Susanna Kearsley (The Vanished Days; Bellewether) is known for her impeccable research and engaging characters, but The King's Messenger reaches a new level of gorgeous immersion. Set in 1613, the novel follows Andrew Logan, one of the titular King's Messengers, who is sent into Scotland on a secret mission to arrest a popular nobleman who had been a mentor to the king's recently deceased son, Prince Henry.
The prickly King James (for whom the translation of the Bible is named) assigns the reluctant Logan a scrivener, who will record the testimony of the man they arrest. Because the hired scrivener, a man named Laurence Westaway, is older and in poor health, he is joined by his lively daughter, Phoebe, who is practically engaged to one of the nobles in King James's court and strongly dislikes Logan. Phoebe is determined to make sure that her ailing father survives the long journey and to avoid Logan as much as possible. But with brigands and harsh weather and the long tentacles of court intrigue all threatening them over the course of their monthslong travels, Phoebe finds herself beginning to rely on the taciturn Logan.
Kearsley portrays an era of English history less well trod than the Tudors and has stuffed The King's Messenger chock-full of historical figures. Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, The King's Messenger is a delightful exploration of a complicated king and the people who served him. --Jessica Howard, former bookseller, freelance book reviewer