Palace of Spies

Zettel, Sarah. Palace of Spies. 2013. 368p. ISBN 9780544074118. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Margaret Fitzroy, also known as Peggy, has lived in her rich uncle’s house ever since her mother died years ago. Now sixteen, Peggy and her cousin Olivia live vicariously through newspaper articles and the gossip of high society. But when her uncle decides to marry her off to a vile man from the Bahamas, Peggy rebels and refuses to countenance this decision. As a result, she is unceremoniously kicked out of the home and dropped in the street without a penny to her name.

Recruited by a certain Mr. Tinderflint, Peggy is tasked to impersonate Lady Francesca, a lady-in-waiting in service of her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte, daughter-in-law of King George I. Francesca returned home during Christmas sick and died soon thereafter. With the Court split between King George and James Stuart, Pretender to the throne, many plots are afoot to change the course of history.

Returning as Lady Francesca, Peggy attempts to immerse herself in the Court’s life and pick up where Francesca left off, but she soon stumbles upon a plot that threatens the monarchy. With no friends to turn to, with every relationship based on power and influence extraction, and with death as a penalty for failure, Peggy must discover what is happening in Princess Charlotte’s circle or risk paying the ultimate price.

A fun read, Palace of Spies provides an interesting look inside a time period unknown to most, the Jacobite movement, and good descriptions of life at court in the early 1700s. Fans of Etiquette & Espionage will enjoy this historical sleuth novel.