All the queen's spies A novel

Set in 1583, Clements's strong third Agents of the Crown thriller featuring real-life mathematician, occultist, and alchemist John Dee (after 2021's The Queen's Men) opens with an arresting sentence: "When John Dee thinks about it later, when he is crouched covered in blood in the stern of a fluyt and watching the coast of Kent disappear forever into the sea mist, he wonders again why he had ever supposed, even for a solitary instant, that this could or would have ever ended otherwise." Flashbacks reveal the mission that put Dee in this situation. Spymaster Francis Walsingham wants Dee to befriend Count Olbrecht Łaski, a confidante of Rudolf, the Holy Roman Emperor, who's an admirer of Dee's. That relationship is hoped to lead to the count serving as Walsingham's eyes and ears in the emperor's court, as England remains under threat from an ally of the Holy Roman Empire. Dee's efforts take him to Prague and place his life in peril. Clements's version of a vulnerable Dee contrasts nicely with fictional heroes of this period, and he maintains a high level of tension throughout. S.J. Parris fans will find a lot to like. Agent: Lisa Gallagher, Defiore & Co. (Mar.)

Chapter One CHAPTER ONE North Sea, last week of September 1583 When John Dee thinks about it later, when he is crouched covered in blood in the stern of a fluyt and watching the coast of Kent disappear forever into the sea mist, he wonders again why he had ever supposed, even for a solitary instant, that this could or would have ever ended otherwise. Had the heavens not sent a sign? Had the skies over Mortlake that night not turned blood red? Had the clouds not burned bright with an unearthly glow, as if they were set aflame? They had, hadn't they? And yet. Excerpted from All the Queen's Spies: A Novel by Oliver Clements All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.