Review: Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory

* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *

Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory tells the story of Jane Boleyn in a first person narrative and is easy to slide into. Married to George Boleyn - Anne Boleyn's brother - Jane holds the title of Lady Rochford and we pick up her story in the year 1534. At almost thirty years old, Jane is the first lady at King Henry VIII's court serving her sister-in-law Anne Boleyn; who is mother to Princess Elizabeth and 5 months pregnant.

Jane is in love with George and the entire Boleyn family and has been married to George for almost half her life. Jane reflects on her service to the old Queen, Katherine of Aragon but relishes her prestigious place at court.

King Henry's court is full of rising and falling fortunes and Jane is banished from court following her attempt to remove one of the King's mistresses on Anne's behalf. Later brought back to court by Thomas Cromwell, Jane is grateful to return and agrees to be one of Cromwell's many informants.

Scandal rocks the court when Anne Boleyn is accused of adultery and incest with her brother George and they're both executed for treason. Many accounts portray Jane as betraying her husband George by giving Cromwell evidence against the pair but in Boleyn Traitor, Gregory offers a different perspective.

The King marries Jane Seymour very soon after while our protagonist is grieving the loss of her husband and beloved sister-in-law, feeling lost without them:

"Jane Seymour sails downriver from Chelsea in Anne's barge, wearing Anne's clothes, and sleeps in Anne's bed, in Anne's sheets. The monograms on the sheets and towels and linen are picked out, and the A under the coronet is replaced with a newly embroidered J. In the evenings, we light the candles that Anne ordered; they have not even burned down. Everything is the same; only the queen is different, and the newly joyous mood of the court." Page 174

Much of the plot of this book felt familiar and not only because I've read so many books set in the Tudor court, but I happened to read The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory in January 2025. Published in 2006, it contains first person narratives from Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard up until Jane and Katherine's death. Given Boleyn Traitor also follows Jane Boleyn until her death in 1542, much of the content was familiar, and I soon realised reading The Boleyn Inheritance just 9 months before Boleyn Traitor was bad timing on my part.

What sets these two books apart though is that Gregory portrays Jane Boleyn and Katherine Howard in a completely different way and there is greater emphasis on King Henry VIII as an out of control tyrant.

When it's clear Jane fears the worst for Katherine Howard (Kitty in this novel) she reflects:

"I think that those in service to a tyrant are called to strange and dark work. I want to think that I am a master courtier, steering her through a crisis in her marriage, and this will all blow over. But right now, I don't feel like a master courtier at all; I feel like her gaoler, and I think that when you enter the service of a tyrant, you never know what work you will sink to." Page 431

As an historian and bestselling author, I believe the author is using her platform to comment here on tyrants in history as a warning to the modern reader about what happens when a narcissistic tyrant is continually flattered and placated and no longer bound by the constraints of law and government.

Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory is recommended to fans of Tudor history open to a refreshingly different take on Jane Boleyn, previously portrayed as a villain and divisive figure in history.

For those interested, Jane Boleyn also features in the following books I've reviewed:
The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
Anne Boleyn - A King's Obsession by Alison Weir
Jane Seymour - The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir
Anna of Kleve - Queen of Secrets by Alison Weir
Katheryn Howard - The Tainted Queen by Alison Weir

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware is the sequel to The Woman in Cabin 10, published in 2016. While some readers have patiently waited 9 years to find out what happened to Laura Blacklock after the events on the Aurora, I only had to wait a week. I read The Woman in Cabin 10 in the lead up to the release of The Woman in Suite 11 which I think was a huge advantage as all of the characters were fresh in my mind.

After the events in Norway, Laura published a book entitled Dark Waters and has been a stay at home Mum in the US raising two kids with husband Judah. After 6 years of occasional freelancing, Laura is ready to re-enter the workforce on a permanent basis and is interviewing for a job.

Although still introducing herself as Lo - ugh - I was pleased to see a more mature Laura in these pages. Now a Mum, Laura's excessive drinking is a thing of the past although she's still making questionable choices which drives the narrative forward.

Ruth Ware has an appealing way of including the everyday into a character's behaviour, and I particularly enjoyed this one:

"For the next half hour, I tried to distract myself. I scrolled my phone, did Wordle and the New York Times Spelling Bee..." Page 144

I do the Wordle with my friend every day and the New York Times Spelling Bee every night with my husband, so I loved seeing this reflected in the main character. But I always 'do the Wordle', but here Laura 'did Wordle'... have I been saying this incorrectly the whole time?

As I mentioned in my review of The Woman in Cabin 10, author Ruth Ware loves a locked room mystery and this time she literally gave us one. I found some of the sleuthing around the comings and goings of a particular hotel room a tiny bit tedious but it was all necessary to inform the plot and narrow down the suspect pool.

