DIDN'T EXCITE ME AS MUCH AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD

I love everything Tudor. Especially Queen Elizabeth I. So I was super excited for this book. Sadly, my expectations were not entirely met. Not to say that this was a bad book. Not by any means. It just didn't do all that much for me.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Tom: Tom is a deaf mute apothecary living in the court of Elizabeth. He is also a spy for the queen's man, Walsingham. It is the recipe for an amazing story. So much new and original, especially with Tom's background. It fascinated me to learn of how he lived and got by. I wanted a lot more of Tom and his story. Actually, I wanted Tom's story to be the only story.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Dual timelines: Sadly, Tom's story is not the only story. We also have Mathilde, whose story takes place in 2021. More about the character Mathilde later, first I want to address the dual timelines of Mathilde and Tom. Because I didn't understand it. It wasn't necessary, if you ask me. Mathilde's story didn't bring anything new to the table. It was pretty much just a walk through of Tom's story, which was much more engaging coming straight from Tom himself.

Mathilde: I didn't get Mathilde as a character. I don't feel like I ever got to know her. I know nothing about her thoughts, her desires, her wishes or her motivations. I felt like Marchant never let us peak into Mathilde's mind. It was more telling than showing, time and time again.

My thanks to Avon Books U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Queen’s Spy’ by Clare Marchant in exchange for an honest review.

1584: Tom returns to England where he had been born over forty years ago. As a young boy he had been taken to France by his adoptive mother. Tom lives in a silent world as he has been deaf and mute since birth; though he is able to lip read and communicate via a wax tablet. From a young age he had been taught to create potions and medications.

In London he is appointed as the assistant to Hugh Morgan, the Queen’s apothecary. With plots against the Queen brewing, Tom comes to the attention of Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster, Francis Walsingham. Tom’s ability to read lips makes him the perfect silent spy…

2021: Mathilde has lived a nomadic life as a photojournalist travelling the globe in her campervan. She is surprised to receive news of an inheritance and to discover that she has a family in England. Their ancestral home, Lutton Hall, in Norfolk dates from the medieval period. In the ancient tiny chapel located in its grounds, she makes a haunting discovery. Can she unravel the truth about what happened all those years ago?

The narrative moves between the late sixteenth century and 2021. There is a bit of a time-slip between Mathilde and Tom as she seeks answers to her discoveries.

I found this an engaging work of historical fiction. I wasn’t aware that Tom had first appeared in Clare Marchant’s debut novel, ‘The Secrets of Saffron Hall’; though as over forty years had passed since those events, ‘The Queen’s Spy’ worked fine on its own.

In terms of its two lead characters, I was more drawn to Tom and his desire to create a home for himself. In contrast, I found Mathilde a rather prickly personality. Still, despite her being so defensive, she did adopt Shadow, a lost kitten, and loved plants and nature in general. So, I did eventually warm to her.

Even though I am quite familiar with the Elizabethan period, I rather missed there being some kind of historical note following the main story.

Overall, a good read that proved an immersive experience. I felt that the narrative moved smoothly between the two time periods. Having enjoyed it I have since bought ‘The Secrets of Saffron Hall’ and will certainly look forward to news of her future projects.

2021: Mathilde lives out of her van and travels Europe as a photojournalist. Orphaned at 16, she hasn’t found a home to put down her roots -- figuratively and literally, as she travels with her potted plants. But then a letter summons her to Norfolk where she learns she has inherited an old manor that has been in her family for many generations, and a family she didn’t know she had. The manor is full of secrets, though, and maybe some ghosts.

1584: Tom Lutton arrives in England searching for work as an apothecary's assistant, armed with a secret ingredient: vanilla. When he mixes an evening drink with the vanilla for Queen Elizabeth to help her sleep, he wins Her Majesty’s favor. And as a deaf and mute background character, he wins the attention of Walsingham, who thinks Tom will make the perfect spy on behalf of the Crown to prevent the Spanish and the Catholics from putting Mary on the throne. But Tom is hiding many things from many people, which can land him in a lot of trouble.

