July 25, 2005
Anglophile Maxwell (The Wild Irish
) fictionalizes another curious episode from English history with her spirited, colorful fifth novel, about the unexplained disappearance of princes Edward and Richard of York, who vanished without a trace from the Tower of London in 1483. The story unfolds from the point of view of Nell Caxton, the quick-witted, independent daughter of England's first printer and best friend to Princess Bessie (sister to the princes and daughter of Queen Elizabeth Woodville). With the sudden death of King Henry, the first in the Tudor line, and the ascension of his eldest son, 13-year-old Prince Edward, insidious power plays and conspiracies roil England. Before young Edward V can be crowned, Lord Hastings and Harry Buckingham lose their heads and the Duke of Gloucester connives to become Richard III. In the midst of the struggle, the two princes are abducted. Maxwell's solution to what happens next—events that have long been the subject of speculation—brims with page-turning drama. As always, she provides a lusty backdrop and makes the story accessible to readers who aren't versed in all the finer points of British history. Agents, Kim Witherspoon and David Forrer.