Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Genre: History, Biography, True Crime, British History, 17th Century, Non-Fiction.

Book Review:
Benjamin Woolley's ''The King's Assassin'' is a gripping and meticulously researched historical investigation that reads like a thriller. It revisits one of the most tantalizing unsolved mysteries of 17th-century England: did the handsome and charismatic royal favorite, George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, murder his patron and lover, King James I?

The book tells the story of the remarkable rise of Villiers, a young man from a minor gentry family who captivated the king and became the most powerful man in England. Their relationship was extraordinarily close; James famously declared that he wanted Villiers to become his ''wife.'' For a decade, Villiers was at the king's side, in court, in council, and in bed. But when James died suddenly in 1625, rumors of poisoning immediately swirled around Villiers. A parliamentary investigation was launched, and scurrilous pamphlets and ballads spread the accusation, but the charges ultimately came to nothing and were relegated to a historical footnote.

Woolley, drawing on new historical scholarship and even modern forensic evidence, re-examines the case with fresh eyes. He builds a compelling narrative, exploring the intense personalities involved, the political machinations of the Jacobean court, and the suspicious circumstances surrounding the king's death. He paints a vivid portrait of a royal favourite whose charisma and ambition overwhelmed not only those around him but, ultimately, himself.

Praised by the Daily Telegraph as ''vivid'' and by The Times as ''well paced ... colourful and fun,'' ''The King's Assassin'' is a utterly gripping read. It is a fine piece of historical detective work that will captivate anyone interested in the Tudor-Stuart era, the dark side of power, and the enduring allure of a good mystery.