Penelope Devereux was a real person, sister of the infamous Earl of Essex and a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth. Author Elizabeth Fremantle meticulously researched Penelope's life for WATCH THE LADY, her third novel set in the Tudor court. The novel takes us from her earliest days at court to the aftermath of her brother's fall from grace. Penelope is an eyewitness to history, and we see the machinations of a dangerous court through her eyes.

I knew about Penelope's husband, Robert Rich's father; Richard Rich was a key figure in Henry VIII's reign. While I was reading this novel, I watched the 1970s BBC series "Elizabeth R" and was interested to see Lady Rich appear in a couple of scenes. WATCH THE LADY certainly gave me a new perspective on some of the events I was watching unfold.

Of course, this is a novel, and Fremantle has fabricated some of the personalities and idiosyncrasies of the key characters. She explains some of those -- and adds some additional facts about Penelope's life -- in her afterward.

I have read one other of Fremantle's Tudor court books; they are not a trilogy in the sense that you must read them all and in order. The two I read stand quite well on their own. The only difficulty I have with her work is that they're written in present tense, which for me is a bit off-putting. They are well worth getting through that, however.

If you have a particular interest in the Tudor court, the reign of Queen Elizabeth, or strong women in history, WATCH THE LADY will be an excellent addition to your reading list.