Book Nook Shenanigans

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Fool (A Tudor Novel) by Mary Lawrence

Betrayal. Power. Perception. The most dangerous mind at court belongs to a fool.

From the author of The Alchemist's Daughter comes a dark tale of ambition and survival.

"One of the most vibrant characters I've encountered in years."--Goodreads Ecostell

Kronos is a fool--mocked for his dwarfism, prized for his juggling, and underestimated by everyone who matters. But in a court ruled by paranoia and whispers, invisibility is its own kind of power.

When Kronos overhears a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard, he becomes a liability the crown cannot afford. Silenced, mutilated, and left for dead, he survives--barely.

Rescued by an ambitious apothecary, Kronos soon realizes he has not escaped danger--he has merely changed masters. His secret is worth a fortune...and powerful men are willing to kill to control it.

But Kronos has spent his life being overlooked and he's ready to use that to his advantage.

As rival factions circle and scheme, Kronos sets a plan in motion--one that could topple the mighty, rewrite his fate, and force his foes to reconsider which of them is truly...the fool.

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and Philippa Gregory.

Praise

'Fool is a masterclass in immersive storytelling'

Tony Riches, bestselling author of The Tudor Trilogy

'Fool brings the Tudor world to life through an exciting narrative voice, placing real historical figures--Henry VIII, Katherine Howard, and Archbishop Cranmer--at the heart of the drama. Its unforgettable narrator, Kronos, the king's sharp-witted court fool, survives on intelligence and observations rather than power, moving invisibly through corridors of influence. Vividly written and grounded in scrupulous research, the novel captures both the dark comedy and lethal danger of Henry VIII's court.'

Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown, The Chalice, and The Tapestry

'A thoughtful and unsparing Tudor novel that reframes the court jester not as comic ornament but as a precarious witness to power.'

Megan Parker, for IndieReader

Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Four-Star Review of Fool by Mary Lawrence

Fool by Mary Lawrence is a well-crafted work of historical fiction set in the dangerous and politically charged world of Tudor England. The novel follows Kronos, a court fool whose sharp mind and unusual position allow him to observe—and become entangled in—the intrigue surrounding the court of Henry VIII, particularly during the time of Queen Katherine Howard.

One of the novel’s defining features is its strong sense of place. The Tudor setting is vividly realised, with careful attention to the social hierarchy, tensions, and ever-present risks of court life. Alongside this, the story incorporates a clear element of mystery, as Kronos becomes involved in uncovering secrets that carry real and often deadly consequences.

Kronos himself is a distinctive and engaging central character. His background—found and brought up in a religious house—adds depth to his perspective. His role as a fool allows him a certain freedom to speak and observe, yet it also places him in a precarious position. The narrative does not shy away from the harsher aspects of the period, and there are moments of violence and cruelty that reflect the instability of the time.

At points, the pacing slows during sections that explore Kronos’s earlier life in detail. While these passages contribute to character development, they can feel extended in comparison to the more immediate tension of the central plot. Additionally, the shifts between humour and darker subject matter may feel abrupt, though they align with the realities of the setting.

Final thoughts: Fool is an engaging and immersive novel that combines historical detail with elements of mystery and character-driven storytelling. While not without its slower moments, it remains a strong and rewarding read.

Universal Buy Link

Author's Universal Buy Link

Mary Lawrence

Mary Lawrence is the author of the Bianca Goddard mysteries, a 5-book series that takes place in the slums of Tudor London featuring the daughter of an infamous alchemist.

Suspense Magazine named The Alchemist’s Daughter and The Alchemist of Lost Souls best historical mysteries of 2015 and 2017. Her writing has been published in several journals, including The Daily Beast.

When she is not writing, she tends a small berry farm in Maine with her husband and creates artisanal jams for sale at market.

Social Media Links:

Monday, April 13, 2026

Review of A Plethora of Phantoms (Spirited Encounters Book 2) by Penny Hampson

Whose footsteps in the dark?

He is heir to the earldom of Batheaston and lives in an elegant, stately home, but handsome twenty-something Freddie Lanyon is not a happy man. Not only is he gay and dreading coming out to his family, but he’s also troubled by ghosts that nobody else can see.

When Freddie’s impulsive purchase of an antique dressing case triggers even more ghostly happenings with potentially catastrophic consequences, he has to take action.

Freddie contacts charismatic psychic Marcus Spender for help and feels an immediate attraction to this handsome antique dealer –– a feeling that is mutual. But the pair’s investigations unearth shocking, long-buried secrets, which prove a major challenge to their task of laying unhappy spirits to rest and to their blossoming relationship.

Being brave isn’t one of Freddie’s standout qualities, but he’ll need all the courage he can muster to rid himself of wayward phantoms and get his life on track.

A Plethora of Phantoms is an uplifting ghostly tale about love, friendship, and acceptance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Where Connection Deepens and Love Becomes Impossible to Ignore

I finished A Plethora of Phantoms with the feeling that some relationships don’t arrive at convenient moments—they take shape in the middle of everything else, and become harder to step away from because of it. What begins as a meeting shaped more by circumstance than intention gradually turns into something much more difficult to ignore.

Freddie and Marcus don’t circle each other for long. There’s a recognition there quite early on—not fully understood, and not entirely trusted either, but present all the same. Their interactions carry a slight edge at first, shaped by uncertainty and the sense that neither of them has the full picture. That tension works well, because it gives their connection something to push against from the beginning.

