Rebel’s Gambit
When the body of a Scottish envoy washes up on the banks of the Thames, the Queen’s most powerful spymaster, Robert Cecil, is accused of arranging the murder.
Cecil turns to his covert intelligencer Sophia de Wolfe to discreetly discover what the dead man was doing in London, and why he was killed. But this murder is borne of treacherous political currents.
As loyalties shift and rebellion foments, as the Earl of Essex makes a dangerous play for power, Sophia is fast drawn into perilous waters.
Everyone wants the Queen’s hard-won favour, even as tensions rise and the country begins to look for new answers. And Sophia has her own secrets to hide…
Praise for S. J. Parris's bestselling Sophia de Wolfe series…'Sophia is a dazzling heroine, and the world of late Elizabethan England brimful of plot and conspiracy, is vividly and thrillingly brought to life' LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON
'Right from the intriguing opening pages everything Parris layers into this Elizabethan crime drama screams bestselling series' OBSERVER
'A new historical crime from S. J. Parris is always cause for celebration but she really has excelled herself with Traitor's Legacy' ANDREW TAYLOR
'S. J. Parris begins what promises to be an equally entertaining new series with this novel set in late Elizabethan England' THE TIMES
'A writer who repeatedly proves that she is one of the most stylish of historical crime practitioners' FINANCIAL TIMES
Readers love Sophia de Wolfe…‘Top class historical crime’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Another fantastic historical thriller from master of the Elizabethan mystery’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘A straight 5* for me! A very compelling novel I highly recommend’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I loved the characters. The only bad thing I have to say about this book is that it kept me reading way past midnight’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Sophia De Wolfe is a truly epic character’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘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’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘The richly detailed Elizabethan setting and clever twists kept me hooked from start to finish’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘The murder mystery is layered with political intrigue, keeping you second-guessing every revelation’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Excellently researched, great plot, beautiful execution. I love the combination of historical menace and a thriller’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘SJ Parris does it again’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I didn't know who to trust or who to believe the whole way along’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Another glorious dive into the murky world of Elizabethan spies and lies’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Loved every minute of this book. More please featuring Sophia!’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I'm already looking forward to book two’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘You know what you’re getting with Parris; a stunning mix of fact and fiction with a clever plot woven around real people’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
S. J. Parris is the pseudonym of Stephanie Merritt. It was as a student at Cambridge that Stephanie first became fascinated by the rich history of Tudor England and Renaissance Europe. Since then, her interest has grown and led her to create this series of historical thrillers featuring Giordano Bruno.
Stephanie has worked for a variety of newspapers and magazines as well as radio and television. She currently writes for the Observer and the Guardian and lives in Surrey with her son.