Praise for S. J. Parris: * 'Impossible to resist ... Parris creates a convincing sense of the past, woven with so much intrigue that the head fairly spins' Daily Telegraph * 'It has everything - intrigue, mystery and excellent history' Kate Mosse * 'Parris writes with confident ease of Tudor London ... The dialogue balances nicely on a tightrope of period phrases and cut-to-the-chase colloquialisms. More, please' The Times * 'Full of surprises ... an imaginatively satisfying addition to the many real intrigues surrounding the imprisoned Mary Stuart and the threats to Elizabeth's security' TLS * 'Fascinating ... The period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping' Conn Iggulden * 'A brilliantly unusual glimpse at the intrigues surrounding Queen Elizabth I' Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The American Boy

S.J.Parris is the pseudonym of Stephanie Merritt. Since graduating from Cambridge she has worked as a critic and feature writer for a variety of newspapers and magazines as well as radio and television. She currently writes for the Observer and the Guardian, and is the author of five books and one son.