Will Somers, court jester and court observer!

Rebellious Grace (King’s Fool Mystery #3) by Jeri Westerson    

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The perilous life of Henry VIII‘s court jester Will Somers continues to be complex. Will himself is both discerning, convoluted and endearing.

Will’s devotion to Henry and the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth is real.

His struggles with the love he has for Marion his wife and for Nicholas Patchett, Lord Hammond. A quandary! He loves them both and yet he has said to Marion he will stay true to his love for her, not love his paramours. Ahh! Will is a torn man.

Geoffrey Payne, a courtier close to Queen Jane (Seymour) has been brutally killed, buried and then dug up again and his body disembowelled. Will has declared he will find the murderer.

We are led down an intricate path, part of which includes Queen Jane’s fool, Janie Foole. Westerson’s note on the role of fools is fascinating reading.

I enjoyed Will’s interactions with the Windsor Herald of Arms in Ordinary, Charles Wriothesley, an observant man, and chronicler of the times, as they transpire without embellishment.

Tension underlying all this comes from happenings in the North. Barrister Robert Aske and his Pilgrimage of Grace, a march of nine thousand who swore an Oath of Honourable Men. They wanted to be able to practise their Catholic Faith. Henry’s advisors wanted him to ask Aske to the palace to negotiate. Will is uneasy.

The corridors of Windsor can be dark and deadly.

Another intriguing and well researched novel by Westerson chronicling these times, practices and events.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.