The dual timeline worked well for this mystery, with both plots progressing simultaneously. Centering the 16th century plot on a minor spy with a disability that lends to special talents was a really nice touch because disability representation is often lacking from historical fiction. Themes of communication range throughout the story as well, from Tom’s ability to communicate (very well, often) to Mathilde’s struggles with English as her second language, to the manor/ghosts/memories communicating with Mathilde through her dreams. The pacing of the book worked well for me, to get a good sense of both timelines, the transition between timelines felt natural, and I was equally invested in both plotlines. That said, I struggled with the idea that Mathilde might be drawn to a certain spot in the house because an ancestor stood there frequently, and I felt like Mathilde’s dreams were superfluous to her own timeline and didn’t connect me enough with Tom’s timeline.

Part mystery, part history, this book was a lovely read, if not particularly memorable for me personally. I will say, though, that this is absolutely the sort of book teenage-me would have devoured, and if you like historical fiction set in Elizabethan England, this is definitely worth your time.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

3.75 stars

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

2.5 stars

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but it wasn't what I found.
Here we have two stories that intertwine in various and very interesting ways.
What I liked the most about this book was how the author managed to implement Tom's story in a historic moment, so much so that I don't even know (even knowing and liking a lot about the Tudor's Reign) if Tom's story is real or not, if not congratulations to the author because she managed very well to put his story in the book to the point of looking like it actually happened.
So for me the historical part of this book was very well done and what I liked the most.
Now the plot of the two stories not so much, I think I don't like stories that intersect each other very much when the story of the present is just about finding out what happened in the past because it gets kind of repetitive since we're seeing the same story just for two different points of view.
But this book has short chapters which make the book a very quick read.
I found the romances in this book very instalove and lacked development in both of them for me. In the end, it's not a bad book, it's actually very good, but I think there's a very specific audience that will like this book, so I recommend reading several reviews and the synopsis if you're interested, give it a chance because it's worth it.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the characters and the premise of this book and I liked the dual timeline in this book. Sometimes with dual timelines you like one better than the other but that was not the case in this one. You can tell that Clare has researched the time period very well and that a lot of thought went into the book.

In this book we follow Mathilde in The present day and Tom in The 1500s. Mathilde has just learnt that she has a familiy she never knew about and is know the owner of The family House. There she feels a connection to The House and maybe it’s previous owner. We watch her uncover secrets from her family past. Tom is deaf and mute. He gets a job as the queen’s apothecary and later as a spy for her.
This book was a really fun and engaging read. I really enjoyed it and is now interested in the authors debut book. I could not put the book down and loved what the author did and the plot

Wow! This book is amazing! It is intriguing, gripping, mysterious, full of twists and turns, and so much more. Whenever I picked up "The Queen's Spy", I was whisked away on such an emotional journey with this book!

This is the second book I have read by Clare Marchant, the first being "The Secret's of Saffron Hall", which was incredible and powerful. In "The Queen's Spy", we see some of the same characters from "The Secrets of Saffron Hall", as well as meet a plethora of new ones as well. When I heard that another book of hers was being released, I just knew I needed to read it, as her writing style is breathtaking. Ms. Marchant brilliantly brings the story to life before the reader's eyes, and each and every moment is so vivid that you can truly envision it. She seamlessly weaves history and historical fiction, and the result is a compelling and intriguing book that is hard to put down. I can only imagine the amount of research Ms. Marchant must have done, as the historical aspects of this book feel so authentic to the era in which it is set in, and I truly felt transported back in time.

This is a dual-timeline book, taking place in the late 1500s, as well as the present. In the present, Mathilde believes she has no living family, and no home to call her own, as she is always traveling. When she is suddenly called to a house via a mysterious letter, she soon finds out that she has inherited a house from her father, who she and her mother believed died years before. She soon finds out that the house itself holds secrets, and is connected to the past. In the past, during the reign of Elizabeth I, Tom becomes a spy for the Tudor court to find out secrets regarding those trying to place Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne. As court plots begin to unfold, he is pulled deeper into politics and a plot that would involve overthrowing Elizabeth I.

Ms. Marchant does such an incredible job of connecting Mathilde and Tom's stories, and each piece of the puzzle falls into place in the exact moment that it needs to. I found myself guessing at connections, and, I do not want to spoil anything in this review, so, I will simply say, you must read this book! It truly had me hooked from the first page to the last.

