his young age, dominion over the kingdom is conferred upon a royal council, whereupon various men begin jockeying for power. Jane Dudley’s husband, the duke of Northumberland, ingratiates himself to the king, and becomes a trusted adviser. Meanwhile, Frances Grey and daughter Jane watch as Frances’s husband, the duke of Suffolk, positions himself to claim the throne. Hoping to ease tensions between the two families, Jane Dudley’s son marries Jane Grey. Shortly before Edward succumbs to tuberculosis, he appoints Jane Grey as his successor. However, when Edward’s half-sister Mary comes to the fore as a contender for the crown—with the support of the royal council—the Dudleys and Greys stand to lose everything, including their lives. Though Higginbotham stays true to history, her inability to create compelling characters makes her effort light on drama and difficult to follow. Agent: Nicholas Croce, the Croce Agency. (June)