Kara-karina's Reviews > In Defense of the Queen

I've already mentioned how much I enjoy reading Michelle Diener's books. Last year her The Emperor's Conspiracy made my top books of 2012, and this year I managed to read the first three books in her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, and absolutely adored it.

I would say she definitely writes historical fiction with a flair, and if you think this genre is boring you might read her and reconsider. Her books are short, action-driven, well-researched and what I enjoy most of all, - have very strong heroines, which creates a wonderful sense of balance and equality between the main characters.

Susanna is a female Flemish painter, which is on its own unusual. She is very pretty, extremely talented and at the same time has a sharp mind and unbeatable no-nonsense attitude in any sort of disaster.

She and John Parker meet when he (a King courtier, assassin and spymaster) investigates a murder she witnessed on her way to England. By third book they are thick as thieves, manage to crush some big conspiracies against King Henry VIII, suffer from his wrath, enjoy his kindness, get betrothed and amass a lot of enemies - all in a few months work.

In Defense of The Queen is mostly about Susanna becoming a very unwilling accomplice in delivering important news to the Queen of England. Susanna and Parker have to race against time to find out who is behind a complicated political intrigue which brings charges of treason and locks Susanna away in the Tower.

While she is trying to remain unharmed within the prison, Parker does everything in his power to eliminate the threat, and as usual both our heroes stumble on to a much larger plot of assassination.


In Defense of The Queen is a very fast-paced and quite an intoxicating ride full of danger and chilling, intense moments. I had to read it one sitting simply because I could not tear myself away from the book until I find out how it ends. A great read, very much recommended!