The House of the Red Duke

By Vivienne Brereton

 

I was gifted this book by a friend and was intrigued to read a fictional portrayal of the famous Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk. From the moment I picked this book up, I was enthralled and the story was so well written that I simply had to keep reading.

Brereton weaves a fascinating story of several famous houses which lived during the Tudor age, including the Howards, Stewarts, Boleyns and of course the famous Tudors. In addition to real-life people, Brereton add in several intriguing characters by the name of Nicholas and Tristan, whose lives are threaded with the above families, but I cannot say more or I will give away the big plot twists!

The story spans several decades involving multiple generations of the above families, both in England and across the channel in France. Brereton writes in such a vivid style that the stories of each character weave together chapter by chapter with such intrigue that it was like a beautiful rug coming together one thread at a time. The more I read the more I wanted to know. Then came not one but two plot twists with such incredible writing that I was genuinely left shocked – in the very best way!

As well as being beautifully written, Brereton’s story is based on real-life events during the late 15^th and early 16^th centuries. The marriages, events, peace treaties and possible wars all happened and Brereton’s characters both based on real people and fictional slip seamlessly into these historical events.

If you are looking for a new fiction series that will draw you in and keep you wanting more than this is certainly the book for you! Stay tuned for the second book in The House of the Red Duke series entitled ‘The Lizard Lurking in the Grass’.