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The King’s Secret Matter Audiobook
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(3.01) - 396 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The intrigues of the English royal court are brought to life in the Katharine of Aragon series, and this third and final installment captures them in spellbinding detail.
The twelve-year marriage of Henry and Katharine has declined from an idyllic union into an uneasy stalemate. The king's love for his aging queen has grown cold, and he is angry with her failure to give him the heir to the throne he desperately wants. When the seductive Anne Boleyn arrives at court, the king is captivated by her dark beauty and bold spirit and becomes obsessed with the desire to possess her. With his chief advisor, Cardinal Wolsey, the king devises a secret plot to declare the marriage with Katharine null and void. But Katharine refuses to surrender to his wishes and fights desperately to retain her title and safeguard her daughter, Mary. The ensuing power struggle is one of the turning points in English history, and in these pages it comes vividly to life.
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"I love all of Jean Plaidy's books I have read up to this point. I feel she brings historical characters to life and makes you feel as though these could be anyone or that any person could go through the same pitfalls and triumphs as the historical figures featured in each book. Worth reading."
— Carrie (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama.”
— New York Times -
“Jean Plaidy, by the skilful blending of superb storytelling and meticulous attention to authenticity of detail and depth of characterization, has become one of the country’s most widely read novelists.”
— Sunday Times (London) -
“Full-blooded, dramatic, exciting.”
— Observer (London) -
“One of England’s foremost historical novelists.”
— Birmingham Mail -
“In the third part of Plaidy’s Katharine of Aragon trilogy, Anne Flosnik’s soothing voice takes the listener back to the end of her reign…The story’s frequent changes of scene and point of view would be difficult to follow on audio were it not for Flosnik’s ability to move seamlessly between the characters, underscoring their most diverse qualities. In particular, she adds a slight oiliness to the voice of Cardinal Wolsey, who is determined to do anything to serve his king, and a foreign accent to the voice of Katharine, which shows how out of place she is in her shifting world.”
— AudioFile
The King’s Secret Matter Listener Reviews
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" I enjoy novels looking at Tudor history, and this was another--nothing special but unique in that the story wove together many viewpoints, but didn't dedicate separate chapters to separate narrators. "
— Stephanie, 8/11/2013 -
" Final years of Katherine of Aragon while Henry VIII is trying to divorce her in order to marry Anne Boleyn. "
— Sara, 4/28/2013 -
" I thought this was a good follow up to the other books in the saga. I did think it needed some more focus on Anne Boleyn but perhaps this will come in the follow up book? I will be reading more from Jean Plaidy. I find her books very easy to read and very enjoyable. "
— Christine, 6/4/2012 -
" First book by Jean Plaidy that I didn't like. It was more descriptive than narrative and is was a drag to get through. I hope the next one is better. "
— Barbara, 12/6/2010 -
" This book was amazingly boring. Read more like a history text than a novel. No character development, no sympathy developed for any of the characters, lots of tell and not much show. "
— Katriena, 2/1/2010 -
" Written mostly telling Wolsey & Katherine's sides of Henry's Great Matter. Plaidy is again rather impersonal, but I thought this much better than the previous book. "
— Rachel, 11/22/2009 -
" This book was amazingly boring. Read more like a history text than a novel. No character development, no sympathy developed for any of the characters, lots of tell and not much show. "
— Katriena, 10/12/2009 -
" Final years of Katherine of Aragon while Henry VIII is trying to divorce her in order to marry Anne Boleyn. "
— Sara, 7/19/2007
About Jean Plaidy
Jean Plaidy, one of the preeminent authors of historical fiction for most of the twentieth century, is the pen name of the prolific English author Eleanor Hibbert, also known as Victoria Holt. Jean Plaidy’s novels had sold more than 14 million copies worldwide by the time of her death in 1993.
About Anne Flosnik
Anne Flosnik, a seasoned audiobook narrator, has over four hundred titles to her credit and several awards and distinctions, including AudioFile Earphones Awards, a USA Today Recommended Listening selection, an AudioFile “Best Narration of the Year” selection in 2009, and the American Library Association’s Special Services to Children Award. She has also been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She is an award-winning British actress with lead credits on stage, on television, and in commercials and voice-overs.