As they spend more time together, that uncertainty doesn’t disappear so much as shift. Moments of ease are followed by hesitation, and just when things seem to settle, something unsettles them again—whether that’s circumstance, miscommunication, or everything happening around them. It gives the relationship a slightly unsteady footing, but in a way that feels believable rather than frustrating.

What makes it particularly engaging is how differently they approach things. Freddie tends to hold back, thinking through consequences before acting, whilst Marcus is more willing to move forward, even when there are still unanswered questions. That difference does create tension at times, but it also works in their favour, because neither of them approaches things in quite the same way.

There’s also a sense that what’s developing between them isn’t happening in isolation. The pressure of everything else—the house, the past, the things neither of them can fully explain—feeds into it. At points, that pressure extends beyond the house itself, and the risks become far more immediate, giving their connection a sharper edge.

The pacing of the romance feels right for the story. It doesn’t linger too long in uncertainty, but it also doesn’t smooth over the moments where things are unclear. Instead, those moments shape what comes next, allowing the relationship to develop in a way that feels grounded, even as everything around it becomes less so.

By the end, it feels less like something that has simply unfolded, and more like something they’ve chosen to stay with, despite everything that might have made it easier not to. That gives their connection a sense of quiet certainty, without ever making it feel too neat.

This is a romance that grows out of circumstance rather than existing apart from it, and that’s what makes it feel convincing. It’s not about perfection or ease, but about two people finding their way towards each other whilst everything else is shifting around them.

Universal Buy Link
#KindleUnlimited

Penny Hampson

Penny Hampson writes mysteries, and because she has a passion for history, you’ll find her stories also reflect that. A Gentleman’s Promise, a traditional Regency romance, was Penny’s debut novel and the first of her Gentlemen Series. There are now four novels in the series, with the latest, An Adventurer’s Contract, released in November 2024. Penny also enjoys writing contemporary mysteries with a hint of the paranormal, because where do ghosts come from but the past? The Unquiet Spirit, a spooky mystery/romance set in Cornwall, is the first in the Spirited Encounters Series. Look out for A Plethora of Phantoms coming soon.

Penny lives with her family in Oxfordshire, and when she is not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, swimming, and the odd gin and tonic (not all at the same time).

If you’ve enjoyed any of Penny’s books please leave a review on Amazon, Bookbub, or Goodreads, and let other readers know!

Social Media Links:

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Book Review - The Last Fatal Hour by Jan Matthews

A budding socialite haunted by war steps into the Brooklyn Heights world of whispers, seances, and murder.

For Leona Gladney, former woman soldier of the Union Army, life goes on despite the echoes of the battlefield in her heart. Now a suffragist and budding socialite in Brooklyn Heights, she yearns for a literary life and family. But her husband’s business partner embezzles their money and disappears.

The society matrons of Brooklyn Heights turn a gimlet eye on Leona after the suspicious death of a wealthy friend. Leona will do anything to find justice for her friend and clear her own name, but she finds only secrets, seances and murder.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Where Truth Surfaces and Survival Leaves Its Mark

I finished The Last Fatal Hour with the sense that some lives don’t fracture cleanly between past and present—they overlap, bleed into one another, and become impossible to separate no matter how carefully they’re hidden. What begins as a quiet domestic story, shaped by routine and restraint, gradually reveals something far more unsettled—and far more dangerous—beneath the surface.

Leona carries her past with her from the very first page, even when she’s trying to contain it. There’s an early awareness that what she’s lived through hasn’t stayed behind her, and that the act of writing it down isn’t simply reflection—it’s survival. That tension between concealment and expression gives the story its initial pull, because it’s clear the truth exists, even if it isn’t fully spoken yet—and that keeping it buried comes with its own risks.

As the narrative unfolds, that sense of unease doesn’t disappear so much as deepen. Moments of normalcy—conversations, visits, the rhythms of daily life—are threaded with something sharper underneath. Just as things begin to feel steady, something shifts again, whether through loss, suspicion, or the growing sense that someone is moving just out of sight, shaping events in ways not immediately understood. It creates a feeling that stability is always temporary, never quite secure.

What makes it particularly compelling is how Leona navigates the space between who she was and who she’s expected to be. She moves carefully, often holding parts of herself back, aware of how easily perception can turn—and how quickly truth can be used against her. At the same time, there’s a growing recognition that silence is not neutral, and that some of what unfolds around her cannot be entirely separated from her own choices, however well-intentioned they may have been.

There’s also a strong sense that the personal and the external cannot be separated. The unfolding mystery, the social expectations, and the lingering effects of the war all press in at once, but as the story progresses, that pressure becomes more immediate and more deliberate. The danger sharpens, no longer abstract or distant, and the stakes shift from uncertainty to survival.

The pacing works in the novel’s favour. It allows space for reflection without losing momentum, and when the story begins to tighten, it does so with purpose. Each development feels connected, each revelation carrying weight, building toward a conclusion that feels inevitable rather than sudden.

By the end, it feels less like a resolution that restores order, and more like one that acknowledges what cannot be undone. What remains is not neat or uncomplicated, but it is chosen—an acceptance not only of truth, but of consequence, and of the cost of having survived at all.

This is a story where identity is not fixed, but tested under pressure, and where survival demands more than endurance. It asks what it means to live honestly when doing so risks everything—and answers without ever making it easy.

Universal Buy Link

Jan Matthews

Jan Matthews is an American expat living in the sunshine in Portugal. She is (finally) retired from HIM and writes historical mysteries from the Middle Ages to World War I. When not writing or drinking coffee and wine in nearby cafes, she knits and crochets for charity and reviews books on her blog.

Social Media Links: