THE SPYMASTERS DAUGHTER is an intriguing mix of fact and fiction giving insights to the world during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The Queen's spymaster is Sir Francis Walsingham who has assembled an intelligence-gathering network in service to her majesty Queen Elizabeth I. His only daughter, Lady Frances Sidney, is unhappily married and wants to work with her father's network. But, she's a female and in these Elizabethan days they do not become spies. With her wit and fiery nature she does manage to become one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting, and in doing so secretly begins the work she longs to do. She decodes messages between followers of Mary Queen of Scots, proving herself to her father's spies and beginning her days of secrets and intrigue.
Unfortunately for Frances she attracts the attention of two men, her lowborn servant Robert Pauley and Robert Devereaux, the Earl of Essex, though she is still married to poet Sir Phillip Sidney. And even when she is widowed after her husband's heroic actions in Holland, the Queen refuses to allow her to marry either man. Robert is beneath her status as a hero's widow and Essex, belongs to the Queen. Essex and her father plan for them to marry, sealing his fate as he later faces the Queen's anger.
I found THE SPYMASTERS DAUGHTER a very interesting book with its historical facts intermingled with fiction. Women and children during this time period were known to have little say in their futures and were more often than not bartered to add to the family wealth. The author took the true facts of Sir Francis Walsingham who was considered the greatest spymaster in Tudor England and he did have a daughter who was indeed married to the poet Phillip Sidney and Earl of Essex. Historians considered Frances only a shadow behind her illustrious father and gave little play to the spying that she is shown to do in the book. Ms. Westin simply questioned "what if" and came up with a very appealing storyline. With the fictional turn she was able to allow Frances many moments of happiness and the ending that fiction romance readers need.
In the court of Elizabeth I, the daughter of the queenβs
powerful spymaster becomes a secret agent, and plays a
dangerous role in saving her country from its ruthless
enemies.
In Tudor England, traitors are everywhere and the queenβs
spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, is assembling the
greatest intelligence-gathering network in the world.
Walsinghamβs only daughter, Lady Frances Sidney, is smart,
courageous, and unhappy in love. She longs for the
excitement of decoding encrypted messages and setting traps
for those working for rival Mary, Queen of Scots. But
Frances's father refuses her any opportunity to contribute
to the desperate effort of keeping England safe.
Then Elizabeth, impressed with Francesβs fiery spirit, calls
her to court as a lady-in-waiting, and Frances seizes the
chance to prove herself. Soon, she wins the trust of her
fatherβs de-coders and begins her secret work, thrilled with
the freedom to test her talents. But her peril is compounded
as her beauty and wit also attract the romantic attention of
two men, one the reckless Earl of Essex and the other her
own brilliant but low-born servant, Robert Pauley. And when
Frances uncovers the most dire plot of all, she will risk
her fatherβs condemnation, her heartβs longing, and her very
life to safeguard her queen.
No excerpt available.
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