The Tudor Secret cover art

The Tudor Secret

The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles, Book 1

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Tudor Secret

By: C. W. Gortner
Narrated by: Steve West
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and, above all, spies.

The summer of 1553 is a time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, has been reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the king’s brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeth’s protector, William Cecil, who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past.

A dark plot swirls around Elizabeth’s quest to discover the truth about the ominous disappearance of her seriously ill brother, King Edward VI. With only a bold stable boy and an audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths, lies, and murder.

Filled with the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, The Tudor Secret is the first book in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles.

©2011 C. W. Gortner (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Historical Mystery Fiction Royalty Espionage Emotionally Gripping Exciting Tudor

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Unquiet Bones cover art
Courting Darkness cover art
Lady at Arms cover art
The Tudor Mystery Trials Box Set cover art
A Conspiracy of Violence cover art
The Scarlet Contessa cover art
Lord Edward's Archer cover art
Dreamspell cover art
Chained cover art
Tudor Warrior cover art
The Unveiling cover art
The King's Justice cover art
A Plague on Both Your Houses cover art
Sherwood cover art
The Executioner of St Paul's cover art
Elantris (3 of 3) [Dramatized Adaptation] cover art

Critic reviews

"Gortner handles action with aplomb, adding a riveting, fast-paced thriller to the crowded genre of Tudor fiction." ( Publishers Weekly)
"An exciting, vividly rendered story of intrigue and espionage." ( Booklist)
All stars
Most relevant
I'm sure it's a good story but narrator was so bad I stopped after two hours :(
Nothing else to say

Could not finish

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The narrator, as others have commented, was quite annoying at times - some particular character voices were agonising to listen to, as well as mispronunciation throughout, especially regarding a couple of place names. The story however was easy to listen to, not necessarily the best of the bunch but quite enjoyable, would recommend if you enjoy stories relating to the Tudors.

easy story, annoying narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The narration is just awful. Like a sit com. A shame for the writer. Unless it’s him narrating.

Dreadful narrator

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
narrator was very good and coped with the many characters well. story line was too fanciful for me , I dont believe a lowly servant could ever have spoken to the aristocracy and royalty as he did. that aside I found it quite enjoyable listening.

A good listen, well narrated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great to get back to historical thrillers. Exciting storyline set around the turbulent end of Edward's reign. Good characters, well written and exciting pace.

A Good Romp

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews