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Author: Karen Harper | Website
Published Works & Book Reviews
Mistress of Mourning
In a gripping historical novel of suspense and romance from the national bestselling author of The Queen's Governess, two women fight to defeat the enemies of the precarious Tudor monarchy by uncovering the secrets of the dead... London, 1501. In a time of political unrest, Varina Westcott, a young widow and candle maker for court and church, agrees to perform a clandestine service for Queen Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII--carve wax figures of four dead children, two of her offspring lost in infancy and her two brothers, the Princes of the Tower, whose mysterious disappearance years ago has never been solved. Having lost a child herself, Varina feels a sympathetic bond with the queen. And as she works under the watchful eye of handsome Nicholas Sutton, an ambitious assistant to the royals, she develops feelings of quite a different nature... Then news comes from Wales of the unexpected death of newly married Prince Arthur, the queen’s eldest child and heir to the throne. Deeply grieving, Elizabeth suspects that Arthur did not die of a sudden illness, as reported, but was actually murdered by her husband’s enemies. This time her task for Varina and Nicholas is of vital importance--travel into the Welsh wilderness to investigate the prince’s death. But as the couple unearths one unsettling clue after another, they begin to fear that the conspiracy they’re confronting is far more ambitious and treacherous than even the queen imagined. And it aims to utterly destroy the Tudor dynasty.
Return to Grace
In the shadows of a graveyard, a SHOT rings out… Hannah Esh fled the Home Valley Amish community with a broken heart, throwing herself into her worldly dreams of a singing career instead. But as much as she tries to run from her past, something keeps pulling her back. On a whim, she brings four worldly friends to the Amish graveyard near her family's home for a midnight party on Halloween. But when shots are fired and one of her friends is killed, Hannah is pulled back into the world of her past. The investigation into the shooting uncovers deep-buried secrets that shock the peaceful Amish village to its core. Determined to prove her value to the community she left behind, Hannah attempts to bridge two cultures, working closely with both handsome, arrogant FBI agent Linc Armstrong and her former betrothed, Seth Lantz, now widowed with a young daughter. Caught between Seth and Linc, between old and new, Amish and worldly, Hannah must choose her future. Unless a killer, bent on secrecy, chooses it for her.
Reviewer: Barb
Review: Jan 18, 2012
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I usually read Amish stories and really enjoy them, but this one had far more depth than others I've read. I thought the story was very commanding, keeping me guessing until the very end. The main characters of the story were really quite interesting and made the story believable. I was very taken with the heroine and her struggles between returning to her Amish fa
The Queen's Governess
The national bestselling author of Mistress Shakespeare delivers the epic tale of Elizabeth I's most trusted companion-a commoner who lived among royals...
Katherine Ashley, the clever, beguiling daughter of a poor country beekeeper, catches the attention of powerful, ambitious Thomas Cromwell-henchman for King Henry VIII. Cromwell secures for Kat a place in the royal court, but as a reluctant spy. Plunged into a treacherous game of shifting alliances, Kat is entrusted by Anne Boleyn to protect her daughter, Elizabeth. In the face of exile, assassination attempts, imprisonment, and a romantic flirtation that could cost the young princess dearly, Kat will risk everything-even her own secret love-for her bright, clever Elizabeth.
Reviewer: Danya
Review: Oct 8, 2011
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Katherine Ashley is known as the governess to Queen Elizabeth, but how did she rise from humble beginnings to become the woman responsible for raising the young girl who would become known as "The Virgin Queen." Katherine Ashley came to Thomas Cromwell's attention, and managed to survive the turbulent sea of Henry VIII's court long enough to become governess to the king's "bastard" daughter Elizabeth. Katheri
The Irish Princess
A grand-scale historical novel from the national bestselling author of Mistress Shakespeare.
Born into a first family of Ireland, with royal ties on both sides, Elizabeth Fitzgerald-known as Gera-finds her world overturned when Henry VIII imprisons her father, the Earl of Kildare, and brutally destroys her family. Torn from the home she loves, her remaining family scattered, Gera dares not deny the refuge offered her in England's glittering royal court. There she must navigate ever-shifting alliances even as she nurtures her secret desire for revenge. From County Kildare's lush green fields to London's rough-and-tumble streets and the royal court's luxurious pageantry, The Irish Princess follows the journey of a daring woman whose will cannot be tamed, and who won't be satisfied until she restores her family to its rightful place in Ireland.
Reviewer: Jessie
Review: Mar 7, 2011
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
The Irish Princess by Karen Harper allows the reader to get a sidelines’ view of King Henry VIII’s world through the eyes of a young Irish rebel, who only has sights set on revenge against the most powerful man in England.
For historical fans of the Tudor age, this book is a welcome addition. Although the book is about Gera, her life is defined by what happened in King Henry’s life. As deva
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