If you enjoy historical fiction and / or dual-timeline novels, I highly recommend this book! It had me turning the pages to see what would happen next, and how everything would connect.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC of this book, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Queen’s Spy is the 2nd book I have read from Clare Marchant, after reading The Secrets of Saffron Hall which I really enjoyed. I love Tudor novels and dual time period narratives.

The Queen’s Spy is a bit of a follow up to The Secrets of Saffron Hall with some of the same characters, but can be read alone. The Tudor timeline follows Tom Lutton, a deaf/mute young apothecary who returns from France where he moved with his foster parents when they were forced to flee England. Tom gets.a job in the kitchens of Queen Elizabeth, there he comes to the attention of Francis Walsingham and Lord Burghley. Francis as spymaster for Elizabeth sees the potetntial of a deaf/mute spy, someone who society overlooks and discounts due to their disabilities, thus Tom becomes a key player in the plot to put Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne.

The modern storyline follows Mathilde a photojournalist who has never had much of a family or a stable home. She discovers that the father that she thought has died when she was a child, was actually alive until recently and he has left her his home Lutton Hall. Mathilde also discovers a half-sister and niece she never knew existed. Mathilde has trouble with relationships due to her mother’s mental illness while growing up and her lack of family and home. She decides that she will sell up quickly and move on as the nomad life is all she has ever known. Then she finds a old triptych on the grounds on the estate in a dilapidated chapel and her curiosity is piqued. She decides to stick around and see if she can solve the mystery, might she find the family and home that has always eluded her as well?

This story was interesting to me as I enjoyed the dual time periods, although the Tudor time period was the most interesting to me. I like the back and forth between the two timelines. Once again Clare Marchant has penned an interesting novel. Give her books a try if you have not already done so. You can start with this one or The Secrets of Saffron Hall, you will not be disappointed in either one. I look forward to more from her.

Thank to Netgalley, Avon books and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

I finished reading The Queen’s Spy last night and really enjoyed the changing perspectives, switching between Mathilde and Tom’s lives.

Mathilde never had a family aside from her mother and suddenly finds herself in England with a family she didn’t know existed.

Tom is a gifted, deaf apothecary for Queen Elizabeth I who is recruited as a spy to uncover treasonous plots.

How these two stories come together is incredibly satisfying and I really enjoyed the hints and little discoveries along the way.

I loved her previous book The Saffron Cottage but, this one didn’t excite me as much. I found it rather slow and plodding so my attention did wander at times. Maybe I set my expectations too high. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

With The Queen's Spy Clare Marchant has written another fabulous 5 star read.

The story follows Tom (those of you who have read Saffron Hall will recognise him as Eleanor's ward) who is assistant apothecary in the queen's place. Tom, who is deaf and mute, is often overlooked but this works to his advantage when he is called upon to spy for the queen. I was swept away with this story & didn't want to put it down. The writing very cleverly focuses on smells & feeling when in Tom's sections really bringing home how the world around him felt without the noises of busy London & palace life. The modern sections bring parallels between Tom's & Mathilde's lives, with the modern story helping drive forward the historical element.

This novel works completely as a standalone but for me, having read & loved Saffron Hall, it was a real bonus to hear what had happened to Eleanor through Tom's revelations (I'd also like to think I might have spotted a little cameo from Amber too, but it could be me overthinking things 😂).

This is wonderfully approachable historical fiction, totally immersive & I only hope there is more to come.

This book takes place between present day (2021) and the past (1500s). I love historical fiction, so it was an enjoyable read. On top of that, it’s set in England, so that made me like it even more!!

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I'm a sucker for a few things when it comes to books: dual timelines, historical events, anything English+ English royalty/court life, and a person in present day discovering historical connections. This book satisfyingly hit all of those and more. The Tudor period is one of my favorite times because everything was so volatile and unsettled. To an extent, it felt like destiny wasn't determined and anyone could change the future. I've always been intrigued by that. I am familiar with her other title, Saffron Hall, although I haven't read it yet-but will be adding it to my TBR short list immediately. Marchant is a skilled writer who deftly weaves between past and present to create a thrilling, captivating and mesmerizing tale. I appreciate that she doesn't paint the Tudor period with a gilded brush, as other authors have a tendency to do. Another reviewer pointed out something that once I read, it instantly made sense: that Marchant picked her favorite time period and setting, and that passion bleeds through into the story. It's evident she is dedicated to this. Marchant is quickly rising to the ranks of a Kearsley, Gregory, Penman, Chevalier caliber author. If she continues to churn out titles with this much passion, she will continue to develop a devoted fan base and following.

1584: Elizabeth 1st rules England. But a dangerous plot is brewing in court, and Mary Queen of Scots will stop at nothing to take her cousins throne. There's only one thing standing in her way: Tom, the Queen's trusted apothecary, who makes the perfect silent spy.

2021: Travelling the globe in her campervan, Mathilde has never belonged anywhere. So when she receives news of an inheritance, she is shocked to discover she has family in England. Just like Mathilde, the medieval hall she inherits conceals secrets and she quickly makes a haunting discovery.

With dual timelines, this is a fascinating story. The Tudors was my favourite part of history lessons, so I was happy to see that this was where part of the book was set. This story centres around Tom Luton, the apothecary assistant to the Court of Queen Elizabeth 1st and Mathilde, who inherits Luton Hall. Tom is deaf and mute, and he's assigned to be a spy for for Lord Washingham.

I liked how the story goes back and forth, linking the findings from Tom to the present day. It's so descriptively written you could see the homes and the palace in your minds eye. There were some things that weren't historically accurate, but that doesn't matter in a good book. The two timelines connected seamlessly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUk and the author #ClareMarchant for my ARC of #TheQueensSpy in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical history and, in particular English historical fiction. Having read the secrets of Saffron Hall, it was easy for me to request The Queen's Spy. Having the story set in dual timelines is always interesting, but for me going back to 1584 during the reign of Elizabeth I was like living in another time (which it was) with this author's wonderful writing.. The Elizabethan era era was a brutal time, full of intrigue, murder plots, jealousies and challenges...it was all brought back to life between these pages.

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to give Clare Marchant another chance, even though I didn’t love the first book I read from her. However, I found this one boring and hard to get into. Neither story arc or lead character grabbed me and the plot was dull.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy of this book.
Have totally fallen in love with Historical Fiction after reading Stacey Halls, Outlander etc so when I saw this I knew I had to read it!
Its a hard book for me to rate in stars. I really enjoyed reading it, set in Queen Elizabeth 1 reign with Tom, who I fell in love with, and Mathilde in 2021, we see how their lives are intertwined with each other.
Loved reading both the then and now of the story, however it didn't keep me gripped. It was an enjoyable read but I didnt want to keep grabbing it, not much really happened in the middle, the beginning and the end I enjoyed more, my heart broke for Tom and Richard and I felt the book ended perfectly.
It was an interesting insight to life back then during the Tudor era and also through a different medium with Tom, who is deaf and has to lip read. You can really feel his struggle through the story.
I really enjoyed it, a nice, emotional read but not a gripping story really.

Brilliant historical fiction in an over used era. This book kept me reading until the end which is rare these days with Elizabethan fiction. Well written and believable characters and an easy recommendation.

Fans of dual time line stories should give this a try. It merges Matilde in 2021 and Tom in 1584 Tudor England and while I have to admit Tom has the more interesting story, Marchant has found a unique way to link them. Tom, who is deaf and mute, is coopted by Walsingham to spy for Queen Elizabeth because he can read lips. There's little about his actual spying (albeit a great deal about palace intrigue) but no matter- he's an interesting, unique, and vibrant character. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Clare Marchant, you’ve done it again-Another brilliant dual timeline historical fiction that brings history to life. Tom has completely stolen my heart - I adored his story and loved how it intertwined with that of Mathilde. Both such brilliant, engaging and interesting characters, and I loved seeing how the story moved on from Eleanor and Saffron Hall. The historical detail is amazing and the descriptions of Elizabethan England so vivid and rich that it made the whole story come alive.