This is a multilayered historical fiction. Set in England, 1598. Author takes us back to the Late Elizabethan England. The world that is filled with mysteries, conspiracies, secrets, lies and history. The book is so compelling and well researched. Character development is good. Sophia’s character is phenomenal. Sophia was called to investigate the case of the young heiress but the mystery gets deeper when she finds a cryptic note and it opens the window to her past life. Now she is on a quest to find out the truth and unveil secrets from both past and present.

Thanks to the Publisher.

For fans of historical fiction, this hits the mark. Sophia de Wolfe is a strong, determined woman and not about to keep quiet as women of her time were expected to. When the murder of a young woman is found in a theatre linked to individual s dear to her, Sophia begins to investigate. Her past life makes her ideal for the task, and brings her back into the world of the Elizabethan spymasters. Can she uncover the truth behind the murder?

I enjoyed the depiction of life in Elizabethan times. It was beautifully done and brought me into a time and place where women were mere chattels and not expected to have minds of their own. I also enjoyed the historical detail of the political and military intrigues of the time. The use of real people as characters added to the story.

A great read, with the promise of more to come.

Traitors Legacy is the first book in a new series by SJ Parris, which is centered around a character from her famous Giordano Bruno series, Sophia De Wolfe.

This Elizabethan mystery sees Sophia, a former spy, investigate the death of a young woman who is found with a letter written in Sophia's old spy cipher. As she pursues the truth, she finds herself entangled in a web of political intrigue.

This entertaining historical fiction mystery is well written and well researched. Famous historical characters such as Robert Cecil, the Earl of Essex, and even William Shakespeare make an appearance. An interesting start to a new series.

A recommended read for fans of historical fiction series with murder and intrigue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager , for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

S. J. Parris is a new author for me. Therefore, I did not have any particular expectations when it came to this book. The premises looked intrueging and it has been a while since I have read a good thriller.

England 1598. Queen Elizabeth’s successor remains unnamed. The country teeters on a knife-edge.
When a young girl is found murdered at the theatre, the Queen’s spymaster, Robert Cecil, calls upon former agent Sophia de Wolfe to investigate. A cryptic note on the girl's body points to Sophia's previous life as a spy. As powerful enemies emerge and her secrets are on the verge of being uncovered, Sophia must uncover the truth before her past threatens to destroy her.

The first 100 pages dragged a bit for me—lots of setup, not much momentum. I get that laying the groundwork is important, but I found it hard to stay engaged early on. That said, I’m glad I stuck with it because the second half really took off. The pacing picked up, the stakes grew, and the secrets started unraveling in such a satisfying way. The twists were well-timed, and each reveal added a new layer that kept me turning the pages. By the time I reached the final chapters, I was fully invested. The ending was a bit open when it comes to Sophia's background story—which makes sense, since this is the first in a series. There are still unanswered questions and unresolved threads that I’m sure will carry into the next book.
If you’re someone who doesn’t mind a slow burn with a strong payoff, this one might be right up your alley.

Traitor's Legacy by S. J. Parris is an immensely enjoyable mystery that kept me on edge to the very end.

Set in 1598, when England is at war in Ireland and fearing an invasion from the Catholic enemies in Europe, the body of a child is discovered where a theatre used to be located. Sophia de Wolfe, a wealthy widow and patron of the theatre is moved to discover who could be responsible for such a cruel act.

This story is cleverly written with the narrative switching between Sophia and Anthony Munday who writes plays for the theatre group as they try to figure out who killed young Agnes.

This is a sweeping story encompassing generations of privileged households with a strong female lead character who deals fearlessly with her rivals having previously worked for the Queen's intelligence department.

I will certainly be looking out for the next one in this new series as this opener was excellent.

The first in a new series centered around Sophia de Wolfe, a character first introduced in the authors previous series of books. Set in London in 1598, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Sophia is a wealthy widow and was previously a spy for the queen’s spymaster Francis Walsingham, who has been dead for 10 years. This is so well written and the author has clearly done a great deal of detailed research, and it shows.

Briefly, a young girl, the ward of the North family and a wealthy heiress, is found dead in a ditch where a playhouse had previously been located. There is a note on her body written in a cypher, previously used by Sophia, and Walsingham’s successor Robert Cecil calls on Sophia asking her to see what she can find out. But matters soon take a more serious turn for Sophia when a 15 boy Tobie is arrested for murder; Sophia is distraught and determines to prove the boys innocence.

