Love and power, longing and a surprising fulfillment at the court of King James the First, all carried in a thriller-like plot about a real 17th c. woman, Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford.

Christie says, ‘I think this may be my best so far, and I don’t say that lightly.  In fact, I can’t believe I’m saying it at all, but that’s what I feel.  Fact and passion have come together for me in The Noble Assassin.

A perfect gift for a reader in your life!

Published November, 2011. HarperCollins Paperback.  £7.99

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Elizabeth, daughter of James I, is surrounded by luxury in her father's volatile court but can rely on no-one but her beloved brother Henry, Prince of Wales - until she is given a slave girl, Tallie. Now she has someone who will tell her the truth, whether or not she wishes to hear it.

The truth is not comfortable. The louche James is distrusted by all but sees himself as a great peacemaker. He invites a series of suitors for his daughter but changes his mind again and again as the uneasy political situation shifts in Europe. Brutally robbed of Henry's support by tragic circumstances, Elizabeth must defy the king and forge her own future, with the help only of Tallie, the one person who can see the way to freedom.

Full book page to follow shortly!

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In April, Christie signed a contract for two books with her publisher HarperCollins. She is already working on the first one, about a character she fell in love with during research for THE FIREMASTER'S MISTRESS but could not fit in - Elizabeth Stuart, the oldest daughter of King James I and VI. Though not well known, she was the vital link between past kings and the present English Royal Family... Watch this space.

THE FIREMASTER'S MISTRESS has recently been published in Australia, to be followed in autumn 2008 by publication in the the United States.

The Principessa has been picked as one of the books of the month in www.lovereading.co.uk's featured historical fiction category. To see what they have to say about the book please click here...

How far would you go to stay alive? Both the hero and the heroine of THE PRINCIPESSA must learn that for themselves - while falling into love that could kill one or both of them. Francis Quoynt, back again after THE FIREMASTER'S MISTRESS, faces a seductive young Italian princess who could teach Lucrezia Borgia a trick or two, and her mad but still powerful father, the ruler of a small city-state in northeastern Italy. He is on a secret mission to try to save the life of Robert Cecil, the English Secretary of State, who has already decided how far he will go to survive - he's willing to sacrifice Francis.

THE PRINCIPESSA is the second book in the Francis Quoynt series.

Praise for the previous book in the series, THE FIREMASTER'S MISTRESS:

‘Wonderfully researched historical fiction speculating on the innocence of York-born Guy Fawkes.’
The Times, 15 October, 2005

''A rich mix of romance, suspense, adventure and lightly-worn knowledge.'
Kate Saunders, The Times

'A tour de force on many levels. Primarily a love story set against the backdrop of 17th-century terrorism, this relates a tragedy that puts you on the rack in its literary quest for truth about November 5.'
Oxford Times

''Atmospheric and impressively researched, it is highly entertaining.'
Elizabeth Buchan, The Sunday Times