Mistress of Mourning: A Novel

Written by Karen Harper

Narrated by Ana Clements

New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper blends history with gripping suspense and romance in this brilliant novel of secrets and political intrigue.

Varina Westcott is a young widow and a talented candle maker for the royal court and church. At a time of great political unrest in 1501, Varina is conscripted for a secret project by Queen Elizabeth of York. Her task? To carve wax figures of four dead children: two of the queen's children who passed away in infancy and the queen's two brothers, the two Princes of the Tower, who disappeared without a trace in 1483. Losing a child herself, Varina has a sympathetic bond with the queen and does the clandestine deed willingly -- and with Nicholas Sutton, the ambitious and handsome assistant to the royals.

But soon, news comes to the court: the queen's eldest child, heir to the throne, Arthur, Prince of Wales, has died. Deep in her grief, Elizabeth of York does not believe her son died of natural causes or because of a sudden illness -- she believes he was murdered by the king's enemies. Elizabeth turns to Varina and Nicholas for another secret task, this time much bigger than simple wax figures.

Varina now must travel to Wales and investigate Arthur's death, turning up any and everything that will prove there was a crime. But as the pair unearth clues, each more unsettling than the last, Varina and Nicholas fear that the conspiracy they've come across is much bigger than the queen had ever imagined. . . and the Tudor dynasty is at risk for complete and utter destruction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jun 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9780063016835

Karen Harper

Karen Harper is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of romantic suspense. A former Ohio State University English instructor, she now writes full time. Harper is the winner of The Mary Higgins Clark Award for her novel, DARK ANGEL. She also writes historical novels set in Tudor England. Please visit or write her at her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor.com

Reviews for Mistress of Mourning

[linyarai · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was a very different viewpoint from what I'm used to for that period. I found some events and conversations felt forced and didn't flow with the story, but overall I enjoyed it.

[a1stitcher · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have to admit that this one did not really capture me as thoroughly some of Karen Harper's other books. It is an adventure, history, and mystery rolled into one novel, and I couldn't get into the basic plot line.
Varina is a chandler, a candle maker, who catches the attention of Henry VII's Queen Elizabeth. She is given a very personal and secret project. In the process she meets the love of her life, and becomes entangled in treason. Throw in the popular "Princes in the Tower" story line-after all,the Queen is their older sister-and there you have the novel. I just didn't find the plot very engaging. However, it is well written and gives an interesting peek into the famous guild system of London.

[auntie0nanuuq · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Varina Westcott, candle maker, is a widow who has also just lost her son... She makes beautiful angel candles w/ the face of her child on them & gives/sells them to very few... The candle guild is angry for Varina is not a member (she's female), and she is accepting small payments for an item that they have not approved nor priced.

To make matters worse, wealthy widower & well thought of guild member Christopher Gage is pushing Varina into a betrothal that she is doing her best to avoid and having Varina pose for the stained windows for the new Guild hall.....

The Queen Elizabeth wife of Henry VII has heard of Varina's angel candles and has hired Variana to work for her on the pretext of making wedding candles for her son Prince Arthur & the Spanish Princess Katherine of Aragon. In reality Varina is secretly creating wax effigies of her two dead children and more dangerously her two brothers, the "Princes in the Tower".

Guarded by Nicholas Sutton, lest she be discovered, Varina begins her work on the effigies but then comes the news t hat the Queen's oldest son, Arthur, has died in Wales. Believing Arthur's death to be murder at the hands of the Henry's enemies, the Queen sends Nicholas & Varina to Wales to quietly investigate Arthur's death...

I was bored.... I found Varina to be mealy-mouthed (could be due to her deep mourning) and other characters to be repulsive and/or weak....

[sarah_gruwell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An engrossing read, this book contains a bit of everything. There’s a romance, mystery, historical tidbits, and suspense. The rousing tale of two women caught up in the strictures of grief overcoming it to solve the mystery of who’s gunning for the Tudor dynasty kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked that the author was able to balance the different elements into one streaming and smooth story.I especially liked Varina. She’s got guts, courage, and a caring heart. Though a bit blind at times to the emotions of those surrounding her, she’s an intelligent woman who dedicates herself to serving her Queen and protecting her family and loved ones. I also liked that she was practical in her perceived expectations for her future, yet there was still a bit of the romantic in her to not immediately jump on the first marriage proposal to come her way.There were a ton of neat historical tidbits throughout the story: details of the burial practices of early Tudor England, some of the magic still present in the rural folklore, the role of women in the time period, and the mechanics of running a business in bustling London. Those historical tidbits made for a fun read for any history lover.Yet, there wasn’t much meaty stuff here. The details were fun, yet a lot of stuff seemed a bit far-fetched to me to have actually happened. Elizabeth’s wax effigies in hiding, the lightning fast speed of Nick’s and Varina’s romance, and the varying roles that Varina played all seem a bit out there to me. The hypothesis the author puts forward for why Arthur died and responsible party behind the Princes in the Tower were intriguing, though.A fun read, this book will definitely kill a weekend for you. It’s got some neat historical tidbits, a great lead, and a thrilling plot. And while it may not have a lot of meat on its bones when it comes to historical weight and story, I think this novel would still be very enjoyable for any historical fiction lover.

[schlyne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really enjoyed this one, as it's a bit of a different take than a lot of historical fiction. Most historical fiction leaves you in the head of one central character. This one gives you a different perspective. You get most of the storyline from the "waxwoman" instead of a royal.