Sophia is a great character, clever, strong and feisty, but she does rather jump in with both feet, risking her life, and others unnecessarily. She is terribly headstrong and does need to rein it in a bit. The plot is excellent with a few red herrings, and twists and turns, that make it difficult to work out who the killer was. The vivid descriptions of life in Elizabethan England, particularly the disparity between the rights and treatment of the wealthy and the poor. A fascinating and entertaining historical story and I’m very much looking forward to book 2.

What an incredible introduction to Sophia de Wolfe!

A former spy agent in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Sophia is implicated in the murder of a young ward being looked after by a very prominent family.

Mistress de Wolfe is tasked by her former boss to investigate the case further due to the use of her old cypher in a message. She also has a unique relationship with the young man accused of the murder which fuels her desire to weed out the truth and ensure that justice is served.

With espionage; deception and misdirection abound, Traitor's Legacy is an intricate web that takes time to unravel. It's definitely worth a read if historical fiction crossed with a crime thriller is up your street.

This was an engrossing read. It had very interesting characters and a murder to solve. Sophia de Wolfe was the main character, she had previously been a spy for the Crown. Now she was a wealthy widow, and was being involved in solving a crime. There are a number of possible suspects but Sophia is determined to find out the truth, even though this brings danger to herself. I did like that real events and people of the time were involved in the story. It was certainly a grim time to be poor and this was portrayed in the book, the scene was definitely set. This is the first in a series and if they are all as good as this one, I will look forward to reading them. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

S J Parris is perhaps best known for her bestselling historical fiction series featuring the Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno. Traitor’s Legacy marks the start of a new series centred around Sophia de Wolfe, a character who will be familiar to readers of the author’s earlier series.

London 1598. Francis Walsingham is eight years dead and Sophia de Wolfe is living the life of a wealthy widow. However, when a young girl is found dead carrying a copy of de Wolfe’s old cypher, Spymaster Robert Cecil calls upon her to investigate.

I enjoyed this book. Sophia makes for an interesting and well rounded character with plenty of layers to unpick in future instalments of the series. The plot is strong, with enough twists and turns to hold the readers interest throughout and the setting is convincingly written. This isn’t a perfect book – I found the ending a little abrupt – but that is my one and only quibble

Perfect for fans of well-written historical fiction. Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Hemlock Press, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophia De Wolfe is a former spy during Elizabethan England, now a respectable merchant's widow. When a body of a young girl, a wealthy heiress and ward of a prominent family is found in a ditch by the theatre with a note written in a code specific to Sophia, she is drawn into the investigation to find her killer, which soon becomes a dangerous mission.

I've never read anything by SJ Parris previously, and was excited to see that this as the start of a new series. I had no idea that this is in fact a spin off of the Giordano Bruno series by the author.

As soon as I read the blurb for Traitor's Legacy I knew this was right up my street and I wasn't disappointed. It was written so well I had no idea it was a follow on from a previous series and fell straight into the world with no problems. Sophia is an excellent strong female character who it was easy to share frustrations with. Constantly being told to know her place and to be more discreet etc. Well to them I say "well behaved women seldom make history". Strong female characters, detective fiction, mystery, thrillers and intrigue are some of my absolute favourite tropes and this absolutely nailed it.

There was much to love about this novel; the rich tapestry of characters, the many twists and turns, the historical setting and even an appearance or two by William Shakespeare. It was so compelling I could hardly put it down.

I give this a very well deserved 5/5 stars.

I can hardly wait for book 2 to come out, but in the meantime, I am most definitely looking forward to catching up on Parris' back catalogue!

Definitely pick this one up!

This is a compelling read. The atmosphere of intrigue and fear is wonderful and kept me gripped throughout. Sophia is a fascinating main character. The historical detail is excellent, I felt fully immersed in the sixteenth century. I have enjoyed all the books in this series, but this could be read as a stand alone. I hope there are many more to come in this series.

Set in the time of Elizabeth 1st,this is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction .Sophia de Wolfe was previously a spy working for Chief Spymaster Frances Walsingham. A body of a young girl is found with a mysterious note attached to her body using the Cypher Sophia herself used to used. Sophia is called back from retirement to help find the young girls killer .A rich suspenseful plot with lots of twists and turns and a satisfying ending .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC

As expected this book is an absolute delight and a real page turner! I love that this new series has a female lead character but there are still the constraints that make life difficult for women particularly in Tudor England. S J Parris really knows how to write historical fiction and this book has it all with murder, mystery and so much intrigue.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The year is 1598 and Queen Elizabeth is still without a successor, and things in England couldn’t be more precarious.
So when a young potential heiress is murdered, Robert Cecil calls on Sophia de Wolfe, a former agent of his. He asks her to investigate and find out what’s happened.
Whilst investigating the case she comes across a cryptic letter on the body of the dead girl. A letter that links to her former life as a spy and contains a secret that Sophia wants to remain a secret. One that goes right into the heart of the Elizabethan court.
With very powerful people looking on, Sophia has to find answers quickly if she is to keep her secret and solve the murder, but that will the ultimate test with the whole court watching.
S.J. Parris is a fine writer of Elizabethan fiction, but this novel is something very special indeed.
A totally unique and endearing main character the readers will love, and the novel itself is a convincing and plausible crime story set in the most fractious and paranoid period of Elizabeth’s reign.
This is one of the best books I’ve this year so far and one I most definitely recommend.