I loved learning the identity of the woman in the title - don't worry, no spoilers here - and the complex dynamic between Laura and the supporting character play out, which also formed the focus of the book. I recommend The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware to fans of crime and mystery novels, but you'll definitely need to read The Woman in Cabin 10 first.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware features a new-to-me type of protagonist. Laura Blacklock is a travel journalist invited to sail on the maiden voyage of boutique luxury liner Aurora. The cruise ship is headed to the Norwegian fjords to see the northern lights and Laura - who introduces herself as Lo - is on board to write an article about the journey.

After a few too many drinks over dinner with fellow guests on the first night, Lo sees a person being thrown overboard from the balcony next to hers, Cabin 10. The crew explain Cabin 10 is unoccupied due to a late guest cancellation and don't believe her account. The captain and owner of the ship conduct a full head count and confirm that every guest and crew member is accounted for. Nobody is missing.

An industry colleague - who happens to be Lo's ex boyfriend - suspects her anxiety medication might be to blame so Lo sets out to prove what she saw by putting her journalistic skills to work and investigating.

There was a little too much drinking on this work trip for my liking and I didn't like the nickname Lo, but they were minor niggles. There was a lot of time spent talking to crew members and trying to find the woman she saw in Cabin 10 the day she embarked and while I understand this was a necessary step in Lo's enquiries, it did grow a little tired. Thankfully the plot eventually moved on and the pace picked up again shortly after.

The isolation of the cruise ship at sea without phone signal or internet access created an Agatha Christie type scenario of sorts with a locked room mystery to solve. Only this time the characters were at sea although the isolated suspect pool was similar to that of One by One by Ruth Ware and I get the feeling the author loves to create these situational mysteries. The reader is left to decide if Lo is an unreliable witness or whether the woman in Cabin 10 did exist but was murdered and thrown overboard.

Published in 2016, I've seen comparisons to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (published in 2015) however Lo was far less flawed than Rachel, making her a better protagonist capable of acting in her own best interests and furthering the plot in a more engaging way.

I recently watched the movie adaptation of The Woman in Cabin 10 starring Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce and definitely preferred the book. Understandably the movie cut out all the crew consultation but introduced new elements that just didn't happen in the book. One change gave characters a better motive, but that was the only improvement. I thought the ending of the novel was terrific and the 'last contact' between two main characters was an inspired choice by the author, completely absent from the movie. Overall, the book contained more danger and suspense making it far more entertaining and confirming the maxim that the book is always better.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware is recommended for readers who enjoy mystery and crime thrillers and the sequel - The Woman in Suite 11 - has just been published. Guess what I'll be reading and reviewing next?

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Wonderdog by Jules Howard

I was so inspired after listening to Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton that I wanted my very next audiobook to be one about animals. This, combined with the fact I've been catching up on the remarkable videos of Stella the dog communicating with her owner over on Instagram (@hunger4words) led to my decision to embark - pun intended - on Wonderdog by Jules Howard.

While the book was enjoyable on the whole, I really should have paid more attention to the subtitle, Wonderdog - How the Science of Dogs Changed the Science of Life. Styling himself as a zoological correspondent, author and public speaker on his website, Jules Howard was definitely focussed on the science of dogs in this offering, including what we thought we knew about dogs in recent history, how science has overlooked dogs and used them to conduct unmentionable testing in the past and what we know about them now. Leaders in their individual fields of science are mentioned and their studies referenced at a level that didn't really retain my interest.

Instead I enjoyed the few moments in between, like this footnote about eye contact and contagious yawning:

"Dogs can also catch a yawn off their owners, and in doing so, they join an esteemed group of animals who exhibit contagious yawns, just humans, chimpanzees and baboons manage the feat." Chapter 12

Jules Howard does a great job narrating his own work, however this is another case where I have misinterpreted the title Wonderdog and extrapolated a book all about the wonders dogs are capable of and how this has changed science over time. Instead, Wonderdog highlights the evolution of the science surrounding the canine species which was far less interesting to this reader.

Wonderdog by Jules Howard will appeal to readers with a deep interest in dogs and science, but I think I might have been better off listening to something else. How My Dog Saved My Life - Thirty Tales of Courage and Compassion by Cate Cochran sounds interesting.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: By Her Hand by Marion Taffe

Set in Mercia in 910AD, young Freda is inspired by stories, loves to forage in the woods and dreams of being able to write. Living with her sister and overbearing father, Freda's life is upended when her village is attacked by Danish raiders. Injured and lucky to survive, Freda is placed in the women's abbey Saint Ositha's by the newly appointed bishop. Bishop Ælle promises to teach Freda to write while capitalising on her miraculous survival in a bid to attract pilgrims to the abbey.

