If you enjoy a Tudor mystery, where life and death sit in the hands of a few powerful men, where a former female spy is trying to save her son's life, then this book is for you.

Sophia de Wolfe, a former spy for the Queen, has been trying to live the normal life of a wealthy widow in London. The Queen is ageing, and the future of the crown is uncertain, even though the nation's ruler is a woman, women are still treated lesser and as such Sophia feels the restrictions. But when a young heiress is found dead and her son is accused of murder, Sophia finds herself pulled back into the dealings of powerful men who will do anything to gain the advantage and the Queen's favour. But can Sophia find the true killer while not being targeted by those who have bigger secrets to keep?

Though I have never read Parris' former series, I do not feel like that in any way hampens the strory and characters in this book. People and situations are mentioned in the book, but that simply enriches the characters into fully fledged people. The mystery is fun and the historical details are fun. A definite read if you like historical fiction.

The Giordano Bruno series was an excellent foray into the world of Elizabethan espionage. Sophia, once a spy for Walsingham (and featured several times in the Bruno stories), is now a rich widow and retired from the service.

The discovery of the body a young ward brings her into the orbit of William Cecil, chief advisor to the queen, and Sophia finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation involving some of the more prominent families in the kingdom.

This is a super story, well told and the action and suspense never lets up. Very easy to read and not burdened by a lot of backstory. The reader is immediately thrust into the story and the mystery at its centre is clever and engaging.

Certainly the beginning of a new series which will be welcomed by fans of Parris’ previous work. An excellent read and highly recommended.

SJ Parris has moved on from her successful Giordano Bruno series and has written a surefire winner in Traitors Legacy which brings Sophia De Wolfe, to the forefront.

This is all about the succession crisis as Elizabeth 1 is without an heir ns the struggles and plotting that goes on as candidates vie for position and favour.

There is an associated murder to solve and de Wolfe proves to be a redoubtable character who eventually sees her way through the waze of conflicts and contradictions.

An excellent read which is also historically very accurate.

Firstly thank to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

As a fan of the Bruno series I was looking forward to reading this book . The story was ok for me from a time period that I enjoy reading about - Sophia de Wolfe was a great character and I enjoyed the introduction to her story

This is a fabulous book. I love faction where fact and fiction are skillfully blended and this is a perfect example. Sophia De Wolfe is unusual for a woman of the times given that she is a widow but also fiercely independent. She won't be controlled or pushed around by men which makes her some powerful political enemies.

She's not afraid to stand up for what she believes in and she needs all your strength and guilt when someone close to her is accused of a murderer they didn't commit.

Sophia is forced to investigate putting herself and all she holds dear in peril n the process. Loved every minute of this book. More please featuring Sophia.

Very much enjoyed the authors “Bruno” series and this book takes it on with a new lead in Sophia De Wolfe.Set in the late 1500’s when justice was a commodity not a right, the death of a young girl becomes personal to Sophie and, as a woman of independent means, she sets out to both prove an innocence and lay bare the real culprits. I found the book both immersive and atmospheric though I felt it did bounce about a little towards the end. None the less perhaps a new career beckons for Sophie?

Thank you HarperCollins and Netgalley for the ARC.

I have long been a fan of S J Parris’ Giordano Bruno series of books and found Traitor’s Legacy to be equally entertaining. The author writes fast exciting and readable historical fiction and this novel is no exception. It was great to have a female as the lead character for a change - a heroine we have met before in Giordano series. A really enjoyable read and I will be looking forward for the next book in this new series.
Highly recommended

A fabulous historical read with the ever inspiring Sophia de Wolfe as the female lead. A rich, suspenseful plot which will make you feel like you are alongside on this journey.
The characters are very well written and developed, with appearances from memorable legends of this era.
Highly recommend!

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

There’s a lot going on here: lots of characters, lots of action, lots of plotting. All a bit too much for me. Credibility stretched beyond breaking point. This is obviously the start of a new series, but not one I shall be following, nonetheless I am grateful to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read a pre-release review copy, even if my review comes down on the negative end in this instance. .

A slight moment of worry at the start of the book, when the beautiful heroine is interrupted in her fencing practice to see a visitor. Oh no, not a bodice ripper. Not to worry, after she dressed and became the lady of the house, it became clear that she was so much more! A book of thrills, spies, spills and secrets surrounding the Queen and her court. By the end of the book, not all secrets are revealed - promising the prospect of a sequel.

Set in 1598, this is a murder mystery / espionage thriller set in Elizabethan London, with cameo appearances from well-known historical figures. I'd never read S J Parris before, but she's well known for her historical fiction and I've been seeing the cover of her previous book, Alchemy (2023), everywhere. It was actually one of the covers I looked at closely when pondering how to design the cover for Type Thief.

