City of Ladies (The Cross and the Crown Series)

City of Ladies is a complex historical fiction in which Sarah Kennedy weaves an intricate, twisted web of a tale. Exploring the gender, personal, and national politics of 16th Century England, Kennedy paints a darkly colorful picture of King Henry VIII’s royal subjects. Catherine Havens Overton, once a nun, now the mistress of Overton House over Havenston, is at the center of a maelstrom. She harbors the women of the defunct nunnery, displaced by the king’s severance with the Vatican and its religion. But, when the women start to disappear, turning up dead days later, Catherine understands that her protection is no protection at all. The hunt is on for the murderous villain(s). But, who could the foe be? The women are alternately hated for their past affiliations with the Catholic Church, for being unmarried, for their abilities as women of letters, and for their skills which are as varied as the women themselves. Too many with motives and not enough who care for the lives of womenfolk.

This is a mystery, romance, political intrigue, story of women, exploration of the past, and a caution for the future. Sarah Kennedy brilliantly crafts her characters to drive a narrative that will have you guessing to the very end.