On continuing my journey into St. John’s novels:
There is a bit of a back-story I need to share ahead of the conversation I had with Ms St. John in regard to her latest release The King’s Intelligencer. In (2016) I had the pleasure of hosting Ms St. John for her blog tour featuring The Lady in Tower. Wherein I had my first introduction to both her writerly style and voice of narrative as much as it was my introduction into the Stuart era of British History.
The story is told in an journalled manner of the craft – where we are treated to a more intrapersonal experience on behalf of Lucy rather than a traditionally styled novel. With the journalled prompts serving as a bit of a chapter by chapter hinting towards the events that will soon be revealled and strengthened by a firm enlarging of it’s events – we are growing in our scope on behalf of the life Lucy St. John might have led whilst she was alive. The interesting bit is how the artifacts of her life were resurrected and read by her descendant (Elizabeth St. John) proving to provide wick for the flame as the story truly arose out of the ashes of the past.
St. John has given a layer of authenticity towards arriving in the century of her ancestor’s living age by reaffirming how her circumstances were constrained against her will but bound by duty to be upheld. Lucy St. John would be grateful to have such a resourceful writer in her ancestral line – one who could give testament to her life and provide a living legacy for all who might never have known of the life she lived.
-quoted from my review of The Lady in the Tower
I knew then, what I re-realised now – St John is writing convicting Historical Fiction rooted in the Historic Past and unearthed by Autobiographical Histories from her own family. These are living tributes to her ancestors as much as her descendants as she goes the extra mile in having all of us experience their lives as if we were right alongside them living it with them ourselves. This is where genealogical research and writing forge their own version of living history and restore it through our imaginations to have a better appreciation for not only those lives which were lived but for the hidden annals of History which might never have been brought forward in time without the pen of a writer like St John who has envisioned how these stories need to be told.
Being one-half of the Ancestry Sleuths in my family, I can attest to have riveting it is to unearth biographical information about your ancestors and how wicked it is to see how those connections can sometimes re-emerge in latter generations. History is a long threading of time and people, and it is a beautiful tapestry of lives and souls; of voices from the past who might not have a voice in the present if only for those who remember their lives or for those of us who discover them. This is one reason why I LOVE reading Historical Fiction. To tuck closer to History whilst feeling as if I’ve been giving a living impression of how those lives were once lived.
And, in step with that is The King’s Intelligencer which continues the story within The Godmother’s Secret – consider it a duology of sorts – exploring the Mythos and intrigue behind ‘the princes in the tower’ – or otherwise known as the missing princes. A story I had never heard of previously and one that I felt compelled to learn more about now through the pen and craft of St John’s novels.
Ahead of reading The King’s Intelligencer I am listening to The Godmother’s Secret on audiobook whilst I will be reading the sequel (of sorts) in print. Whilst I created an interview exploring the themes and topics that are conversational about both stories as the suspense behind the fate of the princes was something I felt was worth discussing. Thereby, for this blog tour I am bringing our conversation to the forefront and hope that it might inspire others to pick up these stories and begin their own journey into discovering ‘who were the princes’ and ‘what became of them’.
The King's Intelligencer
Subtitle: Author of the Lydiard Chronicles
by Elizabeth St. John (2024)
Source: Author via The Coffee Pot Book Club
London, 1674: When children’s bones are unexpectedly unearthed in the Tower of London, England’s most haunting mystery—the fate of the missing princes—is reignited.
Franny Apsley, trusted confidante to Charles II’s beloved niece and heir, Lady Mary Stuart, is caught up in the court’s excitement surrounding the find. Yet, as a dark family secret comes to light, Franny realises the truth behind the missing princes is far more complex—and dangerous—than anyone suspects. Recruited by her formidable cousin Nan Wilmot, Dowager Countess of Rochester, to discover the truth behind the bones, Franny is thrust into the shadowy world of intelligencers. But her quest is complicated by an attraction to the charismatic court artist Nicholas Jameson, a recent arrival from Paris who harbours secrets of his own.
Pursued by Nicholas, Franny searches for evidence hidden in secret family letters and paintings, and uncovers a startling diplomatic plot involving Lady Mary, which causes Franny to question her own judgment, threatens the throne, and sets England on a course for war. With only her courage and the guidance of an enigmatic spy within the royal household, Franny must decide how far she will go to expose the truth—and whether that truth will lead to England’s salvation or her own heartbreak.
In a glittering and debauched society where love is treacherous and loyalty masked, Franny must navigate a world where a woman’s voice is often silenced and confront the ultimate question: What is she willing to risk for the sake of her country, her happiness, and her family’s safety?A captivating historical novel of conspiracy, passion, and courage, The King’s Intelligencer is one woman's quest for a truth that could change the fate of a nation. A companion to the critically acclaimed best-selling novels The Godmother’s Secret and The Lydiard Chronicles, The King’s Intelligencer weaves together beloved characters and actual events to bring a suspenseful mystery to life.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 979-8341165724
Published by Self Published
on 15th October, 2024
Format: Trade Paperback
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse via: #TheCoffeePotBookClub, #HistFic, #HistoricalFiction, and #ThePrincesInTheTower
About Elizabeth St. John (2024)
Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England's kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.
Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.
Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.
Elizabeth's works include The Lydiard Chronicles, a trilogy set in 17th-century England during the Civil War, and The Godmother's Secret, which unravels the medieval mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Her latest release, The King’s Intelligencer, follows Franny Apsley's perilous quest to uncover the truth behind the sudden discovery of the princes' bones. In Charles II's court of intrigue and deceit, Franny must decide what she’ll risk—for England’s salvation, her family's safety, and her own happiness.