Traitor's Legacy is the start of a new series with a new protagonist, Sophia de Wolfe, who is a former spy now living as a wealthy and slightly bored widow. Robert Cecil, the aging (and heirless) Elizabeth I's spymaster, calls on Sophia when a young girl (about to come into an inheritance) is found murdered at the site of a theatre with a cryptic note on her body. The note is written in a cipher connected to Sophia's former life as a household spy (during which she was mainly in the business of unmasking Catholic sympathisers).

Sophia's investigations take her (and friends) all over London, from mansions to brothels, and beneath all the historical trappings beats the heart of a contemporary police procedural. For me, the murder investigation seemed designed to set us up for a series of books and was less interesting than the future possibilities suggested by the setting and characters. As often happens, my mind was snagged on details that don't matter but always seem to be a part of such narratives: a protagonist who appears barely to eat or sleep. I don't know why it's a thing, but it is a thing. Anyway, this book is an interesting beginning, and perhaps the future series might include régime change and gunpowder plots.

There are moments here (which I don't want to spoil) which are a little too on the nose in terms of cameo moments, but as they tended to make me smile as well as roll my eyes, I forgive them.

This was a review of an ARC from Netgalley and UK Publisher HarperCollins.

I am a big fan of the Giordano Bruno series so absolutely wanted to read this. Traitor's legacy is set in the twilight years of Elizabeth the 1st reign. The Spymaster Walsingham is dead and the spy network is greatly weakened following the struggle of Cecil and Essex to replace him.
When the body of a young heiress is found at the site of a former theatre, Cecil calls in Sophia De Wolfe from the cold. Fans of the Bruno series will recognise some familiar faces from the series. The mix of real life characters central to the story is excellent and Sophia is a fantastic protagonist and it is wonderful to see her character being developed. S.J. Parris paints the Elizabethan period so evocatively and highlights the status and constraints on women in this time against the background of the Elizabethan court.
Historical fiction fans will love this.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the female main character, she is a force to be reckoned with. I did find the story slowed down towards the middle but picked up again in the final quarter. Intrigue round every corner.

Having read and loved all the Giordano Bruno series, I was a little apprehensive about a book without him. However, Sophia De Wolfe is a truly epic character & stands so well as the heroine of this brilliant novel. A cracking good read from start to finish so no spoilers here - read it, you will not be disappointed! Looking forward to more of Sophia's adventures. S J Parris is a creative genius.

Parris delivers a gripping, atmospheric tale where every shadow hides a danger, and every whispered conversation could change the fate of a nation. The writing is richly detailed, steeped in the tension of a country on the brink, capturing the danger and deception of Elizabethan England with an effortless grip. Sophia de Wolfe is a compelling lead; intelligent, haunted, and navigating a world where power is a deadly game. The murder mystery is layered with political intrigue, keeping you second-guessing every revelation. For those who love historical fiction with the pulse of a thriller and the depth of a spy novel, this is an irresistible start to what promises to be an incredible series.

I have read all of the Giordano Bruno series, and if you have not read them please do. They are a real treat. Particularly as the novels combine real world people and fictional characters which help add to a sense of reality.

I had very high expectations for this novel. It is excellent, .And, the even better news it is that this is the first of a new series. Sophia de Wolfe has amazing agency as she is a widow and rich. Plus of course the skills she developed when she worked for Walsingham.

There is a great plot line and when you read this you are aware of Tudor England and what it might have felt like to be there. At the same time the author is so skilful you do not realise the massive amount of research that must have taken place to make everything feel so real.

Sophia is a good character to hang things off and I look forward to many more hours of reading about her adventures. It is always salutary to hav pointed out to you how marginalised women ere at that time and the power men had over their bodies and their money.

I found this a complex historical thriller. The first few chapters were difficult to get into but I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book.
An unusual heroine with a history of spying for the country moved into a personal conflict that is intensely important. She is unswerving in her efforts to resolve the problem in spite of many enemies working in the opposite direction.
Recommended

Like other readers I have always enjoyed what I'd thought of as spy Bruno books, but glad to say Sophia picks up the mantle magnificently. Lots of intrigues in 70 year old Elizabeth's court with Walsingham dead and Essex and Ceil at each other's throats. Plenty of unexpected twists and turns in the murder mystery. Nice to meet up with an insightful William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage too. Suspect when the old Queen dies tables will turn for those who persecuted Catholics but that's all ahead. Excellent read for those who enjoy emerging themselves in the murky world of Tudor spies.

Lady Sophia de Wolfe, one time spy, ex on/off lover of Giordano Bruno (the hero of Parris' previous series of historical crime fiction) and recent widow, is plunged back into the world of murder, intrigue and spycraft when the body of a young girl is found with a note written in Sophia's cipher from her past life working for Sir Francis Walsingham.

While it is not necessary to have read any of the Bruno novels to enjoy this one, there are some nice call backs and I was thrilled to see the return of Sophia. Parris blends the real people of Elizabthan England and her own creations with aplomb. The writing of setting is equally deft - it is a novel you don't want to put down until you are done.

I'm already looking forward to book two