As she settles into her new life at the abbey, Freda struggles with her faith, continues to mourn her sister and is consumed by rage at the Vikings. Later in the book Freda's rage is stoked anew:

"I thought of Saint Paul urging us not to allow the sun to set on our anger. I smiled. This sun was not setting. This sun was rising on my anger, illuminating my rage in gold." Page 264-265

Freda is a feisty character and Marion Taffe expertly brings this period in English history alive, skillfully helping the reader make sense of the complicated politics of 10th century Wessex. A coming of age story, Freda must find her place in the abbey and eventually develops a connection with Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians. Freda is inspired by Æthelflæd's courage and steadfast leadership and their shared bond over grief.

"Death's twin sister is Grief. She waits at the door while Death takes the soul, then Grief enters the living. The first time you meet, she ties a chain around your heart and fastens it with hooks, and the hooks dig deeper with the effort of each beat. Grief is with you always. She is the long cold night. The eternal uhtcearu." Page 205*

*Uhtcearu (oot-key-are-oo) is an Anglo-Saxon word that translates to mean pre-dawn anxiety or nighttime sorrow.

I adored Taffe's writing in By Her Hand and I agree with the publisher that it will appeal to fans of Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks and The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader. I also think it'll appeal to readers who enjoyed The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks, Rapture by Emily Maguire and Book of Colours by Robyn Cadwallader.

I was fortunate to purchase a signed edition of By Her Hand at Readings during a visit with a friend and the irony that it's signed by the hand of the author isn't lost on me. And can we take a moment to admire the stunning cover design? This has to be one of my favourite covers for 2025 and having recently enjoyed Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton, I took great pleasure seeing the hare on the cover and the meaning it has for the protagonist.

The importance of stories is a key thread in this historical fiction novel, and in a meta fashion, the author acknowledges the power of story in a conversation between Bishop Ælle and Freda:

"Have I not taught you that stories are spears in the right hands? Even a lie can be shaped, tamed, turned into an elegy to make a man yield. A poem can forge a kingdom. A riddle can crush a mind." Page 290

I always read the Acknowledgements section of a book but can't remember the last time I commented on one in a review but I have three observations worth noting from this one. I really enjoyed learning that the author tried to build Saint Ositha's in Minecraft with her children and I'd love to see it. Secondly, it was cool to hear the author made hearth cakes - frequently referenced in the book - with her children for research during lockdown. I'm imagining they would taste like damper but I'd love to try them. Thirdly, and I rarely see this, but Marion Taffe thanks the authors who provided generous and thoughtful endorsements for this book. It may seem obvious but often this is never publicly 'acknowledged' by authors in this way and her gratitude impressed me.

Australian author Marion Taffe has burst onto the scene with this debut and I thoroughly recommend By Her Hand to fans of historical fiction set during the early medieval period, even if this is your first time venturing that far back in history. You're definitely in safe hands but if you're not sure, you can read the first 39 pages in a free sample from the publisher.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: 488 Rules for Life by Kitty Flanagan

Kitty Flanagan is an Australian comedian and I've enjoyed watching her in the ABC comedy drama Fisk where she plays the lead role of a lawyer at a small suburban law firm.

In her book 488 Rules for Life - The Thankless Art of Being Correct, the author lists rules for life, that if followed, would make all of our lives easier. You'll nod in agreement as you read some of these relatable rules - don't answer your phone in the toilet - and you'll cringe in recognition as you recall those who regularly break these rules in your own circle.

I listened to this audiobook in the car over the course of 2 months, listening for 15 minutes at a time and it was a great short form of entertainment for a long road trip. Coming in at under 6 hours in duration, it's best enjoyed in shorter grabs so that the novelty doesn't wear off.

The genesis of the book was a segment on The Weekly, a TV show on the ABC and the author has grouped the rules into themes / chapters such as:

• Around the home
• At the office
• Food
• Relationships & Dating
• At the Movies

As I'm typing this, I'm hearing the author's distinct voice in my head along with her no-nonsense attitude and I could easily relate to - and agree with - most of her rules. Here's one chosen at random:

"Rule 76: 'Feed' is not a noun and should never be used as such, as in: "hey do you want to go for a feed?" No, no I don't." Chapter 4: Language

Published in 2019, I'm a little late to the party, but 488 Rules for Life - The Thankless Art of Being Correct by Kitty Flanagan is an amusing and lightly entertaining look at social etiquette and life's little irritations.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★