C. W. Gortner

C. W. Gortner was an American historical novelist whose work concentrated particularly on powerful, controversial and frequently misrepresented women. He held an MFA in writing with an emphasis on historical studies from the New College of California and taught courses on women in Renaissance history. His novels combine political intrigue and court rivalry with intimate first-person portraits, often reconsidering reputations shaped by hostile chroniclers or later legend. Gortner died in October 2025, having published sixteen historical novels.

His best-known novels include The Last Queen, about Juana of Castile; The Confessions of Catherine de Medici; The Queen’s Vow, centred on Isabella of Castile; and The Vatican Princess, which presents Lucrezia Borgia’s early life in Renaissance Rome. The Romanov Empress follows Maria Feodorovna through the final decades of imperial Russia, while The First Actress, Mademoiselle Chanel and Marlene fictionalise the lives of Sarah Bernhardt, Coco Chanel and Marlene Dietrich. Gortner also wrote the Tudor Spymaster trilogy, beginning with The Tudor Secret, in which the fictional Brendan Prescott becomes involved in espionage and dynastic conflict during the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I.