I hadn’t read any of S.J. Parris’ works before, despite being a big fan of historical fiction, but that didn’t matter as this book marks the start of a new series. Traitor’s Legacy is based around a former spy, Sophia de Wolfe, who is called in to investigate the murder of a young heiress to whom she has been linked by a cryptic note left on the body.

The case itself is very well plotted but the novel is really brought to life by a wonderful depiction of Elizabethan London and a fantastic main character. It can be hard to write female characters in history who can be strong and resourceful and still feel part of their historical period, but Parris manages it perfectly. Sophia’s previous life is referenced, although there is clearly far more to uncover, and she’s very capable but still manages to feel a believable part of her class and sex at the time. I was hooked on the story from the start and am looking forward to the next one already (and yes, I have also started the author’s Giordano Bruno series in the meantime).

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

SJ Parris has set such a high standard with her previous books - I'm a huge fan of the Giordano Bruno series - but I'm pleased to say the Traitors Legacy absolutely lives up to expectations

Packed full of political intrigue, excellent characters and vivid depictions of Elizabethan England I was definitely entertained.

In this first book in a new series, Parris gives Sophia de Wolfe, a character from the Bruno series, space to shine as the main character and shine she does. Feisty, clever and connected she's up against some very murky characters and you'll be on her side the whole way.

I love seing a real historical figures blended with the fictional and this is beautifully done here with Shakespeare.

An excellent start to a new series and I'm eagerly awaiting the next instalment

While not being new to historical dramas I am however new to S. J. Parris’ work; I have since added ‘Heresy’ to my TBR!
Set in the Winter of 1598, Sophia de Wolfe is roped in to investigate the murder of a thirteen year old girl after evidence left at the scene ties to Sophia herself. I was hooked in the beginning but the slowness lost me a little bit in the middle, I found myself easily distracted while reading but from around 70% I was hooked again!
I’’ll definitely be sticking around for the series!

What a splendid start to a new series. Whereas the smells of London were not apparent, all other aspects were, many of which are as true today as they were in 1598. The rich and powerful often believe themselves above the law and rely on their "betters" to keep them there.

The cast of players are "real" as are the situations they find themselves in and you may find that, like myself, you want to reach into the book and "deal with them"!!

I shall now have to be patient and wait for volume 2: something very nice to look forward to.

I love this author, and I have read and listened to the Bruno Giordano series. In this book, she has given us a female heroine, still in the same era but a decade after the death of Walsingham, who had a list of spies that he called upon to help keep Queen Elizabeth 1st safe, but has since disbanded.
Sophia de Wolfe, on whose second marriage she did rather well and her husband knew all her secrets but since his death women of that era were mainly looked upon to be the loyal wife and to produce offspring hopefully male but being her age she did not have any children but she did inherited a stepson whose father gave him a house when he passed but everything else went to Sophia which Justin de Wolfe will plot against her with anything he can think of, to get rid of her, and claim the inheritance he thinks should be his.
Sophia is not one for sitting on her backside sewing, she has this get up and go and has taken up fencing, which I'm sure would be frowned upon by other women, and she likes to help the down trodden and when a murder has occurred and one of the suspects who is an entertainer/actor which she gives money to the playhouse company is jailed for murder she intervenes, and puts herself in danger.
Parris has woven a good plot, lots of twists and turns. I do hope there will be more of this series as a network of spies could be in the offering, will Sophia de Wolfe be tempted back?
I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for an ARC copy to read, but the thoughts and views are my own.

I’ve read a few of the Giordano Bruno series, which I absolutely adore, so I already knew Sophia, and I’m over the moon that she has her own series now. I will make it clear though that this is completely separate, and is standalone, but I do think I gained a lot by having known Sophia from the GB series (which everyone should read!!)

As is to be expected, this is just absolutely brilliant. I just get so immersed in the storyline, the characters, it all just comes to life so much for me with this author.

Brilliant! I can’t wait for more!

My thanks to Netgalley and Team Harper Fiction for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.