Spring, 1523. Henry VIII readies England for war with France. The King’s chief minister, Cardinal Wolsey, prepares to open Parliament at Blackfriars. The eyes of the country turn towards London. But all is not well in Wolsey’s household. A visiting critic of the Cardinal is found brutally slain whilst awaiting an audience at Richmond Palace. He will not be the last to die.
I enjoyed reading Of Judgement Fallen, the second novel in Steven Veerapen's Anthony Blanke Tudor Mystery series. Set in 1523, during the reign of Henry VIII. The likeable protagonist, Anthony Blanke, is a black trumpeter and groom in the household of Cardinal Wolsey.
When an opponent of the Cardinal is found murdered, Anthony Blanke is tasked with investigating, and as he delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a complex web of intrigue.
Steven Veerapen does an excellent job of bringing the Tudor era to life. The novel lingers over well-researched descriptions of the time, from the opulent palaces to the squalid streets of London. Even a short journey by Wherry up the Thames is full of fascinating details.
Of Judgement Fallen is a classic historical mystery, reminiscent of the work of one of my favourite authors, C.J. Sansom, and will keep you guessing until the end. Highly recommended.
Tony Riches
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About the AuthorSteven Veerapen is a writer of fiction and nonfiction and a lecturer at the University of Strathclyde who specialises in sixteenth-century literature. His first novel was The Queen’s Consort, which focused on Mary Queen of Scots’ infamous husband, Lord Darnley. Steven’s other books include the Simon Danforth trilogy, the Queen’s Spies trilogy, and three non-fiction works: Blood Feud, Elizabeth and Essex, and Slander and Sedition in Elizabethan Law, Speech, and Writing. Find out more at
https://www.stevenveerapen.com/ and you can follow Steven on Instagram
@steven.veerapen.3 and on
Goodreads and Twitter
@ScrutinEye
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